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latest picture: Jan. 9, 2009

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25  The dancers from the island of Tanna,

whose traditional performances we

attended in Bourali in New Caledonia,

return to their home country Vanuatu.

We seal our personal contact with a

picture on deck of “MV Havannah”

 26  After a three days’ sea journey

from Nouméa via Tadine on the Loyalty

Island of Maré, We on Lifou and Wadrilla

on Ouvéa our LandCruiser leaves the

“MV Havannah” in the harbor of Port

Vila in the morning of October 24, 2008,

and is already circulating on

Vanuatu’s streets in the afternoon

27  Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu

with its population of 38’000 is

greeting us over the Vila Bay

28  The tropical coast near Erakor Island

glows in the warm light of the evening sun.

A free ferry is leaving regularly from a

small jetty near the Hotel Le Lagon

29  The sun is setting

over the Erakor Bay

with a unique color

combination

30  Can life be better than that?

Liliana is settling to the pace of

the Pacific way of life

31  This huge Banyan tree with its wide

canopy and the clutter of aerial roots

falling from the branches to the ground

is situated along the road to Pango

village. It belongs to the fig family

32  Surrounded by a bread fruit tree,

even this dwelling made of corrugated

iron looks somehow attractive

33  A forest of palm trees nestles between

the tropical hill and the sea along the

Devil’s Point road, where many luxury

villas of expats – mainly from Australia

and New Zealand – are situated

34  The totem pole is part of the

culture of the Ni-Vanuato people. These

three “guardians” are standing in front

of the Michoutouchkine Foundation

Art Gallery en route to Pango village

 35  From Klem’s Hill Lookout, 650ft.

above sea level, we enjoy a magnificent

view over Mele Bay and the Hideaway

Island that invites to snorkel and dive

36  The performers of a TV

commercial, adorned with flower

garlands at the Mele-Maat

cascades, give the place the

special flair of the South Pacific

37  In the Southeast of the island, we

follow the white string of the heavily

potholed gravel road. Apart from a few

pickup trucks loaded with fresh fruits

and vegetables for the market in

Port Vila, there is hardly any traffic

38  We pass an abandoned tourist

resort in a coconut palm grove,

where the roofs of the bungalows

are slowly rusting away

39  The road gets narrower and the

vegetation more dense towards the East

and Northeast - here near Forari. The

85 miles long ring road will lose a lot of

its island charm when the new highway,

managed by New Zealand and financed by

the USA, will be finished in two years time

40  Life in the villages in the interior is

simple and peaceful (Eton on the East

coast). People have time for each other

and live in harmony with nature

41  Even a washing machine

has found its way into the

bush at Pang Pang in the East

42  Most of the huts in the villages are

made of wood with a thatched roof, like

here in Eton on the East coast. But

corrugated iron is used more than ever

43  In the remote interior, all kinds of

sects are spreading. Some work in simple dwellings, others already built lovely

churches. In Pang Pang the Seventh-Day-

Adventists try to attract the attention

44  There are no school busses

(Baofatu in the North). Children

walk along the road. There is

hardly any traffic anyway

45  Women in colorful dresses

are assembled in front of a building

near a church in Erakor

46  Offshore islands are mostly on the

North Coast. We enjoy this beautiful view

towards the island of Emao at the Bamboo

Beach Bungalow & Camping in Onesua

47  An idyllic spot near the

Bamboo Beach Bungalow &

Camping in Onesua on the

Northeastern corner

48  There are not only sandy beaches

in Vanuatu, but also rocky coast lines,

like here in the Southwest at Pango Point

49  The path is narrowing the deeper

we penetrate into the dense forest.

The road conditions in Vanuatu

match those of a third-world-

respectively developing country

 50  The lovely Ewor stream with clear

water meanders through tropical greenery

51  In the East, close to the abandoned

manganese mine of Forari, we drive

through lush tropical vegetation: Each

inch is covered with trees, bushes, grass,

wild bananas and especially creepers

52  The Tiaré (Frangipani) blossom is the

flower of the Pacific. It adorns the hair of the

beautiful ladies and is often put behind the ear

 53  The Ginger Torch flower

looks unique in the wilderness.

It is also called wax flower

54  The blossoms of a tree of the

bottle brush category are slowly

withering, but still attractive

55  The boy shows us proudly and

with a happy smile his self-made toy

 56  After romping in the sea, these tree

trunks offer a good opportunity to relax

57  The young man is on the way

to his forest plantation and is

happy to stop for a chat with us

Three typical South sea resorts in and around of Port Vila:

58  Iririki Island Resort: The luxury

bungalow complex is on a small offshore

island and is connected by a free regular

ferry to Port Vila. Day visitors are however

forced to purchase a voucher that can be

used in the resorts for drinks and food

59  Hideaway Island in Mele Bay

near Port Vila: “Robinson-Crusoe-

Life“ in a more exquisite way

60  Le Meridien Port Vila Resort:

The over water bungalows on the

shore of the Erakor Lagoon are

awesomely beautiful, but also

awesomely expensive –

one night costs US$ 880

61   In the colorful Port Vila market

locals sell their fruit, vegetables,

coconut crabs, almonds,

shells, flowers, artifacts .....

62  ..... and peanuts

63  Displayed on banana leafs and

wrapped also in it, food is sold at lunch

time at the market: One pile consists

of sweet potatoes, some vegetables,

topped with a chicken wing

and costs 200Vatu ~ US$1.75

64   From the hill Elluk with luxury villas,

about 1 mile South of the center of

Port Vila, we enjoy a beautiful view

over Erakor Island and the blue and

turquoise waters of the Pacific ocean .....

65  ..... over the waterfront of the

capital Port Vila with the green hills

around Mount Bernier in the

background .....

66  ..... and over to the bungalows

of the Erakor Island Resort that is

connected with the main

island by a free ferry

67   Liliana and Emil are standing at the Elluk

viewpoint overlooking the harbor entry and

the docking of the big cruise ships .....

68  ..... that call at Vanuatu two to three

times a week, originating mostly from

Australia and visiting also New Caledonia

69  Beautiful clouds catch

the rays of the setting sun

Vanuatu has been voted recently the happiest place in the world.

The twin pillars of a classically happy life are: Strong family ties and a general absence of materialism

70  Strong family ties: Blades are peeled

from palm leafes and bundled to brooms

71  Free from materialism: A

fisherman is looking for his next meal

72  Simplicity: What more is

necessary to provide shade?

73  Women are selling fresh vegetables

and fruits in the shade of a

flowering Flamboyant tree in Port Vila

 74  Liliana is relaxing at the pool side of

our lovely "Blue Pango Motel", situated 3

miles outside of Port Vila in Pango Village

75  Locals take a real interest in our travels.

Where ever we park, they admire our "house

on wheels" and ask us many questions

76  Families came in big numbers with their

children to the public ground in Port Vila

to see Santa Claus, who – to the children's

joy – is distributing plenty of candies

77  Santa Claus is sitting

under the tropical sun

between palm trees and

an artificial christmas tree

78  The "Band of the Vanuatu

Mobile Force" is touching the

heart of the people with some

lovely christmas songs

79  

 80  

81  

Faces that reflect a nation, which will always keep a special place in our hearts

82  Also on the day when we containerize

for the 14th time our LandCruiser, people

stop in Port Vila, this time to shake

hands and to say good-bye

 83  The "Pacific Islander II" of the

Greater Bali Hai shipping line is docked in

Port Vila's harbor. She will carry our Land

Cruiser to Suva in Fiji, its 162nd destination

84  On our last evening in Port Vila

the sun sets beautifully behind Ifira

Island. The next day, we find

ourselves in the floods of Fiji

View from Elluk hill outside of Port Vila over to Erakor Island with the turquoise sea of the South Pacific

More websites from Vanuatu: 1st Visit: Without vehicle in July 2008

Articles in newspapers about us in Vanuatu: Article: "World Record Travelers in Vanuatu", Daily Newspaper "Vanuatu Daily Post" - October 30, 2008