My wife and I spent 2 years in Vanuatu as Peace Corps volunteers, and they were 2 of the best years of our lives. The people are the friendliest I have met anywhere and we have maintained a lasting friendship with our host family. We even managed a trip a few years back to visit them again.

I miss the isalnds and the weather every day (even the rainy season). For any tourist, this is one of the easiest countries to get around in. There are planes between the islands, small boats to tour the coastlines, bungalows at many of the islands, and willing guides for pretty much any activity you can think of.

The snorkeling and scuba diving is phenomenal and be sure to try some of the inland jungle treks to either waterfalls or volcanoes. If you’re brave enough, try the kava. It tastes horrible, but you get a decent buzz off of it. Just have a light meal about 1.5 hours ahead of time and bring something to snack on (like chips, crackers, or cheese puffs…something to take the taste out of your mouth). Take advantage of the kava bars to chat up the locals. They are very curious and quite talkative once you get them going.

I could go on for hours about Vanuatu, but I’ll stop here for now.