Oceania

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Vanuatu – traveling in the country
Airplane: the only domestic airline is Air Vanuatu. With its nine, 20 and 44-seat aircraft, it offers its passengers scheduled flights to around 28 airports. The service is usually reliable. However, large delays are not uncommon. Connecting flights should therefore not be booked for the same day. Well worth booking in advance. The seat reservation is important to confirm the flight.

Ship:a catamaran operated by Island Gateway sails to Espiritu Santo once a week. He also passes the Shepherd Islands, Malekula and Epi. The return trip the next day leads via Ambae, Pentecost, Maewo, Paama and Ambrym. A second route with the destination Tanna also passes Erromango. A Pelsaert ship also brings passengers to Tanna twice a week. Stops are Port Resolution, Malekula, Lenakel (Tanna) and Luganville (Santo).

There is also the option of traveling from island to island on cargo ships. If you are considering this, you should inquire in advance whether beds are available and have pillows and warm blankets and, if necessary, water and food. Freight ships run regularly from Porto Vila to the other Vanuatu islands. Reliable freighters that take passengers are, for example, the Dinh 1 (Vila-Tanna-Malekula-Santo), the Brisk (Santo-Pentecost-Ambrym-Epi) and the Sarafenua. She stops in Vila, Paama, Epi, Santo, Pentecost, Ambae, Ambrym, Tanna, Erromango, Futuna, Aneityum and Aniwa.
Trips with rented speedboats are possible, albeit very expensive. Catamarans and their crew can also be rented. More detailed information is available from Bali Hai Charters and the Adventure Center, for example.

Car / rental car: There are rental vehicles in Luganville and Porto Vila. The minimum age for renting a car is 23 years and a motorcycle is 17 years. Another requirement is the possession of a valid driver’s license, which must be at least one year old.
Vanuatu has an inner-city speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour. Otherwise, the road conditions determine the speed of the vehicles. There is right-hand traffic. Seat belts are not compulsory.

Local transport: marked with a red “B”Minibuses operate in some regions of Vanuatu, including Porto Vila, Luganville, East Santo and East Malekula. The buses, which can be stopped on the side of the road, do not run on fixed routes, but rather head for the destinations of their passengers.

Taxis in Porto Vila and Luganville are mostly conventional limousines. In rural areas, all-terrain vehicles – marked with a red “T” – serve more than taxis. The fees depend on the distance covered and the condition of the road. Travelers should ask for the price before starting their journey. There are no taxis outside the cities on Sundays and public holidays. For more information about the continent of Oceania, please check constructmaterials.com.