The port of Port Vila in Vanuatu.
Modern life in Vanuatu is a world apart from today's western society, which is exactly what attracts visitors to the time-honoured Ni-Vanuatu villages. Vanuatu's rich diversity across the islands is one of its greatest attractions – there are more than 100 languages, countless dialects and four main cultural areas distinct in their ceremonies, celebrations and customs. The village is a place of complex rituals of kinship and tradition, where you can watch mesmerising dances, ancient battle re-enactments and learn the sacredness of the local main islands of Efate, home to Port Vila, and Espiritu Santo offer a wide range of cultural experiences, but one of the most iconic village rituals is nagol on Pentecost Island. Land diving, as it's commonly known, is a fertility rite for young men taking place every weekend between April and June. Touted as the original bungee jump, nagol sees village men scale forest-built towers up to 30 metres high and plummet towards the ground with only a vine attached to their legs for safety. It's an sight that has to be seen to be believed!
Size: 4367px × 2907px
Location: Port Vila, Vanuatu
Photo credit: © Scott Bowman / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: cruising, culture, customs, docking, forest, holiday, hot, island, man, pacific, paradise, passionate, port, scenic, shipping, south, stepping, time, tourist, travel, tribes, tropical, vanuatu, vila, warriors, wonders, world
