Epule: Canoe trip, dance and shared feast

Epule combines a canoe trip to the village with a traditional welcome and a shared feast. The Epule Linda Tour offers a special focus for travellers who want to reach the place by river and experience local culture along the way. The water journey, welcome and time spent together make for a cohesive tour experience.

By canoe to Epule village

The Epule Linda Tour takes guests by canoe from the sea up the river to Epule village. The journey on the water is part of the experience, not just the setting for the visit. If you value the journey to your destination as part of an outing, this route is a specific reason to include Epule in your travel plans.

Welcome, feast and music

Upon arrival, guests are welcomed with a traditional dance by local warriors wearing traditional clothing and carrying spears. They are then led to a small hut, where a shared feast and entertainment by a local string band are part of the tour experience. The welcome leads into a shared meal and music; both are part of the visit, not merely a backdrop to the arrival.

Swimming in the river is also a possible activity for guests on the Epule Linda Tour. The different elements appeal to different interests: the canoe trip is about the journey to the village, the dance and string band about the cultural welcome, the feast about spending time together, and swimming about time by the river. You can therefore consider before your trip which part of this experience appeals to you most.

Fitting the tour into your travel plans

If the Epule Linda Tour is to be a main focus of your trip, check in advance whether it is offered on your preferred date. This is especially helpful when planning your travel dates. When looking for a holiday rental, you can first decide whether to focus your trip mainly on the experience in Epule or on a range of nature and culture themes across the wider destination of Shefa.

Shefa as a wider travel region

The wider destination of Shefa includes the main island of Efate. Efate is accessible via Bauerfield International Airport and is connected to the surrounding islands by domestic flights and maritime services. Flight and transport schedules can change; check connections before your trip. Efate’s landscape ranges from a rugged coastline and gently rolling, green hinterland to fast-flowing rivers, waterfalls, remote sandy coves and lagoons.

Other nature experiences in Shefa offer a different focus from the river journey to Epule. Mele Cascades is a waterfall surrounded by lush tropical forest. At Eton Beach, a reef creates calm, relatively shallow water; the beach is suitable for children and adults who are new to snorkelling, although sea conditions vary. Hideaway Island is a five-minute ferry ride from Mele Beach. If you plan this outing, check the current schedule.

Culture and history in Shefa

The region’s cultural history offers another distinct focus. Chief Roi Mata’s Domain comprises three sites dating to the early 17th century on Efate, Lelepa and Artok. The UNESCO World Heritage Site brings together oral tradition and archaeology, and bears witness to the continued legacy of Roi Mata’s social reforms and conflict resolution. In Port Vila, the National Museum of Vanuatu displays traditional objects such as masks, sculptures and ancient tools, as well as exhibitions on Vanuatu’s colonial and post-colonial history; exhibitions may change.

If you would also like an insight into food culture alongside these cultural sites, you can try kava at many bars in Port Vila. Availability and opening hours may change. Along with the nature around Efate and the tour experience in Epule, this broader view of Shefa shows how varied the interests for a trip can be: water and scenery, village culture or history. Base your search for a holiday rental on the experiences that matter most for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Port Havannah, Mele, Eton, Port Vila, Sounaï, Mele Maat.

Back to the wider travel overview: Shefa.