Getting around Vanuatu can be a hassle and expensive. Consisting of 60 odd inhabited islands with a land mass the size of but spread out over the length of California, it's pretty safe to say that many ni-Vans don't get a chance to see most of their own country. So far I've been to 5 islands- Efate (where Port Vila is and one training village), Moso (an offshore island of Efate where we had training), Ambae (where I'm living), Santo (where I went during a school break for a week), and Aore (an offshore island of Santo with a resort)- which is more than many ni-Vans from Ambae who I've spoken with. I'm hoping to go to a few more while I'm in Vanuatu, as every island is different. Even villages within the same island are very different! Anyways, back to transportation. These are the methods that I've used to get around the country since arriving in Vanuatu.
-Plane
Obviously this is how I first arrived in Vanuatu, but since then I've boarded a plane 12 times (often when going to or from Vila, there is a transfer in Santo). From Vila to Santo there is a big plane, but the planes to the outer islands seat only 18 or 20. One time I flew on a chartered flight, which only sat 5! There are flights to Ambae four days every week.
-Boat
At the second training village on Moso, we often took small boats to get around. It's the only way to get off the small island (other than swimming across). On Ambae, small boats are used to go to the Western part of the island, as the roads on either side don't connect. Small boats are also used to go across to Maewo, a nearby island that only gets flights once a week.
-Truck
The most common form of transportation around Ambae! A lot of people and things can pile into the back of truck. There are a few trucks that run at regular times into Saratamata, the provencial capital, but most of the time a truck has to be chartered. It can get expensive to charter a truck and I've only done it a few times.
-Bus
The buses here are more like big vans, the same as the marshutkas in Georgia and daladalas in Tanzania. I've only taken them in Port Vila, where they are a convenient way to get around. There aren't any set schedules- you just tell the driver where you want to go and he'll tell you if he can take you or not. There are buses that go to the villages around Efate, but I don't know anything about those as I haven't taken them.
-Taxi
I've only taken taxis in Luganville, where they are plentiful and cheap!
-Ships
I haven't yet taken a ship, but there are cargo and passenger ships that go around the islands.
-Walking
It's a tie between this and taking trucks for how I get around the most on Ambae. Often when walking on the road, if a truck passes it will pick me up. At home I would balk at walking over 2 hours to get home, but here it seems normal. Trucks don't often run on the weekends, so if I go to another volunteer's site on a weekend walking is the only way to get back on Sunday without paying a lot of money to charter a truck.
