Welcome to the Jungle; Bethel Village

Jo Kafer
Jan 13, 2020
1 min read

Students and staff from Menindee Central School in outback Australia came to spend three days at Bethel village in rural Vanuatu. Bethel is located on the island of Efate. It is half way around the island's ring road from Port Vila, only a distance of about 60 km but it takes at least an hour, admiring spectacular views, driving slowly through villages, stopping to chat to locals or to buy fresh organic fruit from roadstalls at a fraction of the price that you'd pay in Australia. Mangoes were 10 vatu (about 10 cents) each last month!

Joel, Elizabeth and The Family were very excited to be hosting the group from Menindee. Bethel Garden Restaurant and Bungalows was ready to receive their first official guests since Category 5 Cyclone Pam ripped through Vanuatu five years before.

Follow the white sand path to your bungalow, rooms are screened and have solar lighting.

Ablutions block - multiple bathrooms, flush loos and showers

Everything and everyone was ready.

Where were they?

Finally, they arrived!

A kastom welcome ceremony was performed, each performer holding a palm frond, singing and dancing as the guests were ushered through the leafy tunnel.