Vanuatu

So it's taken a couple of weeks to get these photos up, but we were so busy snorkelling and swimming and eating very good food by candlelight on the beach that blogging just seemed too much like work :)

Anyway, for those who are interested, here are some highlights of our week at the magical Moyyan House by the Sea, on Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu...

View from our faré

Some shots of life in Luganville and around Santo below ...

Village life

Washing day

The little guys below were fascinated to see themselves in the back of the digital camera.

Millenium Cave

They told us it would be challenging - but we didn't expect to be climbing down a cliff via a bamboo bridge; through the pitch blackness of the cave itself, 400m in ankle- to waist-deep water; clambering over massive boulders to launch ourselves into the cold, fresh water of the gorge; and then climbing back up a cliff, following the course of a waterfall.

Nor did we expect the incredible peace of drifting down the river, walls of the gorge rising each side and massive ferns filtering the sunlight - with the pure Bislama singing voice of our young guide, Marie, echoing off the walls... or the otherworldly beauty of the landscape as we returned to the village, covered to the treetops with vines planted for camouflage during World War II.

Daniel, one of our fabulous guides

Across the bamboo bridge

Exit from the Millenium Cave

Champagne Bay, Blue Hole and Million Dollar Point

A great day's tour in Darryl's taxi

Champagne Beach

Blue Hole

Million Dollar Point