Unless you island hop by yacht, Port Vila on Efate island is the
entry point into Vanuatu. It has the international airport on it, a
relic of world war two, providing a challenge to pilots as it is in a
basin surrounded by four hills. There is often wild talk of a new airport
being built to open up Vanuatu to more mass market tourism, I hope this
remains only talk.
Port Vila is already the ‘big smoke’ to those on the outer islands,
although incredibly relaxed and laid back when compared to Sydney. All
business, and most of Efate’s population live in Vila. One road circles
the island, which when I first traveled there required a 4WD and
incredible patience, and shock absorbers, to travel on it. The road is now
surfaced thanks to the US Millennium challenge, and well worth a day trip around. But almost all of the
action is still in the islands capital.
If you are there on a Friday night head up to the Grand Hotel. Go to the top floor and wander into the bar and partake of their happy hour. If you are lucky, and particularly if there has been a storm, as had just happened when this picture was taken, you may well see a stunning sunset. If not, even ordinary Port Vila sunsets are well worth watching, as you sip your drink on the balcony, or dip your toes in the warm pacific ocean.
Read more about Vanuatu in this brand new guide book by Far Flung Places. 324 pages packed full of places to see, places to stay and eat, and many handy hints to allow you to see the best of this fascinating country in the most up-to-date guide available to this country.
Accompanied by a selection of stories about places, events and people in Vanuatu which will transport the armchair traveller to this incredible Pacific nation, while giving more background and details for the intrepid visitor. Available as an ebook or paperback from all good booksellers. Buy it from Amazon.com here and from Amazon.co.uk here.
A new book packed with off the beaten track stories that take you from standing at the 'Gates of Hell' in Turkmenistan to taking part in the ancient Torajan ceremony of partying with their recently dug-up ancestors in Sulawesi. Travel to places that do not feature in any travel agents window.
#1 Bestseller to these remote Pacific Islands. Review: "Absolutely exhaustive guide to this fascinating place, great detail, anecdotes, and highly researched practical info too make this the perfect book to have on hand. This is how all guidebooks should be"
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