Minefield of adventure found
p. 40 · Read in the full issue
in Vanuatu
VANUATU, an archipelago of 80 islands about 500 miles west of Fiji, is a very special country a land of charming, content and innocent people, living as close to nature as their ancestors did before them.
Today, adventurous guests exploring this Bali ha’i are discovering the same exotic paradise which inspired James Michener’s epic novel and the most famous of all Broadway musicals Tales Of The South Pacific.
Port Vila, a sleepy South Pacific waterfront town, more affectionately known as Vila, still lives in the aftermath of Vanuatu’s colonial past. Chic French boutiques and sidewalk cafes line the main street. For a long time during the latter part of the 19th century, Vila was regarded as a French town, but after the World War Two it took on a cosmopoli tan image with a blend of European, Vietnamese and Japanese cultures. From a ramshackle village, it developed into a bustling little town.
Tanna Island, home of the mighty Mt Yasur, the world’s most accessible vol cano, is one hour south of Vila, flying by
small twin engine plane.
Three Irish brothers ji m Breffni and Rory McCough discovered this exotic south seas dise |as( and now operate , he Tanna Beach Resort a South p acific st le estate sec|uded on eight acres of tropical gardens on a sma ll halfmoon bay. _. . anna is one o t e most L emarkable lslands .
Paclfic ° cean - A mmefied of adventure and awe-inspiring s 'S hts > 11 boas,s an act,ve
volcano, a centuries-old lifestyle, mysteri ous cargo cult and fields of beautiful wild horses. For divers, the unexplored wreck of the Fijian , a sailing ship which sank in 1916, lies only two miles from the hotel in 60 feet of water; and the rare dugong in Port Resolution, a large sea mammal (which early sailors may have mistaken for beautiful sea women, or mermaids) is extremely friendly!
Several nearby islands provide ad
ditional and signifi cant interest. Erro mango, for example, holds the record for cannibalism in the South Pacific (no
longer practiced!)
and Anerityum where archaeologists have discovered “rock art sites” more than 3000 years old.
Four-wheel drive expeditions operate each day to the mighty volcano where visitors stay at the crater’s edge un-
til after dark. The contrast between theblack night and exploding lava is the most awesome sight one can witness ... the accompanying roar and hissing adds to the excitement.
Most of the Tannese people live a traditional lifestyle and practice the ancient customs of their ancestors, in cluding initiation ceremonies and cir cumcision rites. All boys on Tanna are born with girls’ names and it is not until they are circumcised (with split bamboo) that they achieve manhood, and a man’s name. The all night custom of dancing, chanting and kava drinking ceremonies to celebrate such events are held deep in the rainforest where the dust from hundreds of stamping feet, and smoke from perimeter wood fires induces an exotic, animalistic and mesmerising ex perience. Visitors are warmly welcomed to these events to the extent of participation being encouraged!
The hotel has a stable of five horses, on which guests can visit the secluded waterfalls or spectacular black sand beaches nearby. Accommodation is pro vided by nine native-designed bungalows with thatched rooves, woven bamboo walls and private bathroom facilities, all with ocean views. The oceanfront res taurant and bar have been upgraded to match the international cuisine stan dards of Vila while maintaining the South Pacific style of the past.
For more information on Tanna Beach Resort, write to PO Box 27, Tanna Island, Republic of Vanuatu. Phone: 678 8610, facsimile (678) 8610. □
Village life: accommodation is traditional in style
Tanna faces: White Sands Football team members
Left: Custom dancers now combine Western and traditional dress, but they still perform their dances and other ceremonies according to instruction handed down through the ages