Small Nambas Villages

The Small Nambas peoples live in the centre and southwest of Malakula, in scattered villages reached only on foot from the coast. The kastom traditions — the customary law and ceremonies that predate Christianity — survive here in a way that has largely disappeared from the rest of Vanuatu, partly because of the island's isolation and partly through deliberate cultural defence.

Visits must be arranged through local guides who can negotiate the introduction, set the fees, and explain what can and cannot be photographed. Expect long walks, basic accommodation in family huts, and ceremonies arranged for the visit rather than performed on a schedule.

things to do sight
A story
The Nambas peoples were named by 19th-century European visitors for the woven penis sheaths worn by the men — nambas being the Bislama word. The Small Nambas wore smaller, simpler ones; the Big Nambas a vastly more elaborate version that wrapped the wearer's waist. Both styles, and the traditions around them, persist.