The Western Pacific - Pacific Crossing Notes: A Sailor's Guide to the Coconut Milk Run - page 394

Fact File: Vanuatu
Clearing in: Anelcauhat on Anatom (preliminary), Lenakel on Tanna, Port Vila on Efate
Fees: Equivalent of US$60 to clear in at Anatom, plus another $40 to complete the proced-
ure in Port Vila; $70 to clear out.
Money: Change cash (US / NZ / Fiji $ or Euro) for Vatu in the small banks of Anatom or
Tanna (in Lenakel); ATMs in Port Vila.
Shopping: Come fully stocked until you can get to the very good supermarkets of Port Vila
(Leader Price, Au Bon Marche). Fruit is plentiful and cheap.
Cruising Guide: The Tusker Cruising Guide to Vanuatu [#1] .
Weather: The SPCZ practically hovers over Vanuatu. The general weather pattern we ob-
served was clear mornings, clouding heavily in the afternoon, some showers, and steady
fifteen to twenty knot SE winds.
Water: Jerry jug clean, fresh water from public water spouts in Anatom or fill at the fuel
dock in Port Vila.
Health: The risk of malaria in southern Vanuatu is low during dry season. Many cruisers
went without medication but were diligent about applying insect repellent.
Language: French and English are widely spoken in Vanuatu (carry-overs from colonial
times that only ended in 1980), so it's joyfully easy to converse with locals. Bislama, a ver-
sion of pidgin English, is one of the official languages. It's a logical, phonetic language that
gave us many a hearty chuckle during our stay. In Port Vila, cell phone providers offer
“ Laki Kash ” prizes and “ topup ” points so customers can have more time to “toktok.” Blong
is a word that means for or of ; our favorite uses are in “ basket blong titi ” (bra) and “ mix-
master blong Jesus Christ ” (helicopter). It's numbawan (excellent)!