Hey hey blavelers!
I'm in the very gorgeous Vanuatu, and now I have a minute to actually check blavel, I figured it might be a good time to document a little about our trip... Particularly so given that I currently have a rather strong cocktail in hand.
First impressions of Port Vila, Vanuatu:
It's a gorgeous place. Their stretches of beach are beautiful, albeit also small. Bright blue water, amazing coloured fish and lots to see if snorkeling. We're staying at Lagoon Beach Resort in one of their beachfront villas (although the term 'beachfront' is used loosely given that in actuality the hotel is located on a lagoon). The villas themselves are very new and just gorgeous. They're open plan, split level apartments, with laundry facilities, as well as a spa bath (yay!), king sized bed and sunken lounge and kitchen. Outside, there's an outdoor setting and lounge chair on the private patio, with the water and sand just beyond that. Everyone at the hotel is very friendly- there's a ton of local staff, although the hotel itself is owned by Australians.
The fact that the vast majority of tourists here are also from Brisbane takes away somewhat from the novelty of Vanuatu being another country. Of course, geographically, it makes perfect sense that the majority of tourists come from Australia... but there's just something a little disheartening about hearing so many Australian accents when overseas, even if the backdrop is quite clearly that of another nation. Likewise, the majority of investors in Vanuatu, like the hotel owner here, are Australian. This is a little disheartening too, given that despite the very high cost of living here (electricity is about 4 times the price of Australia, and with so many imported goods, much of the packaged food and condiments we take for granted in Australia cost a small fortune here), Australians (who are comparatively very rich) employ Vanuatu citizens and pay them a minimum wage- which equates to around $250 a month for a 7 day working week, despite charging their wage per day for a room in their hotels. I know some will argue that these investors are improving Vanuatu through increasing job opportunities and tourism, but honestly- when you look around at the destruction being caused by development and the opportunistic exploitation of workers that is utilised by these investors, it seems fairly obvious that the bottom line is of utmost importance to many of these people, to the detriment of the citizens of Vanuatu.
Politics aside, you can understand why Australians would want an excuse to live in Vanuatu. The people are friendly, the weather is beautiful and the scenery is gorgeous.
Getting around Vanuatu is very easy. Walk out to the road, and hail a 'bus' (which is any type of van with a 'b' on the front of the numberplate) and hop in. The price is fixed for trips around the town of Port Vila (it's $150 vatu per trip, which is very cheap in Australian dollars). Port vila itself features a lot of shops (most selling the same assortment of goods), a fruit market, bakeries and a few cafes.
One thing that we did discover today- and perhaps another negative aspect of commercialisation in the absence of strong regulation- is the fact that beaches here are privately owned. If you want to visit the beach and it's not the property of the hotel you're staying in, you'll pay about $15 (Aud) to stroll on 150 meters of it. Of course, the beach is well worth visiting with the amazing fish and crystal clear water, but at the same time, you can't help but feel sad for the people of Vanuatu. At the moment, there are still many beaches on the other side of the island which they can access- but if Port Vila continues to be developed and beaches continue to be regarded as private property, many locals will be denied the ability to enjoy the gorgeous waters that Vanuatu is famous for.
So, my experience of Vanuatu to date: It's absolutely gorgeous here, but I feel sad to be associated with the Australian investors who seem to have such little regard for the interests of the people of Vanuatu.
(Ok, so I confess I'm actually home now- didn't get a chance to upload because the internet kept dropping while away! The rest of our trip was fantastic, and I promise I will tell you about it all soon!).
