Baie de Ouameo Gadji
Chez Angelo et Maya 88 19 74 camp site 1000CFP, case 1500CFP meals 900CFP This remote homestay, at the end of the road in Gadji, has a case traditional Kanak house where visitors stay. It is set apart from the family home. Guests sleep traditional-style on mats on the floor. If you're looking for an opportunity to swap stories with a local family and sample Kanak cuisine, you'll love it. By prior arrangement, the owners can arrange transport to meet you. Hotel Kodjeue 4611 42 resa kodjeue.nc 3-...
Budget 1
There's a fabulous range of places to choose from in Luganville. Two basic options are Riviere Motel A River View 36782, fax 37601 s d 1800 2400Vt and Bamboo Garden Motel s 36837 valiant vanuatu.com.vu s d 1500 2800Vt . Beachfront Divers Lodge s 36881 fax 36882 bf resort vanuatu.com.vu dm 2500Vt Custom built for divers, with secure scuba gear wash area, this cottage sleeps eight people and has a
East Coast
Norsup's commercial activities all revolve around the PRV company, whose coconut plantations border the town. This is Vanuatu's largest copra producer. Just beyond the airport terminal is the sandy flop Beach, whose palms and turquoise water make it a pretty spot to wait for your plane. A long stretch of beautiful coral reef stretches southwards from Aop Beach to Litslits, the main port for this area. Set at the foot of a tall ridge, this attractive place, with many shady trees, is Malampa...
GETTING AROUND ToFrom the Airport
Tontouta international airport is 45km, or 45 minutes by car, northwest of Noumea. It is serviced by public and private buses and taxis. The cheapest way of getting to and from the airport is by the blue and white Carsud bus. At Tontouta, these buses wait outside the arrivals hall, to the left as you exit the building or at the bus stop on the main road 500m from the terminal. In Noumea, they depart from the corner of rue George Clemenceau and rue de la R publique. The journey takes lYi hours...
Pouebo To Ouegoa
At Pouebo the landscape changes from steep mountainsides to rolling hills and plains. European history in New Caledonia begins in Balade, a small settlement north of Pouebo. Although there are few Europeans here today, Balade is where they first set foot in New Caledonia. It was here also that the French annexed New Caledonia. The RPN10 becomes the RPN7 at Balade and continues up the coast towards Ouegoa. On a grassy hill just above the road at Balade, 13km north of Pouebo's church, is the...
Sandalwood
Sandalwood has been sought by traders in the Pacific for nearly two centuries. In the early 1840s traders almost depleted le des Pins' sources within two years of arriving on the island. They then plundered the Loyalty Islands and later the east coast of Grande Terre. The main market for sandalwood at that time was China. These days it's still in demand, especially in France, where its essential oil is used in perfumes. The tree, San ta lu m album, is slow-growing and has a slim, lithe torso...
Northern Ambae
The coast around the north is stunning, rocky and black with a few bathing spots. There are guided treks to the crater lakes and tours to kastom villages, dances and historical sites. Ask the friendly villagers to help you explore. The provincial government centre is in Saratamata, a 600Vt taxi ride from the airstrip. The road continues past the Torgil School and down to the fabulous Vureas Bay, a beautiful pea green surrounded by green cliffs. Sprawled around the bay is Lolowai, with a...
Torres Islands
Flying over this small archipelago, with its gentle, low-lying terrain and dazzling white-sand beaches, is awesome. From the air you can see the fabulous reefs under an ocean so clear that visibility is well over 40m it's a rush to get off the plane to go snorkelling. To the west a huge ocean-floor chasm, the Torres Trench, stretches north into the Solomons - Tikopia is only 215km away. Although contact over time was limited, the locals here have similar eastern-Pacific genetic, linguistic and...
Lelepa
This island forms one side of the entrance to Havannah Harbour. Much of the island's southeastern coast, and part of its northern shore, is fringed by beautiful coral gardens. Lelepa's 350 inhabitants live mainly at Na-tapao on the south coast. On the northern tip are the remains of a WWII anti-aircraft gun emplacement, with a crashed Corsair a short distance away. There's a classic white beach on the shore facing Mallao Bay in the northwest, with good snorkelling. Of particular significance is...
Someltrans Tours Vanuatu
All gites and hotels arrange airport and wharf transfers. Prices depend on the distance. Some places to stay, including Oasis de Kiamu and Fare Falaise, rent bikes per half-day 500-1000CFP, day 1000-1500CFP . Drehu Village charges the same amount but its bikes are reserved for hotel guests. Lifou has a handful of car-rental companies. They usually drop off or pick up vehicles at the airport or wharf at no extra cost. Aero Location 45 04 94 per day from 6500CFP Alizee Location 45 07 67 per day...
Orientation
Noumea sits on a large peninsula. The city centre is close to baie de la Moselle, a harbour where cruise liners, fishing boats and private yachts dock. The heart of the city is Place des Cocotiers see p232 . On its south side central Noumea is bordered by avenue de la Victoire Henri Lafleur. The small Quartier Latin Latin Quarter, after the Parisian suburb of the same name - with its many examples of colonial architecture -is south of this road see p237 . The main tourist beaches are at baie...
Kanak Money
Kanak ancient bead money was not a currency in the common sense of the word, for it was never used for buying or exchanging. Instead, it was given as a customary exchange of respect at a birth, marriage, funeral or other ceremonial event, and as a seal to support and maintain relationships and alliances that had somehow been previously damaged. The money needed long and careful preparation. It was made in the form of the ancestors, with a carved or woven 'head' from which hung a string of...
Koumac O
Post Office Soci t G n rale Bank H tel Le Grand Cerf 8 A4 Monitel Koumac 9 B4 H tel Le Grand Cerf 8 A4 Monitel Koumac 9 B4 Le Western Snack de la Gare Routi re Vival Koumac Le Western Snack de la Gare Routi re Vival Koumac SVi hours , there are two buses per day. North to Poum 500CFP, 1 Yi hours , via Arama 45 minutes , there are three services per week. Heading east to Ou goa 400CFP, one hour and over to the east-coast village of Pou bo 650CFP, two hours , there are four buses per week.
Traditional Music
Music-making is an important element of traditional ceremonies such as initiation, courting or the end of mourning, and always accompanies dance and song. Sometimes instruments are played simply for the clan's entertainment. Above all, however, Kanak music is vocal. The following with Anglicised names are some of the instruments used in ancient Kanak culture Bamboo stamping tubes Struck vertically against the ground and played at main events. Coconut-leaf whizzer A piece of coconut leaf...
Valesdir
In the 1920s the Valesdir plantation had its own coinage in keeping with the times, i To Ambrym To Malekula T 21 km 44km I Lamen Bay Lomarul CI Airfield Morev Epi Island Guesthouse 1 A3 Paradise Sunset Bungalows 2 A1 Sunrise Bungalows 3 B2 Q Ngala LeP CaPe OBurumba A Foreland Mt Poman gt 1 Anduan j .833m, J gt 1 A Mt Yapeto j 1521ml Mapvilao 421m Nelson 0 , k R Nelson Bay 0 Les Al lob rages Ever watched Teletubbiesf You know the fat little vacuum cleaner That's what the dugong is like. Its fat...
The Volcanoes
The dark, brooding outlines of Mt Ben-bow and Mt Marum are a kilometre or so apart. Usually shrouded in smoke and cloud, they dominate the vast, grey ash plain that lies within the old caldera. At night, the sky above them glows red from the infernos below. It is silent, desolate and lifeless on the ash plain. Its sheer starkness, combined with the dramatic results of water erosion and volcanic activity that have rumpled the earth, make it unique and totally awesome. White smoke pours from Mt...
Horse Riding
Horse riding on Grande Terre brings to mind images of cowboys rounding up cattle on a Caldoche ranch or Kanak customary grazing grounds. Rodeos are always the main highlight at rural agricultural fairs see p264 . Many ranches and tribus offer one- or multiple-day horse-riding trips into the central mountain ranges of Grande Terre. Tribu de Oui Poin in La Foa, tribu d'Ateu in Kone and Ranch du Carr 9 in Voh ail run horse treks. Over 110 horse-riding options are outlined in a local guidebook,...
Horaire Ouverture Au Peche Mignon Vanuatu
Caf Deli meals 450-900Vt S 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat A spacious casual lunch venue with salads, sushi, baguettes, pies, and imported chocolates and cheeses. Watch out for the curry nights. Au P ch Mignon 27271 meals 500-700Vt S 6am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 2pm Sat A very French patisserie with mushroom pizza you'll keep going back for, and cheesecake you should order in advance in case it sells out. Jill's Caf mains 550-800Vt S 7am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 7am-1.30pm Sat Try one of Jill's famous...
Baby Docs
There were 18 baby docs at the Santo Hospital. So you're thinking, that's amazing, to have a neonatal conference in Santo. Wrong. Baby doc is Bislama for medical student, and they come from all over the world for six-week placements, arriving with suitcases full of surgical tape, gloves, medical books and antibiotics. One student brought an incubator in his luggage. It's a hands-on experience they won't get at the big hospitals in the West. One baby doc from the UK scrubbed up to assist at an...
Baie De St Maurice
Only 600m from the church is baie de St Maurice. Above the beach, a fence of carved totem poles encloses a statue of Jesus, a harmonious representation of traditional spirituality and Christian faith. This monument commemorates the arrival of the first missionaries on lie des Pins and is also a war memorial. The carvings set against the lagoon backdrop make it a compulsory photo stop, so get your cameras ready. To get there from Kuto turn right just before the church and head straight down to...
Sleeping Gio
Koumac's hotels are heavily booked by businesspeople and workers, mainly from Monday to Thursday night, throughout most of the year. To be sure of somewhere to sleep, it's best to make a booking. T mbala Caf g 42 59 20 bungalows s d tr 6000 6500 7000CFP El At the southern end of town, its new green bungalows are clean and comfortable but, like most places in Koumac, the setting is not idyllic. Monitel Koumac 47 66 66 monitelkoumacala goon.nc bungalows d 6900 7400CFP 6 This place has comfortable...
Transport Around Vanuatu
Ownership of land, ocean, reefs etc is the basis of Vanuatu society. Ownership has been passed through families, and land disputes are serious all over the islands. For tourists this means you can't wander off the beaten track. Landing on an island is equivalent to walking into somebody's garden. If you're travelling independently, discuss your plans with a tour operator or the VTO. In remote areas - such as the east coasts of Maewo, Pentecost and Ambrym, and the west coasts of Santo and...
Road Rules
As in France, driving in New Caledonia is on the right-hand side of the road and, except when you are on a major road, you must give way to the right priorit droite . The maximum speed limit on a main road is 110km h and in residential areas 50km h. Seat belts are compulsory. Helmets must be worn on motorcycles and scooters. The maximum permissible blood alcohol concentration is 0.05 , and random breath-testing is carried out. Also, be wary at creek crossings, as they're prone to flash flooding...
Midrange
Pacific Lagoon Apartments 23860 www.members .optusnet.com.au pla32 pla vanuatu.com.vu Pango Rd P0 Box 827 4-person lagoon garden apt 14,500 12,OOOVt H S Really attractive two-bedroom apartments, set around two large grassy areas fronting the lagoon, each has a sunny bathroom with atrium, spacious lounge, and shiny-clean kitchen. There are kayaks, barbecues, and a laundry service. The bus passes, and it's a minute's walk to the ferry to Erakor. Add friendly staff, who are great babysitters, and...
Bus Trq
Noumea's public bus service is operated by a fleet of red and white Karuia buses. You can purchase tickets 160CFP from the ticket kiosk at Place des Cocotiers, Gare de Mon-travel Montravel bus terminal north of town, at ticket dispensers available at some bus stops, and at some shops near bus stops. You can also purchase your ticket from the driver 200CFP but it's more expensive. Karuia has colour-coded bus lines servicing different routes. Buses run between 6am and 6pm. Following are lines to...
West Coast
Near Tanmial is the large and spectacular Yalo Cavern admission 400Vt which has a hole in its roof. The Small Nambas used to bury their dead chiefs here, so their spirits could rise up through this hole. There are several handprints uncannily high up on the ceiling made by the spirits. You must enter the cave in pairs, but before you do, your guide will call into a small hole the eerie trumpeting noise this makes warns the spirits that you're coming. These Big Nambas villages once warred...
Central Coast
Unua is actually five villages, Unua 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. They have white-sand beaches fringed by coral growth. Men from this area used to land-dive as part of the village's grade-taking. Roecross, behind Unua 2, is a Small Nambas kastom village where chief Walard has a tamtam group and dancing grounds. A truck can drive up to it. Pankumu River is Vanuatu's longest watercourse outside Santo. The river has repeatedly changed course, leaving a large wetland of oxbows and bayous. It is a great spot...
Southwestern Pentecost
A sandy beach extends 12km from just before Lonorore airfield south to Ranpu-tor. Coconut plantations occupy the narrow plains between mountains and sea. Mt Vulmat 947m , the highest mountain on the island, and Mt Vetmar 887m are immediately behind Baravet and Lonorore. They are home to many wild pigs that the villagers like to hunt. There's a snack bar and cardphone at the airport, a post office and clinic nearby, and the very pleasant Airport Resthouse 38356 beds 500Vt , with a flush toilet...
Koumac To Kn
Heading south out of Koumac, the land slopes gendy west to the sea, which moves in and out of view. During the wet season the rolling plains are green and refreshing in the dry season they turn brown and drab. To the east, exposed mountainsides between Koumac and Kon are evidence of the region's major mining activity. The small setdement of Voh, 68km south of Koumac, is noteworthy for the Coeur de Voh, a natural heart-shape in its mangrove. The heart was made famous by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, an...
Luengoni 1
Chez No l Pia Map p307 45 03 09 cases per person 1500CFP, camping per tent person 1000 100CFP No l Pia's place is at the northern end of beautiful Luengoni beach. No l is possibly the most photographed person on Lifou chances are you've seen him in a guidebook, in a tourist brochure or on a poster. As well as being photogenic, he is a great storyteller and will regale you with tales. In the mornings turtles swim around the coral rocks behind the camp site. Dishes are 1000CFP. Activities include...
Responsible Travel
There is debate worldwide about the sustainability of the ocean's fish species. You may want to avoid eating fish that are known to be at risk of being depleted, although the main problem around the Pacific is the illegal fishing by large Asian nations, who come in with longlines. Vanuatu's vatu Vt and New Caledonia's CFP have a similar value CFP is around 10 higher . Packaged foods, which we depend on in the West, are imported and therefore expensive. Then again, you get gourmet foods from...
Vanuatu Directory
There's an impressive selection of luxury hotels in and around Vila and, to a lesser extent, on Espiritu Santo and Tanna. And all islands have a range of medium-priced bungalows or guesthouses. Budget places in the villages are a bit like camping, and if you need a meal, ring or send a message. Food happens on a daily need basis, so there's never the 'makings' and the root crops take ages to cook. There again, nothing happens in a hurry. Vanuatu Hotels www.vanuatu-hotels.vu The major newspapers...
Vatthe Conservation Area
This is one of Santo's highlights, which visitors either love or hate. So check it out - see what you think. Covering about 45 sq km, it stretches along the coast from north of Ma-tan tas to the Jordan River, and inland to the top of a 400m-high limestone scarp. Half of the park is covered by Vanuatu's largest alluvial lowland forest, which was the main reason for its protection in 1996. Forest walks a two-hour stroll, or a two-day trek to the highest point on the scarp and bird-watching see...
Bamboo Engraving
Between 1850 and 1920, anthropologists collected intricately engraved bamboo canes from Kanak communities. As most of these canes date from around the arrival of Europeans, it's unclear whether cane engraving was a form of traditional art dating back many centuries or simply a fad of the time. The canes averaged a metre in length and were used by Kanaks in dance ceremonies or when entering a village. They contained magic herbs that warded off evil spirits and were covered with designs. The...
Ifira
Ifira is a 10-minute speedboat ride from central Vila. The island covers only 0.5 sq km, yet has 1000 people living on it. They are known for their fine handicrafts, which include canoes, bows and arrows, and fishing spears. Most of the population is Polynesian and contend that their ancestors reached southern Efate before any Melanesians did. Some Ifirans are descended from Samoan missionaries. Boats travel between Iririki Wharf and Ifira 200Vt return throughout the day. There's a secluded and...