The Republic of Vanuatu, located in the South Pacific to the North East of Brisbane, Australia, is often described as a paradise.
Vanuatu comprises a group of 83 islands, the climate of the group varies from tropical in the northern extremities to subtropical in the south. The average midday temperature in Port Vila (the capital) is 29°C in summer and 25°C in winter, and rainfall is about 235 centimetres (90 inches) annually. The population is approximately 280,000, of which some of Vanuatu 95% are indigenous “Ni-Vanuatu” of Melanesian origin with the remainder consisting of Europeans, other Pacific Islanders and Asians.
English and French are the official languages of the country, whilst Bislama (local dialect ) is the national language.
Depending on daylight saving, Vanuatu is 11 to 12 hours ahead of GMT (i.e., 1 hour ahead or the same time as Sydney and, 3 hours ahead of Hong Kong).
Business hours in Port Vila are 7.30am to 11.30am and 1.30pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Vanuatu passport holders have visa-free or visa-on-arrival privileges to 128 countries around the world including UK and EU countries.