Cultural Activities:
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF VANUATU
Set in a thatched-roofed building across from the national parliament, this excellent museum features terrific displays of wooden slit drums, outrigger canoes, shell jewellery and ceremonial headdresses. Guided tours include demonstrations of sand drawing and playing traditional instruments.
SECRET GARDEN CULTURAL CENTRE
The Secret Garden Cultural Centre offers fascinating insights into Vanuatu’s diverse tribes, customs, history, cultural beliefs and traditions in a lush garden setting. Enjoy live cultural shows on Tuesday and Thursday Island Feast nights, which also feature custom magic, singing and dancing.
OKEANOS VANUATU
Take a two-hour sunset cruise around Port Vila harbour on the Okeanos Vanuatu, a traditional Polynesian-styled doublehulled sailing canoe, which runs solely on wind, solar and coconut-oil power. You’ll learn about traditional ocean voyaging, hear custom stories from different Vanuatu tribes and enjoy fresh fruits from the market.
ACTIV
Activ stands for Alternative Community Trade in Vanuatu and is a thriving grass-roots organisation that works with local communities to help develop their handicraft trade. They also produce virgin coconut oil, honey and, most exciting of all, they have a small chocolate factory which makes exceptional dark chocolate from cacao grown on the islands of Santo, Epi and Malakula.
Come and visit the thatched roof bungalow in the hills behind Port Vila, where you can buy beautiful handicrafts and carvings, visit the chocolate factory and enjoy chocolate tastings and watch the coconut oil being produced.
ROI MATA TOUR
Take a day tour of Chief Roi Mata’s domain. The last paramount chief of central Vanuatu’s domain is the first UNESCO World Heritage site in Vanuatu. It consists of three early 17th century sites, Roi Mata’s residence on Efate, Fels cave on Lelepa Island where he was poisoned and the site on Artok (Hat) Island where he was buried with 50 members of his family. Guides will explain oral traditions and archaeology and describe Roi Mata’s social reforms and conflict resolution which continue to this day. Immediately after his burial,
around 400 years ago, a prohibition prevented people from residing there which led to the development of a unique biodiversity of rare and endemic plant and animal species, which you will discover on a guided rainforest walk.
Other Adventures: HORSE RIDING
Enjoy a guided horse ride through the lush hinterland of Efate, between the mountains and the lagoons. You’ll ride through coconut plantations and cattle farms dotted with tropical vegetation and enjoy spectacular views of the coast. At the end of your ride you can go swimming with your horse in the lagoon. You may even hear them laughing!
MARKETS
Port Vila’s covered waterfront market (also known as the Mama’s Market) is open around the clock from Monday morning to noon on Saturday. Women from the countryside bring in their fruit and vegetables to sell and there is excellent island raised beef and fresh fish and shellfish too. Vendors in the extensive handicrafts section sell hand-dyed sarongs, traditional wood carvings, woven baskets, shell jewellery and much more.
DUTY FREE SHOPPING
Vanuatu is one of the last genuine duty free ports in the South Pacific. As incongruous as it might seem, you can buy Swiss watches, French cosmetics and champagne, Tahitian pearls, high class leather goods and fashion labels at below Australian retail prices at several stores in downtown Port Vila, the capital city. •