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Posted on Wednesday 30 May 2012 in Australia, Beach & Islands, Adventure
Aussie travellers often like to explore some of the outlying islands surrounding the country when they embark on holidays. One island chain that is popular among residents of Down Under is Vanuatu, which is located roughly 1,700 kilometres east of Australia. Comprised of more than 70 individual islands, the land masses were created by volcanic activity that still continues today.
The Vanuatu Tourism Office is promoting their country as a great locale to choose for an exotic holiday abroad, reports e-Travel Blackboard. Aussies can take flights to Sydney from Vanuatu in less than three hours, making a trip to this destination convenient and often affordable. To help entice more visitors to the area, Air Vanuatu will be adding additional flights between Sydney and several locales in the islands, including Espiritu Santo and Port Villa.
"Vanuatu stands high and it is the only destination in the South Pacific that you can walk up to the top of the rim of an active volcano," Linda Kalpoi, general manager of the Vanuatu Tourism office, told the news source. "It's not just a tropical destination, it's a destination that offers you a great experience, experience that will stay with you for a lifetime."
What to see and do in Vanuatu
Upon arrival in Vanuatu, there are countless tropical landscapes to explore and cultural experiences to be had, including a visit to the Yasur Volcano. Not for the faint of heart, this active volcano can be easily reached by a five-minute walk from the car park. Every few minutes, the cone will explode with burst of lava that blasts hot air and dirt, which can be thrilling to view up close for travellers if wanting to have the ultimate adventure travel moment.
Scuba diving enthusiasts are in luck when they journey to Vanuatu as well, because the submerged USS President Coolidge off the coast of Espiritu Santo is one of the best dive sites in the world. The shipwreck allows guests to swim past the mostly in tact vessel and peer inside the rooms, catching glimpses of chandeliers, statues, old military trucks and decorated statues. Much of the ship now serves as an artificial reef, home to colourful marine life that has found a home in the tropical waters.
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