Ambrym Magic Festival, welcome to natsaro dance
July 2011: Ambrym Magic Festival, Ola, North Ambrym, Vanuatu. The tribe escorts us along the path, through the jungle and to the natsaro; the dancing grounds. They dance and sing all the way. Look how the foot movements of the inner circle vary from those at the rear. The loud voice yodelling over the top of the other voices is Chief Sekor, currently at seventh grade but expecting to reach the top, ninth grade ranking by 2012.
The Magic Festival is held in Olal every July; details are posted on the internet. It costs about 9000 vatu per person for 2 days of entertainment. It's a very moving and personal experience, you'll probably be the only tourists there, being entertained by twenty people. You can stay in Chief Sekor's bungalows, they are basic but you have a tremendous location and from there, you are able to observe village life first hand. It costs 3000 vu (AU$36) pp, per night, including all cooked meals. Lourdes serves basic food, ask if she can make you crab in coconut, it's delicious. Chief Sekor's phone number is +678 5907659. The chief can arrange transfers from Craig Cove by boat, that part costs about 13000 vatu for the whole boat so try to get a small group of people to travel with you and split the costs. There is no road from Craig Cove to Olal. You must fly from Santo to Craig Cove, you can do the whole trip from Santo to Olal in one big day. This trip was just sensational, it's a must for any bucket list.