FULL DAY TREKS (see also 3 DAY/2 NIGHT and 4 DAY to 6 DAY TREKS)

Adventure Trekking with "Blue Island Adventures"

The Millennium Cave

About an hour from Luganville town. The tour starts with a jungle walk to Vunaspef village, over a home-made bamboo bridge. The cave was discovered by the villagers in Vunaspef in 2000.

Walk through tropical rainforest, explore the dark cave full of bats and swallows, high ceiling about 50 meters high, 3-4 km long, have splash in the waterfall. Break for lunch by the river in the tropical rainforest. Then the most amazing experience - swim down the river through a tropical gorge. More bush walk back to Vunaspef village.　

The villagers of the Vunaspef didn’t know about the cave until a dog went missing while they were hunting wild pigs. Later, a man nearly fell into the hole (luckily he escaped) unaware of how deep it was. When the villagers found the mouth of the cave they were too scared to enter.

In 2000, a German TV crew was invited by Santo explorer Glen Russel to explore the cave with the villagers, discovering how enormous it was. They named it "Millennium Cave"

Don’t underestimate this tour as it could be dangerous. Huge rocks could get slippery if you don’t have right shoes for walking or are unaccustomed to jungle treks.

This hard adventure tour (not as hard as the Marakai trip) is now the most popular tour in Santo now. The tour takes a full day,7 - 8 hours, depending on your walking speed. Not suitable for the children under 10 years old. 4WD transfer, life jackets, and torchs are provided.

Duration of the tour: About 7 – 8 hours

Things to bring: walking shoes or thick dive boots, swimwear, towel, change of cloths, dry bag (if you bring camera), insect repellent.

Blue Pool Adventure

The Blue Pool adventure opened in 2007 by Vunaspef village.

About an hour walk from the village, you will come to a pool in the river where you can swim, jump off a wall, then you swim and walk through the river to meet Bamboo rudder. You can get on it if you are tired, or you don't like too swim much. Walk and swim three different rivers with different scenery. Very pretty and refreshing in the rainforest. One of the rivers is full of coral and shell from ancient times. This tour is not as hard as Millennium Cave and is suitable for most ages.

Duration of the tour: About 7 hours

Things to bring: walking shoes or dive boots, swim wear, towel, change, dry bag (if you bring camera), insect repellent.

Bamboo Forest & River Tour

Another creation of Vunaspef village.

About a hour walk from Vunaspef village, you will arrive in the middle of the bamboo forest. Absolutely amazingly beautiful.

Explore the rainforest. The river runs through the forest and is full of freshwater prawns. You can relax, swim and play.

Suitable for most ages.

Duration of the tour: About 5 - 6 hours


Things to bring: walking shoes or dive boots, swim wear, towel, camera, insect repellent.

3 DAYS/2 NIGHTS TREK

Vunaspef Village Stay & 3 Day Trek

The best way to experience and learn the ni-Vanuatu (Vanuatu people) normal way of life, their culture, while getting a little fitter like they are.

Stay at their local hut, sleeping on a woven mat in your sleeping bag, eat their local lap lap (food wrapped in leaves and baked in the ground), have cold showers outside, experience a genuine kava ceremony (not like a commercial Kava bar in town), sing along with their string band…. with 3 days trekking. Millennium Cave tour, Blue Pool tour, and Bamboo river tour.

Things to bring: Walking shoes or dive boots, swimwear, towel, clothes for 3 days, dry bag(if you bring camera), insect repellent, clothes to wear at night, sleeping bag, air pillow, water bottles, snacks, gifts to village children if you wish.

Available for hire: Air mats, Air pillows, Sleeping bags, Torches.

4 DAYS/3 NIGHTS TREK

Marakai Village Tour (from Central Santo)

4WD will pick you up from Luganville to take you to Butmas. Take about a hour and half drive. Riki & other guides will meet you there, then start trekking. About 4 hours walk to get to the custom village called Fortsunel. You will be asked to wait for a while for the villagers to get together to welcome you.

They bring you to their Nakamal (community hat). You are allowed to walk around village after their welcome. They like to show you how to make weavings, their custom way of work.

Around sunset, there is a Kava ceremony for you. You will be expect to drink at least one shell (they use coconuts shell) to appriciate their welcome, however, if you are not able drink it, then ask your guide to stand behind you to take your shell on your behalf.

People in the custom villages are very polite and very respecfull.

You will be asked to follow your guide's advise while you are in their village.

While you are talking to Chief & their family, woman will bring you some kai kai (local meal) for you. Most likely, Taro & some cabbages. More you eat, they will like you.

Just reluxe, have some kava, have some thier kai kai. The Nakamal is where you drink kava, eat meal, talk with others, and sleep. They will offer you a weaving mat. You will place your air mat and sleeping bag. That is where you eat your meal and to sleep.

If you wish to make your own food, then you will be expect to share with all your villagers or at least with chief's family. So, we recommend you to eat what you offered.

Next morning after the breakfast(more taro & cabbages), good-by to the chief and villagers, trek for about 2 hours to get to pure custom village "Marakai"(see the article).

You will be asked to stay in their guest house until the chief and villegers return from work in their garden, could be a hour or 4 hours. Woman will bring some food for you while you wait.

When they get together, they will all lined up sing a song of Nagriamel which they used sung at Jimmy Steven's village.
Shake everyone's hand after the singing, give your gift to chief and then you are free to walk aboud the village.

Man or woman which ever your sex is, they will take you to the near by creek to have a swim(wash) yourself. Watch how they prepare kava, how to cook Taro in the ground and food. Chief might show you how to make fire from the special wood, and how to make salt. It is very interesting that how they know such things.

99% they don't make money, so they don't buy anytyhing except kerosine lamp when they are lucky. They do not want money from you as once you are welcomed, you are part of their family. However, they welcome some gift like sugar. salt, candles, matches, fishing lines, cotton & needles etc, anything you can bring.

They will welcome you with Kava ceremony, then feed you with their normal meal like Taro and island cabbage. They only eat meat on special occasions. Most likely they don’t know you are coming to their village until when you get there, unless we can send coconuts telegraph, so don’t expect to receive a big feast. But you will find their hospitality is better than any other villages.

For your last night, Riki & guides will take you to a place called Mire Mire the large hat blong to the Fortsunel village. Soround by rainforest and pretty river. Riki can take you to near by waterfall if you would like.

Please do not expect everything to go on the plan. You might get caught by river fllow because of sudden raining. You might decide to stay few more nights to see and experience more of their life style. So, have a reluxed plan just in case. Most of the parts in the jungle don't have phone connection.

Things to bring: Backpack, an extra backpack for your guide, sleeping bag, rolling or air mat, air pillow, snacks for during the trekking for you & guides, gloves, minimum amount of change of clothes, weather proof bags for your backpack, trekking shoes, thongs or sandals to wear at village, hand held GPS(if you like).

Available for hire: Air mats, Air pillows, Sleeping bags, Torches.

5 DAYS/4 NIGHTS TREK

Marakai Village Tour (from South Santo)

You will be transferred to South Santo about an hour drive from Luganville, there you leave your vehicle, and start the walk with guides.

Walk along the banks of the Wylapa River, and swim across the river, headed for high attitude… On the way up, the guide will show you “the rock” which they believe it is the“Ark of Noah”, you have a small rest to see how far you walked up…

We plan the tours from our own experience, so we know exactly know what we am talking about.

This is much harder than the trek through Fortsunel village. There are many villages there for you to see and stay, we recommend minimum 4 nights 5 days stay.

First night stay at Tavunbotari village, then True Custom village “Marakai”(see the article)…stay there for two night, then Charakatui village for your last night…

They will welcome you with Kava ceremony, then feed you with their normal meal like Taro and island cabbage. They only eat meat on special occasions. They don’t know you are coming to their village until when you get there, unless we can send coconuts telegraph, so don’t expect to receive a big feast.

Things to bring: Backpack, an extra backpack for your guide, sleeping bag, rolling or air mat, air pillow, snacks for during the trekking for you & guides, gloves, minimum amount of change of clothes, weather proof bags for your backpack, trekking shoes, thongs or sandals to wear at village, hand held GPS(if you like).

Available for hire: Air mats, Air pillows, Sleeping bags, Torches.

6 DAYS/5 NIGHTS TREK

Mount Tabwemasana

Mt Tabwemasana (1,879 meters) is highest peak in Vanuatu, also one of the highest mountain in the pacific.

You will be transfered from Luganville by 4WD to Tassiriki village in the west coast. It will take you about 4 hours due to the bad conditioned road. Take about 4 hours boat ride from Tassiriki to Kerepua village. An over night in the village's guest house.

Early next morning, take your guides from the village to start trek. About 10 hours climb to the base camp. The guides will cook easy meal for you. An over night at the base camp in your tent. Depart early next morning.

About 4 hours climb to the Summit. Have a good rest, and enjoy your view, then climb down for about 5 hours to return to the base camp. Another night in your tent, depart early morning, climb down for about 9 hours to return to Kerepua village. Have a good rest at village.

You will have choice to leave from Kerepua village back to Tassiriki, or walk about 2 hours to Wusi village. The village is famous for making pottrey. An over night in the village to see how they make the pottrey(seasonal). Boat transfer back to Tassiriki, then 4WD back to Luganville.

You will need to prepare well in advance for this tour. Take minimum 2 weeks to send message to Kerepua village.

Things to bring: Trekking shoes, towel, clothes for 6 days, waterproof bag for your backpack, insect repellent, tent, mosquito net, sleeping bag, air mat, air pillow, water bottles, snacks. You will be a popular person if you take some gifts for the village children.

Available for hire: Air mats, Air pillows, Sleeping bags, Torches.

The photos of Mt Tabwemasana taken by ©Mike Wilgar www.runningwateradventures.com.au