About the Tour

This tour is limited to 8 guests.

Join multi award winning photographer, Ignacio Palacios on an unforgettable photography adventure.The beautiful Melanesian nation of Vanuatu stretches across 1,300km of the South Pacific Ocean with the archipelago comprising of more than 80 islands, dotted along an invisible north to south line, located to the east of Australia. Remote islands with active volcanoes, indigenous tribes and a history of cannibalism sounds like something straight out of a story book, yet Vanuatu offers all that and more. The perfect island escape where time stands still.

The highlights of the tour are Tanna Island, Mt Yasur and the Land Diving Festival in Pentecost Island.

The Land Diving ritual is associated with the annual yam harvest and is performed annually in the months of April, May or June. A good dive helps ensure a bountiful yam harvest. The villagers believe Land Diving can enhance the health and strength of the divers. A successful dive can remove the illnesses and physical problems associated with the wet season. Considered as an expression of masculinity, Land Diving demonstrates the boldness that has always been associated with the ‘bwahti’ or warrior. Nevertheless, the men who do not choose to dive or back out of diving are not humiliated in any way. In the Sa language, gol refers to both the tower and the land dive. The tower symbolically represents a body with a head, shoulders, breasts, belly, genitals and knees. The diving platforms represent the male genitals whilst the struts beneath represent the female genitals.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

  • Tribes and Mt Yasur (Tanna Island) The sixth largest island in the archipelago, Tanna, is just 40km long and 19km wide, but packs in plenty to see and do. In my opinion, the most interesting of all the islands, Tanna is an extraordinary place with the world’s most accessible active volcano (Mount Yasur). Tanna also offers sublime secluded beaches and some of Vanuatu’s most intriguing traditional village life. During the tour, we will focus on landscape and portrait photography during our visits to a few of the indigenous villages.
  • The Nangool (Land Diving Festival) is a ritual performed by the men of Pentecost Island and it is said to be the precursor to the modern day bungee jumping craze. Men jump off 20-30 metre high wooden towers with only two or three vines wrapped around their ankles, with no safety harnesses in sight! The platforms are at several different heights, with the most experienced diver jumping from the top whilst people below dance and sing chants, providing emotional support for the divers.

THE TOUR DETAILS

DATES

12th to 19th April 2021

GROUP SIZE

Exclusively up to 8 guests

TOUR PRICE

AU$6,490 twin share, with an optional single room supplement of AU$890

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • All accomodation in Port Vila, Tanna and Pentecost
  • All meals
  • All excursions and activities
  • The best english speaking guides
  • All internal flights and transfers
  • Entrance fees in the parks and local taxes

PHOTOGRAPHY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Enjoy one-on-one tuition, guidance and expert advice from a multi-award-winning professional photographer.
  • You’ll learn the secrets to mastering the art of composition and light in your photography.
  • Explore pre-visualisation techniques and learn about the creative process.
  • Learn game-changing editing tips and tricks with special processing workshops throughout the tour.
  • Learn expert techniques for landscape photography, travel photography, wildlife photography and portrait photography. While also working on aerial/drone, black and white photography.
  • Should you dream of entering and winning photography competitions, or you simply wish to push yourself as a photographer, you’ll have access to professional critique sessions throughout the tour.
  • You will also experience the powerful mastermind effect of connecting with likeminded photographers and adventure seekers.

DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM

DOWNLOAD THE TOUR BROCHURE HERE

PAY DEPOSIT

Menu