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Penama
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Explore Penama in Vanuatu for land-diving traditions, volcanic islands, waterfalls, village life and mountain landscapes shaped by kastom.

Penama is Vanuatu’s central-northern island province, spread across Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo in the Pacific Ocean. Its three islands are mountainous, deeply rural and culturally diverse, with communities connected by sea rather than by roads. The province takes its name from the first letters of Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo, and offers a markedly different experience from the more developed visitor centres around Port Vila and Luganville. Travel here is shaped by weather, local relationships and boat schedules, but that slower rhythm is part of Penama’s character.
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Pentecost is the best-known of the three islands, particularly for naghol, the land-diving tradition performed from tall wooden towers during the yam harvest season. Men descend with vines tied to their ankles in a ceremony associated with fertility, strength and the renewal of the land. Land diving is not a daily show: performances depend on season, local custom and community decisions, and visitors should arrange attendance respectfully through local hosts or recognised tourism providers. Away from the southern diving areas, Pentecost has forested ridges, small settlements, traditional villages and a rugged eastern coast.
Ambae is a volcanic island dominated by the broad summit region of Manaro Voui. Periodic volcanic activity, including major evacuations in the late 2010s, has shaped modern life on the island and continues to make access and settlement patterns subject to official advice. Its lower slopes contain gardens, villages and coastal landscapes, while traditional knowledge remains important in interpreting the volcano, weather and the island’s natural resources. Saratamata, the provincial capital, is on Ambae, although it is a small administrative settlement rather than a conventional town.
Maewo is known for steep green terrain, abundant rainfall, streams and waterfalls. Its communities maintain strong customary practices, gardens and links between inland forests and coastal villages. The island is particularly suited to visitors interested in village-based travel, walking and local culture rather than a dense programme of conventional attractions. Across Penama, produce such as yam, taro, coconut, fruit and seafood is central to daily life, while woven goods, carving, songs and ceremonial knowledge vary between communities.
Penama rewards preparation. Accommodation is generally modest, internal transport can be irregular, and English, French and Bislama coexist with numerous local languages. Visitors who allow time for weather delays and seek permission before entering villages, gardens, sacred places or ceremony grounds will gain a more responsible understanding of one of Vanuatu’s least urbanised provinces.

When is the best time to visit Penama?

Best: June–August · 28°C
Average daytime high and rainfall by month
MonthHigh (°C)Rainfall (mm)
January29300
February29270
March29250
April29230
May29190
June (best)28150
July (best)28130
August (best)28140
September28170
October29210
November29250
December29280

Getting to and around Penama

How to get there

Penama is reached from Port Vila or Luganville through domestic air services and by inter-island shipping, with arrangements varying by island and weather. Saratamata on Ambae has the province’s main administrative centre, while Pentecost and Maewo are served through their own airstrips and coastal landing places where services operate. International visitors normally enter Vanuatu through Bauerfield International Airport near Port Vila or Pekoa International Airport near Luganville, both outside Penama, then connect domestically. Confirm current flights, baggage arrangements and boat departures locally before committing to onward plans.

Transportation

Travel within Penama is dispersed and largely community-based. Roads and vehicles exist in some settled areas, but they do not form a comprehensive island transport network. Local boats are important for coastal connections, while domestic flights link selected airstrips when operating. Drivers should expect rough or unsealed sections, limited fuel supplies and changing conditions. Walking is practical for short village journeys and some locally arranged excursions, but longer trails require a guide, permission and realistic preparation for heat, rain and steep ground. There is no dependable urban public-transport system comparable with that of Port Vila.

Destinations in Penama

Resorts, valleys and scenic spots worth a trip of their own.

Best attractions in Penama

Penama’s attractions are primarily landscapes, living traditions and community-based experiences rather than built visitor complexes. On Pentecost, the foremost cultural attraction is naghol, or land diving, performed from purpose-built towers during the appropriate season and only when communities choose to hold ceremonies. The island also offers forested walks, village visits, yam-growing landscapes and rugged coastal scenery. Ambae is shaped by Manaro Voui, one of Vanuatu’s active volcanic systems; its summit area is subject to official restrictions, but the volcano remains central to the island’s geography and history. Maewo’s wet mountain terrain contains streams, cascades and waterfalls reached through locally arranged walks, with conditions varying after heavy rain. Across all three islands, churches, gardens, traditional houses, weaving, carving, song and exchange provide insight into contemporary kastom. Visitors should arrange guides and permissions in advance, since many experiences take place on customary land and are not signposted or operated to fixed tourist schedules.

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Best landmarks in Penama

Penama’s most recognisable landmarks are often natural or ceremonial. Manaro Voui on Ambae rises as the defining volcanic presence of the island and has shaped settlement, stories and recent evacuation history; access to its summit region must follow current official advice. On Pentecost, the tall wooden towers built for naghol are distinctive seasonal structures whose importance lies in the ceremony and community responsibilities surrounding them, not merely in their appearance. The island’s steep eastern escarpments and coastal ridges provide a dramatic physical setting for villages and gardens. Maewo is marked by lush mountain slopes, watercourses and waterfalls, with particular sites identified locally rather than through a standard national tourist circuit. Churches, village nakamals and traditional houses also function as important cultural landmarks, but their meaning is inseparable from the communities that maintain them. Visitors should seek permission before approaching, entering or photographing any customary or religious site.

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Explore Penama on the map

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Best restaurants in Penama

Dining in Penama is closely connected to household gardens, fishing and community hospitality rather than a formal restaurant scene. Meals commonly draw on yam, taro, manioc, sweet potato, breadfruit, coconut, seasonal fruit and locally caught fish, with meat available according to local supply and occasion. Lap-lap, a baked dish made from grated root vegetables and often prepared with coconut cream and meat or fish, is part of Vanuatu’s wider food culture and may be encountered at community meals. On Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo, visitors are more likely to eat at a guesthouse, village home or small local food outlet than at a destination restaurant. Availability can be limited and menus are rarely fixed, so advance arrangements are sensible. Markets and roadside sales may offer fruit, cooked food or garden produce where they operate. Bring suitable snacks for travel days, but accept locally offered food graciously and ask before picking, entering gardens or buying produce directly from growers.

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Best bars in Penama

Penama does not have a substantial nightclub circuit. Evening life is concentrated in village communities, small nakamals, local kava venues, guesthouses and occasional social gatherings rather than late-opening entertainment districts. Kava, a traditional drink made from the roots of the kava plant, is consumed in social settings across Vanuatu; visitors should follow local guidance about where and when it is appropriate, and should not treat a nakamal as a bar designed for noisy tourism. Churches, community events, string bands and customary gatherings may be more significant than commercial nightlife. In larger settlements, small shops or informal venues may sell locally available beer and other drinks, but opening arrangements are variable. Plan to return to accommodation before dark in unfamiliar areas and rely on hosts for advice about safe, respectful evening movement.

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Best nightclubs in Penama

Penama does not have a substantial nightclub circuit. Evening life is concentrated in village communities, small nakamals, local kava venues, guesthouses and occasional social gatherings rather than late-opening entertainment districts. Kava, a traditional drink made from the roots of the kava plant, is consumed in social settings across Vanuatu; visitors should follow local guidance about where and when it is appropriate, and should not treat a nakamal as a bar designed for noisy tourism. Churches, community events, string bands and customary gatherings may be more significant than commercial nightlife. In larger settlements, small shops or informal venues may sell locally available beer and other drinks, but opening arrangements are variable. Plan to return to accommodation before dark in unfamiliar areas and rely on hosts for advice about safe, respectful evening movement.

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Best shops in Penama

Shopping in Penama is small-scale and practical, centred on local produce, village sales and items arranged through community-based visits rather than conventional retail streets. Visitors may find woven mats and baskets, carved objects, shell or fibre ornaments, locally made clothing and small artworks, although availability and style differ between Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo. Fresh fruit, root crops, coconut products and cooked food may be sold near transport points or during community gatherings, but supplies are seasonal and should not be treated as a guaranteed market. Buy directly and respectfully, establish prices before an exchange and ask whether an item is appropriate to take away, particularly if it has ceremonial significance. Foreign-branded goods and reliable souvenir ranges are more readily found in Port Vila or Luganville, outside Penama. A useful provincial purchase is often a locally made craft or food product sourced through a host, with payment made fairly and without bargaining aggressively over small amounts.

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Penama essentials

Currency and Payment
The currency is the Vanuatu vatu, abbreviated VUV, used throughout Penama and the rest of Vanuatu. Cards and contactless payments are generally less useful in the province than in Port Vila or larger commercial centres, and reliable connectivity cannot be assumed. Carry clean, modest-denomination vatu notes for local transport, accommodation, food and community payments, while keeping money secure and discreet. Exchange facilities and banking services are limited on the islands, so arrange a cash reserve before leaving the main urban centres.
Safety
The principal risks in Penama are practical and environmental: rough seas, sudden weather changes, slippery tracks, heat, dehydration, limited medical facilities and difficult communications. Follow local advice around rivers, coastal crossings and volcanic areas, and do not approach restricted parts of Ambae’s Manaro Voui volcano. Use reputable boat operators and life jackets where available, avoid travelling offshore in deteriorating conditions and take care on roads and footpaths. Normal precautions for personal belongings still apply, especially around transport points and temporary accommodation.
Emergency Situations
Vanuatu’s national emergency arrangements apply in Penama: police can be contacted on 111, ambulance services on 112 and fire services on 113, although mobile coverage and response times may be limited outside settled areas. Coast-related incidents should also be reported through local authorities or the nearest police post, and visitors should ask hosts about available evacuation and rescue arrangements before remote boat or walking trips. Carry essential medication, tell someone your itinerary and retain a way to contact your accommodation or local guide.
Do's and Don'ts
Dress modestly in villages and around churches, ask before entering customary land or taking photographs, and follow local instructions during ceremonies. Do not touch ceremonial objects, cross gardens, enter sacred places or approach land-diving towers without permission. Remove shoes where a household or church custom requires it, and accept that community visits may involve introductions and conversation before sightseeing. Tipping is not a universal obligation, but agreed guide, boat and accommodation payments should be handled clearly. Respect both Christian observance and customary authority, which may vary between communities.
Local Tips
Plan Penama as an island-by-island journey rather than assuming that a single base can cover the province. Pentecost is most closely associated with seasonal land diving, Maewo with wet, mountainous landscapes and waterfalls, and Ambae with volcanic geography and village life. Learn a few courteous Bislama expressions, ask hosts about local food and conservation practices, and keep plans flexible enough to accommodate weather or transport changes. Community-based arrangements are often the most reliable way to find guides, meals and culturally appropriate overnight stays.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloHalo[ha-lo]
GoodbyeTata[ta-ta]
YesAe[ai]
NoNo[no]
Please/You're welcomePlis[plees]
Thank youTenkyu[ten-kyu]
Excuse me/SorrySori[so-ree]
How are you?Yu ora?[yu ora]
Fine. And you?Fain. An yu?[fine. an yu]
Do you speak English?Yu tok English?[yu tok ing-glish]
I don't understandMi no save[mee no sa-veh]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseMi wantem luk menu, plis[mee wan-tem look menu, plees]
I don't eat meatMi no kaek meat[mee no kayk meet]
Cheers!Kia ora![kee-ah ora]
I would like to pay, pleaseMi wantem pei, plis[mee wan-tem pay, plees]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Help![help]
Go away!Go awei![go ah-way]
Call the Police!Kol polisi![kol po-lee-see]
Call a doctor!Kol dokta![kol dok-ta]
I'm lostMi los[mee los]
I'm illMi sik[mee seek]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Mi wantem bai...[mee wan-tem bye]
I'm just lookingMi lukim nomo[mee loo-kim no-mo]
How much is it?Hao mak it?[how mak it]
That's too expensiveDat i tu ekspensive[dat ee too eks-pen-siv]
Can you lower the price?Yu save daunem praes?[yu sa-veh down-em price]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Hao taem i?[how time ee]
It's one o'clockI wan o'clock[ee wan oh-clock]
Half past (10)Haf pas (10)[haf pas ten]
MorningMoring[mor-ing]
AfternoonAftanoon[af-ta-noon]
EveningIvening[ee-ven-ing]
YesterdayYestede[yes-teh-deh]
TodayTude[too-day]
TomorrowTumoro[too-mo-ro]
1Wan[wan]
2Tu[too]
3Tri[tree]
4Foa[foh-ah]
5Faef[fife]
6Siks[six]
7Sev[sev]
8Eit[eight]
9Nain[nine]
10Ten[ten]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Wera a/da...?[we-ra ah/dah]
What's the address?Hao nao adres?[how now ad-res]
Can you show me (on the map)?Yu save shoem mi (long map)?[yu sa-veh show-em mee long map]
When's the next (bus)?Hwen i next (bus)?[hwen ee next bus]
A ticket (to ....)Wan tiket (go ....)[wan tee-ket go]

History of Penama

Lapita settlement and Austronesian seafaring

The islands of Penama were settled within the wider movement of Austronesian-speaking seafarers across the western Pacific. Archaeological evidence from Vanuatu shows the importance of Lapita-era voyaging, pottery traditions and coastal settlement in the first millennium BCE, although the surviving record differs from island to island. Over succeeding centuries, communities developed distinct languages, systems of land use and customary authority. The islands’ steep interiors, fertile volcanic soils and productive coastal waters encouraged varied local economies rather than a single island-wide culture.

Customary societies before European rule

Before sustained European involvement, Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo were organised through networks of villages, kinship, chiefly authority, gardening and exchange. Yam cultivation has long held particular importance on Pentecost and elsewhere in the province, while ceremonies, dances, oral histories and systems of obligation connected communities to land and ancestors. The differing languages and customs found across Penama reflect centuries of island-based development. Many of these traditions remain active, although they have been reshaped by Christianity, schooling, migration and the modern state.

European contact and missionary expansion

European ships began visiting the New Hebrides during the age of Pacific exploration, but regular outside influence expanded during the nineteenth century. Catholic and Protestant missionaries established churches and schools, often working through local converts and teachers. Christianity became deeply influential across Penama, while older practices were sometimes discouraged, reinterpreted or incorporated into new social structures. Mission buildings, church communities and Christian observance remain important parts of island life, alongside customary institutions that continue to govern land, ceremony and community responsibilities.

Blackbirding and the colonial economy

During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, people from the New Hebrides were coercively recruited, deceived or pressured into labour on plantations in Queensland, Fiji, New Caledonia and other parts of the Pacific. This era, commonly associated with blackbirding, caused severe disruption to island communities and contributed to population loss and social upheaval. The colonial economy also brought imported goods, new forms of administration and commercial plantation activity. Its effects are part of the wider historical background to modern Vanuatu, even where few physical colonial remains survive in rural Penama.

The Anglo-French Condominium

From 1906 until independence, the New Hebrides were governed under an unusual Anglo-French Condominium in which British and French administrations operated in parallel. The arrangement created separate legal, educational and administrative systems and left a complicated institutional legacy. Churches and missions often provided much of the formal education and healthcare available beyond the main settlements. On Penama’s islands, customary landholding and village authority remained central to everyday life, while colonial officials and external commercial interests exercised influence unevenly.

Independence and the Republic of Vanuatu

The New Hebrides became the independent Republic of Vanuatu in 1980 after a period of political mobilisation and conflict over the future of the islands. Penama became one of the country’s provinces, with its name formed from Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo. Independence strengthened national institutions while leaving land, language, church affiliation and customary authority as powerful local forces. Provincial administration, schools, roads, communications and tourism have developed gradually, but most communities remain strongly connected to subsistence gardening, fishing and customary exchange.

Volcanic evacuations on Ambae

Ambae’s Manaro Voui volcano has repeatedly influenced the island’s history and contemporary geography. Increased volcanic activity in 2017 and 2018 led to large-scale evacuations and the temporary relocation of the island’s population, a major national emergency in Vanuatu. The eruptions demonstrated the practical importance of volcanic monitoring, maritime transport and community preparedness in an archipelago exposed to natural hazards. Ambae’s volcano is not simply a scenic feature: access, settlement and travel plans must take official warnings and local knowledge seriously.

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Evendo - Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Penama, Vanuatu

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  • History of Penama and travel essentials
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