PACIFIC LAGOON APARTMENTS

Pacific Lagoon Apartments offer a budget alternative for a self-contained holiday. The 11 apartments have two bedrooms, bathroom with separate toilet and a central dining/lounge area. With new management and a timely refurbishment they represent excellent value and are in a lovely location on Erakor Lagoon. It’s just a stroll up the lagoon to Le Lagon resort or a kayak or ferry across to Erakor Island Resort. For more info...

PACIFIC BLUE

Pacific Blue (Virgin) now flies to Vanuatu twice a week out of Brisbane and back on Mondays and Saturdays and occasionally has some fantastic specials (with good connections from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth). We wish the airline well as competition is good for tourism! The competition, of course, is Air Vanuatu – when comparing fares, keep in mind that Air Vanuatu is a full-service airline (you pay for drinks, meals and headsets on Pacific Blue) and if taking a side trip to Tanna or Santo, Air Vanuatu offers a discounted domestic fare for people who travel with them on the international leg.

PACIFIC SUN

P&O Cruises arrive in Port Vila regularly (there are 59 ships docking in 2008). The Pacific Sun, Pacific Dawn, Pacific Star and Sun Princess are some of the cruise liners dropping in for a day (email us for dates). Cruise ships are great for the local economy. Some locals refer to them as the ‘cattle freighters’ because of the number of extra people they dump in town for the day. You’ll know if one’s in because the markets will be busier, people will be carrying duty free bags up the street and there’s an increase in motor scooters buzzing about with riders sporting a potentially painful sunburn and without helmets or shirts. If you plan to join them, please remember which side of the road vehicles drive on! Weddings off the ships are becoming increasingly popular and they are inexpensive, professional and romantic. Email here if you would like more details.

PALMS CASINO

Palms Casino is part of Le Meridien resort and has table games (blackjack, roulette) downstairs as well as poker machines (upstairs).

PALM TREES

(See Coconuts)

PANDANUS LEAF

A versatile leaf, when dried it is used to make a penis sheath.

PANGO POINT

There are some good diving and fishing spots off Pango and it is the place to head for the best surf. Surfing here, however, is not for novices as the reefs just below the surface can give some nasty scrapes. Pango village got its name from Samoan missionaries who came from Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango) in Samoa. Paradise Cove resort is located at Pango.

PARASAILING

Peter and Leanne at Nautilus Dive not only run a professional and friendly dive operation from Port Vila to a number of great reef and wreck sites, you can also parasail over Port Vila Harbour with them for magnificent views and a bit of an adrenalin rush. Not available when the cruise ship is in.

PARLIAMENT

Based on the Westminster system parliament has two to three ordinary sittings a year (very ordinary, some world say). There is no Upper House and politicians occasionally change sides if they think it will get them into government. The perks in opposition aren’t as great. A previous Prime Minister, Barak Sope, was jailed for three years for forgery/fraud in June 2002. If nothing else, it was hopefully a warning to current and future politicians tempted to stick their noses in the trough. Mr Sope was pardoned, re-elected in the July 2004 elections and is still curtrently a power broker. Watch this space - he’s an ambitious man!

PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Parliament House was opened on the 26 July 1993. The Chinese Government funded the building. It’s rumoured the Chinese built parliament in exchange for support for the one China policy but, of course, it’s only a rumour. It’s the building that looks like an oversized Pizza Hut up the hill from town with the entrance opposite the Cultural Centre.

PASSPORTS

As with travelling anywhere, look after your passport (leave at your hotel) and check before you leave home whether you have a six-month validity on your passport (especially children, as they get a shorten duration than adults). If you have trouble, contact numbers are under Consulates. The Australian High Commission is particularly helpful and efficient and, if it is necessary, can turn around a new passport in a couple of hours. The NZ High Commission doesn’t provide this service but should be able to provide a letter to allow re-entry into New Zealand if necessary.

PEACE CORPS

A cover for US spies? Who said that?! The Peace Corps runs projects in rural areas providing teachers for education, including rural training centres, maths, science and computers, youth development, and development for small businesses and co-operatives. Peace Corps’s objectives are to provide assistance to the host country, to share cultures, and to pass that information to the people back home. (More info...)

PEARLS

Ugly, expensive bloody things…(Ian)

Well, we can tell he’s obviously not a girl… (Jenny)

Vila has lots of black pearls, pretty little round things, to put on and into jewellery pieces. You can purchase pearls at Prouds, The Sound Centre, Shiraz Duty Free, Fung Kuei and Vanuatu Bijouterie.

PENTECOST ISLAND

Pentecost is famous for its land diving (see Naghol). This takes place every April/May. The island is also known for its ritual dancing, mat and basket weaving and symbolic sand drawing.

PERFUMES

“You sure stink pretty.” All your favourites are available in Vila. A huge assortment of perfumes can be purchased duty free at the four main duty free stores, Prouds, Paris Duty Free, Fung Kuei and The Sound Centre. All are competitively priced and all carry different lines, so there’s an excuse to go to every store. Some occasionally offer 20% discount on top of no duty. Compare prices on your way over - if Vanuatu is more expensive, purchase airside on your return.

PETANQUE

Petanque (boules, bocce) is one of those great sports you can play with a drink in your hand. You will see locals playing in parks and along the harbour front and resorts will have a set you can use. Visit www.petanque.org if you want to get serious about the game.

PETROL

Petrol in Vanuatu is expensive by world standards (at time of writing around AUD$1.90 a litre). The good news is, there’s not that far to travel - it’s only 140km around the island and within a 20-minute drive either side of Vila to the main attractions. In Port Vila there are a number of service stations with smaller outlets dotted around the island. In Bislama, petrol is ‘benzyne’.

PHARMACIES

There are three pharmacies in Port Vila, one French and two English. Both Healthwise and The Drug Store have excellent chemists and most items you would find in Australia or New Zealand. The Drug Store also has outlets at the airport, Le Lagon and Le Meridien resorts. They also accept Australian dollars at a rate well above the exchange rate but do not cash money.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Philippe Metois is Vilas’ famous photographer. He’s responsible for the spectacular and vibrant post cards you can see everywhere around town. He now has a dedicated shop where you will find stunning pictures taken over his many years in Vanuatu. His shop is situated across the road from the Rossi Walk and next door to chiropractor, Gerard Sariani. Next door is Top Shots, offering one-hour print and development for your own photos. Michael McLennan specialises in wedding photography as does Connie Wells (Connie is also a wedding coordinator). For more on Connie and her weddings visit Honeymoon Vanuatu.

PICNIC SPOTS

There are a number of lovely settings for a picnic. The base of Mele Cascades is nice - you can swim in the large pool at the bottom, there’s undercover facilities and there are toilets. You will have to pay here, but not the full Cascades fee if you don’t want to walk up to the falls. Eton Beach is another terrific spot (500vt per car) and again, great swimming, snorkelling, fishing with undercover shelter and toilets. If you don’t want to pack your own picnic Café Deli or Au Peche Mignon can arrange gourmet picnic baskets. For a unique experience, Pascal Guillet from Vanuatu Ecotours can organise a gourmet picnic at your own private waterfall and swimming hole (Lololima Cascades). For a reliable driver and local advice phone Harry Atisson (Friendly Tours) on 47197.

PIGS

Pigs are like money and still play an important role in Ni-Vanuatu culture. They’re used in traditional ceremonies, in trade negotiations, and marriages. They are presented to the wife’s family after the birth of the first boy. They are used as a gesture of peace with the tusk from a pig’s head being used as a symbol of remembrance. Pig tusks are also made into armbands and bracelets, which can also be found in jewellery stores in town. A beautiful example of a pig’s tusk is at the Museum and Cultural Centre. The tusk was presented to Queen Elizabeth who in turn donated it back to the Museum for the people of Vanuatu. Ceremonial pig killing is part of custom and should be avoided if the occasion arises and you think it may not be a pleasant experience. It certainly isn’t for the pig as the dispatch is very rarely immediate. Tusks are represented symbolically in Vanuatu’s flag, currency, Air Vanuatu’s logo and on Tusker beer labels.

POLICE

The police station is situated halfway through town on the outbound one-way road, opposite the Mok store. For emergencies call 22222, although some locals may tell you it will be a wasted call (you may get a response in Bislama - “truk i nogat benzyne” - translated “the car hasn’t got any petrol”). For those who read in Australian and New Zealand papers that disruption in police force would lead to a coup, it won’t. Things just don’t work that way here.

POPPYS ON THE LAGOON

Poppy’s is on the lagoon (Seaside) and has extremely comfortable self-contained 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, two swimming pools and a small private beach. There are spa bungalows and some new value studio apartments.

POPULATION

The total population of Vanuatu is approximately 173,000 with about 40,000 people living in and around Port Vila. The population in the early 19th century was estimated at around 1 million, which decreased to 650,000 by 1870. In 1955, it fell as low as 45,000 due to diseases that couldn’t be fought with natural remedies and custom ceremony. While the population has grown, the life expectancy for the ni-Vanuatu is still low (reaching 50 in some parts is called a ‘good innings’). Age onset diabetes, and its associated illnesses, is a major concern.

PORNOGRAPHY

This is a big no-no in Vanuatu (although there is a black market trade in videos). To give you an idea, the raunchiest magazines on the counter at Stop Press are Ralph or FHM. There are mainstream theatre release R-rated movies in the video shops, but certainly no pornography.

PORT VILA

Port Vila is the capital of Vanuatu, the business centre and home to around 40,000 people. Located around one of the South Pacific’s prettiest harbours it’s an easy enough place to explore on foot and most resorts are only a matter of minutes away. The main street (one way into town from the airport) has duty free shops, restaurants and cafes, the street above has lots of Chinese shops.

PORT VILA PUB

See Office Pub. I'll explain when you get there.

POSTAL SERVICES

Vanuatu Post with the help of the New Zealand government, went private in 2001 and has local and international mail and parcel services available through 36 outlets around Vanuatu. The main post office is situated in the main street of Vila and has all the usual services you’d expect from a post office and is 95% reliable. It opens 7:30 - 4:30 Monday to Friday and 7:30 - 11:30 Saturday mornings. There are public phones and fax/telex and Internet services. Phone cards can be purchased here. Other postal/courier services include DHL, TNT, UPS and Vila Agents, who are also an agent for FedEx. Vanuatu Post also operate the world's only Underwater Post Office (on Hideaway Island) and Volcano Post Office (on Mt Yasur).

POSTCARDS

Psst, wanna buy a postcard? Postcards are available in the main town (the post office, Goodies and the Drug Store have a good selection) and at the resorts. The most popular are the Philippe Metois cards depicting many local and always colourful scenes of Vanuatu.

POTHOLES

I owned a Daihatsu ‘Tico’ - a shopping trolley of a car that had a sticker on the rear vision mirror that said, ‘everything in this car is indeed closer than it appears’. The only thing that stopped it disappearing down some of the potholes was if there was another Tico or two in there. Okay, it’s not that bad, but it can get close after heavy rain. If you’re planning to drive around the island, check road conditions first and go for something bigger than a Tico. The car rental companies will know the state of the road.

PREAMBLE

Australians may recall the Howard government’s ham-fisted attempt at writing a preamble to the constitution in 1998. The Vanuatu preamble was written at the time of independence (1980) and is worth recalling here for its simplicity and depth.

We, the people of Vanuatu,
Proud of our struggle for freedom
Determined to safeguard the achievements of this struggle
Cherishing our ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity
Mindful at the same time of our common destiny
Hereby proclaim the establishment of the united and free Republic of Vanuatu
founded on traditional Melanesian values, faith in God and Christian principles
And for this purpose give ourselves this Constitution.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Public holidays are nearly as prevalent as potholes and are sometimes called without much notice. If one falls on a Thursday, for example, the government may decide to throw in the Friday as well, just to get in the good books. The only months that don’t have public holidays are June and September. See our Event Calendar for more details.