If you look up things to do in Vanuatu, you will likely see a visit to the Blue Lagoon at the top of the list. It’s known as one of the most beautiful locations on the island of Efate. People flock here because it’s an amazingly beautiful swimming hole with stunning blue water in a tidal zone that has a variety of Tarzan-like rope swings and platforms to jump from. It wasn’t a matter of if we were going to visit the lagoon while staying on the island, but when. The only advice we were given by locals was to avoid going on days there are cruise ships docking in Port Vila as it can get too hectic.
Vanuatu’s tourism industry is a rapidly growing economic sector for the country. They are becoming increasingly dependent on tourist dollars to help create sustainable jobs and to infuse much needed cash into the economy. But like anything else, it comes at a cost. The cruise ships are typically filled with rowdy Australian tourists on holiday looking to maximize their limited time on the island with as much fun as they can have. A daytrip to the Blue Lagoon fits that bill perfectly and is the most popular package the cruise ships book when they come to Vanuatu.
The locals we spoke to at the Blue Lagoon seemed conflicted about it all. They realize it’s generating a lot of needed money for their villages, but they are also aware of the destruction and exploitation of their land and natural resources. There were piles of trash littered throughout the site where groups kept their stuff. People were climbing trees that weren’t meant to be climbed just so they could get the perfect photo or to jump into the water. There was a disgusting lack of respect for the space. After a couple of hours of swimming and swinging into the swimming hole, our group also felt conflicted about being there and supporting a place like this. It just doesn’t seem sustainable in the long run and the lack of respect for the space was alarming and disheartening.
We got back into the van and continued our drive around the island. While going to the next destination, we found out that our driver Tasso was in fact a Chief of his village on a neighboring island. We got to pick his brain about life here and the dual legal system of the country to learn how it works. Police in Vanuatu don’t typically get involved in minor disputes or crimes. Instead, they have the local chief of the village sort it out and decide the punishment like the way parents discipline their children when they act up. Police only get involved when there are serious violent crimes or if the offender keeps repeating the behavior after the initial intervention. Prisons aren’t a thing here like in the United States. It was fun to learn about their system and compare it to ours.
When we got to the north side of the island, we saw a sign that caught our attention. It was for a place called Top Rock that advertised another swimming hole with a lookout that also offered food options. We thought it was worth checking out, so we drove down a bumpy dirt road through a small village and were greeted by a woman working her garden. They also had a 1,500 Vatu entrance fee, but there were no other cars when we arrived. The woman gave us the rundown of the site and we made our way down the muddy trail to the swimming hole. The little cove was filled with colorful fish you could see through the water without needing to get in. Those with snorkel gear jumped in the water and we couldn’t believe how beautiful this site was. The coral was healthy, and the variety of fish looked like something you only see in exotic aquariums. It felt like we hit the jackpot and found a truly hidden gem of Vanuatu.
The contrast of Top Rock to the Blue Lagoon was striking. There were no qualms about visiting this site for anyone in the group. It was the type of place we felt good supporting, and it was clear that the money they generated from the site will go directly to the people living right there. It’s not a location that would be convenient for cruise ship people to stop at so the only other people we saw were smaller groups. As we were leaving, they had a pile of freshly harvested mangos for sale that we snagged. This seemed like a much more sustainable way for tourism to work for villages and was a really great experience.
We started to make our way back to Port Vila and invited Tasso to dinner to talk more about life in Vanuatu. We let him pick a place to eat and ended up at the Waterfront Bar & Grill. It’s situated right on the water where you can watch boats in the bay while eating your meal. It was interesting to hear Tasso’s thoughts on tourism and why he supports it because of the money and jobs it generates. It ended up being a lovely dinner and a wonderful way to end a beautiful day.
Long story short, with any new emerging industry like tourism in a country that isn’t fully set up and ready to handle it, there are going to be growing pains along the way. Places like Top Rock give me hope that smaller, sustainable operations can exist that will help the quality of life for people on the island without sacrificing its natural beauty. It feels good to find places like that and be able to support them. I am so grateful to be able to experience and enjoy the beauty and kind people of Vanuatu. Hopefully they will figure out a way to find balance with tourism and sharing its beauty with travelers as its only a matter of time before the rest of the world discovers how amazing this place is.
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