Pentecost Island
Pentecost is a real remote jewel, with chickens and cows hanging around the airport runway, agriculture mainly limited to kava, root vegetables, and island cabbage, vivid traditions, very basic to non-existent infrastructure, and continuously canceled or delayed flights. It is a truly authentic experience!
Most visitors come to visit Pentecost only to see the land diving and leave the island immediately after that or stay maximum 1-2 days. That is really a pity as Pentecost has so much more to offer! You can hike through the tropical jungle or to kastom villages in the mountains, relax on emphty beaches watching the canoes passing by and in the evenings you can join the locals in the Nakamal (traditional meeting place) for drinking kava and learning about their culture.
Nangol- Land diving
The island is mainly known for Nangol (land-diving), which inspired bungee jumping. Traditionally the ritual was performed once per year after the yam harvest to ensure a plentiful harvest for the next year and also served as a rite of passage for the young boys.
During the ritual, the men are jumping from up to 30m high wooden towers with only two tree vines attached to their ankles and have to touch the ground before being pulled up again through the elastic vine ropes. Over the years, Nangol developed into a controversial tourist attraction. There are still some traditional “kastom” villages where the event kept its original form and purpose, but in most locations, it converted into an overpriced show for tourists performed every week from April to June. With the higher number of jumps, the chances of smaller and bigger injuries also increase.
But how much it is ethical to keep on with the commercialization of an event that is potentially dangerous for the jumpers? Pentecost could offer much more, including amazing hikes through tropical jungle, pristine beaches, and traditional villages. But the sad reality is that the island is quite isolated, lacks reliable transport and infrastructure, and locals at the moment don’t have an alternative to Nangol for generating an income.
Dont miss out Kava!
Further Places to visit on Pentecost Island
1. Kastom villages in South Pentecost
East of Pangi, in the mountains, you can find some very traditional Kastom villages, where the locals (or the village Chief) reject most commodities of modern life. The easiest to reach is Ratap village, the biggest one, Bunlap is further east. Keep in mind that you need permission from the Chief to visit and it is expected that you pay for a “tour” there.
2. Pangi – the capital of the South
Pangi is the biggest village in the southern Pentecost district and has a small local traditional market and even a supermarket (the only one in the whole area). One-two kilometers north of Pangi the seaside is amazing with smaller cliffs and white sand between them.
3. Waterfall village
As you can guess from the name, the village has a nice waterfall and besides that one of the best beaches on Pentecost.
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