VIL VIL CUSTOM VILLAGE TOUR
Visit a Traditional Custom Village. Immerse yourself in the culture and tradition of the local Ni - Vanuatu People. Your tour begins with a lazy drive through Santo’s ragged country side where you will see and experience the many uses of native flora. Be sent back in time as you explore wreckage from WW II and
take a look at local cattle arid coconut plantations the back bone of the Ni - Vanuatu Economy. Once you arrive at Vil Vil Custom Village you will be welcome by chief Pulakon and his community with traditional song and dance passed down from generations to generation. Get caught up with a tribal atmosphere with the hypnotic banging of the tam tams and harmonic voices of these People.
	All man, women and Pikinini (Children) have their place and role within the village. As you are taken through the different areas of the village, you will learn how imperative each role is to the success and Survival of the village. Men primarily spend their days building and maintaining the huts and Nakamal of the village. The Ni-Vanuatu use leaves from the Natangora palm for roofing their homes. The leaves can last as long as 15 years and survive terrific storms and cyclones. Another important job for the men is cultivating Kava. A relative of the paper plant, the kava roots are ground and mixed with water to create a narcotic drink drunk from a coconut shell. Traditionally used in ceremonies, kava is now widely drunk for relaxing properties, at the end of a hard days work.
The Nakamal is where men and boys spend their afternoons. A hut which is taboo to women, it is the place where men prepare and drink kava, recite traditional songs and pass on the skills of their ancestor to theirs sons. Women learn from an earlier age the skills required to make baskets, mats and custom dress from the bandanas plant. The long leaves are stripped and slashed into thin strips which are then sun dried. To create a variety of colours, a vegetable is crashed and its colouring boiled with the strips. Once dried, they are ready for weaving. The Vil Vil people are proud to share their heritage with you, and it is their simplistic lifestyle and inherent happiness that makes this tour so rewarding.