In the land of 10 thousand islands
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Dmitry Lukyanchuk
The author of the DESTINATIONS travel project
01-13-2025

In the land of 10 thousand islands

Dmitry Lukyanchuk, the author of the Destinations travel project, who spent a month exploring the mega-archipelago, told the EcoTourist EXPERT about the amazing diversity of Oceania.

- Perhaps, Vanuatu is among the most famous island states of Oceania in Russia. Have you visited Vanuatu?

- I think you will be surprised to get to know that Vanuatu is located on more than 80 islands, and there are about 10 thousand of islands in Oceania. The main natural attraction of Vanuatu is its active volcanoes located on the islands, and tourists can even climb up some of them. The Yasur volcano on the Island of Tanna is among the most accessible ones.

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The surroundings of the mountains and volcanoes are amazingly picturesque. But the main ‘tourism anchors’ for travelers is, of course, the lava ejections and the famous lava lakes. There are also many stunning waterfalls and mineral water springs.

Vanuatu consists of a large number of inhabited islands where people have been living locked by water for a long time, so it is very interesting to see the diversity of cultural and linguistic features in the country, as well as local traditions and lifestyles. Travelers can get acquainted with folk art and rituals during specially organized excursions.

Such a trip is very educational, but tourists should be prepared that the locals prefer minimalism in clothing. For men, their only clothing can be a ‘namba’ (a traditional sheath made from young leaves of a banana or pandanus trees and wrapped around a ‘private part’ of a man’s body covering part of it only - ed.).

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- In your opinion, which of the Vanuatu’s islands is most picturesque?

- It is very difficult to choose one island. In addition to the Island of Tanna, I’d like to recommend visiting at least three more islands. The Island of Erromanga, the fourth largest island in the Vanuatu archipelago, is among them, it’s covered with thickets of sandalwood trees - there is a large nature reserve now. This island has many caves, waterfalls, and beautiful white-sand beaches.

And on the Island of Epi (or Épi, Api; formerly known as Tasiko or Volcano Island), there are exotic black- sand beaches. Here, tourists can also see old colonial plantations and visit real tropical forests. On the Island of Espiritu Santo, the largest one in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, there are several so-called ‘blue holes’ - turquoise-blue lakes formed due to the release of water through the thickness of limestone slabs. The contrast of deep dark-blue and light-color water around gives the impression of a deep ‘hole’, the largest of which - Matevulu Blue Hole - is surrounded by tropical thickets.

- Oceania is a vast sea space, and therefore there are whales. Were you able to watch and admire them?

- Of course. The best place to see whales is the Kingdom of Tonga where travelers can enjoy watching whales and also swim with humpback whales. They say, that this is a great experience.

As far as I know, this is the only country in the world now where it is officially allowed to swim with humpback whales. But people can do this from July to October only. I visited the islands in June, so I was only able to watch the whales from afar - it was not allowed to approach them at a close distance at this time because they were ‘busy’ producing offspring.

Another attraction of the Kingdom of Tonga is the sea ‘singing’ geysers - pulsating water springs. During high tides, water goes out through the channels - holes - in the coastal rocks. It’s a very amazing to see this!

- What is the most unusual thing that tourists can experience in Oceania?

- I think that many travelers can be surprised by a chance to make a ‘journey through time’ between two Samoas - one of them is American, and the other is an independent state. The date line runs between them. So, I left Apia, the capital of independent Samoa, on June 29 at 11.10 a.m., 40 minutes later I landed in Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa. The clock showed 11.50 a.m., but the previous day - June 28, Friday! This is a very special experience, very unusual.

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Overall, Samoa is a very picturesque green archipelago, just over one hour’s flight from Fiji (the most convenient hub for traveling around Oceania). People come here mainly to enjoy a quiet vacation in a bungalow on the ocean coast. The natives love to relax and locals can also be seen everywhere, relaxing under the crowns of trees or lying under awnings.

There are many religious places relating to different faiths, including the most unusual ones. The Baha’i House of Worship is one of about 10 on the planet dedicated to this rare faith. In Apia, there is also the Robert Louis Stevenson museum, who was a famous writer, the author of the adventure and historical novel ‘Treasure Island’; the Scottish writer spent his last years in this house.

- In such places, travelers probably feel the eternity of the universe...

- Sure, and they also feel the evanescence of human life and the world. For example, here is one of the smallest countries on the planet - Tuvalu. The tourists wishing to visit it should do his as soon as possible because according to forecasts, a small state located on reef islands and atolls may disappear in the ocean. Even now, the strip of land at the narrowest point of Tuvalu is 10 meters wide only.

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Another country in Oceania - Nauru - clearly demonstrates the fragility of nature and its dependence on environmentally responsible human behavior. This tiny island used to be very rich because phosphates were mined there. However, the phosphate resource was quickly exhausted, the money was poorly invested, and now Nauru makes a deplorable impression because most of its stunning nature was destroyed by people. Investors could help in improving the situation, but they are not there yet.

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However, the locals have not lost hope - they are very optimistic, cheerful and friendly. It must be said that the ability to enjoy life is very typical of the whole of Oceania where it is customary to adhere to the rule - not to worry about what is unavailable, and enjoy everything that is available to the full. And there is a lot of attractions to see and a lot of fruit varieties to taste in this area. Delicious fruits grow right on the trees, and as for money - it will be brought by tourists who are eager to see the beautiful and unknown land and connect with nature, at least for a short time.

By the way, the tourist flow to Oceania’s islands is growing. New Zealanders and Australians have long been accustomed to treating the islands as their own ‘all-season health resort’. Increasingly more people come to Oceania from very distant countries to get a first-hand experience. By the way, the Russians can visit 7 states of the mega-archipelago without a visa. I don’t even dare to count how many ‘islands’ are in these 7 states - I’m not sure in their number and can make a mistake.

Photos courtesy of Dmitry Lukyanchuk  

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