|
|
|
Anyone Interested In Vanuatu Fiji And Cook Islands
oday Norm Goldman, Editor the different books you have
of sketchandtravel.com and written about these islands.
Bookpleasures.com are
pleased to have as our guest
author, travel writer, award-
winning comedy writer, artist and IAN:
expert on Vanuatu, Fiji and Cook
Islands, Ian Heydon.
I first went to Fiji in 1993 and
simply fell in love with the
Ian is here to talk to us today tropics - the warm,
about these islands. picture-postcard waters and the
relaxed rhythm of life in
general. I went back the
following year and got my PADI
Good day Ian and it is great to Open Water Dive accreditation
have you accept our invitation to and, after another couple of
participate in this interview. trips realised I was working
pretty much with a goal to travel
more.
NORM:
As I had a fairly successful
career as a writer, I decided to
Can you tell our readers see if I could write about travel
something about yourself and your and kill two birds with the one
expertise pertaining to Vanuatu, pen. In 1999, we took a family
Fiji and Cook Islands, as well as holiday to Vanuatu, where my wife
Annie and I gave each other a business and in early 2004 I
‘Renewal of Vows' ceremony as visited the Cook Islands and fell
an anniversary gift. in love with another Pacific
destination.
I felt automatically at ‘home'
in Vanuatu and, as luck would 2004 also saw visits to New
have it, Annie was offered a job Caledonia, Fiji and three trips
teaching at Port Vila to Vanuatu. And I'm really
International School. We decided excited about my first trip to
that it would be an adventure, Samoa this year. While I don't
especially for the kids (then have any actual publications on
aged 7 and 3). Our 12-month the Pacific islands, I have three
contract extended to three comprehensive information
fantastic years, during which websites, Vanuatu A to Z, Fiji A
time I got to write a lot, to Z and Cook Islands A to Z.
including my travel book on
Australia, The Small Guide to A
Big Country.
After leaving Vanuatu I bought a
travel agent's licence to NORM:
specialize in taking people,
particularly honeymooners to this
fascinating and rewarding part of
the world. What I thought would Could you tell our readers where
be a hobby quickly became a these islands are located and an
idea as to what differentiates ‘wet' but El Nino seems to have
one island from another from the changed that. In the Cook
point of view of topography, Islands, when it rains, they call
climate, and anything else you it "liquid sunshine". The warm
consider different? water temperatures mean swimming
is possible all year round.
IAN:
"· Vanuatu is by far the
most primitive, if that's the
right word. While Port Vila is a
For me, living in Australia, modern town with good
Vanuatu and Fiji are so infrastructure, excellent resorts
accessible, being just a few and great restaurants, on many of
hours away. Visiting the Cook the outer islands the ni-Vanuatu
Islands means a stopover in New people live traditional village
Zealand, but it is still just lives (ni-Vanuatu means ‘of
‘two meals and two movies'. Vanuatu').
For Americans, the Cook Islands
and Fiji are more accessible than
Vanuatu (requires a stop in Fiji
to connect or to be taken as a Cannibalism is part of the
side trip from Australia or New history and the last recorded
Zealand). The climate in all case was in 1969, the year
destinations is similar - Armstrong and Aldrin took that
tropical with no great range in "one small step for man".
temperatures but it can get very Vanuatu also has a number of
humid in the summer months. active volcanoes, including Mt
These months are traditionally Yasur, which is accessible and
rewarding. Because of this, far more akin to living on
small earth tremors are common. ‘island time' than the Indian
Until 1980, when Vanuatu became population. It's a happy mix for
an independent nation, the tourists however, as the Indians
country was called the New pretty much make the business
Hebrides, a condominium, jointly side of things run smoothly.
run by the British and the
French. There were both French
and English schools, hospitals,
police forces and, for a time,
they even drove on both sides of
the road! "· The Cook Islands also has
rugged mountains, lush vegetation
and pristine azure waters but a
very different ‘feel'. The
"· Fiji is similar in local people are Polynesian, not
topography, without the active Melanesian, and comfortably marry
volcanoes. For me, this is more the sensuality of Polynesia with
a ‘resort' destination. While a Christian way of life.
there is certainly a lot to
explore, most visitors usually
choose one or two resorts for
their vacation. It was from here that the Maori
people followed migrating birds
in their canoes to discover New
Zealand. These days in the
The Fijian people are warm, Cooks, English is spoken with a
outgoing (you can't go anywhere Kiwi accent and the currency is
without being greeted with a the New Zealand dollar (which
beaming smile and "Bula") and are makes it great value for US
travelers). By contrast, the may find petty crime, as you will
Fijian people are around 50% anywhere, but on the whole people
Fijian and 50% Indian. The are far less materially minded
ni-Vanuatu people are far more and perhaps more family oriented.
shy but just as friendly and Our three years in Vanuatu were
welcoming. And, as their tourism a reminder of when the world was
slogan says, ‘another time, a simpler and more secure place -
another pace.' the children would nip off down
the lagoon to play unsupervised
and we knew they were safe... or
a father would load a dozen
children into the back of his
truck and head out for a beach
NORM: picnic - no seatbelts but also no
worries... it was a place where
kids were allowed to be kids.
How safe is it to travel to these NORM:
islands?
Why would you consider these
IAN: islands a good choice for a
romantic getaway or wedding and
honeymoon destination, and if you
had to choose your favorite one,
I find these destinations the which one would it be and why?
safest on the planet. Yes, you
IAN:
NORM:
Firstly, for the scenery -
there's something really romantic What is the best time to visit
about swaying palm trees, balmy these islands from the point of
weather and green-blue warm view of weather, costs, and
waters (I'm yet to see any artist crowds?
reproduce these colours). But,
more than this, I think it's that
rhythm of island time that I've
mentioned. You absorb the slower IAN:
pace and are away from the
routine of computers, traffic and
deadlines. Choosing one place is
hard for me, but I will go with I'm going to take an easy out and
the island of Aitutaki in the say anytime you want to travel
Cooks (about a 50 minute flight and to use a local saying,
from the main island of "whatever the weather, have a
Rarotonga). This huge lagoon (a nice day". I was in both Fiji
volcanic crater) is just and Vanuatu in December 2004.
stunning, the local people are Traditionally this is the hot,
welcoming and there are some wet and humid season. In Fiji it
excellent accommodation hadn't rained for seven weeks and
properties and restaurants. I didn't use air-conditioning in
either country. Some people
avoid traveling in February and
March because of possible IAN:
cyclones but these are pretty
rare. I'm betting that 2005 will
be cyclone free - the water
temperatures haven't risen much From Australia and New Zealand,
and there aren't an abundance of packages often work out the most
mangoes. For some reason the economical and efficient but,
mango tree seems to be in tune from the USA and Canada, it can
with weather patterns and they be better to purchase the airfare
have an over-abundance of fruit and land content separately. I
if a cyclone is imminent. Cost don't want to be hard on US
and crowd-wise, I would avoid the travel agents but some do not
Australian and New Zealand school have enough knowledge of Pacific
holiday periods but, having said destinations to offer the right
that, all three destinations have advice (although having Vanuatu
‘adults only' accommodation as the location for ‘Survivor'
options. has raised the profile of this
small country). I recommend
using a specialist in travel to
these regions and/or contact the
NORM: accommodation properties direct.
Most of them will still offer the
package ‘specials' like Stay 7
nights, Pay 5 nights to people
Do people travel to all three who book direct.
islands as a kind of package tour
or is this not advisable?
NORM: champagne or fruit punch,
‘warriors' perform a
traditional dance and guard of
honour, the ceremony is under a
If you had to choose an simple canopy on the beach, then
unequalled, exotic and unique champagne to toast and finger
areas such as parks, beaches etc food while documentation is
in each one of these Islands to signed, a celebration lunch or
celebrate a wedding, which ones dinner (on the beach or in the
would you choose from the point excellent little restaurant)
of view of popularity and beauty? followed by the night in one of
the romantic French Colonial
cottages.
IAN:
"· In Fiji, I will opt for a
Tokoriki Island wedding. They
have built a delightful wedding
"· Again, a hard one chapel (and there are plenty of
because, for example, some brides beach options). Here there are
like to arrive in a canoe, which also traditional Fijian warriors
requires a lagoon location but to to escort the bride and a Fijian
choose one in Vanuatu, a little choir (these people know how to
resort called Tamanu on the sing!) and a wonderful wedding
Beach. It is 25 minutes from dinner is part of the package.
Port Vila. The bride and groom My main reason for choosing
are welcomed with a glass of Tokoriki, though, is the new
honeymoon bures with their NORM:
private plunge pools.
How far in advance should a
"· While I said earlier that couple prepare themselves for a
Aitutaki is my most romantic honeymoon or romantic getaway to
choice for a honeymoon, I would these islands?
actually have the wedding
ceremony on Rarotonga by
beautiful Muri Lagoon, again with
warrior and maiden escort. A
beautiful part of some ceremonies
is to be taken by canoe across IAN:
the lagoon to the motu
(uninhabited island) called
Koromiri where the union is
sealed with planting of a small From our experience it depends
coconut palm (uto). As the tree very much on the situation. If
grows, so will the relationship. couples plan to invite guests, it
Apparently many couples return on is nice to give a lot of warning
their anniversaries to see just so they can prepare financially
how much their tree has grown and (say, 9 to 12 months). Six
to again taste the romance of the months seems to be about average
tropics. but we have had people deciding
pretty much on the spur of the
moment. The record goes to one
couple visiting Vanuatu who were
swept away by the romance of the
place, decided to marry and were
husband and wife in less than 48
hours (there was a lot of panic An island wedding with guests can
and appreciated cooperation from be really wonderful. In some
the registry office on that one!) cases, where guests arrive from
different parts of the planet,
the occasion can also serve as a
family reunion. Group discounts
for flights and accommodation can
be arranged and sometimes it
suits guests to stay in a
NORM: different resort to the bride and
groom because of budget or
requirements (e.g. kids club or
self-contained facilities). The
What advice would you have for largest wedding we organized in
destination brides who plan to 2004 was for 67 guests travelling
bring along a wedding party to to Vanuatu from Australia, New
these islands? It's a growing Zealand, USA and the United
trend for destination weddings to Kingdom. We are currently
now have a fairly sizeable planning one for 150 to 180
wedding party—sometimes about guests in Fiji, which will be
50—so it would be great to get interesting! Luckily there is a
tips on group airline discounts, resort with a seaside chapel that
hotel blocks. can accommodate this many people.
When compared to traditional
weddings with all the trimmings,
tropical weddings are very
IAN: inexpensive and many guests
combine the occasion with their
annual vacation.
NORM:
NORM:
What should people know about
How does one go about checking on planning a wedding in these
the reliability of a hotel or islands insofar as legal
resort in these islands when it requirements are concerned?
pertains to service, food, etc?
IAN:
IAN
In broad terms, think three
Again, you can't beat specialist, weeks/three days. In Vanuatu and
local advice. To me, resorts and Fiji, documents should be lodged
restaurants reflect the at least three weeks prior to
personality of the travel and couples should be in
owners/managers and they can the country for three days prior
change literally overnight. to the ceremony. In some cases
Specialist agencies like this is flexible. In Fiji,
ourselves should travel regularly couples have to have an interview
to the destinations and have at the Registry Office and have
contacts on the ground for original documentation with them.
updates. In Vanuatu, the faxed copies are
sufficient and there is no
interview. The Cook Islands
require original documents and an Two things - firstly, for the
interview (here, the 3-day rule bride (and groom) to make a
can be shortened for a fee). ‘wish list'. Most wedding
Documents required include tropical wedding packages can be
passports, birth certificates, tailored to the couples wishes,
Intention to Marry form and whether the ceremony be in a
divorce papers or death of spouse church, gardens or on a beach...
certificate if applicable. One and include little things like
thing to always check is that the color of the bride's dress
passports have six months (so flowers and table settings
validity from the date of travel. can complement) and whether they
would like a CD compilation of
their favourite music (you don't
need last minute panics looking
for a CD player etc!) And
NORM: finally, no matter where couples
marry (traditional or tropical),
it really should be the wedding
the couple wants. There'll be
Is there anything else you would plenty of time for compromise
wish to add as it pertains to later when they have to decide
romantic and wedding destinations who goes where for Christmas or
in these islands? thanksgiving!
IAN: To learn more about resort
weddings in these islands click
HERE and about tropical
honeymoons click HERE
Thanks once again.
About the Author:
Norm Goldman is editor of sketchandtravel.com and bookpleasures.com. Norm and his artist wife Lily meld art and words in order to create an unusual travel story, which generates interest, particularly because of the fact that each painting appears to have been ‘custom-made' for the story-original story and original art. Combining the watercolors with travel writing provides a softer, more romantic look at the places we visit.
Their main focus is on romantic and wedding destinations.
As they specialize in web-based content, their articles are featured on their own site, SKETCHANDTRAVEL.COM, where you can find out more about them. They are also regular contributors to some of the most popular Internet Travel Sites: LOVETRIPPER.COM: THETIMESHAREBEAT.COM:TRAVELLADY.COM:BOOTSNALL.COM: Visit Florida Online: Tropical Island Weddings
Norm and Lily are always open to suggestions as to romantic and wedding destinations to visit, write and paint about.
Source: www.isnare.com
|
|
