Visiting Vanuatu:
Frequently Asked Questions
I get a lot of e-mails from new gap volunteers and other travellers looking for advice on visiting Vanuatu. This page is an attempt to answer some of the most common questions.
Some of the advice here is aimed at British volunteers, but other parts apply to anyone considering a trip to Vanuatu. Please bear in mind, however, that much of what follows is just my personal opinion, and that things may have changed since I last updated this page.
If you have any comments or questions that aren't covered here, please get in touch. It's always nice to hear from fellow travellers.
Would you recommend a trip to Vanuatu?
Yes, if...
- You like to get "off the beaten track" and experience traditional cultures.
Make sure you travel beyond Port Vila and Luganville if this is the case. - You have money to burn and want to spend a few days chilling out in tropical luxury.
Don't travel beyond Port Vila and Luganville if this is the case. - You want to get away from other Westerners but are keen to meet local people.
- You're put off visiting other developing countries by fears about crime, terrorism, or dangerous wildlife.
- You love the outdoors, especially when the weather is hot.
- You enjoy hiking, swimming, fishing or scuba diving.
- You've always wanted to see an erupting volcano.
This part is optional. - You're happy to while away some days with nothing more than friendly people and/or a good book.
Vanuatu supplies the former in abundance, but make sure you bring the latter.
However, if the following apply to you, then you'd probably have a better time in other tropical destinations such as Queensland, South-east Asia or Fiji...
- You are on a tight budget.
Enjoying yourself in Port Vila is expensive, as is transport to other islands. Going to Vanuatu because you are offered a cheap flight there would be very much a false economy. - You are on a cruise ship.
Spending a day ashore with a thousand other tourists buying overpriced souvenirs with Australian dollars is not the way to experience Vanuatu's beauty, friendliness, traditional culture and relaxed atmosphere. - You have come purely for sun, sea, sand and/or sex.
All of these can be had more easily elsewhere. - You like to party late into the night.
Nightlife is limited in Port Vila and Luganville, and in villages there's none at all unless you develop a taste for kava and the villagers invite you into the nakamal. - You like shopping.
Vanuatu's shopping opportunities, like its nightlife, are limited in town and virtually non-existent elsewhere. Port Vila's main street may be lined with Duty Free emporia, but the goods on offer here are no better than those in any major international airport. - You don't like sticky heat.
Southern areas of Vanuatu, including Port Vila, are pleasant during the cooler months from May to September, and breezy beachside resorts are fine in hot weather, but northern islands can be muggy at any time of year and out of town there's no air conditioning to take the heat away. On outer islands, you can't even cool down with an iced drink. - You like exotic food.
Port Vila has plenty of restaurants offering expensive imitations of European cuisine, but Vanuatu's traditional kakae is pretty uninspiring, and on outer islands the food can be so bad that visitors will spend long hours fantasising about what topping they'll order on their pizza when they finally get back into town. - You are worried about disease.
Unlike most island destinations, Vanuatu is a highly malarial country. The risk in Port Vila is minimal, but if you're heading out of town you'd be well advised to take anti-malarial drugs. I personally know several visitors who have caught malaria in Vanuatu. - You are one of those people who attracts mosquitoes.
- You absolutely must stay in regular contact with home.
Internet access and international phone calls are expensive in Vila and may not be reliably available at all on outer islands. - You like everything to be carefully planned in advance.
In the words of one fellow volunteer, in Vanuatu "today is never yesterday's tomorrow".
What is the best way to get to Vanuatu?
The cheapest way to get to Vanuatu from Europe is usually to find a bargain flight to Brisbane, Sydney or Auckland, and book a separate ticket from there to Vanuatu. All three are lovely cities and are well worth spending time in on your way to Vanuatu. They are also within an hour of Vanuatu's time zone, so stopping there will give you a chance to get over your jet lag.
Nadi in Fiji, which is the other possible jumping-off point for flights to Vanuatu, is not a lovely city. Nadi, and Fiji's main island in general, is dirty and urbanized in comparison to Vanuatu. Travel there is much cheaper though.
When booking a ticket to Vanuatu, compare different airlines' prices. Air Vanuatu flights to Australia and New Zealand are 'code shared' with Qantas and Air New Zealand, and the ticket sometimes differs in price depending on which airline you buy it from, even though you'll be flying on the same plane. Nowadays you can also fly to Vanuatu from Australia or New Zealand with Pacific Blue, who offer occasional bargains if you book well in advance (althugh allow for $50 or so of fees on top of the initial price they quote you).
On flights from Europe to Australasia, you can often get a stopover in South-east Asia thrown in free (even on very cheap flights). If you want to stop in several places en route, look into deals on 'round-the-world' tickets, which often cost only slightly more than an ordinary return flight to Australasia.
Don't simply go into a travel agent, ask for a flight to Vanuatu, and accept the first deal you are offered. Do some research on the Internet beforehand to see what types of deal are available, and ask a lot of questions. (What if I go via such-and-such a place? What if I fly on a different day of the week? What if I try a different airline?)
What things should I take with me?
Port Vila (and to a lesser extent Luganville) have supermarkets where you can buy most of the things that you can get in Western countries, albeit at higher prices. However, if you're venturing into rural parts of Vanuatu you need to go well equipped. I can't possibly list everything that might be worth taking, but here are a few ideas...
It's worth carrying a good knife in Vanuatu for opening coconuts, cutting up fruit, and so on. The locals carry giant machetes, but for wimpy Westerners a Swiss army knife is usually more practical.
Take lots of resealable plastic bags for keeping your belongings (cameras etc) dry. If travelling by boat, your luggage is particularly likely to get a soaking. Tropical rainstorms can also drench you to the skin in five seconds flat. Larger waterproof dry bags (the kind used on camping adventures) are also useful.
Take an inflatable ball so that you can play games with the local children. For small children, balloons also make good toys.
Miniature LED keyring torches (which can be bought in bulk for less than a dollar each on eBay) are incredibly convenient, and make good gifts for local people.
Take a digital camera - people love seeing their photos displayed on the screen.
Take a very small first aid kit that you can carry around with you, containing plasters and antiseptic wipes for the inevitable cuts and scratches. If you'll be spending much time in Vanuatu, bring a large, separate first aid kit too.
If you're heading for a volunteer placement on one of the outer islands, stock up on your favourite herbs, spices and sauces in Port Vila. Island food tends to be bland. The Au Bon Marche in Port Vila's Nambatu district is the place to get obscure Western foodstuffs that you won't find anywhere else in Vanuatu, although for basic supplies other supermakets in Vila are cheaper.
While in town, stock up on stamps and phone cards too. Some stores in rural schools and villages will sell these, but they often run out.
When flying out to a isolated destination in Vanuatu, pick up a copy of the day's newspaper from the kiosk in Vila airport and take it with you - the islanders will appreciate it. Similarly, if you pass through the USA, Australia or New Zealand on your way to a placement in rural Vanuatu, pick up newspapers and magazines there: you may encounter volunteer workers from those countries who'll be extremely grateful for news from back home, even if it's a few days old by the time it reaches them.
Air Vanuatu invites passengers to keep their copies of Island Spirit, the in-flight magazine. Do so, especially if you're going to visit or work at a school: it'll provide students and teachers there with welcome reading material.
Many schools in Vanuatu are desperate for resources, particularly in the area of science equipment. If you are interested in donating equipment, or if you are embarking on a teaching placement in Vanuatu and would like to know what useful items to take with you, click here for a list.
Is it safe to travel to Vanuatu in the cyclone season?
Although there is a risk of cyclones in Vanuatu, mainly between December and April, unless you're sailing it isn't something that you should worry much about. Big cyclones only hit once every couple of years or so, and there is always plenty of warning of their arrival. The worst you're likely to suffer is a couple of days' delay to your flight if there is extreme weather.
A far better reason not to go to Vanuatu at this time of year is that it tends to be humid and rainy.
What kind of clothes are suitable?
For men, pretty much anything goes, so long as your private parts are covered (and some traditional items of clothing only just meet this meagre requirement!). T-shirts and shorts are standard attire. Flowery 'island shirts' are considered smart clothing and are worn to church.
Women, by contrast, are expected to dress modestly in rural areas. Shorts are OK when swimming but knees should be covered at other times, and shoulders should also be covered (this is sensible anyway, because of the sun). Many of the female volunteers with whom I was working and travelling wore sarongs; nice ones can be bought in Port Vila.
A good sunhat is essential, but remember that with sun reflecting off sand and sea your face will burn even underneath a hat if you don't put sunscreen on too.
Sandals are the standard footwear in the South Pacific. It's worth investing in a good quality pair of adventure sandals - or alternatively some crocs - rather than cheap thongs. Not only are sandals or crocs lighter and cooler than real shoes, but they are more comfortable when wading through rivers and swamps. However, walking boots or strong shoes are useful for trekking in mountainous areas.
Swimming fully clothed is strongly recommended - it will protect you against sunburn and stings, avoid offending the locals (particularly for women travelling in rural areas, where the locals consider women in bikinis to be "naked"), and help keep your clothes clean!
Although heat is the main source of discomfort in Vanuatu, remember that there are times when even tropical islands can be cold. Bring one piece of moderately warm clothing for wearing on boat journeys and on winter nights (between May and September). At such times, a blanket is also worth having. Nights are particularly likely to be chilly on more southerly islands, and in villages high above sea level.
Raincoats are stuffy in the tropics, but a compact umbrella is useful in the wet season. Local people sometimes cut off giant taro leaves when it starts to rain and use them as makeshift umbrellas! Failing that, a wide-brimmed hat will keep the rain out of your face, even if it won't keep you properly dry.
What kind of luggage would you put all this stuff in?
I suggest taking a backpack that you can carry (not just wheel or drag) a long way if you have to - the state of transport in some areas is pretty bad! You should also take a smaller day pack, which you can wear on your front when you have your big backpack on your back (it helps you balance!). For travel in rural areas don't even consider a wheeled suitcase - they're enough of a pain on city streets, let alone Vanuatu's dirt roads.
Small combination locks are good for securing your luggage against petty theft, although Vanuatu is a pretty safe country.
There is technically a 10 kilogram (22 lb) weight limit for luggage on most internal flights within Vanuatu, but this is often ignored, especially if you explain that you are going out to work as a volunteer for several months. Even if you are charged for excess baggage, it's unlikely to cost much. However, the luggage spaces on many of the island-hopping planes are tiny, so if you bring too much baggage there's a risk that it won't physically fit onto the plane!
What about money?
Vanuatu's currency, the vatu, is difficult to obtain overseas, but there is now an ATM at Port Vila airport where people with internationally-recognised cash and credit cards (e.g. those carrying the Cirrus logo) can get some local cash when they arrive. There is also a banking desk at the airport, although this offers only a limited range of services.
Port Vila and Luganville have banks at which you can change travellers' cheques or major foreign currencies into vatu. (Note to Scottish and Northern Irish travellers: make sure that any British pounds you take abroad are in the form of ordinary Bank of England notes, as regional banknotes are unlikely to be recognised in foreign banks and bureaux de change.) Nowadays these banks also have ATMs, which provide one of the most convenient ways of obtaining foreign currency abroad.
Many businesses in Port Vila and Luganville accept "dollars" (which, in Vanuatu, means the Australian kind) or credit cards. In rural Vanuatu, it's a different story. Banking facilities are primitive in the larger settlements and non-existent elsewhere. Take vatu in cash - and plenty of it, if you'll be out of town for a while.
Vanuatu is an expensive place to travel, but so is Britain, so the prices there won't seem as horrific to British visitors as they do to the Australians and New Zealanders. However, it's certainly not a budget destination.
Imported Western products are frighteningly expensive in Vanuatu, but local produce is cheap. The cost of enjoying yourself in Port Vila will be dramatically reduced if you can develop a taste for coconut water rather than Coca-Cola, and kava rather than alcoholic cocktails. On rural islands you might not have any choice in the matter.
Transport is cheap and easy around Port Vila and Luganville, but expensive and difficult if you're travelling further afield. It helps if you're travelling in a group, as the cost of hiring boats and trucks can be shared.
If you've come to Vanuatu to do volunteer work, tell people this at every opportunity: volunteers are often charged less than the regular 'tourist prices'.
What are communications like?
Port Vila, Luganville and large rural villages have public telephones, operated using telecards which are available from the central post office and from various stores. Phone calls are a good way of communicating within Vanuatu, but the cost of calling abroad is high.
Telecom Vanuatu also operates a mobile phone network in town and in some of the more densely-populated rural areas, on which foreign mobiles may be able to roam. More recently, a competing network has been set up by Digicel, bringing coverage to many outer island areas that previously lacked it and revolutionising communication for many islanders. At the time of writing, Digicel users were also able to send surprisingly cheap text messages abroad, providing a valuable way of staying in contact with home for volunteers on outer islands who lack e-mail access. Visit one of Digicel's downtown stores in Port Vila to find out about getting a Digicel-enabled phone.
If travelling in rural areas, it's always worth carrying a telecard (or, if using a local mobile phone, a top-up card) with plenty of credit, as you may find that you need to make a phone call in an emergency and that the local stores have run out of cards. In crowded urban areas, make sure that nobody is looking over your shoulder as you key in the pin number on your telecard.
When calling people in rural villages, bear in mind that the phone you're ringing is likely to be the village public telephone rather than a private line, or if it's a mobile then it may not be in the hands of the person whose phone you think it is. Remember, too, that the person who answers it may not speak good English. Say "Me want'em talk-talk wit'em..." followed by the name of the person you want to speak to (or "owner blong guesthouse" if you're inquiring about accommodation). In very remote areas, the telephone might even be in a different village, in which case you'll have to ask somebody to pass on a message, and accept that they may forget to do so.
Technical faults with the phones and their networks, particularly on outer islands, are quite common. If you have worrying friends and relatives back home, make sure they're aware that they may lose contact with you for periods of time as a result of such problems.
There are Internet cafés in Port Vila and Luganville, and a couple are starting to appear on rural islands. Some schools also have Internet access, provided free for 'educational purposes' by the Vanuatu government. Unfortunately, commercial Internet access anywhere in Vanuatu is expensive, and the quality of the connection is usually poor.
There are post offices in Port Vila, Luganville, and major rural settlements (rural post offices are often located near airfields, since the mail travels by air). Sending letters and packets is reasonably cheap to Australasian countries but expensive to North America and Europe; aerogrammes offer a cheaper way to write home. International airmail can take anything between a week and (to outer islands) a couple of months, and a small but significant number of items get lost completely - never send anything irreplaceable through Vanuatu's postal service.
You can send large items from Port Vila or Luganville to other islands by air freight or on cargo ships. Make sure that someone is waiting at the destination to collect the package, and be aware that it may get wet.
What is the electricity supply like?
The towns of Port Vila and Luganville (along with a couple of the larger rural settlements such as Lakatoro on Malekula and Lenakel on Tanna) have municipal electricity supplies, with power 24 hours a day. Rural secondary schools usually have generators which are run for a few hours a day to provide lighting in the evenings and allow teachers to use computers and the photocopier.
In villages, a few people (including some guesthouse owners) own small generators which are powered up when needed, but otherwise there is no electricity. If travelling in rural Vanuatu, carry a good torch, and do not bring anything mains powered unless you know that the place you are going to has an electricity supply.
Plug sockets in Vanuatu are of the type used in Australia and New Zealand - three-pin plugs with narrow, slanted pins. Mains voltage is nominally 240V, although small generators are frequently overloaded, leading to lower voltages. Beware of plugging delicate equipment into these power supplies.
AA batteries are available in village stores, but are usually of poor quality. Smaller batteries are not widely available. If carrying battery-powered equipment, I recommend that you bring a good supply of batteries with you to Vanuatu.
Solar battery chargers provide a means of recharging batteries for those who'll be spending time in very remote villages. However, be aware that these devices seldom work as well as they are claimed to, especially on wetter islands where the sky is often cloudy.
What language is spoken?
Though its population is no greater than that of a large English town, Vanuatu has around a hundred native languages (some of which come in several dialects!). When ni-Vanuatu from different areas meet they communicate in Bislama, a creole language (an elaborated form of Pidgin English) in which English-based words are combined with Melanesian sounds and grammar. Bislama is the main language you'll hear in Port Vila, and is the first language of many children who grew up there, but in rural villages it is nearly always a second language.
Secondary schools in Vanuatu teach in either English or French (many schoolchildren learn both), and most of the people you meet in Port Vila will have some knowledge of one or both of these languages. English and French have the status of 'official languages', alongside Bislama, and you'll see many notices and newspaper articles written in them. However, in rural villages the majority of people will not be fluent in English or French, and young children and some older people may know only the native language.
You may encounter Chinese businesspeople in Port Vila who don't seem to understand any of Vanuatu's three official languages (nor, presumably, any of its native ones). How they cope there is a mystery.
If spending time in Vanuatu, do your best to learn Bislama - it only takes a few weeks for English speakers to pick up the basics - and use it wherever possible. Many rural ni-Vanuatu are reluctant to talk to foreigners (occasionally to the point of hiding in the bushes when they approach!) because of a lack of confidence in speaking English. Greet them in Bislama and they'll immediately open up. However, feel free to mix your Bislama with English, especially when discussing technical subjects. It isn't just foreigners who do this; educated locals do it too.
With older schoolchildren (even French-educated ones), it's a good idea to speak in English to help them practise the language. When speaking English (or French) to anybody in Vanuatu, remember to speak it slowly and clearly - it's not their first language, and for most people it's not even their second. A simple "Hello, how are you?" will be much more appreciated than "Hey mate, how ya doin'?".
Vanuatu is possibly the only place in the world where French-speaking locals will not only tolerate you speaking to them in Pidgin English, but will actually prefer it. Take advantage of this, and leave the French phrasebook at home.
White people in Vanuatu who seem uncommunicative with you are probably Francophones. Speak to them in English - it's the only way they'll learn.
When staying in a village, learn how to say "Hello", "Good night" and "Thank you" in the native language. People will appreciate it, and hearing foreigners struggling to pronounce their languages amuses the locals greatly. (You might also wish to learn the local word for "white person", if you're curious to know when people are talking about you. This will probably be the word that you hear young children screaming when they see you coming.)
More information on Bislama and Pentecost's other languages
What are the people like?
Trying to generalise about the ni-Vanuatu (the people of Vanuatu) is like trying to generalise about Europeans: throughout the archipelago you'll encounter many different cultures and many different individuals. However, on the whole Vanuatu is one of the world's most sincerely friendly, relaxed and welcoming countries.
Having said that, rural Vanuatu society is strict and conservative in many ways, adhering both to Christian rules and to a bewildering variety of local taboos. Young people in Port Vila and Luganville are fairly modern in their lifestyles; most of what follows doesn't apply to them. However, you should bear in mind that many of the people you meet in Vila are immigrants from rural areas where standards of behaviour are stricter, and act accordingly.
You should act respectfully to everybody you meet, not just out of courtesy but also because you may not know their status in the village - an ordinary-looking person might turn out to be a high chief.
Men and women in traditional parts of Vanuatu exist as two parallel societies; they may encounter one another at work or at ceremonies but in private they almost never socialise. Local men never have girlfriends, only wives, and if you travel with a friend of the opposite sex people will assume that you're married or that you're related (you may find it easiest not to correct them). Public displays of affection between men and women (even husbands and wives) are taboo, and same-sex couples are a definite no-no. Click here for more specific advice on relations between men and women in Vanuatu society.
It's not a good idea to go wandering in rural areas without a local guide, for a variety of reasons. If do go off on your own, you'll end up introducing yourself to nearly everybody you meet along the road and explaining who you are and where you're going!
Even in Port Vila, strangers who approach you in the street probably want nothing more than a friendly chat. Don't brush them off the way you might in a typical foreign town.
If you're spending Sunday in a village, it will make a good impression and help you to meet people if you go along to church, even if you're not normally religious. Men should bring a shirt (colourful short-sleeved island shirts are fine!) and lightweight trousers for churchwear.
Be aware that things you consider cheap or unimportant might be valuable to the local people, and vice versa. People may thank you politely if given medicines and educational supplies, but what get them really excited are magazines and posters of football heroes.
If you're not an Australian tourist, make this clear to people. A lot of them will treat your more warmly as a result.
British visitors will find themselves drawn into frequent conversations about football and about the royal family. It's worth being clued up about these subjects if you wish to avoid looking stupid.
Where else can I get information on Vanuatu?
I strongly recommend that anyone planning a trip to Vanuatu invests in a copy of the Lonely Planet guide to the country. Although Lonely Planet guides get a lot of criticism, in my experinece they're far better than other guidebook series, and although the information in them seems to be perpetually out-of-date (especially when dealing with little-travelled places such as Vanuatu), it's better than having no information at all!
Organisations that run volunteer projects in Vanuatu include...
- GAP Activity Projects (UK/Australia) - now known as Lattitude, but I can't bring myself to use the oh-so-cool new name
- Global Vision International (Australia)
Essential reading for visitors to Vanuatu... |
Further reading... |
The languages of Pentecost Island
Men and women in rural Vanuatu society: guidance for volunteers