Penama

Penama Province lies in the north-east of Vanuatu and is made up of three main islands: Ambae, Pentecost and Maewo. Its administrative centre is Saratamata on Ambae, a small government and trading settlement, while much of the province remains a landscape of coastal villages, gardens and volcanic highlands.

The province is best known for the land diving ritual of southern Pentecost, in which men jump from wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles. This centuries-old ceremony is the origin of modern bungee jumping and draws visitors each year during the April-to-June season.

Ambae is dominated by the Manaro volcano and its crater lakes, while Maewo is green and wet, with waterfalls and rivers along its central ridge. Village life revolves around subsistence farming, fishing, kastom ceremonies and kava, and several distinct local languages are still spoken across the three islands.

Visitors come for cultural festivals, volcano and waterfall walks, and a slow, authentic island pace. There are no large towns or international resorts, so travel suits independent travellers and small groups who plan around small planes, boats, guesthouses and village stays.

For business and logistics, Penama is reached mainly through domestic flights and inter-island shipping, with services linking the islands to Port Vila and Luganville. This makes reliable local transfers and pre-arranged transport especially useful for both travellers and those working in the province.