Premium Featured Accommodation

Malekula Island in Vanuatu

In May 1768 Bougainville sailed between between Santo and Malekula, naming the passage typically, "the Bougainville Strait". Cook followed some years later landed in the southwest Bay area but did not stay long. Amongst the other i slanders surrounding Malekula, and as arriving Europeans soon discovered for themselves, the predominant tribal groups known as the Big and Small Nambas had a justifiable reputation as fierce warriors. They also had a reputation for cannibalism that eventually earned the island, and consequently the entire island group of Vanuatu, the name "The Cannibal Islands".

Malekula is the second largest island and the most diverse, culturally and linguistically, with over thirty distinct languages spoken. The names given to the primary cultural groups, Small Nambas and more famous Big Nambas is a function of the size of the leaf worn as a penis sheath, or nambas. Sandalwood was absent and thus the island attracted little interest from the essentially ruthless sea traders of the time.

Because of this, an the reputation of the inhabitants, Malekula's megalithic cultural heritage has been left intact and the population remained virtually unscathed by the rampant black birding (slaving) and introduced Western diseases so prevalent elsewhere in the South Pacific. These factors have made it a favorite island for twentieth century anthropologists and much work has been done on the diverse cultural groups inhabiting the island. Surprisingly, those Europeans who settled the area in the early 19th century to clear coastal areas for coconut plantations remained relatively unscathed. Perhaps because they did not try to inflict their beliefs on the local population, nor steal them as slaves - or more likely because they very sensibly kept to the coastal areas and avoided the territory of the Big Nambas. In fact no foreigner in their right mind would venture into their territory until the 20th Century, and then only by invitation and careful negotiations.

This lack of contact helped them to survive all the epidemics that devastated other Pacific populations, until the 1930's. There is an estimated population of about 20,000 on the coastal areas and around 1,000 in the rugged interior. The Big and Small Nambas villagers have really only opened to outsiders in the last five to ten years. Since Vanuatu has become Independent, there is no colonial effort to 'modernise' such communities - quite the opposite. For the people of Vanuatu wish to retain their heritage and recover that which has been lost. The inhabitants of Malekula are now free to share their lives with the outside world while retaining their unique traditions. The villagers are exceptionally friendly and enjoy sharing their proud heritage with visitors. Consequently there are numerous very basic guest houses across the island and walking tours can be organised to some of the most primitive locations.

On the small island of Wala on the East Coast, somewhat more sophisticated thatched bungalows and restaurant facilities are available. It is an excellent base for explorations into the interior of this beautiful island.

Articles