Jerome B Photography

I spent two weeks in Vanuatu, wandering from an island to another and enjoying some time with the locals. Before leaving Australia I read that the people of Vanuatu (the Ni-Vanuatu) are considered the happiest on earth, I thought it was a strong statement but now I had the chance to meet with some of them I can understand. Everywhere we went people were friendly and welcoming, both kids and adults smile and laugh a lot, even with strangers. Vanuatu is decades behind its neighbours Fiji and New Caledonia in term of development, most villages we visited don’t have electricity, but the Ni-Van have a great way of living. Families stay together and the community bounds as well as the traditional customs seem well preserved. The only oddity is the omnipresence of the mobile phone, even in rural areas (recharged with small solar panels placed on top of their wooden huts).  The environment is obviously incredible: turquoise lagoons, white and black sand beaches, active volcanos, beautiful forests, and a fantastic sea life.