Small Talks: Dream of the Republic of Vanuatu

Mix of the Beach,Volcanoes and Unique Culture

Where is the Republic of Vanuatu?

Since every time I talk about the Republic of Vanuatu people will ask where it is, I think it is necessary to clarify the geographic location at the first place. Vanuatu belongs to Melanesian Islands which is located in the western South Pacific Ocean near Australia.

In addition to that,the country is an island archipelago composed by approximately 82 relatively small, geologically newer islands of volcanic origin.The capital is Port-Vila,also is where my trip will start.

Who & When？

Participants: My close friend Jessica and me. It is better to have an companion for safety's sake and it is more fun when you can share your experience at the moment with a friend who knows you for a long time.

Time: August,2013.We choose to visit Vanuatu in this time because it is the perfect time to enjoy the sunshine and the beach. We can do more activities during the summer time since there are not much rain in August and the average temperature is 23°.

Expected length of staying: 10 days

How to get there?

Currently there is no direct flight from China to the Republic of Vanuatu, so we have to fly to Australia first and from there to Vanuatu's capital Port-Vila.

For Chinese citizens, there is no need for visa application as Vanuatu is a visa free country to China. However, we have to apply for a landing visa in order to transfer flight in Australia.

Cost of Flight：

Beijing,China-Sydney,Austrlia Round Trip(Air China company): 5900RMB+2235RMB(Tax)=8135 RMB ≈$1305.66(with 0.1605 exchange rate)

Sydney,Australia-Port-Vila,Vanuatu Round Trip(Air Vanuatu company):

$576.33(tax included)

Total: $1881.99

Why choose Vanuatu?

There are several reasons why travelling in Vanuatu is my dream vacation. First, this is the country Jessica and I planned to visit since we were in high school after we watched a tourist program on TV and this is the graduation year for both of us. After about 23 years of studying, we think it is better to have a break and escape from the reality for a while before start our career.

Second,I have never been diving before, that is something I want to do in the summer. In addition to that I want to see the real volcanoes since I was a child,Vanuatu is the perfect place for both activities.It also has great beaches for relaxation and I have heard it is one of the most beautiful and happiest countries in the world.

The last reason is for its culture. I have heard a lot that it has a culture different from both western and eastern cultures, I am really curious about it.

Transportation:

Vanuatu has a policy that only individuals above 25 years old with international drivers licenses can rent a car.Since both of us are under 25 and Vanuatu has no railway line network, we can only choose buses or taxis within the islands and boats or airplanes between the islands. According to the travel website said,taking a boat will be only half the price of taking a flight and it is one of the best way to experience the local culture. I am planing to take the boat whenever for most of the time when I get there.

Bus tickets cost around $1 each day and taxis in Port Vila just slightly more than a bus ride.

Currency：

1 Canadian dollar = 6.10335 RMB = 87.8889 VUV（Vanuatu vatu）

Travel Tips:

Unlike western culture, neither tipping nor bargaining are practiced in Vanuatu.
Although Bislama is the national language, English and French are also official commonly spoken language. There is no need to worry about language barrier.
Purchasing insurance prior to your arrival in Vanuatu is strongly recommended.
Anti-malarial medicine is recommended if travel outside of Port-Vila and Efafe.
The electricity is 240V, 50HZ,3 pin plugs and the plug adapter can be found in most hardware store.
Light weight,casual clothing plus a sweater for evening is usually sufficient year round.
Asking for authorization if taking pictures in the village.
If planning to visit active volcanoes (like myself), check with the Vanuatu tourist office for latest reports on volcanic activity before travelling to the island.
All the certificates needs to be well protected, it is better to put passport and bank/credit cards in separate bags(waterproofed bags are preferable) .
I usually would send myself an email of the e-version of passport,visa and passport photo before I leave,just in case I lost them so that at least I can access the internet to prove my identity.

Routes:

Day 1-3:Efate Island

Day 4-5:Tanna Island

Day 6-7:Espiritu Santo Island

Day 8:Malekula Island

Day 9:Ambrym Island

Day 10:Efate Island

Day 1:

Today, we will first arrive Sydney at 7:40 am(local time) and then transfer the flight to Vanuatu. It will be around 15:10 when we arrive Port-Vila if we take the flight NF011 at 11:45. We will then take the bus to get to the hotel,Fatumaru Lodge,which is a 3.5 star Melanesian style boutique hotel situated ten minutes from downtown.

We won't do anything after such a long day of travelling besides have a walk around the area and finding a nice place to have dinner.

Daily Cost: $79

Day 2:

Today will be a full day adventure. After a nice sleep, we would have the energy to do some sports.Since Efate is one of the most famous places for scuba diving, there is no reason we are not doing it. There are a range of dive operators offer beginners diving. As both of us has no experience of scuba diving, I think we probably need to take several hours of training before actually start it. According to the travel guide sites, the underwater world in Efate offers plunging cliffs, grottoes, huge caves and intricate tunnels.

We will choose the Big Blue as our dive team because it offers a great option for beginners and one instructor teaches two students which is perfect for our situation.

At night, we will take the bus to Hideaway which about 15 minutes from Port-Vila and stay at the Hideaway Island Resort.

Hideaway Island Resort

Daily Cost:Discover Scuba Dive-Pool Only Exercise: Free!

Ocean Dive: VT 9,000 = $102.40

Resort:$54.5

Day 3:

In the morning, we will sit on the beach to watch the sunrise. After that,we will go snorkeling there.

In the afternoon,we will go to see the world's only underwater post office within the Hideaway Island marine sanctuary.The post office is only three meters of the water so that both divers and snorkelers can post special "waterproof postcard". This is one of the must see sites on my list of this trip and I will send my mom a special postcard at there.

The Underwater Post Office

After a whole day activities,we would like to have our dinner at "On the beach" bar and restaurant where we can overlooking the beautiful coral reefs and crystal clear tropical water. We could sit back and relax to watch the sunset while sipping on a cocktail.

Daily Cost:Snorkeling:VT 5500=$62.58
Dinning: VT 2000= $22.76
Resort: $54.5

Day 4:

Today we will first go back to Port Vila and take the flight to Tanna,it is a 35 minutes flight. We would get there at 8:30 which means we need to get up around 5 o'clock in the morning.

We will start our day by having a nice ride on the horseback to explore the beautiful landscape of Tanna. After that, we can begin our first culture tour in Tanna's Kastom village where will have locals introduce to us the their traditions, knowledge of medicines and crafts,etc. We will be inspired by a completely different lifestyle and entertained with custom dancing.

Tanna Island is the home of Mt Yasur, and it is the most accessible active volcano around the world. Around sunset time,we would put our climbing boots on to climb the Mountain Yasur. We probably can see the hot lava being spewed in the air and hear the "booms" from long way away.We would stay there for the night since many people who have been there recommended that the firework display is magnificent.

Tonight, we will stay at the "Tanna Island Dream Bungalows" and hopefully this will give us a different experience than hotel.

Daily Cost:Flight:$139.6

Bungalows:VT 1000=$11.38

Day 5:

After a few days fully packed trip, we will sleep in and generally do nothing today.We can try some local food made by the bungalow's owner and go to the women center to buy some cool stuff. We may sailing in the Port Resolution and watch the volcano smoke or wandering to the white beach which only takes about 20 minutes walk.Shark Bay also is an option which about an hour walk from where we live so we may take a bus to there to see the alive sharks below. When we feel tired, we can go back to the bungalow and call it a day.

Daily Cost: Bungalow: $11.38

Estimated Other Activities: $50

Day 6:

Today we will spend our day in Espiritu Santo Island and it is the largest island in Vanuatu. As usual, we would take the flight to go there since we are going to fly across Vanuatu from the southern part of island group to the northern part.The flight is on 12:55 and it is a two and half hours flight, so it would be around four o'clock when we get there.

We would wander around the small Luganville town center and caught a free ferry to the Aore Island Resort which has a bungalow balcony outlook and have dinner there.

Daily Cost: Flight: $242.5

Resort(Food included):$118.5

Day 7:

Today, the Millenium Cave tour is on our agenda, it is a relatively newly developed tour in Espiritu Santo Island.Generally, it is an action-packed adventure for bold individuals who enjoy hiking which means it is probably not the best choice for those who have children and seniors with them.

The tour features a trek through a dense rain forest, an exploration of Vanuatu's biggest cave and a rock climb before winding down with a river swim. There are many people regard this tour as "not to be missed" and "best holiday adventure ever".It is a 45 minutes journey from the town of Luganville, when we get there we will first enjoy a 15 minutes walk across a bamboo bridge and through a coconut plantation to ultimately arrive at the lovely village of Funaspef. Our guide will wait us there and detail the tour with us.

At late afternoon,we will take the boat to the island of diversity,Malekula Island. Since the ship is not run to any schedules,we will ask the local about the time of arrival when we get there. We will sleep at Alo Lodge tonight.

Daily Cost：Tour: VT6000=$68.2

Ferry:about VT1500=$17.06

Alo Lodge: VT 2000=$22.76

Day 8:

On today's agenda is a Fire Beach Eco and Culture trip which also is our second cultural tour.It is a full day guided tour exploring the traditional village settings with the view of the Bay included waterfalls. We are going to see the colorful Nalawan dance,sand drawing,weaving demonstrations and custom "plei plei's" or games.

We can relax on the coral sandy beaches or swim in the crystal clear warm waters or bathe in the river nearby.If we can get there around August 14th, we will luckily attend the Nalawan Festival which is a two days celebration and the time actually varies each year.

Nalawan Festival

Daily Cost:Tour:VT 2500=$28.44

Alo Lodge:$22.76

Day 9:

On our second last day, we will see the volcanoes the last time on Ambrym Island before we back to Port-Vila tomorrow.Mt Benbow and Mt Marum are two of the most popular volcanoes in the middle of the island.But before we start our adventure to these active volcanoes(the nearest eruption is in 1973),we have to find a guide and a permission from the custom chief.

We will stay on the island in a Bungalow called Soloman Douglas Bungalow.

Daily Cost: Ferry:VT 400=$4.56

Bungalow(Food included):VT3500=$39.8

Day 10:

Today is our last day in Vanuatu, we will catch the 9:30 flight from Craig Cove airport in Ambrym to Port Vila. It will take us 3 hours.We then will have lunch and do some last minute shopping to buy some gifts for family and friends. The flight is on 4:10 back to Sydney and from there we are going back to Beijing,China.

Daily Cost: Estimate of shopping cost: $300

Expectations:

I think this trip will be something memorable.I expect to experience a culture neither influenced by Western culture nor Eastern culture, it should have many traditional ways of doing things.I hope from this trip I can totally relaxed and figure out what I really want for my future career path. I also want to learn some knowledge about the volcanoes and its local people.I think travelling to Vanuatu will be the best decision I would have made in my life, and I would like to come back there in the future if I have the opportunity.