I’ve never seen that many shades of blue, green, red, yellow nor brown.
Until I visited the happiest country on earth.
Vanuatu is ablaze with splendour. Forget about Photoshop or your Instagram filters, for mother nature has put on its most splendid display of hues and shades in this piece of South Pacific paradise.
I slowed down my pace through the markets and the endless fields of Vanuatu to capture these vibrant display. Everywhere on the island looks postcard-like and it got me running around with my camera like it was my first day at school. I’ve shared some beautiful landscapes from this Melanesian nation in my previous posts, here I’m taking a slightly different angle to look at Vanuatu through macro lens, one shade at a time, and I found this place even more fascinating…
(Image credit: Matt Duncan from Inspired Photographics)
(Image credit: Matt Duncan from Inspired Photographics)
Now before you pack your bag and jet-set off to this vivid country, here’re a few tips and hints that you wish someone has told you (just thank me later!):
1. Cash up! It’s fairly easy to find ATM cash machines in Port Vila in the city center and credit cards are widely accepted in restaurants. However, on islands outside of Port Vila such as Tanna, there are no cash out facilities nor you can pay for you fresh coconuts in the local villages with your VISA, so remember to carry cash. In saying that, Vanuatu is not a ‘shop till you drop’ destination, you’ll mostly spend on entries to attractions, taxis and meals. I got a thick stack of Vatu at my local Travel Money Oz store with good rates, and took the remaining back to the store after the trip. Trust me, that doesn’t happen very often when I travel!
2. Have your ‘do not disturb’ sign or ‘on vacation’ notice on your Facebook and Instagram. Although you might have Wifi access in some of the larger resorts in Port Vila, why do you need Twitter or Facebook when you’ll be busy counting the many shades of blue or listening to the tweeting tropical birds in your hammock? Leave those status update and brag-worthy Insta photos till your come home (like what I’m doing now!). Vanuatu is the perfect destination for a digital detox holiday with so many spiritual activities you can take to reconnect with yourself and all things that are living apart from that Twitter bird.
3. Bring your insect repellent for mosquitoes on the island are brutal! I rubbed myself in tea tree oil from head to toes which is organic and doesn’t leave me feeling sticky like using those insect repelling spray.
4. If you’re bad with sense of direction, you probably need to think twice before hiring a car as I haven’t seen even a single road sign anywhere in Port Vila or the islands. The roads are quite bumpy too so I got my local taxi driver to do the hard work while I took in the scenery in the back seat. Taxi is quite affordable and you can get the concierge at your resort to help you negotiate a day rate with your taxi driver and for the duration of your stay. Most taxi drivers are local and grew up in villages, so if you travel solo they’re your best trip companion to learn about things such as local life, delicacies and best place to see Melanesian sunset.
5. Trust me, you’ll regret for not booking a waterfront room for its water is just sparkling! I stayed at Erakor Island Resort in Port Vila and upgraded to the lagoon view room on our second night, that is just what island holiday is about! If you’re staying in Port Vila, the water around the lagoon is so much calmer than near the port or the oceanfront where cruise ships come in.
6. Ask the locals what dates do the cruises come in (usually 2 days a week), and avoid visiting those major tourist destinations such as Mele Cascades and the Blue Lagoon on those days if you don’t want to rub shoulders with tourists. Although in Vanuatu the busiest tourist spots aren’t comparable to those in Bali or Phuket in terms of volume, you’d still prefer to have some tranquil, secluded time and see those landmarks on non-cruise ship days.
Have I given you the travel bugs with these splendid display of color palette? Have you seen this stunning gem of South Pacific? What colours have you captured? Show me your colours of Vanuatu by posting to my Facebook page or using #Lacenruffles on Instagram!
Until next time, stay vibrant!
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