Vanuatu

My yacht called Banana Split has surprisingly visited this magnificent archipelago of the western part of the Pacific - formerly known as the Condominium of the New Hebrides- without me. Indeed, I was busy with a shooting somewhere on the other end of the planet and I had lent my boat to my friend Philippe. He was looking after it in New Caledonia and decided to treat himself with a cruise in Vanuatu?

As far as I am concerned, I discovered this immense archipelago - very streched from north to south- from the deck of a totally different boat. I had been invited to embark aboard the yacht Club Med 2 for a few days.
The cruise I was invited for was quite unique for this type of boat: from the partially torn down crater of the extinct volcano which gave birth to the island of Ureparapara, part of the Banks archipelago, to the active Yasur volcano in Tanna; going through beautiful lagoons nearby the picturesque capital of Port Vila, where one easily feels the influence of the double Franco-English occupation, to the big island of Mallicolo where some of the planet's most primitive tribes had their origins. Among these, the Small Nambas is a tribe where men are primarily dressed with "nambas" , which are special cases for their penis.

From one island to another, I discovered friendly people, imposing waterfalls, dense forests, and sparkling flowers. On each island, arts and crafts would grasp my attention, and native people were so welcoming that I bet I will direct the stem of Banana Split towards Vanuatu once I leave Polynesia again in a year or two. And this time, I certainly intend to take my boat through all the islands of the archipelago, on a smooth rythm, and I definately want to be part of the trip!

1. Vanuatu

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Lonely planet : www.lonelyplanet.com
All about Vanuatu : www.easyvoyage.com
For sailors : www.noonsite.com