#Exploring Vanuatu — The Coconut Tribe story

The heat was intense, and I was wearing more fabric on my body than I normally would due to the island’s religious customs. Little did I know what a fleshy history I was about to step into.

“Today you get to see my home.” said Fiona, an elderly villager who was my guide for the day. I saw her making use of all the shade there was, stopping under a tree to tell her story “You’ll experience how our tribes — including mine, the Coconut tribe — live here today on Vanuatu and the tribal traditions that most of us continue to follow”.

Triggered by curiosity I naively asked “What does that mean, to be from the Coconut tribe?”

“Oh dear, if only you knew…you wouldn’t come here with me otherwise,” she exclaims to my surprise. ….

I was on the boat, feeling the breeze ease the heat as we were heading from Efate, the main island to Lelepa island, the home of Fiona and approximate 400 Ni-vanuatu.

It was a short trip, the minutes flew by, I got distracted by the clear waters, the beautiful shades of blue and the tall coconut trees. As I was making my way into the island, Fiona mentioned “Be careful of the coconut trees, make sure you follow the walking path”. I followed her advice, mindful that falling coconuts can be quite lethal.