Malekula Magic

I will be in South West Bay; Malekula Island on April 12,2012

Malekula was once famous for its cannibals, whose fearsome reputation kept foreigners away for many decades. Today Malekula is still a stronghold of "kastom," or tradition, and we hope to make an expedition landing here to observe a number of aspects of both traditional and contemporary life.

I plan to land at three sites in remote South West Bay. We will be welcomed at Limbinwen Village to observe seldom seen dancing and to hear explanations as to how people have lived here for centuries. In the afternoon we will visit the hidden lagoon, to see a demonstration of fishing techniques and to walk through a very typical Melanesian subsistence garden. We will also visit the larger Lawa Village, which is an excellent example of how most Ni-Vanuatu live in modern times.