A chain of 83 islands about 800 km. west of Fiji reminded Capt Cook of the dark, forbidding, wind buffeted islands off the Scottish coast and he named them New Hebrides. The islands range from towering volcanoes to those covered in dense rainforests to those with wide beaches with deep natural harbours. You can't get more variety than that!

Believe it or not, this unheard of island has become an attractive and competitive financial centre after the introduction in 1993, of the International Companies Act. It is a tax haven - there's no income tax! And with small communities of French, British, Australian, New Zealand and Chinese living here, it has to be one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world.