Vanuatu: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Vanuatu feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 34 written places.
Soft-spoken, smiling and unhurried; village life runs on custom, church and community.
✓ Considered polite
- Ask permission before entering villages, taking photos or swimming - most land and reef is customary owned
- Dress modestly in villages - knees covered, and save swimwear for resorts
- Drink kava at a nakamal the local way - down the shell in one go, then keep your voice low
- Learn a little Bislama - a cheerful halo and tank yu tumas go a long way
✗ Better avoided
- Plan anything for Sunday - shops shut and villages rest after church
- Raise your voice or show anger in public - calm is prized
- Haggle over prices - bargaining is not part of the culture and causes embarrassment
- Refuse food offered in a village - accept a little even if you are full
Worth knowing
- Tipping is not expected anywhere - a smile and a thank you is enough
- Cash vatu is essential outside Port Vila and Luganville - ATMs are scarce on outer islands
- Kava bars open at dusk and are the real social hour - a shell costs very little
- Power and internet can be patchy on outer islands - download maps and tickets first
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.