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Vanuatu Expedition: Land Diving Festival

5 Days | Dive into the customs and landscapes of Vanuatu

5 days

Start

Port Vila, Vanuatu

Finish

Port Vila, Vanuatu

Trip Code

TESL

Min Age

Trip Size

1 - 7

Physical Rating

Meals

4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle, Plane

Accommodation

Hotel (2 nights), Village Bungalow (2 nights)

From £1,695(5 days)

Trip Informations

Uncover raw beauty and vibrant culture on the tiny islands of Vanuatu on this five-day expedition that takes in the legendary land diving ritual of Pentecost island's Indigenous people. Leave behind the resorts of Port Vila and fly to rainforest-rich islands where you can meet locals, immerse yourself in nature and enjoy true adventure travel. Be amazed by the naghol festival, the original bungee jumping, which has been called ‘the most remarkable custom in all of Melanesia’, and get an insight that few visitors receive. This is Vanuatu like never seen before.

Why you’ll love this trip

Witness naghol, the unique land-diving ceremony of South Pentecost (and the inspiration for the modern sport of bungee jumping).

Visit remote villages accompanied by a local leader who will ensure you have an immersive experience of Vanuatu's unique cultural practices.

Stay in traditional bamboo bungalows and enjoy meals cooked with love by the village mamas using fresh organic produce from the gardens and the sea.

Snorkel and swim in pristine blue waters and relax in the sun on the beautiful beaches of the South Pacific.

Is this trip right for you?

This trip gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in an authentic island community and experience the culture and traditions. It's a fascinating insight into South Pacific culture and a world away from your typical resort holiday.

The people on the Pentecost welcome tourists and are forgiving of inadvertent cultural transgressions. Even so, it is inappropriate for women to wear bikinis or skimpy clothing. Women should wear knee-length dresses or skirts with modest tops when visiting. T-shirts and board shorts make good ‘island-style’ swimwear as an option to bikinis.

Pentecost is a remote island with little infrastructure and very undeveloped villages. Your accommodation on Pentecost is in traditional bamboo bungalows. These have standard beds with mosquito nets and bathroom facilities, but showers are cold water only. Your meals on these islands will be home-cooked with love by the village mamas using fresh, organic produce from the gardens and the sea.

Itinerary

DAY 1
Port Vila
Welcome to Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu. Your adventure begins today with a welcome meeting at 5 pm at your accommodation. There are no other activities planned for the day. If you arrive with time to spare before the welcome meeting, the heart of the city and the waterfront promenade are just a short walk from the hotel.
Accommodation
Hotel (1 night)
Meals
There are no meals included on this day.
Add on activities
Port Vila - Produce market - Free
Port Vila - Handicraft market - Free
Port Vila - National Museum - VUV1000
Special information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be checking insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late, please let an Tuuur representative or your travel agent know.
Due to frequent flight delays, we highly recommend allowing additional days in Port Vila before and after your tour and to considering flying Virgin or Fiji Airways for international connections. Our flight to Pentecost departs early morning on Day 2 so you must arrive today to be able to join the trip.
DAY 2
Pentecost
Start the day early to catch a flight to Lonorore on Pentecost island, where you will have the chance to witness and understand the cultural practices of the land-diving Indigenous people, as well as explore the remote South Pentecost region. Transfer straight to the land diving tower to see the heart-stopping naghol ceremony. You’ll be amazed at what Lonely Planet has described as ‘the most remarkable custom in all of Melanesia’. Watch the jumpers haul themselves off the platforms as part of a ritual that functions as a coming-of-age for young men, a blessing of the earth for upcoming harvests, and a nod to an age-old Pentecost legend. Afterwards, when day trip visitors board their vehicles to head back to the airport, you will make your way to a nearby coastal village for the chance to meet your local hosts and enjoy a traditional lunch. Spend the afternoon exploring the village, when you’ll have the opportunity to meet and talk to some of the men who dived from the tower in the morning. As the sun sets across the ocean, your hosts will prepare a traditional kava ceremony to formally welcome you to the village.
Accommodation
Village Bungalow (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Pentecost - Naghol (Land Diving) Ceremony
Pentecost - Traditional kava welcome ceremony
Special information
Our Air Vanuatu flight to Pentecost departs early morning today so you must arrive by the evening of Day 1 to be able to join the trip as there are no other regularly scheduled flights. Your leader will advise if luggage restrictions apply on your departure, in which case you can leave your larger luggage at the Port Vila hotel and pack a smaller bag for the 2 nights on Pentecost.
An airport tax of 200 VUV per person will be payable in cash at the airport today and will be collected by your leader.
Our bungalow accommodation in this destination has bathroom & toilet facilities, with cold water only. As we are staying in a local community, consumption of alcohol is discouraged. Drinking water is provided, but other drinks will need to be purchased in advance.
DAY 3
Pentecost
Today you’ll explore the natural beauty of the region through a half-day hike through rainforest and villages or along the beach - another chance to meet and connect with the communities who call this special place home. End the day swimming and relaxing at the beautiful beaches. Your beach bungalow accommodation is the perfect way to soak up the island paradise vibes.
Accommodation
Village Bungalow (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Pentecost - Half-day island hike
DAY 4
Pentecost - Pango Peninsula - Port Vila
This morning your new land diving friends will take you for a paddle in a traditional outrigger canoe, before an early afternoon transfer to the airport for the charter flight back to Port Vila. On arrival, drive 15 minutes to the Pango Peninsula for an easy walk along the coast and bays to a special snorkelling spot, where you can get acquainted with the underwater world and enjoy spectacular coral gardens as your final included activity of the trip.
Accommodation
Hotel (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Included activities
Pentecost - Traditional outrigger canoe ride
Pango Peninsula - Snorkelling
Special information
We use a charter flight to return to Port Vila today. An airport tax of 200 VUV per person will be payable in cash at the airport today and will be collected by your leader.
The snorkelling activity may take place today or tomorrow, depending on the availability of the charter flight.
DAY 5
Port Vila
After an included breakfast, you will head out snorkelling if you were not able to do it yesterday. Your Vanuatu experience then concludes today on return back to Port Vila, after which you are free to depart at any time.
Meals
Breakfast
Add on activities
Port Vila - Discovery Bushwalk - VUV4750
Port Vila - Port Vila Town Tour - VUV3000
Special information
The snorkelling activity may take place today or tomorrow, depending on the availability of the charter flight.
Due to frequent flight delays, we highly recommend allowing additional days in Port Vila after your tour and to considering flying Virgin or Fiji Airways for international connections.

Inclusions

Meals

4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle, Plane

Accommodation

Hotel (2 nights), Village Bungalow (2 nights)

Activities

Pentecost - Naghol (Land Diving) Ceremony

Pentecost - Traditional kava welcome ceremony

Pentecost - Half-day island hike

Pentecost - Traditional outrigger canoe ride

Pango Peninsula - Snorkelling

Add on activities

Port Vila - Produce market - Free

Port Vila - Handicraft market - Free

Port Vila - National Museum - VUV1000

Port Vila - Discovery Bushwalk - VUV4750

Port Vila - Port Vila Town Tour - VUV3000

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Important notes

1. This trip starts in Port Vila on Day 1 at 5pm. You must arrive by this time as our flight to Pentecost departs early morning of Day 2.

2. This trip finishes in Port Vila on Day 5 by mid afternoon

2. A single supplement is available for the nights spent in Port Vila if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. It excludes Days 2-3 where you will be in shared village bungalow accommodation.

3. You must provide us with a copy of your passport no later than 30 days before your departure in order for us to book the domestic flights included on this trip. We are unable to book your flights without a passport copy.

4. Due to frequent flight delays, we highly recommend allowing additional days in Port Vila before and after your tour and to considering flying Virgin or Fiji Airways for international connections.

5. Due to restrictions on our charter flight from Pentecost to Port Vila, we require the weight of all travellers at time of booking.

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