The covered market on the waterfront is the social heart of Port Vila and the best place to get a feel for the islands without leaving town. It runs almost continuously from Monday morning to Saturday afternoon, with women from the surrounding villages camping among their produce, sleeping under their tables overnight.
Buy bunches of bananas, finger-sized chillies, taro, paw paw, kava root for chewing, and pre-prepared meals of laplap (root vegetable cake baked with coconut milk) for next to nothing. There is also a craft section upstairs with carved figures and woven baskets.