From April until the end of June on the island of Pentecost in Vanuatu, intrigued travellers flock to see the annual Naghol Land Diving Festival, a ritual credited with starting the bungee jumping craze.
During the festival, local land divers tie vines to their ankles and leap from a purpose built wooden tower with the aim of gently grazing their shoulders on the ground, the reality is an exhilarating display of courage as young men jump from towers almost 30 metres high. There are many myths about how the Naghol ceremony came about with a popular one claiming it was to ensure a 
bountiful yam harvest with divers blessing the soil with their shoulders and today land diving is a rite of passage for young men on Pentecost.
bountiful yam harvest with divers blessing the soil with their shoulders and today land diving is a rite of passage for young men on Pentecost.
The tradition is believed to have started nearly 15 centuries ago and today these 20-30 metre towers are still built with branches, vines and tree trunks, taking around five weeks to construct.
The festival draws tourists every Saturday between April and June and while the diving is restricted to local people the island comes alive with music and dancing creating a memorable festival experience.
For travellers who are keen on seeing the traditional bungee, Adventure World is offering a four night package to Vanuatu from $1,889*pp ex Sydney inclusive of return airfares with Air Vanuatu, four nights at the beautiful Iririki Island Resort, full buffet breakfast daily and an incredible Pentecost Land Diving Day Trip with return flights to Pentecost Island (*terms and conditions apply).
Aside from land diving Pentecost Island also offers pristine beaches, reefs, untouched forests, mountains and jungles as well as exotic wildlife and is within easy reach for Aussie travellers.
Iririki Island Resort is a unique island retreat located only three minutes by boat from Port Vila.
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