Port Sandwich Art and Culture Festival

It will be a three and a half day festival from the 2nd of August to the 5th of August featuring custom dance from the two local custom dance groups, a circumcision ceremony, sand drawing, snorkeling, hiking, custom crafts, and local foods. Plus every night there will be a live string band, DJ, kava.

The price is 7000vt which includes all custom displays for three and a half days plus transportation to the custom displays. Tickets will be sold at the Vanuatu Cultural Centre in Vila, Wrecks to Rainforests in Santo, and at the Port Sandwich library/book exchange. The festival will be held down near the wharf to give easy access to visiting yachts.

There is limited accommodation: 12 beds at bungalows in the area for 1500vt a night and 5 tents for rent with sleeping bags at 1000vt per night. There is a direct flight from Vila to Lamap on Monday the 2th and from Lamap to Vila on Thursday the 5th. To arrange accommodation call Stephanie at 5618096. If you don't get through please leave a message.

Also all guests are welcome to come early for the July 30th celebration being held in Lamap on Friday. Also there will be a group hiking doing a 3 1/2 day hiking trip to South West Bay when the Port Sandwich Festival is over. Just in time to catch the Nalawan festival.

So tell everyone, South Malekula is the place to be this summer for
the most exciting custom displays and adventure tourism.


Festival Program Schedule

Monday 2
7:00 Plane lands in Lamap
9:00 Opening ceremony “captain cook lands” at Port Sandwich
11:30 Lunch at Port Sandwich
1:30 Learn to make a fan from local materials, learn how to make a custom fire
7:00 Live String Band at Port Sandwich


Tuesday 3
7:00 Tea
8:30 Transport
9:00 Labouvar Nakamal custom dance
11:30 Lunch at Labouvar
1:30 Snorkeling and Canoeing in Lamap
7:00 Live String Band at Port Sandwich

Wednesday 4
7:00 Tea
8:30 Transport
9:00 Maghar Nakamal custom dance
11:30 Lunch at Maghar
1:30 Sand drawing workshop
3:00 Take transport or hike back to Port Sandwich
7:00 Live String Band at Port Sandwich


Thursday 5
7:00 Tea
8:30 Transport
9:00 Closing Ceremony at the traditional nasara
11:30 Lunch
1:30 Walk about to cascades (or tranport to airport for those flying to Vila)