Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest

Yalo, Apialo, and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula is a cultural landscape demonstrating the spiritual traditions of the Nambas people who live on the second largest island of Vanuatu. Yalo and Apialo are “spirit caves” decorated with rock art and paintings up to 3000 years old, and the Nambas people conduct pilgrimages to these caves to find the handprints and footprints of their ancestors. According to Nambas tradition, the spirits of the dead pass through the landscape of northwest Malakula before coming to rest in either Yalo or Apialo caves; because of the sacred importance of the caves, specific customs must be observed when conducting a visit.