Vanuatu Times Explainers
Read Vanuatu Times for thoughtful Vanuatu news, island culture, travel, climate, history, language, kava, and Pacific community stories.
Island tags come from each article’s title and summary.
15°21′S 166°53′E
17°41′S 168°23′E
19°31′S 169°20′E
83 islands · 6 provinces
Getting there, staying safe, money and weather
TravelEfate · Port Vila
A step-by-step guide to Port Vila International Airport: immigration, biosecurity rules, customs, ATMs and exchange, taxi fares, car hire and transfers, from the airport operator's own passenger pages.
7 min read
TravelTanna
Mount Yasur on Tanna is one of the few volcanoes where you can watch explosions from the rim. Here is what VMGD's Alert Level 2 means, how a visit works, what to bring and how to check the volcano before you go.
6 min read
TravelSanto
Santo is Vanuatu's biggest island and its best base for wreck diving, blue holes and white-sand beaches. Here is what to do, how long to stay, how to get there and what the October 2026 quakes mean for your trip.
8 min read
Kastom, language, art, music and history
CulturePentecost
Land diving on Pentecost Island is the yam-harvest ritual that inspired bungee jumping. Here is how the towers and vines work, why it happens from April to June, how to watch respectfully and what to plan for 2027.
8 min read
Culture
Kastom — the Bislama word for custom — isn't just tradition for show. It shapes land rights, marriage, conflict resolution, and daily life across Vanuatu's 80-plus islands.
7 min read
History
Vanuatu's independence story is unusual even by Pacific standards — it involved two colonial powers, a coconut rebellion, and a French-backed separatist movement all at once.
6 min read
Government, citizenship, women, health and schools
Citizenship
What does Vanuatu citizenship cost? The official fee table, who can apply by residence, marriage or descent, the ten-step process, and what to check before paying an agent.
7 min read
Citizenship
A Vanuatu passport opens 92 destinations without an advance visa, but not Europe, the UK, Australia or the US. Here is where it works in October 2026, why the EU and UK added visas, and how to check before you book.
8 min read
Geopolitics
As great powers compete for influence across the Pacific, small island nations like Vanuatu and Solomon Islands are making strategic choices with consequences larger than their size suggests.
6 min read
Copra, farming, climate and cyclone recovery
Environment
What Vanuatu's Blue, Yellow and Red cyclone alerts mean, how categories 1 to 5 differ, what the 2026-27 outlooks say, and what residents and visitors should do at each step, from NDMO and VMGD sources.
8 min read
Economy
Vanuatu's economy is small and growing again after the 2024 earthquake. Here is how tourism, farming and citizenship receipts fit together, with the latest World Bank and ADB figures.
6 min read
EnvironmentVanua Lava
Vanuatu rates each volcano from Level 0 to 5. Here is what the levels mean and where Ambrym, Ambae, Yasur, Lopevi, Gaua, East Epi and Vanua Lava stand on the VMGD list, with how to check before you travel.
8 min read