port vila - P&O Cruises
port vila - P&O Cruises port vila - P&O Cruises
port vila destination Guide PORT VILA has seen more history and change than many towns ten or even a hundred times its size. This city of 35,000 has incredible depth when it comes to culture, tradition and history. Vila has something for everyone - whether you want an adrenalin rich adventure, a chance to get acquainted with Ni-Vanuatu culture, or time to simply relax and absorb the tropical beauty. Indulge in some shopping, dine in a cafe or restaurant in the French Quarter or meander around the waterfront market. Did you know The most northern islands of Vanuatu were first named by Europeans in 1768. French explorer, Louis-Antoine de Bougainville called them Les Grande Cyclades. Six years later, Captain James Cook chartered many of the islands in the archipelago and gave them the collective name New Hebrides, which remained in atlases for more than two hundred years. WHAT TO SEE QQ Ekasup Cultural Village Awarded Vanuatu’s best tourist attraction for the past two years, Ekasup Village provides an insight into the magical and mysterious world of ancient Melanesia. This is one of our best selling P&O Cruises shore tours in Port Vila. AUSTRALIA BRISBANE NEWCASTLE SYDNEY VANUATU Port Vila NEW ZEALAND AUCKLAND QQ Cascade Waterfalls Cascade Waterfalls is an accessible, 50-metre high waterfall with naturally eroded rock swimming ponds, set amidst jungle-like rainforest. For the truly adventurous, consider abseiling down the waterfall! Join one of our Shore Tours to discover the magic of Vila. QQ Travel further afield Port Vila is a spectacular natural harbour, yet it only represents a small part of the entire island of Efate. Beaches, cliffs, villages and spectacularly dense jungle and villages await discovery by land, air or sea. We have a number of tours available to help you explore this magnificent place. PORT VILA IN A NUTSHELL Port Vila is the trading centre and capital of Vanuatu. It’s perfectly located around a beautiful harbour on the southwestern coast of the island of Efate. Here you’ll find a mix of cultures – Melanesian (Indigenous Ni-Vanuatu), French, English, Chinese and many others. POPULATION: 29,356 (approximately) LANGUAGE: English, Bislama and French TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary republic CURRENCY: Vatu Keep your guide handy. This guide is intended to assist you, regardless of whether you’re on a Shore Tour, touring independently or doing both.
<strong>port</strong> <strong>vila</strong><br />
destination Guide<br />
PORT VILA has seen more history and<br />
change than many towns ten or even a<br />
hundred times its size. This city of 35,000<br />
has incredible depth when it comes to<br />
culture, tradition and history.<br />
Vila has something for everyone - whether you want an<br />
adrenalin rich adventure, a chance to get acquainted with<br />
Ni-Vanuatu culture, or time to simply relax and absorb the<br />
tropical beauty. Indulge in some shopping, dine in a cafe<br />
or restaurant in the French Quarter or meander around the<br />
waterfront market.<br />
Did you know<br />
The most northern islands of Vanuatu were first named<br />
by Europeans in 1768. French explorer, Louis-Antoine de<br />
Bougainville called them Les Grande Cyclades. Six years later,<br />
Captain James Cook chartered many of the islands in the<br />
archipelago and gave them the collective name New Hebrides,<br />
which remained in atlases for more than two hundred years.<br />
WHAT TO SEE<br />
QQ<br />
Ekasup Cultural Village<br />
Awarded Vanuatu’s best tourist attraction for the past two<br />
years, Ekasup Village provides an insight into the magical and<br />
mysterious world of ancient Melanesia. This is one of our best<br />
selling P&O <strong>Cruises</strong> shore tours in Port Vila.<br />
AUSTRALIA<br />
BRISBANE<br />
NEWCASTLE<br />
SYDNEY<br />
VANUATU Port Vila<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
AUCKLAND<br />
QQ<br />
Cascade Waterfalls<br />
Cascade Waterfalls is an accessible, 50-metre high waterfall<br />
with naturally eroded rock swimming ponds, set amidst<br />
jungle-like rainforest. For the truly adventurous, consider<br />
abseiling down the waterfall! Join one of our Shore Tours to<br />
discover the magic of Vila.<br />
QQ<br />
Travel further afield<br />
Port Vila is a spectacular natural harbour, yet it only<br />
represents a small part of the entire island of Efate. Beaches,<br />
cliffs, villages and spectacularly dense jungle and villages<br />
await discovery by land, air or sea. We have a number of<br />
tours available to help you explore this magnificent place.<br />
PORT VILA IN A NUTSHELL<br />
Port Vila is the trading centre and capital of Vanuatu. It’s<br />
perfectly located around a beautiful harbour on the southwestern<br />
coast of the island of Efate. Here you’ll find a mix<br />
of cultures – Melanesian (Indigenous Ni-Vanuatu), French,<br />
English, Chinese and many others.<br />
POPULATION: 29,356 (approximately)<br />
LANGUAGE: English, Bislama and French<br />
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary republic<br />
CURRENCY: Vatu<br />
Keep your guide handy. This guide is intended to assist you, regardless of whether you’re on a Shore Tour, touring independently or doing both.
ville<br />
<strong>port</strong> <strong>vila</strong><br />
Everything you need to know.<br />
DOCKING<br />
Your ship will dock at Port Vila’s commercial pier, about five<br />
kilometres from the centre of town.<br />
TAXIS<br />
There are plenty of taxis in Vila. At the dock you’ll find them<br />
lined up just outside the <strong>port</strong> gates. A trip into town should<br />
cost around $15 AUD. There is a minimum fare and taxis are<br />
not metered. Make sure that you have either agreed on a<br />
fare, or the driver switches the meter on if you are using<br />
a taxi for an extended journey. Taxi vans, which wait until<br />
they’re full before heading off, charge around $3 AUD per<br />
passenger for the trip into town.<br />
DINING<br />
For a small city, Vila is surprisingly cosmopolitan. Satisfy<br />
your cravings with a gourmet meal at a licensed restaurant,<br />
a simple snack, a great coffee or Vanuatu’s national dish,<br />
laplap - a unique “packet” of local vegetables and meat or<br />
fish marinated in coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves<br />
and cooked underground. The water in Vila is safe to drink.<br />
For quarantine reasons, please do not take any food or drink<br />
(other than bottled water) off the ship.<br />
SHOPPING<br />
Vila has everything; there are duty-free goods, and<br />
competitively priced indigenous arts, crafts and clothing. The<br />
markets near the pier where your ship docks are also quite<br />
good. Most shopping is located along Lini Highway in the<br />
centre of town. Please ensure that any items you purchase do<br />
not contravene Australia’s or New Zealand’s strict quarantine<br />
laws. Do not buy anything that is made from turtle shell,<br />
feathers or seeds. Bargaining is not customary in Vanuatu.<br />
SHORE TOURS<br />
There are a range of tours available for you to really<br />
get the most out of your time in Port Vila. Tours can be<br />
booked onboard at the shore tours desk and are subject to<br />
availability. Passengers are required to meet at a specific<br />
location for each shore tour departure. Please refer to your<br />
tour ticket for the correct time and place.<br />
ENVIRONMENT<br />
Coral is an extremely precious marine organism. In an effort<br />
to preserve its natural beauty and habitat please avoid<br />
touching it in all circumstances. During your time ashore we<br />
also ask that you dispose of your rubbish thoughtfully.<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
Please ask permission before you take photographs of Ni-<br />
Vanuatu (indigenous people).<br />
P&O <strong>Cruises</strong>’ agents<br />
While you are ashore, please contact the nearest crew<br />
member in the case of an emergency. Alternatively, the<br />
P&O <strong>Cruises</strong> <strong>port</strong> agent for Port Vila is:<br />
South Sea Shipping<br />
Lini Highway, Vila, Vanuatu<br />
Phone: 678 22205<br />
Emergency Phone (24 hours): +61 2 8424 8947<br />
CLIMATE<br />
Vila’s climate is tropical. The average mid-day temperature is 29<br />
degrees in summer and 25 degrees in winter. It can also be very<br />
humid at times. The wet season is from December to March.<br />
Make sure you stay hydrated and sheltered from the sun.<br />
CREDIT CARDS<br />
Credit cards and charge cards are widely accepted in larger<br />
stores, restaurants and some cafes. Some shops may accept<br />
Australian dollars but will only be able to give you change<br />
in Vatu. You will not be able to exchange your Vatu for<br />
Australian dollars once back onboard.<br />
TELEPHONES INTERNATIONAL & LOCAL<br />
There are public telephones in downtown Vila. Mobile<br />
coverage is generally available as long as global roaming is<br />
selected prior to leaving home.<br />
Port Vila<br />
Iririki Island<br />
Rue De Par<br />
is<br />
Rue Bougan<br />
Rue Pasteur<br />
Market<br />
Kumul Highway<br />
Town<br />
Hall<br />
Lookout<br />
Point<br />
Winston Ch urchill<br />
National<br />
Museum<br />
Rue Dartois<br />
WHAT TO WEAR ASHORE<br />
To make your day ashore as enjoyable as possible, please<br />
wear comfortable flat soled shoes, lightweight clothing and<br />
a hat. You are also advised to bring sunscreen, bottled water<br />
and an umbrella during the wet season. Ni-Vanuatu are quite<br />
conservative, so please dress modestly. Wearing swimwear<br />
downtown is not acceptable. Nude or topless bathing is not<br />
permitted on any beach.<br />
Vila Bay<br />
Cruise Terminal<br />
Wharf Road<br />
500 m<br />
Elluk Road<br />
Note: The information in this guide is subject to change without notice. We apologise for any inconvenience, but P&O <strong>Cruises</strong> cannot accept responsibility for any such alterations. Thank you.
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