The island nation of Vanuatu (formerly, the New Hebrides Islands) can be seen as both the epitome of and the exception to the clichés about tropical island resorts. The islands are visually stunning. A gathering of more than 80 islands located in the South Pacific about a 3-hour plane ride north of New Zealand and east of Australia, Vanuatu offers visitors pristine white sand beaches along crystalline turquoise water, beaches lined by swaying coconut palm trees with walkways scented by wild hyacinth and orchids, remote islands with towering dormant volcanoes, networked by freshwater rivers that tumble into picturesque waterfalls and that are ringed with soft coral reefs teeming with schools of colorful exotic fish as well as larger, predatory sea animals including barracuda, sharks, and ...