8 17 culture

8C U L T U R E + H I S T O R Y

CULTURE+HISTORY

Paradise has a long and rich history

PICTURE: Craig Osment

he Republic of Vanuatu is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago is located some 1,750 km east of Australia, 500 km north-east of New Caledonia, west of Fiji and south of the Solomon Islands. It was named New Hebrides during its colonial period which ended with independence in 1980.

Vanuatu is only 2.5 hours flying time North East of Brisbane and 3.5 hours from Sydney, Australia. It’s a little over 2 hours from Auckland, New Zealand. There are regular flights from New Zealand, Honiara, Australia, Noumea and Fiji. There are also numerous cruise ship visits every year.

HISTORY Many of the islands of Vanuatu have been inhabited for thousands of years, the oldest archaeological evidence found dating to 2000 BC. In 1605, the Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós became the first European to reach the islands, believing it to be part of Terra Australis.

Europeans began settling the islands in the late 18th century, after British explorer James Cook visited the islands on his second voyage, and gave them the name New Hebrides.

In 1887, the islands began to be administered by a French-British naval

Sistas mo bes frens. Most of the inhabitants of Vanuatu (98.5%) are native Melanesian, or ni-Vanuatu, with the remainder of the population made up of Europeans, Asians and other Pacific islanders.

commission. In 1906, the French and British agreed to an AngloFrench Condominium on the New Hebrides.

During World War II, the islands of Efaté and Espiritu Santo were used as allied military bases. In the 1960s, the Ni-Vanuatu people started to press for self-governance and

GEOGRAPHY Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands, of which two — Matthew

later independence; full sovereignty was finally granted by both European nations on July 30, 1980. It joined the UN in 1981, and the Non-Aligned Movement in 1983.

POLITICS The Republic of Vanuatu is an independent parliamentary democracy, for which general elections are held every four years.

The parliament of Vanuatu is unicameral, and has 52 members.

The leader of the main party in the parliament is usually elected Prime Minister, and heads the government.

The head of state, the President, is chosen every five years by the parliament and the presidents of the six provincial governments.

PROVINCES Since 1994, Vanuatu has been divided into the six provinces of Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea and Torba. The main Islands within these provinces include: Banks and Torres (Torba), Espiritu Santo (Sanma), Maewo and Pentecost (Penama), Malekula, Ambrym (Malampa), Epi, Efaté (Shefa), Erromango, Tanna and Aneityum (Tafea)

and Hunter — are also claimed by the French overseas department of New Caledonia. Of all the 83 islands, 14 have surface areas of more than 100 square kilometers, from largest to smallest: Espiritu Santo (3956 km), Malekula (2041 km), Efaté (900 km), Erromango (888 km), Ambrym (678 km), Tanna (555 km), Pentecost (491 km), Epi (445 km), Ambae or Aoba (402 km), Vanua Lava (334 km), Santa Maria (328 km), Maéwo (304 km), Malo (180 km) and Anatom or Aneityum (159 km).

Most of the islands are mountainous and of volcanic origin, and have a tropical or sub-tropical climate. The nation’s largest towns are the capital Port Vila, which is situated on Efate, and Luganville, on Espiritu Santo.

The highest point in Vanuatu is Mount Tabwemasana, at 1879 m (6158 ft), on the island of Espiritu Santo.

There are several active volcanoes in Vanuatu, including Yasur on the island of Tanna, one of the world’s most accessible volcanoes, as well as several underwater ones.

ECOLOGY Vanuatu is recognised as a distinct

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terrestrial eco region, known as the Vanuatu rain forests. Vanuatu is part of the Australasia eco zone, which also includes neighbouring New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, as well as Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand. Despite its tropical forests, Vanuatu has a limited number of plant and animal species. There are no indigenous large mammals, poisonous snakes, or spiders. The 19 species of native reptiles include the rare flowerpot snake, found only on Efaté. There are 11 species of bat (3 unique to Vanuatu) and 61 species of land and water birds. While the small Polynesian rat is thought to be indigenous, the large species arrived with Europeans, as did domesticated hogs, dogs, and cattle.

(The wild pig and fowl appear to be indigenous.)

The region is rich in sea life, with more than 4,000 species of marine molluscs. The giant East African snail arrived only in the 1970s but already has spread from the Port-Vila region to Luganville.

Source www.nationsencyclopedia. com ECONOMY The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture,

PICTURES: Craig Osment and Andrew Read, Vivid Vanuatu

which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism (with about 250,000 total arrivals), are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties and a 12.5 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on goods and services.

DEMOGRAPHICS Most of the inhabitants of Vanuatu (98.5%) are native Melanesian, or Ni-Vanuatu, with the remainder of the population made up of Europeans, Asians and other Pacific islanders.

Most of the population is rural, though Port Vila and Luganville have populations in the tens of thousands.

A few of the islands are Polynesian outliers. About 2,000 Ni-Vanuatu live and work on New Caledonia.

Information sourced from: http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanuatu (with editing by the VTO), Vanuatu Tourism Office and Government of Vanuatu.

THE ISLANDS: AMBRYM For the adventurous traveller seeking a real island experience, Ambrym is for you. It is a place of culture, spirituality and adventure, and the people are warm, friendly and welcoming.

Ambrym is considered Vanuatu’s sorcery centre, famous for its black magic. The north of Ambrym is famous for some of the best wood carvings in the Pacific, the mysterious Rom dance and for easy access to Mt Marum and Mt Benbow volcanoes.

Ambrym remains volcanically active.

Benbow and Marum still rumble away and smaller vents and fractures ooze

steam and lava.

The north coast of Ambrym also offers good snorkelling opportunities to view dugong, large sea turtles and myriad brilliantcoloured fish.

Dugong inhabit the warm tropical waters, feeding almost exclusively on sea grass.

North Ambrym has a beautiful natural spring often frequented by turtles and dugong.

ANEITYUM Aneityum is the southern most inhabited island in the archipelago. As with all the major islands throughout Vanuatu, its origins are volcanic and the landscape mountainous. Rich soils and a slightly more temperate climate encouraged the growth of magnificent stands of sandalwood trees.

Sandalwood is prized in the Orient for its aroma, and traders ravaged the island in the previous century.

Aneityum was the first centre of the Presbyterian Church and the haunting remains of the once largest missionary church in the Southern Hemisphere now stand in ruins. Modern Aneityum has few buildings and no cars, apart from the few vehicles of the kauri replanting forestry project. It is ideal for the keen bush walker, offering many well-defined tracks and paths through vegetation that is quite different from the hotter and more humid northern islands.

Over 80 species of magnificent, delicate orchids adorn the forest.

CULTURE+HISTORY

Several waterfalls and hot springs can also be visited. The island is surrounded by live coral reefs offering excellent snorkelling. The only airport

FAST FACTS FULL NAME The Republic of Vanuatu CAPITAL CITY Port Vila on the island of EfatĂŠ AREA 12,190 km2 (4,706 sq miles) POPULATION 250,000 (approx) LANGUAGES There are over 120 distinct languages and many more dialects in Vanuatu but only three official languages: English, French and Bislama (pidgin English) TIPPING In accordance with Vanuatu Custom neither tipping nor bargaining are practised in Vanuatu RELIGION Christian (84%), Other (16%) CULTURE+HISTORY

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is not on the island itself, but the much smaller nearby Inyeug (or Mystery) Island. Air Vanuatu services the island twice weekly from Port Vila and Tanna, with Unity Airlines offering charter flights to the island.

Inyeug is periodically visited by tourists arriving by launch from visiting cruise ships which anchor inside the magnificent turquoise waters between Inyeug and the mainland.

The only accommodation on Aneityum is at Mystery Island Guest house. It is an exceptionally peaceful place to stay, with basic rooms and outside bathrooms.

BANKS & TORRES The Banks and Torres are Vanuatu’s northernmost islands. Geographically, they reach north and west to the Solomon Islands. Being nearer the equator, they experience the highest precipitation and humidity of all the islands, with an average rainfall of 3900 mm per year. There are active volcanoes on Gaua and Vanua Lava islands.

Vanua Lava with its 1400 inhabitants was once the trading base for exchanges with Solomon Islanders from Tikopia. The rugged interior looms up from the ocean to the 730m, apex of the active Sere’ama

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volcano. With such terrain and high rainfall, waterfalls are common – and spectacular, particularly Waterfall Bay on the west coast.

South of the volcano are two small lakes varying in depth and colour.

To the south is Mota Lava, a stunning island of jungle-clad craggy peaks plunging to tall coconut trees lining white sandy beaches.

Near one such magnificent beach (so near it can almost be walked at low tide) is the classically beautiful Rah Island.

From a distance, Rah looks like a thatch of greenery with coconut fronds pushing each other out of the way as they overhang the surrounding beach. The interior is studded with unusual rocks of enormous size. Rah is an excellent place to enjoy fresh lobster (weather permitting) and an ideal retreat for honeymooners and travellers looking to leave civilisation behind completely. The local culture is still very much alive and unblemished by the modern world.

Gaua’s 1300 people live on the northeastern coast.

Like elsewhere in Vanuatu, the population is now significantly less than the estimated 16th

fairly easy after an exciting canoe trip across Lake Letras and its beautiful sulphur-coloured waters. Anyone wishing to see the lake and volcanoes should check in advance.

A four-hour walk through jungle and tree ferns that dwarf coconut trees leads to the spectacular cascade waterfall draining Lake Letres. On the western coast, numerous waterfalls plunge directly from the jungle into the ocean, making for an unexpected and magnificent sight for passing yachts.

Perhaps the most unusual feature of Gaua is the remains of an ancient culture. At first glance it seems as if giant blocks of granite thrown out of the volcano have landed in strangely uniform patterns along the north eastern coast, but the blocks are the remains of foundations. In years past, a sign of chiefly standing was the height of his house. As grades were taken and a chief’s status rose, another layer of basalt blocks was added to the base of his thatched house.

The Torres group to the far north includes six main islands. By far the most remote of Vanuatu’s archipelago, only one has an airstrip. Passing yachts and the odd inter-island

century figure of 200,000 people.

Gaua has a stunning landscape with an active volcano that towers over a crater lake in the interior.

The lake is accessible in a three- to four-hour walk and ascent to Mt Garet (797m high) is

trader are the only source of contact for many. Yeyenwu Cave is a great attraction with its stalactites, stalagmites and cave paintings.

There are no roads, cars or electricity in the Torres, however island bungalows are popping up on all of the islands, waiting for a tourism boom. With white

PICTURES: Craig Osment, Tiffany Carroll and Dimitri Politis

sand beaches and stunning scenery, the boom may not be too far off.

EFATÉ Efaté is the main island of Vanuatu, where the capital Port Vila is situated and where the majority of commerce and tourism activities take place. The island has a rugged coastline and rolling countryside, fast flowing rivers, cascading waterfalls, isolated sandy bays and lagoons.

The interior is verdant rainforest cut only by a few walking tracks to remote weather and radio beacons.

Havannah Harbour on the north side is a spectacular natural haven which was used during World War II as a naval rear base by the entire US 7th Fleet. It is also the site of some extraordinary archaeological digs and gruesome discoveries.

There are numerous types of accommodation scattered around Efaté including newly built resorts, or for just a day trip, you can hire a car or take a bus around the island.

There are yachts available for day and overnight charters to the nearby islands of Hat, Pélé, Moso, Nguna, Lelepa and Kakula Islands.

Port Vila is located around a magnificent natural harbour offering stunning views of Iririki and Ifira Islands and a lookout all the way to Malapoa Point. The international airport is a 10-minute drive from town and most major resorts and hotels. Vila is a pretty town. Clean and uncluttered, the waterfront area is unpolluted, visitors are stunned to look down from the seawall and

see live corals and tropical fish.

It’s also fast becoming known as the gourmet capital of the South Pacific.

The potpourri of expatriate cultures is reflected in food styles served in over 40 restaurants and cafés – French, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Thai, Melanesian and Mediterranean. You can buy an Aussie meat pie or American chilli dog, sip cappuccino in one of the many outdoor cafés or purchase pâtés and salads from a patisserie or supermarket to fill your picnic hamper. Nightlife in Vila has blossomed steadily, the atmosphere is fun and caters for all ages and is offered by resort hotels, nightclubs and pubs, several casinos and more.

Shopping is fun, easy going and hassle free! There’s no such thing as a hard sell or pushy salesperson. Prices are fixed and bargaining is not part of the friendly lifestyle.

EPI Epi is a peaceful island with beautiful white sandy coves, many white and some black-sand beaches and inshore reefs. Around Epi, the waters are safe from sharks and locals swim freely everywhere. The interior is the rugged terrain of recent volcanic activity covered with lush rainforest.

There are several small lakes where you can fish and swim and may get a chance to see wild birds, wild pigs and cows. The coastal area is very fertile and covered with coconut plantations. The people live scattered

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around the coast. Few vehicular roads exist. There are two airstrips on the western coast, one at Valesdir to the south and the other at Lamen Bay, to the north.

Valesdir is a plantation and, in the 1920s colonial heydays, it had its own currency. From Valesdir, it is a 6km walk to Imao lakes, known for their wild ducks. Namuka, an uninhabited islet off the southern shore of Epi has white-sand beaches, clear water, coral and a fringing reef.

The 1.5km long beach at Lamen Bay is considered to be Epi’s finest.

There is plenty of shallow coral for spectacular snorkelling. The beach is an unusual combination of black volcanic sands to the south, suddenly changing to white coral sands at the northern end.

About 2km away by canoe is Lamen Island, a small but beautiful island surrounded by white-sand beaches.

About 450 people live here and are always delighted to show visitors their traditions. The volcanoes on Ambrym and Lopevi Island can be seen from the northern point of Epi. There is a hot spring accessible on the northeastern tip. Epi has two CULTURE+HISTORY

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submarine volcanoes close to its shores. Mt Nitaia, part of the collapsed Kuwai volcano, 3km offshore, occasionally steams or bubbles up and Cape Kone, also part of Kuwai, is intermittently active.

Throughout Vanuatu, magic is believed to work best near active volcanoes, consequently the Epi people are known for their ability to make magic and invoke ancestral spirits.

In the past, magic was used to harm their rivals. Nowadays, young male islanders use love magic to win the hearts of their favourite girls.

ESPIRITU SANTO Espiritu Santo is the largest of Vanuatu’s islands and with some of the most beautiful white-sand beaches, amazing blue holes, caves, world-renowned diving and snorkelling, it is a little-known paradise waiting to be uncovered.

While Santo is a Mecca for dive enthusiasts, it also offers breathtaking sightseeing for non-divers. Days can be spent lazing on empty white-sand beaches, snorkelling and kayaking in the crystal-clear blue water, trekking through untouched rainforest or discovering an ancient and relatively unchanged culture.

During World War II, 100,000 allied troops and support staff were stationed in Santo. Remnants of this time, including the SS President Coolidge, a 22,000-tonne luxury liner turned troopship which sank just offshore, have become worldrenowned dive sites.

Divers and snorkellers can explore shipwrecks and sites like Million Dollar Point, where thousands of tonnes of war surplus were dumped in the

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ocean by the US, as well as amazing coral reefs and blue holes joined by underground caverns.

PENTECOST & MAEWO Pentecost Island has become famous throughout the world for the landdiving ritual (Nagol or N’gol) which occurs every Saturday between April and June.

The ritual, which influenced the invention of bungy jumping by New Zealander AJ Hackett, sees local men and boys jump from a 20-30-metre high man made tower with only a vine attached to their legs. The tower itself takes locals five weeks to build, using materials from the forest.

Viewing this magnificent ceremony is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. No words can express the feeling of the ground vibrating under the dancing and stomping feet of villagers and the excitement of sitting beneath the tower waiting with unease for the diver to jump safely to ground.

The awe-inspiring ceremony celebrates the yam harvest and is a fertility rite for men. The story of the festival tells of a woman who ran away from her husband and hid in a tall tree. The husband, Tamale, begged her to say sorry and come down. She refused, so he climbed the tree after

her and as he reached the top she jumped. In his anguish Tamale jumped after her, only to realise that she had tied liana vines around her ankles. The woman survived while Tamale perished.

To this day, men jump from the tower as a show of strength to women in the village and as a statement that they cannot be tricked again.

MALEKULA Malekula is the second-largest island and the most diverse, culturally and linguistically, with over 30 distinct languages spoken. Some of the best custom dances come from the island.

The names given to the primary cultural groups are Small Nambas and Big Nambas.

The interior of Malekula is mountainous, rugged and forest-covered with good walking and bird watching. There are old cannibal sites hidden in the bush on north Malekula and an estimated population of about 25,000 on the coastal areas and around 1500 in the rugged interior.

The villagers are exceptionally friendly and enjoy sharing their proud cultural heritage with visitors.

Neighbouring islands, such as Maskelynes and other small offshore islands along the east coast, have sand beaches and coral reefs with good snorkelling and diving.

TANNA There is a lot to see and do in

PICTURES: Craig Osment

Tanna so, if you want to swim in underwater caves, snorkel on some of the best coral in the South Pacific, visit untouched waterfalls, see the island’s wild horses and experience an ancient culture that remains largely unchanged to this day, allow time to explore.

Tanna is best known as the home of one of Vanuatu’s most popular tourist attractions, the Mt Yasur volcano, and a walk to the rim of this fiery volcano certainly makes a visit to Tanna unforgettable.

At first sight the ash plain is like a lunascape. Considered one of the world’s most accessible volcanos, Mt Yasur is a two to three hour drive, depending on the state of the unsealed roads, from White Grass Airport, followed by a 10-minute walk to the crater.

While you’re there, don’t forget to post a card at Vanuatu Post’s Volcano Post box the only one in the world.

Yasur is best viewed at dusk, so at least a one-night stay in Tanna is recommended. Most accommodation venues will organise a tour.

Anthropologically, Tanna is fascinating, with the local culture largely unaffected by the western way of life. To experience the traditional Tannese culture there are day tours to local villages, as well as custom ceremonies throughout the year.

CULTURE+HISTORY A bit of Bislama If you want to blong, tok tok like a local.

In the late 19th century at the height of the practice of Blackbirding, thousands of Ni-Vanuatu were forced to work on plantations in Australia and Fiji. With several languages being spoken in these plantations, a form of pidgin English was developed, combining English vocabulary with

Stoa kolosap long haos: The store next to the house.

Mi bin stap long ples ia bifo: I have stayed at this place before.

Mi stap long stoa: I am at the store.

Jea long haos: The chair in the house.

Buk blong mi: The book that belongs to me, my book

grammatical structures typical of languages in the region. This early plantation pidgin is the origin not only of Bislama, but also of Tok Pisin of Papua New Guinea and Pijin of the Solomon Islands.

This pidgin started spreading over the Vanuatu archipelago at the turn of the 20th century, as the survivors of Blackbirding began to come back to their native islands. Knowledge of this pidgin would facilitate communication not only with European traders and settlers, but also between native populations of remote islands within the archipelago.

Ni-Vanuatu began to add their own words and pronunciation (today 95% of Bislama is based on English, with a few dozen French words and ‘island language’ thrown in).

Over the past century or so, Bislama has evolved to what is currently spoken and written in Vanuatu.

In order to understand Bislama, common advice is to throw in the words “long” and “blong” a few times every sentence and you’ll just about have it.

Here are some examples:

Man Amerika: Man from America, American.

Hemi woman blong saiens: She is a woman of science, She is a scientist.

Here’s a few other phrases to get you going on your journey to discovering this fascinating and fun new language.

• How much is that? Hamas long hem?

• How much is this? Hamas long hemia?

• Do you know..? Yu save (pronounced savvy) • I don’t know. Mi no save • This is broken Samting ia hemi bugarup or Samting ia i brok • The best Nambawan • How are you? Olsem wanem • I’m okay Ia oreat • Water Wota • Drinking water Freswota • Ocean Solwata • Full / too much Fulap • Thank you Tankyu • Thank you very much Tankyu tumas • My name is… Nem blong mi • What time does the plane land?

Wanem taem plen ia lan?

• Food/eat Kai Kai CULTURE+HISTORY

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WEATHER Vanuatu officially has two seasons – the wet and the dry. The wet season (November to April) has the warmest temperatures (around 30 degrees) and higher humidity, with intermittent heavy rainfall during this time.

The dry season (May to October) has average temperatures in the mid to high 20s. Locally, we call that winter.

BUSINESS HOURS / SIESTA In the capital, Port Vila, offices and shops usually open from 7.30 to 11.30am and 1.30 to 5.00pm Monday to Friday. Many shops open on Saturday morning. Local general stores open seven days a week.

Siesta (lunchtime) is 11.30am to 1.30pm when many businesses and shops close. Restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, banks and the Port Vila market remain open.

POST OFFICE Vanuatu Post has locations throughout the country, some shared with the National Bank of Vanuatu.

The Port Vila Post Office is open 7.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and 7.30 to 11.30am Saturday, for

Medical clinics operate throughout the outer islands.

Urban water is safe to drink and bottled water is readily available.

TIME ZONE Vanuatu time is GMT/ UMT plus 11 hours. There is no daylight saving.

CURRENCY / VAT Vanuatu’s local currency is the Vatu (VT). Australian dollars and credit cards are widely accepted in Port Vila; however, the outer islands prefer Vatu. There are branches of the National Bank of Vanuatu throughout the country, with Bred, Westpac and ANZ also in Port Vila and Santo, where currency can be exchanged from Monday to Friday. Goodies foreign exchange is in three locations in Port Vila.

VAT is charged on goods and services.

ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE 220-280 volts; mainly three-point plugs in hotels.

TELEPHONES

Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland and USA do not require visas. To extend permits (up to four months maximum), contact the Immigration Department; phone 22 354, fax 25 492.

DUTY FREE Passengers over 15 years of age may bring the following into Vanuatu duty free: 250 cigarettes or 250g tobacco or 50 cigars; 1.5 litres of wine or spirits; 250ml eau de toilette; 100ml perfume. Duty free goods can be purchased at the airport or the duty free shops in Port Vila.

Please ensure your duty free allowance meets international laws governing the carriage of liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) should you be on an international connecting flight on your trip home.

TRANSPORT / TRAVEL Driving in Vanuatu is on the righthand side of the road. Cars and 4WD vehicles are available for hire.

Buses are a great way to get around town. Any minibus with a red B on the number plate will take you on its

stamps, parcels, postcards, express mail service, faxes, phone cards and souvenirs.

In Santo, the post office is open from 7.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday and 7.30 to 11.30am Saturday.

MEDICAL Visitors do not need vaccinations, but anti-malarial medication is recommended for travel to the outer islands. There are several private doctors in Port Vila and hospital facilities in the capital and in Santo.

Roaming is available for most international visitors. Contact Telecom Vanuatu Ltd or Digicel for roaming information. Country dialling code is 678; dial-out code is 00.

VISAS AND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS All visitors must have a return/onward ticket and a passport with six-month minimum validity beyond their arrival date. For stays up to 30 days, nationals of Commonwealth and EU countries, Fiji, Japan, Norway,

route through central Port Vila for 150VT and trips further afield start at 200VT. Some taxis can be hired for a full or half day, for sightseeing or trips around the island.

Air Vanuatu flies to the outer islands of Vanuatu and has international flights to Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Noumea.

Air Vanuatu’s Sales Office is open 7.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and 8.00 to 11.30am Saturday; phone 23 878, fax: 26 591.

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USEFUL INFORMATION

PICTURES: Craig Osment and Andrew Read, Vivid Vanuatu

DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION/ AMBASSADE, CONSULATS Australian High Commission PO Box 111, Port Vila; phone (678) 22 777, fax (678) 23 948.

European Union EC Delegation for the Pacific PO Box 422, Port Vila; phone (678) 22 501, fax (678) 23 282.

Ambassade de France PO Box 60, Port Vila; phone (678) 22 353, fax (678) 22 695.

New Zealand High Commission PO Box 161, Port Vila; phone (678) 22 933, fax (678) 22 518.

Papua New Guinea Honorary Consulate PO Box 594, Port Vila; phone (678) 23 930, fax (678) 22 439.

Swedish Honorary Consulate PO Box 169, Port Vila; phone (678) 22 944, fax (678) 22 944.

People’s Republic of China Embassy PMB 071, Port Vila; phone (678) 23 598, fax (678) 22 730.

This information kindly provided

by Air Vanuatu.

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