Local markets

The local markets in Port Vila on Efate and Luganville on Santo are fascinating places to visit not only for the amazing selection of local produce but also to meet local people and see some of the real Vanuatu. The market in Port Vila is open almost 24 hours day from Monday morning until midday Saturday and you can buy fruit, vegetables, herbs, nuts, coconut oil, peanuts from Epi, seas shells, and so on.  Here are pictures of a market day last month in Santo - the market buildings are tent-like in strucuture with lots of benches groaning under the weight of produce and food items and with plenty of produce (see below) spread out on the ground on mats or tarps.


Luganville market, Espirtu Santo




Local produce for sale at Luganville market: L-R, Yam (I think), Jackfruit, Bananas




















Last Thursday night I went looking for fresh basil and I ended coming home with 2 big pieces of fresh pineapple (it's so sweet) and two large floor mats, the latter I had no intention of buying but when I saw them I thought since they were only vt800 each (about $8.70) they would look good in the flat and would be good for beach visits back home. The mats are now spread out on the sitting room floor and make a pleasant contribution to the overall aesthetic - better than the pictures on the walls at least. And I didn't end up buying any basil - none left. One thing I have learnt is that if you see something at the market and you think you might need or use it soon buy it then and there because chances are next time you visit the market it won't be available.




Three generations of stallholders at the Luganville market

(toddler stallholder looks decidely unhappy being in the picture).

The fresh flowers are the market are always beautiful and there is generally a good selection of greenery and different flowers on sale. I don't the names of any of the flowers below although I think one is a waratah (or at least waratah looking). Vanuatu is incredibly verdant vis the quality and variety of produce and flowers at the market. Occasionally you see some fresh crabs and live chickens for sale.

These flowers last for a long time and keep their

beautiful red colour.

 Throughout the markets baskets woven from palm branches are used to carry and store things such as taro, yam and potatoes. You can see in the photo below how the palm fronds are woven together to form the basket and handle, they are durable and can carry quite a bit of weight - sort of like the ultimate recyclable shopping bag because when it is finished with it goes on the garden as mulch and then another branch is cut down to make a new basket.



It looks like kumara and yam in these baskets.



The flowers in the two pictures below look like the tuila flower that is very common in Samoa. Someone told me they are called ginger flowers here in Vanuatu but they don't look like a ginger flower - more like a tuila flower. Perhaps they are the ni-Vanuatu cousin of the Samoan species. Whatever they are the look lovely in a vase and are so cheap at the market. A bunch of eight costs about vt400 (around $4.20).