Pentecost Island · usually early April to mid June
Naghol land diving
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Naghol land diving
When is Naghol land diving 2027?
Naghol land diving usually runs early April to mid June. It's a natural season, so the best days change from year to year.
How the dates are set: Held on Saturdays during the yam harvest, April to June.
Naghol land diving schedule
- Saturdays, April to June: Naghol (also spelled Nagol) land diving happens on Pentecost Island every Saturday from April through June, in step with the yearly yam harvest.
Source: instagram.com
History of Naghol land diving
Naghol is an ancient rite of passage into adulthood on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu. Men and boys leap headfirst from tall wooden towers with forest vines tied to their ankles, as a test of courage and a prayer for a good crop. It is recognized as the cultural inspiration for modern bungee jumping.
Source: facebook.com
Naghol land diving: questions people ask
What is Naghol land diving?
Naghol is Vanuatu's most famous cultural ritual, in which men jump from wooden towers about 20 to 30 meters high with vines tied to their ankles. It is held on Pentecost Island.
When does Naghol land diving take place?
It takes place during the yam harvest, from April to June. One source says dives are held every Saturday in that period.
Where can you see land diving in Vanuatu?
On Pentecost Island, Vanuatu.
Why do the men jump from the towers?
The leap is a test of courage and a prayer for a bountiful crop. It is also an old rite of passage into adulthood.
Is land diving the origin of bungee jumping?
Yes, Naghol is recognized as the cultural inspiration for modern bungee jumping.
Sources: facebook.com, instagram.com, facebook.com
About Naghol land diving
Men leap head-first from 30-metre towers with only vines around their ankles, the original bungee.
Each dry season the villages of southern Pentecost build wooden towers and men dive from platforms up to 30 metres high, tied by liana vines cut to stop them just as their hair brushes the soil. Dives happen on scheduled days from April into June while the vines are supple, mostly Saturdays, with several villages taking turns. Visitors watch from below as part of an organised tour that includes the village welcome and dancing.
Know before you go
- Book through a Port Vila operator; dive days are set by the villages and can shift with weather.
- There is no cash machine on Pentecost, so carry vatu for fees and village purchases.
- Fly Port Vila to Pentecost's Lonorore airstrip on a small Air Vanuatu plane, then travel by truck and on foot to the dive site.
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