We travelled to Vanuatu with our 2-year-old Kidsetter in tow. The beautiful nation stretches across 1,300km of the South Pacific Ocean. Vanuatu is a Y-shaped archipelago consisting of about 82 small islands. Known for its phenomenal diving and snorkelling, turquoise freshwater blue holes, famous white beaches and caves; we couldn’t wait to explore Vanuatu with our Kidsetter (minus the diving !)
Vanuatu has a unique mix of unspoiled natural beauty and resort-style accommodation. There are plenty of jungle trails, villages and coastlines to discover.
The people of Vanuatu, a name which means ‘Land Eternal’, are largely Melanesian and the people are called Ni-Vanuatu (meaning ‘of Vanuatu’). Ni-Vanuatu have lived in these islands for centuries and more than 110 distinctly different cultures and languages still thrive here.
We boarded a small boat from Port Vila on the main island, Efate. We enjoyed a leisurely cruise on the lagoon observing a different side of the island. Whilst aboard “The Barge” experiencing cruising down the lagoon, we gazed upon views of private homes, villages, rain forest, restaurants and resorts from the water, all the while savoring a full commentary of our observations and learning about the rich history of the locals.
Our Kidsetter watched as our guide taught us how to husk a coconut and tasted his first fresh coconut milk. Now an avid coconut milk drinker !
Vanuatu culture retains a strong diversity through local regional variations and through foreign influence. Vanuatu may be divided into three major cultural regions. In the north, wealth is established by how much one can give away, through a grade-taking system. Pigs, particularly those with rounded tusks, are considered a symbol of wealth throughout Vanuatu. In the centre, more traditional Melanesian cultural systems dominate. In the south, a system involving grants of title with associated privileges has developed.
On many islands, men gather nightly at their local nakamal (men’s house) to drink kava and communicate with the spirits of their ancestors, whose bones typically are buried nearby.
Vanuatu is a scenic untouched South Pacific nation; a Pacific island adventure. Decorated by the volcanic mountain ranges, deserted beaches, ancient culture, remote and rugged islands, are just a small part of the magnetism of this scattered 80-plus island archipelago. There are plenty of natural wonders to see and experience during your Vanuatu holiday with your Kidsetters !
