THE ISLANDS
...that brought the
world bungee-jumping
The island nation of Vanuatu is a tropical archipelago where beach
resorts are the exception rather than the rule. Head past the island of
Efate, home to the capital Port Vila, to find places that seem to have
spilled from the pages of an old adventure novel. On Tanna,
Mount Yasur rumbles away and is often safe enough to visit.
The volcano is sacred to the John Frum cargo cult, modelled
on US soldiers in WWII. Over on Pentecost Island, the practice
of nanggol (land diving) sees local men jump from makeshift towers
in the belief that their hair brushing the soil will lead to a bountiful
yam harvest. It’s thought the custom inspired the first modern
bungee-jump, in Bristol in 1979.
Fly to Port Vila from Auckland, Brisbane or Sydney,
and see http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vanuatu for more info.TRAVEL FOR ISLANDS
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