A natural welcome

EVERY visitor on a descending jet arriving at Vanuatu’s Port Vila airport is greeted with emerald green forests, rocky mountains, golden beaches and thousands of coconut trees.

Immediately after disembarking, the

visitor is about to be challenged to explore an almost virgin culture, learn about mystifying traditions, and meet

friendly partly-clad painted people still

living in thatched homes.

To a certain degree, and depending on the enthusiasm of the visitor, Vanuatu can become a time machine through which people can travel into the past, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life in their own countries.

There are no sky-scrapers jutting out of the lush green forests and freshness continues to linger in the air despite the

humidity.

The country is rich in culture and lucky visitors may even be allowed a glimpse of the modern craze, bungee jumping, in its original form.

Until recently, the death-defying jump

was a spectacle exclusively for the ni- Vanuatu. But now a small number of tourists are allowed to watch the feat of ni-Vanuatu men jumping off 35-metre

towers, being supported only by vines

tied to their ankles.

The main islands have unique charac ters of their own, including their own chiefly systems, language and culture.

Jealous guardianship of culture ensures visitors first hand experience of a lifestyle centuries old yet in its originality.

Guests to the republican country can enjoy a land which comprises a ‘Y’-shaped archipelago of some 80 islands, stretching out over 850 kilo metres.

The population of Vanuatu is esti mated to be 160,000. The population is largely rural with only 18 per cent living in urban areas.

For a small number of people, they speak over 100 indigenous languages, but the national language is Bislama, while the official languages are Bislama, Eng lish and French. The principal languages of education are English and French.

One of the greatest attractions of Vanuatu lies in its mostly unspoilt forests and thousands of miles of reef inhabited sea.

Vanuatu is an experience for every visitor, to see and perhaps learn how people can co-exist with nature

harmoniously.

Emerald reception: flying into Port Vila Bay gives a bird’s-eye view of its outstanding natural beauty

Lifestyle: Vanuatu’s culture has remained largely intact