Islandliving pacifi c from the editor
WINTER 2016 | ISSUE 16
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Hit Thoene
Chill-Out Z
ext issue, we will be celebrating four years of Pacific Island Living. We started this magazine for Pacific people – to find, review and recommend things to see and do, and ultimately, buy. We are proudly an aspirational magazine, we want our readers to sit back and indulge just as much as we want to tell the world how great the Pacific really is. From Georgie Gordon’s health and beauty columns, to Carolyn Ernst’s gardening tips, we hope you agree Pacific Island Living has something for everyone. In four years our market has grown from Vanuatu and Nauru Airlines to cover most of the Pacific. We’re particularly proud of our market share in Fiji and the Solomon Islands as well as our distribution in Australia through Qantas Club lounges. As I write this column I’m in Fiji, having just flown in from Vanuatu. Next month it will be Nauru then the Sollies. Pacific Island Living truly is a Pacific magazine and we’re so pleased you have enjoyed it and helped its growth over the last four years. Please do keep in touch via our website, Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter. Happy reading. Tiffany Carroll
Iririki Re-opens THE MAGIC IS BACK
Holiday Inn A KIDS HAVEN
Fashion Flash HOLIDAY STYLE
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Buying Guide VANUATU STYLE
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and Instagram at instagram.com/pacisliving or read this and all our magazines online at www.pacific-island-living. com Cover images - Fiji Island Living courtesy Adrenalin Fiji; Solomon Island Living, by David Kirkland; Nauru Airlines Cover courtesy Nautilus Resort, Kosrae; Vanuatu cover courtesy Pavol Stranák.
NEWS+VIEWS RESORTS+REAL ESTATE
Copyright: All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Articles express the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Nauru Airlines, Tourism Fiji, Vanuatu Tourism Office or Pacific Island Living.
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FOOD+HEALTH+MORE islandliving | 1 pacific
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PICTURE: Vanuatu Trousim Office.
Welcome m a k l e W Bienvenue welcome to Vanuatu and thank you for choosing our piece of paradise as your holiday destination. You’ve come at a terrific time too – with so many events and festivals on during our cooler months, we hope you will enjoy our renowned hospitality. Some of our planned events include ocean swims, yacht racing and horse racing – all of which visitors are invited to either participate in or spectate! It is also the time of year some of our most popular cultural events and festivals are held, including the Nagol (land diving)
and Fete de la Musique in June, Ambrym’s Yam and Magic festival in July and the Lamap Arts Festival held in Malekula in August. We hope you will get out to see as much of Vanuatu as possible. My staff at the Vanuatu Tourism Office will be more than happy to assist with your travel plans – do call in to see us. Linda Kalpoi, General Manager, Vanuatu Tourism Office
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out and about
Tours, Tips andanTrips uatu V n i o d What to
Vanuatu is all about being laid back and relaxing, or equally, getting out and about and enjoying the vast number of activities on offer.
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HOLIDAY INN RESORT IS BACK! A conch shell will echo through the foyer to mark the reopening of The Holiday Inn Resort in Port Vila on 1 June 2016. Resort general manager, Simon Douthett is very excited about welcoming guests to enjoy all the facilities this tropical island resort is so renowned for. Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu boasts 148 guest accommodation rooms including two king suites, three unique family suites featuring banyan tree-themed bunk beds, three family overwater villas and seven overwater villas with direct access to the tranquil lagoon. Resort facilities include two stunning pool areas (active zone and quiet zone), kids
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club, day spa, nine-hole golf course, Verandah Restaurant, Lobby Bar and Pool Bar featuring a wood-fired pizza oven. With private beach frontage, versatile function rooms and exceptional standards in food and beverage, Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu provides the ideal meeting and events venue to inspire.
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ORGANIC PARADISE Organic Paradise is proud to stock a wide range of products, all made from natural Vanuatu resources by people in Vanuatu – 100% local! “Our aim is to provide an outlet for local producers to assist them in reaching customers and markets,” says director Vicky Joe.
A place where customers can find a great selection of what Vanuatu has to offer in one place, in raw, near raw or value-added form – from vanilla pods, coffee beans, cocoa nibs, chilli, pepper and nuts to gourmand delights such as relish, sauces, snack foods to noni juice. Other health and beauty products including soaps, creams, oils and emerging products such as chocolate are also available. “They say everything is organic in Vanuatu. Several of our producers have also successfully obtained full organic certification in Australia and or New Zealand,” Vicky says. “We have a full range of products from ACTIV, an association (and member of the Fair Trade Association
of Australia and New Zealand) that seeks to socially, economically and environmentally empower communities in Vanuatu through promoting access to markets, realising production opportunities, facilitating sustainable energy, income and fair trade.” Small producers, cooperatives and individuals from all over the islands of Vanuatu supply traditional organic products, such as cocoa nibs, cocoa nectar (natural sweetener packed with vitamins, minerals and nutrients, low glycaemic index with buttery caramel flavour), pepper, vanilla, coconut and tamanu oils and Aelan chocolate! WHERE: Vila Handicraft Market, Wharf Road.
Vanuatu has twice been voted the happiest place on earth and with good reason, the locals know how to enjoy themselves and how to make holidaymakers welcome. Here we’ve picked five of the best things to make your stay a memorable one. But there’s heaps more on offer, ask your hotel concierge or visit the Vanuatu Tourism Office in the middle of town or check their website for more activities.
Go to a local festival, stay in an award winning resort, visit a custom village or shop for designer wear or local handicrafts.
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ELEGANT BEAUTY Speaking of Vanuatumade products, Vanuatu’s favourite jeweller, Vanuatu Bijouterie (opened in 1981) is expanding their range. Gemstones and semiprecious stones, local coral and other minerals and metals are cut and polished at their Port Vila workshop every day, the end result being exquisite art for the discerning buyer. Quality is assured and rings, pendants, earrings, necklaces and bracelets are made to order. Choose one of their Vanuatu-inspired, stunning designs, or suggest your own. WHERE: Nambatu area, past Au Bon Marché. TELEPHONE 776 8750.
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SEE THE ISLAND Here’s a tip. Go the Fun Cars at World Car Rentals, it’ll be the highlight of your Vanuatu adventure. Combining the fun of an off-road buggy with a fully registered vehicle, the four seater Mini Moke gets you where you want to go in the beautiful Vanuatu sun. Put the boards on top, explore the Blue Hole, hit the beach, pack a picnic and get off the beaten track. Follow your nose so to speak and explore Vanuatu in your time. World Car Rentals have got the vehicle for every adventure. The Mini Moke, 4 x 4 Luxury and tray back vehicle options. OPEN: Seven days, 7.30am - 5.00pm, there’s no bad time to start. Just ring and they will deliver.
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FESTIVAL SEASON It’s a great time of year to be visiting Vanuatu, with many cultural and social events on in the coming three months. The Fanla Festival in Ambrym is not to be missed if you wish to see authentic, energetic, well-costumed Rom kastom in Vanuatu. There are usually more than 20 dancers and a crowd of over 300 village people. Be witness to the rarely-seen-by-outsiders circumcision ceremony with all the associated ‘kastom’ dances also be privy to the ‘Mask Revealed’ ceremony with dance. There will also be traditional bamboo music, mouth organ playing, traditional cooking, weaving demonstrations and powerful magic. Be sure to bring your
wallet to purchase some of the most beautiful carvings in wood and lava stone in Vanuatu. CONTACT John +678 7793369 KIWANIS RACE WEEK Another not to be missed event is the annual Kiwanis Port Vila Cup Race Week. This year the action starts on Wednesday 10th August with a charity ball and culminates on Saturday 13th with Cup Day. If you’re in Port Vila during this time, do attend one of the functions – not only are they great fun and an opportunity to meet Port Vila locals, but all proceeds go to local Kiwanis Club charities. CONTACT Maxwell Macgill: presidentkiwanisvanuatu@ gmail.com
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Kai Kai
Cooking In Paradise Francesca Grillo from Francesca’s Beach Club shares some of her favourite recipes straight from the herb garden.
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ince ancient times herbs have been most helpful for the preserving and seasoning of food and still nowadays they are the essential life of my kitchen. Our truly organic Port Vila market abounds with fresh picked herbs including parsley, basil, mint, dill and coriander and they are so fresh and gorgeous a market visit during your down town stroll is a must. Here are some useful and popular recipes using these precious herbs, starting with parsley which is the key ingredient in most Italian dishes so as to earn the popular saying ‘you are everywhere like parsley!’ Rich in calcium, potassium and vitamins A and C, parsley is the must-have herb with seafood together with garlic, and this salmoriglio sauce is fabulous and versatile. Both continental and Thai basil are easy to grow in Vanuatu and I have flourishing plants right on my beach which I mainly use to make lovely basil pesto for pasta. Dill is another jewel to flavor fish and you must try my recipe for the delicious cured salmon gravlax, a sophisticated dish to enjoy for special occasions. Finally the delicate mint used a lot in Southern Italian and Greek cuisine but also very popular with cold drinks and cocktails like the much loved Mojito to sip here on a hot summer day at the beach.
Salmoriglio Sicilian sauce for seafood
In a bowl combine 100ml of lemon or lime juice with ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup of hot water and 1 clove of garlic and 2 tblsp of parsley all finely chopped. Whisk until the ingredients are well blended, add salt and pepper to taste and use to baste grilled fish, meat or even poultry or pass it at the table as a condiment.
Basil pesto
In a small food processor blend 75 leaves of fresh basil, 4 tblsp of grated parmesan cheese, 1 handfull of pine nuts or walnuts, 4 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper and 150ml of extra virgin olive oil, adding this last one little by little while blending. Once you have a smooth paste refrigerate and it will season 3 serves of 100g of pasta.
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Salmon gravlax
Mix 1 bunch of chopped dill with 100g of rock salt, 75g of white sugar and 2 tblsp of crushed peppercorns. Spread the mixture over the cut face of a 750g unskinned salmon fillet and cover with another fillet same size. Tightly wrap in 3 layers of cling wrap and refrigerate in a tray with heavy weight on top for 2 days, turning over every 12 hours. Once ready slice thinly and serve with mustard sauce over thin bread or crackers.
Mojito
Place 10 mint leaves, 2 tsp of brown sugar and ½ lime cut in small cubes in a glass then use a muddler to crush mint and lime. Transfer to a shaker, add ice cubes and 60ml of Bacardi and shake well. Quickly pour everything back into the glass, top with soda water and garnish with a lime wheel.
Stockists Vanuatu Bijouterie, Port Vila Ph: 7768750 Prouds Duty Free, Port Vila Ph: 22233 Paris Shopping, Port Vila Ph: 24227 Frangipani Bay, Downtown Port Vila Ph: 7758518 Vila Distribution - Port Vila, Ph 22882
Francois Montand, RRP VT1600 Vila Distribution Miu Miu perfume, Duty Free VT9520v Paris Shopping
Vanuatu made and designed pig’s tusk and gemstone bangles, POA, Vanuatu Bijouterie.
Karen Walker arrow rings, 9 ct yellow gold, starting price Duty Free VT18600 (AU$219) Elysium
Favourite finds
e l y t s u t a u Van
Styled by Rebecca Worsp. Pictures by Leith Campbell
Sealife Necklace in Sterling Silver, VT18000 Seahorse Pearl Pendant in Sterling Silver, VT5900 Starfish Pendant in Sterling Silver, VT4900 Frangipani Bay “Aloha” Hat in Straw and Canvas, VT3500 Frangipani Bay
Crochet Straw Bag with Leather Handles, VT4900 Hessian ‘Beach” Bags, VT2800 Frangipani Bay
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EKASUP CULTURAL VILLAGE
Established in Port Vila 25 years ago, Vanuatu Agricultural Supplies is Vanuatu’s most trusted agricultural and horticultural supplies business. Vanuatu Agricultural Supplies can quote on your building project, from water supply to alternative power sources.
Hidden Treasure of the Pacific
THE CULTURAL EXPERIENCE Learn about... Our Native Culture Traditional Medecine The Ways of Ancestors Food Preparation Methods Weaving Mats/Baskets/Hats Famous Melanesian Feast JT91
PO BOX 783-Port Vila-Vanuatu
(+678) 24217/7746734 tatokatours@vanuatu.com.vu
Port Vila Ph: +678 22 376 Fax: +678 23 402 Santo Ph/Fax: +678 36756 E: ben.vasvila@vanuatu.com.vu
www.vanuatutourism.com/ekasup.html
Certificate of Excellence
THE ESSENTIAL
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The definitive guide to Vanuatu culture, commerce, tourism and adventure. The perfect souvenir for travellers or the essential guide for residents or expatriates. Available at Vanuatu Post or Stop Press or see: theessentialvanuatu.com
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CULTU RE I CO MMER CE I TO URISM I ADV ENTU RE
A sustainable eco-experience for the whole family, set in a stunning tropical paradise
Join us for the Eden Experience, Port Vila | Contact +678 7710765
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