Vanuatu, a function venue with a difference

French-accented ambience

A conference held in a tropical paradise brings out the best in the delegates and destination alike.

The South Pacific offers many sun, sand and swaying palm tree type destinations, but for ease of access and value for money there's nothing quite like Vanuatu. A chain of 82 islands, Vanuatu is located 2,500 kilometres north east of Sydney. The national airline, Air Vanutau, operates eight times a week from Australia (five from Sydney and three from Brisbane).

>> Conference & meeting venues the South Pacific

The capital, Port Vila, on the main island of Efate, has a distinct French ambience, a reminder of its joint French-British administration throughout much of the 20th Century. French is spoken widely, patisseries and boulangeries abound, and the local upmarket bottle shops have great selections of French wines and Champagnes.

Unlike Tahiti and New Caledonia, prices are extremely reasonable in the many fine restaurants and bars throughout Port Vila. Visitors will also be delighted to discover some of the cheapest duty-free shopping in the world, especially for alcohol, in Port Vila.

Of the numerous resorts and hotels on the island, the best equipped for conference groups is the Le Meridien Port Villa & Casino. Located on the picturesque Erakor Lagoon, it has 145 guestrooms and suites with 10 indulgent over-water bungalows separated from the main resort complex on their own private island.

GREAT FACILITIES

Le Meridien's Erakor Ballroom seats 250 people theatre style or 200 for banquets, while the Valea Room takes 30 theatre style. The tropical climate makes holding cocktail parties, gala dinners and other events outdoors a very memorable occasion.

The Kids Club is popular with the many conference delegates who bring along their families for some tropical R&R.

Once the meeting is complete, there's much to explore in Vanuatu, which has nine active volcanoes. The most accessible is on the island of Tanna. Mt Yasur rises 360 metres above sea level and has been continuously erupting for hundreds of years. Captain Cook recorded such activity during his visit in 1770.

During times of mild activity, visitors can climb the crater's rim and stand on the very edge as molten rocks the size of small cars are hurtled hundreds of metres into the air. Tanna is also a good place to view 'kastom' villages, where locals practise the traditional lifestyle and beliefs.

The White Grass Ocean Resort, located near Tanna Airport, is a collection of thatched roof cottages with a main restaurant and lounge overlooking the sea. Guests have access to a number of hidden lagoons and isolated beaches sheltered by offshore coral reefs.