Vanuatu Expedition: Land Diving Festival

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.

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. (B/L/D)

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. (B/L/D)

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.

Enjoy your last Vanuatu sunset over an optional final night dinner tonight. (B/L)

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. (B)