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 Santo
Highlights Tour
 This
fabulous tour starts at Fanafo custom village,
the home and final resting place of Jimmy
Stevens, Santo’s one time rebel leader. In 1991,
Vanuatu’s first Prime Minister, Father Walter
Lini, had Stevens’ released. He returned to his
family home in Fanafo and lived a somewhat quiet
life until his death in 1994. “You will get to
see how and where the rebels met, and meet the
direct descendents of Jimmy Stevens.” Heading
further north of Fanafo, you will visit
beautiful Golden Beach, a truly stunning South
Pacific beach with its fine white sand and
crystal clear waters
Prior to Ind e p e n d e n c e, Vanuatu was
ruled by France and Britain in a condominium
government. Many on Espiritu Santo resented the
foreign rule and by the late 70s, a rebellious
movement lead by Jimmy Stevens was formed. The
rebels sought to have Santo excluded from the
condominium and be allowed self-rule. Fanafo was
the rebel’s base and Jimmy Stevens lived there
until his capture by the French and British
authorities. After spending 11 years in jail,
Jimmy Stevens’ health deteriorated. Heading
further North of Fanafo, you will visit
beautiful Golden Beach, a truly stunning South
Pacific beach with its fine white sand and
crystal clear waters - a perfect spot for lunch
and a swim. On the drive back to town you will
stop off at the famous Blue Hole for a
refreshing swim. You’ll be amazed at the colour
and clarity of this freshwater swimming.* Tip..
Bring your snorkel and mask for a closer look
World War II
History Tour
Santo was a home to 100,000 military personnel
during the II World War, and boasted five
airfields, four hospitals and many services for
the armed forces that were based here. Your
scenic drive will take you to Million Dollar
Point, where the American Military dumped tonnes
of equipment in to the ocean at the end of the
war. This historic point is now an excellent
spot for divers & snorkeller’s with everything
from bulldozers and trucks to ammunition and
Coke bottles. History buffs will enjoy stories
about Santo during the war and visit the
remnants literally scattered around the island.
You will experience the eerie feeling of walking
through a once bustling hospital site that now
boasts the feeling of a botanical garden tended
by a local family, You will also visit the house
site of the famous Lt James a Michener who was
based here, author of the famous Tales Of The
South Pacific and an incredible military
hospital base with a million dollar view.
Millennium
Cave Tour
A relatively new tour available in Santo is this
awesome walking adventure. Not for the faint
hearted, this full day tour involves a lengthy
bush walk and requires some degree of fitness.
“Definitely worth the effort, you will be amazed
at the stunning scenery.” Your guide will lead
you through narrow jungle paths, across creeks
and cascades and over bamboo bridges to reach
the Millennium Cave. This massive cave stretches
20m across and some 50m high. A bamboo ladder
will take you from the mouth of the cave down to
a crystal clear pool fed by a small cascade.
From here you will journey through a magical
realm of sparkling stalactites and stalagmites,
with freshwater pools and thousands of tiny bats
and swallows, their homes made high up in the
roof of the cave. Once you’ve made y our
way through the cave to the riverside, it’s time
for a light lunch before you float down the
fresh water river towards home. Whilst floating
down the shallow quick flowing river, take in
the breathtaking scenery with its thermal falls’
and towering rock faces. You can’t get any
closer with nature than this! This is a full day
trip with lots of walking. A medium fitness
level is required to really enjoy this energetic
tour. Lunch is not provided, but picnic lunches
can be pre ordered through your resort/hotel
with a days notice. It is advisable you wear
comfortable shoes which will get wet and
possibly muddy. Dive booties or old running
shoes are best. * TIP. Wear swimmers and
comfortable clothes. Once you have had lunch, a
guide will take any bags or items which you
don’t wish to get wet, back to village where you
will return too. The tour finishes with a walk
back up to the village where the tour started
and a bus trip back to your hotel. Pack a light
bag with plenty of drinking water, lunch and a
towel.
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Golden Beach & Blue Hole Tour
Enjoy a relaxing day at beautiful Golden beach.
En route to Port Orly, this beach makes a lovely
picnic and swimming spot with crystal clear
waters and fine powder white sand you won’t want
to leave. Make sure you give yourself enough
time to stop off at the Blue Hole for a
refreshing swim to wash of the salt and sand on
the way home. You will be amazed at the colour
and clarity of this freshwater natural swimming
pool!
Click picture for more.
Pekoa Bay Beach Chill Out
The perfect choice for those who just want a
relaxing day on the beach. Just a 30-minute
drive from Luganville Township to this beautiful
beach setting. A picturesque bay with aquamarine
waters, Pekoa Bay is the perfect place to swim
and sunbake. Don’t be surprised if you have the
beach all to yourselves! Why not take a picnic
lunch or a BBQ lunch can be arranged at your
request.
Riri Riri River “Dugout” Canoe Adventure
A 30-minute bus trip from your hotel will take
you to the mouth of Riri Riri River. Your guide
will paddle a local ‘dugout’ canoe, whilst you
sit back and enjoy the beautiful tropical
scenery. Look out for freshwater prawns and
fish, electric blue dragon flies, and remnants
of an old bridge built by the Americans during
World War II. As the river water becomes bluer,
you’ll know you’re not far away from The
Matavulu Blue Hole, a huge freshwater pool of
iridescent blue, unique in its colour from the
effect of limestone combining with freshwater.
The clarity is amazing! Cool off with a
refreshing swim - bring your mask and snorkel
for a closer look below. After your swim, canoe
back down the river, where your awaiting bus
will return you to your hotel/resort in time for
lunch. Lifejackets are supplied but not
compulsory.
*TIP... Please bring hat and sunscreen,
swimmers, towel, water shoes or dive booties and
drinking water.
Vil Vil Custom Village
 This half-day tour is a relaxing way to
experience one of Santo’s famous blue holes.
Visit a Traditional Custom Village. Immerse
yourself in the culture and traditions of the
local Ni-Vanuatu people. Your tour begins with a
lazy drive through the rugged countryside of
Santo, where you will see and experience the
many uses of the native
flora; be sent back in
time as you explore wreckage from World War II
and take a look at local cattle farms and
coconut plantations – the backbone of the
Ni-Vanuatu economy. Once you arrive at Vil Vil
Custom Village you will be welcomed by the Chief
and his community with traditional songs and
dances depicting rituals and traditions passed
down from generation to generation. Get caught
up in the tribal atmosphere, with the hypnotic
banging of the tam tams and harmonic voices of
these proud people. All men, women and
piccaninnies (children) have their place and
role within the village. As you are taken
through the different areas of the village, you
will learn how imperative each role is to their
success and survival of the village. The men
primarily spend their days building and
maintaining the huts and Nakamal of the village.
Ni- Vanuatu use leaves from the Natangora palm
for roofing their homes. The leaf, which can
last as long as 15 years and survive terrific
storms and cyclones, is made from the local
Natangora tree. Another important job for the
men is the cultivating and preparation of Kava.
A relative of the pepper plant, the kava roots
are ground and mixed with water to create a
narcotic drink sculled from a coconut shell.
Traditionally used in ceremonies, Kava is now
widely drunk for its relaxing properties, at the
end of a hard days work. The Nakamal is where
the men and boys spend their afternoons. A hut
which is taboo to women, it is the place where
men prepare and drink the kava, recite
traditional songs and pass on the skills of
their ancestors to their sons. The Women learn
from an early age the skills required to make
baskets, mats and custom dress from the Pandanus
plant. The long leaves are stripped and slashed
into thin strips, which are then sun dried. To
create the variety of colours used to decorate
when weaving, a vegetable is crushed and its
colouring boiled with the strips. Once dried,
they are ready for weaving. The Vil Vil Village
people are proud to share their heritage with
you, and it is their simplistic lifestyle and
inherent happiness which makes this tour so
rewarding.
Click picture for more.
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