These idyllic islands so charmed novelist James Michener that he set his "Tales of the South Pacific" here. Not far from the modern buildings of Port Vila, natives gather outside bamboo and grass huts for a primeval "custom dance." While French haute cuisine is served downtown, pig wrapped in banana leaves is cooked underground in villages just outside the city.

Language: English, French, pidgin

Currency: Vanuatu Vatu (VUV)