 Pentecost Island has become famous throughout the world for the land diving ritual (Nagol or N’gol) which occurs every Saturday between April and June.
The ritual, which influenced the invention of bungy jumping by New Zealander AJ Hackett, sees local men and boys as young as seven jump from a 20 -30 metre high manmade tower with only a vine attached to their legs. The tower itself takes locals five weeks to build using materials from the forest. The vines are carefully selected by jumpers who know that just 10 centimetres may be the difference between life and death.
Travelling to view this magnificent ceremony is a once in a lifetime experience. No words can express the feeling of the ground vibrating under the dancing and stomping feet of villages and the excitement of sitting beneath the tower waiting with unease for the diver to jump safely to ground.
The awe- inspiring ceremony celebrates the yam harvest and is a fertility rite for men. The story of the festival tells of a woman who ran away from her husband and hid in a tall tree. The husband, Tamale begged her to say sorry and come down but warned he may beat her a little.
She refused so he climbed the tree after her and as he reached the top she jumped. In his anguish Tamale jumped after her, only to realise that she had tied liana vines around her ankles. The woman survived while Tamale perished. To this day, men jump from the tower as a show of strength to women in the village and as a statement that they cannot be tricked again. When the vine stretches at the end of the dive the land divers head curls under their shoulders and touches the earth, making it fertile for the following year’s yam crop.
Getting thereThere are four flights a week to the island’s two airfields from Port Vila and Santo, for details and schedules, visit the Air Vanuatu website
Day Tours and Overnight Trips on Pentecost are available from April until end of June of every year. Click here for a list of Inbound Operators who offer activities & tour packages, including the world famous Land Dive or Nagol festival.
Accommodation![alt]() There are very few bungalows on Pentecost, and two offer overnight accommodation for guests travelling to Pentecost to watch the land diving ceremony or just to stay for a few days away from the towns’ bustle and hustle. They are Nagol Bungalows in south Pentecost, Pangi Area, and Waterfall Bungalows in Noda area.
Getting around
Both Nagol and Waterfall Bungalows have transportation available for guests. Tours can be arranged on request at the bungalow such as custom village tour, hiking, snorkelling, paddle on outrigger canoe, and visiting historical sites and land marks.
Maewo IslandMaewo is very thin and rugged island stretching 56 km, the mountainous central chain and the south eastern coast are good places for bird-watching. Both coastlines are covered with black sand beaches. Most of the islanders live on the sheltered west coast. Maewo receives the largest amount of rain in Vanuatu and has some of the most beautiful waterfalls. Maewo is famous for its ancient secret societies. Magic is performed almost as much as in Ambrym and the sorcerers claim to be even more skilled. Some traditional dances performed by men are tabu for women. They must not see any of the dances and the dancing ground will remain forbidden for some time after the dance. In return, the women have their own dances which cannot be seen by men. Please note that visitors will face the same restrictions.
Getting thereFlights with Air Vanuatu operate direct from Port Villa to Maewo on Wednesday and Fridays. For further information or to book click here, Domestic Flight Information.
Yachting is popular also, when travelling up to Maewo, especially around various festivals period.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Maewo are basic island bungalows. Below is a list of island bungalows available for overnight stays on Maewo, including some information on facilities and services available:
1. Sanason Bungalow (not much info on this bungalow), Tel:36036
2. Asanvari Yacht Club Bungalow (South)
• Beach Front Bungalow
• Yacht club frequented by yachties
• Waterfall nearby
• 24hrs Hydro Power
• 5mins to walk to shops/ clinic
• Tours can be arranged on request, host: Chief Nelson Sarai
3. Aurora Island Guest house (Narovorovo, South Maewo)
• Bedrooms, 3beds
• Self contained kitchen
• Flash toilet and shower
• River and cultural tour can be arranged on request
Tel (678) 38829 or Mobile (678) 7741309, (678) 7747391. Host: Naomi Garae.
4. Lini Guest House (Kaiovo, North Maewo)
• Thatched roofing house
• By the sea
• Flash toilet and shower
• Tours can be arranged on request
Host: Nathaniel
Getting aroundThere is transportation accessible near every bungalows that belong to either owners of the bungalows or the village community where the accommodation is located. Highlight activities whilst on Maewo are the River & Waterfall tours, Cultural Village tour, and bird watching is also recommended. All other tours can be arranged on request. |
