Maewo is famously called the Waterfall Island because it has the highest rainfall out of any island in Vanuatu. It is fun to count the shear number of waterfalls as you sail up and down the coast. Maewo is the home of the tallest waterfall Naone Waterfall and the most waterfalls of any island.
We did not get to Naone Bay on this visit, but we hope to see it on our way out of Vanuatu. We did enjoy lots of waterfalls and the beautifully lush hillsides covered in trees and vines that look like curtains falling down the side.
Our stop first in Asanvari Bay first which is the southern most anchorage on the island. We anchor between the reefs near the waterfall that falls a mere meter or two from the boat.
We head to shore where we meet Carl, a nice local who offers to show us around the village and take us on a tour up and around the waterfall. The village is really beautiful with brightly colored houses, well groomed grounds, huge banyan trees everywhere and views of the ocean.
The first swimming pool is easily accessed from the beach. Like I said it is almost flowing into the anchorage it is so close. We hike up the muddy trail to get to the top of the first part of the waterfall and it is really pretty.
Matt and I both jump in to the refreshing water.
And we have some pretty views of the anchorage.
The sunset glow across the island was simply beautiful.
Mbenavui Point
There are two caves that we wanted to see at Mbenavui Point which is mid-way up Maewo island. We found a beautiful anchor spot in the middle of two giant reefs and right below another waterfall.
Cave of the Moon Myth
The Cave of the Moon helps locals share their belief of creation, and in particular, the way it is influenced by the direction of the sun and the moon as they travel across the sky.
A very long time ago the moon lived inside this cave and its brilliant light did not shine beyond the walls. Tagaro, the god of sea saw this and thought it was not good. He threw the moon out to the south. But then Targaro noticed that the people in the north did not have any light. So, he took it and threw it north, but then the people in the south had no light.
Unhappy with that, he took the moon and threw it to the west where its light shone on all the people in Maewo. This made Tagaro very happy.
Tagaro created three enormous holes into the cave each time he through the moon into the sky.
The Vast Hole Left by the Moon
Just a few miles up the coast of Maewo you come to the Sanasom anchorage. This is where we hope to find the Cave of the Moon and the petroglyph cavern.
Only accessible by boat, the Cave of the Moon is spacious and lit with rays of sunlight that strike the water and create an iridescent yet eerie glow.
The three canals of water, are the places where the moon passed when it was thrown.
Once you jump in the crystal clear waters you see lots of giant boulders, fish, and beautiful sea life.
Petroglyphs
Just next to the Cave of the Moon is the Malangauliuli cavern with “ancient rock etchings, petroglyphs”. Both the cavern and the cave are within a conservation area and require a guide which can be provided by the village chief. However, our anchorage was not near the Sanasom village so we went on our own. I am sure the woven tales about each cave would have been spectacular. What we found were pretty worn out, hard to read, and certainly hard to discern – a guide would have been useful.
A cave important to their kastom beliefs. They place stones on top of each other and over time they form stalagmite like formations.
The curtains are just starting to form and take shape…
The island of Maewo is certainly full of lots of mystery and wonder. It was a pleasure to visit the “waterfall island” and see some of its beauty. We hope to come back on our way out of Vanuatu to see the Naone Waterfall.
Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events. This blog post occurred in early July. We share with you a little bit about life on the island of Pentecost in our last blog post.