Fels Cave
Old rock drawings.
Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand — CC BY 2.0 · Torbenbrinker — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Torbenbrinker — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand — CC BY 2.0 · Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center — Public domain
Chief Roi Mata's Domain is three sites in north-west Efate and two small nearby islands, linked to the last bearer of the title Roi Mata, a chief who lived around 1600. They were listed as a World Heritage Site in 2008 and are his residence, the place of his death and his burial site. Roi Mata was a title held by a line of chiefs in central Vanuatu from the 11th to the 17th century. Local tradition says the last of them united the tribes and ruled in peace, then was poisoned by his brother. He was not buried in his village for fear of his spirit, but on Eretoka island. The French archaeologist José Garanger found his grave in 1967 by following local stories, with more than 25 of his followers buried with him. A local community guide takes you by boat to Fels Cave on Lelepa, with old drawings on the rock, then to a village on the island with its gardens, and to see Eretoka, which local people treat with respect. You hear the stories from the community. The sites are about 16 km in a straight line north-west of Port Vila. Visits are on community-led tours at extra cost. Respect sacred places and do not land on Eretoka without permission.
Old rock drawings.
Village and gardens.
The burial island.
North-west Efate and the islands of Lelepa and Eretoka, Vanuatu
Yes, visits are community-led tours.
Not without permission; it is respected ground.