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Vanuatu is the friendly face of the Pacific - a place where visitors will receive a warm welcome and can enjoy a relaxed holiday in beautiful tropical surroundings. Set out in a "Y" shape, Vanuatu’s chain of 83 islands cover a total land area of 12,189 km sq. Vanuatu (meaning “Land Eternal”) is the essence of timeless tranquility.
The islands offer a diversity of scenic attractions ranging from towering volcanic cones to dense rainforest to raised coral islands with wide beaches and deep natural harbours. Vanuatu has lush growth -- giant trees, brilliant foliage, and multicolored flowers and inhabited by innumerable species of magnificently feathered birds
The shy and friendly indigenous people of Vanuatu are predominantly Melanesian. The Ni Vanuatu have populated the islands for centuries and with more than 115 distinctly different cultures and languages still thriving, Vanuatu is recognized as one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world.
There are also small communities of French, British, Australian, New Zealand, Vietnamese, Chinese and other Pacific Islands people. Formerly known as the New Hebrides, Vanuatu was jointly administered by France and Great Britain as a 'Condominium' until 1980 when it became independent. Consequently most of the 180,000 inhabitants speak either French or English as well as the national language Bislama - a form of Pidgin English.
Just over three hours from Sydney and two hours from Brisbane, Port Vila is a sleepy township on the edge of one of the South Pacific’s most magnificent lagoons, and the gateway to one of the world’s last great wilderness regions. It offers a superb selection of environmentally friendly resorts and quality boutique hotels, and a charm created by its stylish restaurants, art galleries, museum and wonderful craft shops housing the spiritual and mystical treasures of ancient Melanesia. The two most frequently visited islands, Espiritu Santo and Tanna, are home to unique and ancient cultures. Even more remote are islands such as Melacoula and Pentecost, home of the Land Dive, the first bungee jump. The Outer Islands have much to offer the visitor seeking to explore the wilderness. Vanuatu is a divers paradise with marine sanctuaries protecting underwater creatures and corals, ensuring dives that are renowned as some of the best in the South Pacific.
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