The Travel Bug 3

Issue 3 - August 2005

Vanuatu Music Fest – 13th to 16th October 2005

Vanuatu's tenth annual Fest'Napuan is expected to draw 30,000 visitors to capital Port Vila for four days of free, non-stop music from October 13 to 16. The biggest musical event of its kind in the South West Pacific, Fest'Napuan (it means Festival of Song and Dance) will feature local string bands, traditional, custom, contemporary and modern music, and on the final Sunday a Christian music 'Festival of Praise.'

Vanuatu music fest will attract groups and soloists from other South Pacific countries, including Papua New Guinea.

As well as individuals and bands from many of Vanuatu's 80 scattered islands, there will be indigenous groups and soloists from Australia and Papua New Guinea, and from several other South Pacific countries that have shown interest in taking part. In the past, musicians have come from as far afield as West Papua, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Easter island, Fiji, New Caledonia and Australia and New Zealand. The Festival aims to promote the development of contemporary music in Vanuatu by young people in music groups, offering them the chance to perform before large audiences and to expose their talents to potential government and private sponsors. Its also provides local people and visitors from across the South Pacific with the chance to see this emerging talent at not cost. (Source: VTO 20/06/2005)

Melbourne - Vanuatu Ocean Race set for 2006!

A first-ever ocean race is to be sailed from Melbourne to Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila in July next year. And within a week of announcing the 1885 nautical mile event (3,200kms,) sixteen yachts have already been signed-up to take part, with owners of another fifteen expressing interest. "It’s a great acknowledgement of the attraction of Vanuatu as a sunny South Pacific haven during the Australian winter," said Marketing Manager for the Vanuatu Tourism Office, John Cvetko. "We’re anticipating a lot more yachts will be entered, and there’s also interest from New Zealand in a parallel event, with yachts from both countries then competing against each other in a race from Vanuatu to Queensland for the annual Whitsunday winter regattas."

The first ever sailing race between Melbourne city in Australia and Vanuatu's capital Port Vila is to be held in 2006.

The Melbourne-Vila race is being organised by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, whose Event Manager, George Shaw said would offer many challenges over an expected two-weeks at sea. "Crews will sail out of Port Phillip Bay on July 2 2006 and will face the bone-chilling southerlies of Bass Strait, before heading into the exotically warm reaching conditions of the south east trade winds," Mr Shaw said. "Crews will be rugged up as they leave, yet in shorts and T-shirts a fortnight later as they sail into Port Vila harbour." The Vanuatu Cruising Yacht Club will be host club for the finish of the race, and is planning a number of local and inter-island races and competitions between the Australian and New Zealand yachts and others from around the world that will be in Port Vila over winter 2006. For more information on the Melbourne-Vila race contact the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria on (03) 9689 1622. Local enquiries should be direct to the Vanuatu Cruising Yacht Club. Associated Tourism enquires shouls be directed to John Cvetko at the Vanuatu Tourism Office on + (678) 22515. (Source: VTO)

Launch of Vanuatu Hospitality Award coming soon

VHRA is launching first Hospitality Awards for Vanuatu tourism operators

The Vanuatu Hotels and Resorts Association (VHRA) in conjunction with the Yia Blong Turisim Committee is proud to announce the first Vanuatu Hospitality Awards to be held this year, ‘The Year of Tourism’. The Awards presentation, in November, will present prizes to the winner in each of four categories; Resort; Hotel or Bungalow Accommodation; Adventure/Cultural Tour and ni-Vanuatu Staff Member of the Year. The competition will be open to all facets of tourism participating in the above four categories. Full details, and entry forms, will be available at the official launch at the end of June; regular updates will appear in this column, subject to space availability. The VHRA is proud to be associated with ‘The Year of Tourism’ initiative and hopes this first Awards presentation will become an annual event with, eventually, the number of entry categories being expanded to cover the vast, and varied, number of tourism products being offered in Vanuatu. (Source: VHRA)

Moon Handbooks South Pacific Update

The South Pacific is becoming a hot vacation destination for North American travelers, and Moon Handbooks is the leading provider of travel guidebooks to the region. From Tahiti and French Polynesia to Fiji and Samoa, you can count on the name Moon for unbiased travel advice. Moon Handbooks South Pacific (ISBN 1566914116) is the original travel guide to the Pacific islands. The 1st edition appeared in 1979, and in November 2004 the 8th edition was published. Moon Handbooks South Pacific is far more than just a guidebook - it's a comprehensive reference work with 1,091 fully indexed pages and 119 maps. Moon Handbooks Fiji (ISBN 1566914973) describes and maps everyone's favorite South Pacific country.

Moon Handbooks South Pacific provides travel guides to the region's island countries, which includes French Polynesia

The current 7th edition covers more islands and reviews more places to stay and eat than any other travel guide to Fiji. Scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, hiking, beaches - it's all there. Moon Handbooks Tahiti (ISBN 1566914124) is the premier travel guide to French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Easter Island. From the rugged shores of the Marquesas to mysterious Easter Island, Moon Handbooks Tahiti's 431 pages and 56 maps provide Pacific travelers with far more candid advice than competing single country guides. Right from the start, all three handbooks have been researched by Canadian author David Stanley. In 1979 Stanley began his travel writing career with Moon Handbooks South Pacific, and since then he has written guides to Micronesia, Alaska, Yukon, Canada's Maritime Provinces, Eastern Europe, and Cuba. (Source: PRWeb Press Release 21/07/2005)

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