Where is Port Vila?

Port Vila is the capital of Vanautu. A cluster of 83 islands located in the South Pacific. Port Vila is situated on the west coast of the island of Efate within the sheltered Vila Bay. There has been a lull in blog posts here and that’s due to a recent 10 day family holiday to Vanuatu. I was determined to take a digital-detox and so no blogging was done whilst away! Only lots of time in the 3D world – sightseeing, swimming, snorkelling and relaxing with the sun on my face!

In and around Port Vila there’s plenty to see and do. We stayed at the mid-range priced boutique resort ‘Poppys on the Lagoon‘ which is an easy and pleasant walk to the town centre. This allows for walking the streets and passing the locals which you are greeted with cheesy grins and a great big “hello”. The people of Vanuatu are known for their happy, friendly ways and we had that confirmed!

Places of significance to visit include the Port Vila markets (I had a ball here), Erakor Island, Iriki Island, Hideaway Island, Mele Cascade Waterfalls, Tanna Coffee Factory and the many eating places offering fresh seafood and French cuisine. I don’t doubt I will be visiting Vanuatu again in the future especially considering it has 83 islands to explore! We were very impressed and highly recommend it as it’s certainly an easy trip from the east coast of Australia.

Lonely Planet Vanuatu & New Caledonia

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TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Port Vila

One Great Reason to Visit Port Vila

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for the laid back lifestyle and perfect climate. You can’t but relax here!

Vanuatu: Central Markets

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Meet the Gipsy Kings

I discovered the Gipsy Kings early in the 1990s and fell in love with their acoustic sounds of Spanish flamenco and salsa. The Gipsy Kings are made up of two families of brothers. They started out as a Gipsy band travelling about playing at weddings, festivals and busking in the streets. Hence, their name the “Gipsy Kings’. They were enormously popular throughout the North Africa, Middle East and Europe. They live anything but the gipsy life now being very well known internationally but they have not forgotten their humble beginning.

Bamboleo – Gipsy Kings

The Best of the Gipsy Kings

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The Balinese Monkey Chant – an excerpt from Baraka

The Balinese Monkey Chant is an excerpt from the beautiful non-verbal film, Baraka. The rhythms and beat are divine. Baraka was filmed back in 1992 by Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson. The music adds to the visual feast and includes musicians such as Michael Stearns and Dead Can Dance. Twenty Four different countries have been represented throughout the film.

Baraka takes the viewer into a delightful trip around the world witnessing splendid landscapes, cultures and humanity. It also makes one question many things about our world and what is becoming of it. I watched it again recently and found it even more moving that the first time I watched it. Why would that be?

Balinese Monkey Chant

Baraka – Special Edition

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Where is Korce?

Korce is the capital of the Korce Region located in the south/eastern region of Albania. It’s most well-known for its beautiful landscapes, medieval history, culture and festivals. There is always something happening to attract you to Korce.

Korce has served as an important trading market and route throughout the centuries. Albanian caravans began their travels from Korce to surrounding countries such as Turkey, Greece and Russia.

The outlying Korce Region is a place of great natural beauty, featuring the renowned Ohrid and Prespa Lakes, mountains and the National Park of Drenova. Twenty kilometres from Korce you can visit Dardha, a mountain village located at an altitude of more than 1,300m above sea level and is a great spot for hikers. With the region offering so much, Korce is an ideal travel destination as a base to explore the surrounds.

Lonely Planet: Western Balkans

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TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Korce

One Great Reason to Visit Korce

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for its natural beauty as Albania’s best-kept secret!

Korce, Albania

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