Divers love Vanuatu for its terrific underwater visibility (Photo:David Kirkland)

Most people's first impulse when they arrive in Vanuatu is to pull up a deck chair on a white-sand beach and relax in the tropical sunshine.

But it doesn't take long for the archipelago's rich culture, crystal-clear waters, technicoloured reefs, smouldering volcanos, lush rainforests and smiling people to coax even the weariest traveller out of their chair.

An archipelago of 83 islands stretching across 1,300 kilometres of South Pacific ocean, Vanuatu sits on the edge of two converging tectonic plates, known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Volcanos dot the islands, creating a lush landscape both above and below the water. On Tanna, adventurous hikers can climb to the rim of Yasur, the world's most accessible volcano, and watch a live lava light show.

Beneath Espiritu Santo's crystal clear waters, hidden caves and grottos formed by lava flows wait to be explored. Submerged World War II planes and shipwrecks also attract divers to the island.

Dense rainforests flourish in the rich volcanic soil and are popular with trekkers and wildlife enthusiasts.

And then of course there are the beaches, each one more picture perfect than the next.

So if you've packed a good book for your Vanuatu vacation, consider also packing your walking shoes, an adventurous spirit and curious mind.

Vanuatu has been inhabited for thousands of years and shards of pottery found on Malo Island dates back to 3000BC. Many ni-Vanuatu are content living as their ancestors have done for millennia - off the land.

Aside from workers in Vanuatu's capital city, Port Vila, most ni-Vanuatu remain subsistence farmers. They don't believe in owning land. Custodianship is passed down from generation to generation, meaning everyone is catered for. Maybe this is why the ni-Vanuatu are considered the happiest people on earth according to the Happy Planet Index which also into account factors such as life expectancy, human wellbeing and environmental sustainability.

In most villages, the rule of the chief still holds sway, as do animistic beliefs and traditions known as 'Kastom.' Early missionaries who tried to turn the ni-Vanuatu away from Kastom often ended up in the tribal cook pot - earning Vanuatu the name 'Cannibal Islands.'

Survival guide to Vanuatu