millennium cave tour

MILLENNIUM CAVE ADVENTURE TOUR

Combining a hike through the rainforest with a cave walk, a canyon adventure and visit to a traditional village, the Millennium Cave Full DayAdventure Tour let's you experience the wild side of Santo. It's not for the feint-hearted or the unfit, this is a real adventure, it's is a 2 hr walk followed by a climb and swim over and through boulders in the canyon river, past waterwalls and then an almost vertical climb out using bamboo ladders. Medium fitness, a change of clothes and good walking shoes are requirements for this tour (along with mossie repellent, water and lunch/snacks). Some light refreshments will be provided by the village. Approx. 45 min drive from Luganville with a 4WD.

Full Day - 8am - 4.30pm

Price - please email us for a price

Email: [email protected]

Ph. 678 7747159 or 7771163

Millennium Cave Tour

Average reviews, description.

The cave was found by the Ancestors of Vunaspef village long ago, in 1987 Serge and Renee Andikar went right through. Michele and Samuel Andikar with the help of local guide Glen Russel developed the tour and opened in 2000.

About an hour drive from Luganville town. You walk through a jungle walk to the Vunaspef village though the homemade bamboo bridge. Then through tropical rainforest, explore the dark cave full of bats and sparrows, and have a splash in the waterfall. Lunch break is in the tropical rainforest on the river side, and then for the most amazing experience, you swim down the river current through the tropical gorge. After that you bush walk back to Vunaspef village.

Don’t underestimate this tour as it could be dangerous especially in the wet season. Huge rocks could get slippery if you don’t have right shoes for walking or are unaccustomed to jungle treks.

This adventure tour is the most popular adventure trekking tour in Santo now. Its a full day tour lasting about 7 – 8 hours depends on your trekking speed. Not suitable for the children under 8 years old.

Minibus Transfer, life jacket, torch, refreshment are provided. Tour includes return transfer, tour guides, life jacket, torch and refreshment, VAT & Tourism Levy.

Book with our office or at Wrecks to Rainforest office or Santo Travel.

Things to bring: walking/trekking shoes or thick dive boots or reef shoes, swim wear (wear it before start), towel, change of cloths, dry bag (if you bring land camera), insect repellent, a light picnic lunch, and 2 bottles of water.

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The famous Millenium Cave is located at Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. It is about an hour drive from Luganville town. The Millennium Cave tour is an action packed, adventure filled experience.

Don’t miss the exhilarating Millenium Cave Adventure tour if you’re visiting Vanuatu. If you are fit, you will enjoy the jungle hike, some scrambling and walking in the river through the cave (lights provided), and tubing down river in the deep gorge. Explore the dark cave full of intriguing bats and sparrows, high ceiling about 50 meters high, 3-4 km long, and have splash in the waterfall. Have a break for lunch in the tropical rainforest on the river side, then most amazing experience, floating down the river… a unique relaxing experience – the water is crystal clear and very clean. And then more bush walking back to Vunaspef village, where tropical fruit and sweet coffee awaits you.

The Millenium Cave tour is another option which is interesting and amazing, starting with a walk through narrow jungle paths, across creeks and cascades. Along the river swim soak up the breath taking scenery with cascading falls and towering rock faces, take the time to shower under the water fall or jump into the river from surrounding rocks. The guides are friendly and very helpful in telling you where to put your feet and always looking out for your safety. Test your fitness and sense of adventure now! Enjoy a challenge and join in on a trek through tropical forest and explore Vanuatu’s largest cave. This is a great example of eco-tourism that respects and preserves the environment and traditional culture. To see this part of the country in its unspoilt surroundings and incredible beauty is a privilege that you won’t forget for a long time. You can describe this experience as your “Best holiday adventure ever” don’t miss the fun!

To BOOK your amazing Millennium Cave Tour (with bonus inclusions) please use the BOOK NOW link below:

The famous Millenium Cave is located at Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. It is about an hour drive from Luganville town. The Millennium Cave tour is an action packed, adventure filled experience. Don’t miss the exhilarating Millenium Cave Adventure tour if you’re visiting Vanuatu. If you are fit, you will enjoy the jungle hike, some scrambling […]

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Every weekend is an adventure

Tips and things to know to hike millenium cave (vanuatu).

• Post published: 24 June 2018
• Post category: Oceania/South Pacific / Vanuatu

When travelling to Espiritu Santo , you hear about Millenium Cave a lot. It is one of the best things to do in Vanuatu . But after finding out the price or discovering the difficulty, you may hesitate about joining the tour. These tips will give you a better idea of what to expect and how to plan your trip, so you get the most out of your experience at Millenium Cave (Vanuatu).

Drawn from my experience doing the tour in 2018, this article provides info on:

• the cost of the Millenium cave trek
• the itinerary
• the difficulty
• if it is worth it
• what to do if you have kids
• how to get to the trek
• the equipment to bring,
• tips to spend the night there
• the best time to plan your visit

1. Cost of the Millenium Cave trek

The trek is 7,500 VT per person including the return transport from Luganville but not your lunch. It is a guided tour that lasts for a full day and will take you to remote areas.

Your money will help the local community. When we visited, they were using it to provide education to more than 125 children (a number that had increased every year).

In some places in Vanuatu (the Mele Cascades in Port Vila or the Mount Yasur Volcano in Tanna for example), we considered the entry fees were too high for the experience offered. But we didn’t have this impression with the Millenium Cave tour. It felt like we were spending our money on something positive (profit goes to education rather than private profit). Plus, the tour guide was knowledgeable and willing to share many stories.

2. Itinerary of the Millenium Cave trek

The tour starts at their office in Luganville, near the Sarakata river bridge. A 4WD truck takes visitors to Nambel village (a 45-minute drive). We loved the adventure from there as we were at the back of the car that filled up on the way with kids coming back from school who shared their snacks with us – a cousin of the cacao bean we had never seen before.

From Nambel village, it is a 20-minute walk to Vunaspef village , who are the landowners of Millenium Cave. Although there is no significant difficulty in that part, it’s already slippery, and the bamboo bridge gives a first taste of the adventure that awaits.

Depending on the fitness of your group, it takes around  1.5 hours to walk from the village to Millenium Cave . Going through the cave takes 30 minutes . Then it’s lunchtime near the river before scrambling on rocks for 30 minutes  (canyoning) and enjoying a leisurely swim for 45 minutes . The way back up takes around 30 minutes  to Vunaspef village.

After a break there, you go back to Luganville (20-minute walk + 45-minute drive).

I’ll do the math for you: it takes approximately  6 hours to complete the full Millenium Cave tour .

3. How difficult is the Millenium Cave tour?

We are used to long and challenging hikes and didn’t find this one particularly hard for fit and experienced hikers..

But if it is your first hike of this kind, the Millenium Cave tour may be difficult for you for a few different reasons:

• You have to walk for a long time (4 hours, although the duration varies according to the overall fitness of your group)
• You need good balance on the slippery paths
• You need to climb steep ladders up and down (and a few rocks too)
• You need to walk in the water over rocks only lit by a small torch
• You need to scramble in the canyon (not proper canyoning but close to it for a short time)
• The heat and humidity can make it harder if you are not used to it

I was impressed by how much work the locals did to improve access to the trek.

Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if it ranks as one of the most epic hikes ever for a majority of the visitors. Although I never felt in danger, the safety standards may not be the ones you are used to for this type of activity in other countries (no helmet, ladders made of wood, weak anchorage into the rocks…). But if the weather isn’t bad, there is nothing impossible for healthy people as long as you take your time and go at your own pace. Don’t hesitate to warn the guide if you feel uncomfortable as he can help and give tips.

Also, you will be in the darkness of the cave with just your torch to light the way. You will not see any exit or natural light for a while. I found it beautiful and not scary at all as there is plenty of space on the sides and above and continuous airflow. However, those who are claustrophobic may find it challenging.

Are you covered for adventurous activities by your  travel insurance ? I recommend double-checking to avoid bad surprises if an incident happens. Adventurous activities are often extra. Some travel insurance like  WorldNomads * and Covermore * make it easy to include adventurous activities.

4. Is Millenium Cave worth the price and the efforts?

That’s a big YES from me. We had a great time with our tour guide learning more about the Ni-van culture while discovering a remote and wild area. Even if they improved access for tourists, it is still very adventurous and natural.

The trek in the jungle was interesting as we learn about how they use plants in the village, for food and medicine. Our guide was happy to share his knowledge about the forest we were exploring. He made sure we had many opportunities to try fruits we had never seen before or the best one we had ever tasted. We ate delicious bananas, passion fruits, grapefruits, different kinds of passion fruits and a few others we didn’t know like what they call their local apples.

The Millenium Cave itself is fantastic, both for the beauty of the cave and the strange feeling of being in the total darkness with hundreds of bats over your head. The short canyoning experience is fun and I wished it lasted for a bit longer. The final swim in the river is quite relaxing – although a bit too refreshing to my taste – and the views are stunning.

It was not at all a walk in the park, but it was easier than I expected.

We regretted not having an adventure offered at Tanna Volcano. Our experience at Millenium Cave was totally different, and we could not have wished for a better tour.

5. Can kids hike Millenium Cave?

I cannot comment on a minimum age for a kid to hike Millenium Cave. I can think of children I know that would love the experience and others that would be terrified and exhausted. There is also a certain level of risks in this kind of activity that only parents can evaluate for their own child. The staff from the Tour Office should be able to give you more specific advice as they will have had experience with kids.

Millennium Cave is too adventurous for young kids who would struggle going up and down the ladders. But this should not stop their parents from joining the tour. Women in the village can look after the young children while the rest of the family goes on the hike. When I was by myself killing time in another Ni-van village, many children were happy to find a new face to play with.

They can also organise more family-friendly tours from their village to the river or the jungle.

6. How to go to Millenium Cave

You cannot go to Millenium Cave for a self-guided visit . You need the authorisation of the landowners who will provide a guide for you.

And you cannot drive to Vunaspef village with a car rental . Only experienced drivers can manage this unsealed road in bad condition. Plus, we were limited to a zone with our car rental that included most touristy sites on Santo but not Millenium Cave.

Your only option to visit Millenium Cave is to book a tour.

You can visit their official website for all the information about booking your Millenium Cave tour. The best is to contact them in advance by phone (+678 547 0957) or email ( [email protected] ). We were lucky to be able to go on the tour in the morning when we showed up at their tour office in Luganville, just after the Sarakata Bridge.

These are the only ways to ensure you are doing the tour with the landowners. It also means your money contributes to maintaining the tracks, training the guide and financing the Millenium School that provides education for the entire community, and not only the village of the landowners. Plus, when you consider the difficulty of the hike, I would not recommend doing it without a knowledgeable guide to show you the safest way.

7. Equipment you need for the Millenium Cave tour

The best is to ask questions directly to your guide if you have any doubt about what to take with you. You can leave it to them before going on the trek. So if you stay overnight in the village, you don’t need to carry your overnight backpack during the long walk. But it’s a good idea to separate it in advance from your day pack, so you don’t waste time sorting everything out while the group is ready to leave.

The information below should help you have a better idea of the things to take for your Millenium Cave tour:

You will get wet during your Millenium Cave tour

Hence, only take gear that can get wet. They will give you backpacks in the village, so you don’t have to worry about getting yours into the water. During the hike, you will walk in the stream to reach the cave and then entirely swim in the river on the way back.

We took our  underwater camera  for this hike. I left my hiking shoes in the village and did the walk with my diving boots as I didn’t mind these getting wet. Some other people in our group were wearing reef shoes or runnings. Runnings are great if you don’t mind having them all wet (and keep in mind that it takes a while to dry in Vanuatu’s humid climate). But water shoes that dry quickly and have holes in the sole and a good grip are even better. See this model for example *.

We also had small dry bags * to protect our food and some equipment like our first aid kit. They can also provide a dry box at the village if you don’t have your own dry bag. A headlamp * could make the walk through the cave more manageable for those who are not at ease walking in the dark on uneven terrain. They do provide a waterproof torch but it cannot be fixed on your head.

Don’t forget to bring dry clothes that you will leave in the village. It will be more comfortable to be dry for the trip back to Luganville.

Clothes for protection

I hiked Millenium Cave with quick-dry long trekking pants and a light top with long sleeves. I found it was a great option for a few reasons:

To be protected from the sun : I chose not to use sunscreen during the hike as we were mostly in the forest and it was not a very sunny day. If you think you need sunscreen, I recommend choosing a brand that is reputed for not having chemicals (I use zinc). It will reduce the risk of polluting the water.

Responsible travel tip : Did you know your sunscreen can pollute the water and harm animals? The best way to protect your body from the sun is to cover it with long sleeves and pants. If you do have to use sunscreen, choose a mineral one (like zinc) to avoid harmful substances (see the full list here ) and apply it at least 20 minutes before entering the water. 

To be protected from bugs : I didn’t like the idea of risking contaminating the river with bug repellant. We may have been lucky with the season but my clothes were enough to protect me from the bugs.

To be protected from scratches: Millenium Cave trek is physical. You will probably hit your legs or arms on rocks at some point. I had a few bruises but they did not affect my skin thanks to my clothes protection. Clothes can also protect from the vegetation, in case you were not listening when the guide showed the local equivalent of itching powder.

Drinking water

You will need to bring your drinking water for the hike and your stay at the village . It’s a long hike in hot and humid conditions, so you will need to have plenty of water. We read from the Australian Government’s Smart Traveller website that “ tap water in the major urban centres of Port Vila and Luganville is generally safe to drink ,” so we filled up our water bottles from the tap at our accommodation before the Millenium Cave tour.

Responsible travel tip:  Using water bottles rather than single-use plastic bottles makes a huge difference in the waste you leave behind while travelling. We managed to use tap water in our water bottles even when we went outside the urban centres thanks to a filter. It was very convenient as it saved us many trips to the shop and we never worried about having water. And it’s also cheaper! We use this flexible  Sawyer Water Filtration System * that can be fixed to many usual bottles, comes with a pouch to pour the filtered water into containers and with a straw so you can drink directly from the source. Alternatively, I also like the LifeStraw water bottle with an integrated filter *.

Where to get your picnic for your Millenium Cave tour

My favourite place to buy food is at the Luganville market . You will find fruits and snacks like peanuts there. Then, you can go grocery shopping at LCM on Luganville main road – known as the best shopping centre for expats. We were happy to buy French pate for our sandwiches as we cannot find it easily in Australia and miss it a lot. If you want to stock up, the best one we got was actually in Port Vila, at the Bon Marche near the traditional market.

If you didn’t have time for shopping before the tour , there is a petrol station with a decent shop across the road from the Millenium Cave tour office. You could also ask your host or hotel the day before if they can provide you with a sandwich or if there is a place nearby that sells them.

8. Opportunity to spend the night at the village

If you are looking for an authentic experience in Vanuatu, you will be interested in spending the night at Vunaspef Village after your hike. It will cost you 3,500 VT per person, food included.

This Santo accommodation is basic but cosy enough for a good night’s sleep.

Remember you will need to dress appropriately in a traditional village to respect the local custom. It means women must cover their legs up to their knees. You can tie a sarong around your waist if it is easier for you.

Staying for the night became even more tempting during the hike. Our guide started fishing appetizing crayfish in the river for dinner. We learnt these are for visitors only and people from the village don’t eat them.

Unfortunately, we found out too late this was an option and had already our booking arranged elsewhere. We thought about going back without doing the trek (it’s 1,000 VT for the transport) but didn’t find time in the end.

9. The best time to visit Millenium Cave

The tour is dependent on the weather, and it can be cancelled if it rains too much. They may opt for a half cancellation or a full one depending on the conditions of the tracks. So if you want to maximise your chances of visiting Millenium Cave, I recommend planning it early during your stay. This will allow you to postpone it if the weather is unfavourable.

The rain season in Vanuatu is from November to April. The first months of the year receive the highest amount of rain. I wouldn’t be surprised if Millenium Cave tours get cancelled more during that period.

It rained quite a lot a couple of days before our Millenium Cave trek. The track was muddy and very slippery, but still doable.

Have you been to Millenium Cave? Did you find the hike challenging? Share your experience in the comments below!

Where is millenium cave (vanuatu).

Millenium Cave is located on the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. Vanuatu is an archipelago in the South Pacific. It is near New Caledonia and not too far from Australia’s east coast and the north of New Zealand .

You need to reach the village of Vunaspef to start the jungle trek that leads to Millenium Cave. From Luganville, it is a 45-minute drive (4WD necessary) plus a 20-minute walk.

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Millennium Cave in Vanuatu: exploring in the dark

Millennium Cave in Vanuatu is a fun and adventurous hike through Vanuatu’s biggest cave located on the outskirts of Luganville

We’re two weeks into our long-awaited round-the-world trip and already in the midst of a haze of activity. So far, we’ve had a day at Kiwanis (Vanuatu’s annual horse-racing event), swum beneath Mele Cascades waterfall , kayaked to Erakor Island , dived for the first time ever and seen the wreck of the SS Coolidge.

Every day has brought a new experience, the most demanding of which has been the Millennium Cave Tour, a trek through Vanuatu’s biggest cave located on the outskirts of Luganville on the island of Espiritu Santo.

Millennium Cave in Vanuatu

We set off with a group of six other adventurers, trekking through lush rainforest to the small village of Vunaspef where we were told to leave anything that couldn’t get wet. A few of our companions handed over expensive cameras, checking and rechecking that the guide would keep them safe.

We strapped on mandatory life jackets and trekked to rougher terrain, scrambling over sheer and slippery rock. In particularly dangerous places, the guides had nailed pieces of wood to rock to make the passage easier. This certainly helped – without it, there would surely have been a serious accident or two.

At a clearing, we paused for a symbolic ritual: clay paste applied to our faces to mark our respect for nature and ensure safe passage. Then, we carefully descended to the entrance of the grand cave: 50m tall and over 3km long. Torches in hand, we entered, wading through ice-cold water up to our knees.

I asked Charlie, our guide, how often he does this. “Every day,” he replied with a smile. “Every day.” He explained that much of the proceeds from the tour go towards building a school in the local village.

“We have built classroom one and classroom two. This summer we are building classroom three,” he added proudly. “We have a teacher from Santo visit every week to teach our children.”

“That is why we do this,” he continued. “Our customers have a good time and they help our village too.”

Then, distracted, he beckoned us to a slippery wall. He shone a torch on it. I recoiled. There were 20 or so spider-like insects crawling around in a frenzy. Sensing my distress, Charlie reassured me: “They’re not spiders; they’re crickets. Only crickets.”

Peter joked that I was acting like Willie Scott from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (“Indyyyyy”). Needless to say, I was not amused.

Halfway into the cave, the guide asked us to switch off our torches. My mind flashed to a scene from The Descent , the horror movie in which a group of cavers stumble across a species of otherworldly carnivores – not a comforting thought when washed in darkness.

I couldn’t even see my own hand in front of my face. We heard the other cavers further down scaring themselves with growling sounds.

We spent an hour in the cave – slipping and sliding and collecting bruises in this dark, otherworldly space. Finally, we emerged victorious into a clearing by a river. We paused for lunch and then spent the afternoon climbing up through a canyon, diving into a river, and floating downstream back to Vunaspef Village.

Our tired limbs were soothed by the fresh coffee and fruit laid out by the locals. As we ate, they taught us some Bislama – an English-based creole – and were greatly amused by the fact that we knew the Bislama word for ‘bikini’.

Yes, if you want to make a Ni-van laugh, tell them you know how to say bikini: ‘Basket blong titi’ will have them in fits.

An Australian couple trekking with us gave the villagers some notebooks and pencils – practical gifts gratefully received. Exhausted but delighted, we gathered our things, said goodbye to the guides and boarded our bus back to the dusty town of Luganville, ready for our next adventure.

Atlas & BOots

Port Vila has as international airport with regular flights to Australian east coast airports (book via  skyscanner.net ).

Lonely Planet South Pacific includes a comprehensive guide to the country (including Millennium Cave in Vanuatu), ideal for those who want to both explore the top sights and take the road less travelled.

Additional photography: Dreamstime

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Millennium Cave Tour, Santo, Vanuatu

The Millennium Cave Tour is an absolute-must for anyone visiting Espiritu Santo.  It’s an all-day tour with a pick-up from your accommodation at around 8am and you will arrive back at around 4pm.  While the cave tour does require a level of fitness, being sure-footed is invaluable.

Entrance to the cave

Our guide was the grandson of the chief who discovered the caves.  The story he told me is that one day his grandfather was out ‘hunting wild beasts’ when he discovered the caves on land owned by his village.  In 1997 he took his grandson to the caves and believing this could be a tourism attraction, they spent the next three years building a track to the caves, through the caves and back to their village.

Heading off on our adventure

The tour opened in 2000 and was accordingly named, The Millennium Cave Tour.

Millennium Cave Tours Office

On our first night at Barrier Beach House , I was studying a map of Santo where some of the Island’s attractions were listed.  Shane was pouring me a pre-dinner drink and I told him we definitely wanted to do the cave tour.  He said, ‘Can I make a suggestion?  I’d recommend you do the cave tour sooner rather than later as it hasn’t rained for a few weeks and if it does rain, you can’t do the tour’.

Sunday morning in the village

The village church

We had thought of having a ‘lay-day’ for the first day of our holiday but we took Shane’s advice and he booked us onto the tour for the very next day.  And we are so glad he did because on that day the rain began and it didn’t stop for the rest of our holiday.  Many others who arrived at the Beach House with high hopes were unfortunately not able to visit the caves and they were shattered.

The out-house

Walking to the village

The tour costs around $80.00/adult and less for children.  You need to provide our own lunch so the girls at the Beach House made us up some baguettes and bottled water.  Wear a swimsuit with something like shorts and a tee-shirt over the top as you will be getting wet and a bit dirty, especially if you slip and fall in the mud!  A light backpack with sunscreen, insect repellant and a go-pro camera is about all you’ll need to take with you.

Bamboo bridge – hold on

Bright and early we were picked up in a Hilux which is one of about two types of cars you will see on Santo.  The kids were very happy to ride in the back seated on a wooden plank while Drew and I took the more comfy option.

The pre-school

The view from high up in the rainforest

We were driven into Luganville where we went to the tour office.  This is a community business where all profits go back into the Vunaspef Village on the site of the cave.  The day’s activities were explained to us and we signed a very casual (by Australian standards) consent form and then it was back into the Hilux.

Explaining the day’s adventures

The drive to the first village took around 45-minutes and was on a dirt road full of pot holes so the car traveled slowly.  We were heading up into the hills and the scenery was stunning.  Santo is densely covered in vegetation and is very, very green.

The rainforest

We arrived at a village that appeared deserted but that’s because it was Sunday morning and everyone was in church.  Arabella needed to visit the bathroom and was shown to an out-house behind the hen house where there was just a hole in the ground.  Nearly collapsing from the visual impact, the odour and the flies, she said, ‘I can’t go in there mum, I can’t, I can’t’.  One can always find a tree to squat behind if that is the preferred option.

Mind the cow

We needed to get to the Vunaspef Village and as there isn’t a road, this journey is done on-foot and takes around 40-minutes.  At one point you walk across a bridge that is made from bamboo logs that haven’t been secured so they twist and turn.  It’s quite slippery so we found holding on to the handrail and crossing one at a time to be the best way forward.

Heading to the caves

Even though it hadn’t rained for a couple of weeks we found the ground to be very wet and slippery; maybe it had rained in the night or maybe the tree canopy is so dense, the sunshine doesn’t dry out the ground.  The walk to the village has some stunning scenery and walking through the rainforest is incredible.

The village

At the village we were shown into the meeting house where the cave tour was explained to us and we were fitted with life jackets.  The village has some budget accommodation available and we met some people who stayed there and they said while the facilities were very basic, it was amazing to be able to experience a way of life that has remained the same for centuries.

We were very grateful to have the chief’s grandson as one of our guides as his knowledge of the area was vast and his English pretty good.  We had two guides for the five of us.  The guides (all native to the village) take people on these tours around four times a week.  They are extremely sure-footed and as fit and lean as Olympians.  They either were in bare feet or wore a pair of thongs.  They are very used to Westerners in all our glorious clumsiness and they seem to be there just when you need them as they reach out a hand to steady a wobbling whitey.

Every stroke of ochre is symbolic

I did ask our guide if he noticed a difference between villagers and Westerners and he said, ‘mostly white people do okay but sometimes when they get to the caves they become like children and need to be helped’.  With everything that was within me, I was determined not to regress into a child-like state.

Taking it very seriously

The journey to the caves takes around 90-minutes.  There are two rest stops along the way where you can stop to admire the view, take photos and have some water and there are some basic amenities, (BYO toilet paper).

The lunch stop

Along the way our guide pointed out animal life and plant life and explained which plants not to touch because they can give you a rash or because they have spikes etc.

Find a rock and sit down to enjoy your lunch

When we had neared the cave, we stopped to have our faces painted.  All visitors to the cave have their faces painted in an ochre substance out of respect for the caves.  Once we were painted-up we then handed our backpacks and accessories to the porters who would carry them via a different route to the lunch spot.  As this point if you do want to continue taking photos you will need a waterproof camera and the best type would be a go-pro as it can be strapped to you leaving your arms to steady yourself through the cave.

Entering the cave

Part of the cave

We were all given a small torch and we headed down to the cave.  The walk through the cave takes around 40-minutes.  Obviously it is pitch black so to light the way, you do need your torch.  You walk through water that is about knee-deep at least and have to step on rocks that are sometimes slippery and sometimes ‘on the move’.  And if the water has been stirred up, you can’t see the bottom so you don’t know the depth of your next step nor what you’ll be putting your foot on.  This is where the guides are excellent at looking out for you, anticipating difficulties and being there for assistance.

Baby swallows

Inside the cave we saw a lot of bats and swallows.  There are plenty of swallow’s nests and they all seemed to be filled with baby swallows that had just hatched.  The roof of the cave would be about 50mtrs above you as you walk through.

Once through to the other side, we sat on either sides of the stream and had lunch.  You don’t have to worry about being wet because even if it’s raining, it’s very warm so you’re not cold.  We rested for about 20-minutes while watching the local village children throw themselves off boulders and into the water and then it was time for the canyoning.

It’s dark inside the cave!

Torch light leading the way

The canyoning to the river takes about 30-minutes and is quite tricky.  At one point I had to squeeze myself between two boulders and so I don’t know how Drew made it through without getting stuck.  There are some ropes to pull you along and the guides are there to show you where to put your feet so you don’t become tangled.

Heading to the canyoning

Not my best angle

The canyoning leads to the river and for most people this next stage is the highlight of the day’s activities.  You throw yourself into the river which is freshwater with a refreshing temperature of around 25C.  Fitted with a life jacket you bob up and down and the gentle current takes you down the river.

The river is fairly narrow and on both sides the land shoots up vertically to an incredible height so that way above you you can just see a thin narrow strip of sky.

Hold on to the rope

Floating downstream

At one stage you pass under a waterfall where you can stop to stand underneath it and have one of those pounding water massages.

A refreshing waterfall

Very relaxing

A favourite part of being in the river was where you pull yourself out of the water and climb up some large boulders.  The guides will take your life jacket from you and then you throw yourself into the water – and not so elegantly too!  The guides then show you how it’s done with a display of impressive dives and back flips.

A rocky path

After the river experience, it’s then a vertical climb back to the top.  If by now you’re a little tired, this is where you’ll have to call on your reserves because it’s a steep climb and it involves climbing handmade ladders that Drew wondered if they could sustain his weight, and then pulling yourself up vertical dirt slopes with a rope.  Over and over and over again.

The vertical climb to the Village

Once at the top there is the walk back to the village.  We did this part of the journey during a torrential downpour which we all found very refreshing. Our guide pointed out the village vegetable garden where everything is grown naturally and organically.

Afternoon tea in the meeting house

At the village we were invited into the meeting house where the local women had prepared afternoon tea for us.  After washing our hands we were offered platters of fresh fruit including grapefruits that had no bitterness or acidity and were wonderfully sweet.

In the meeting house there’s an opportunity to purchase items made by the women of the village and the money is used to put the children through school.  Drew bought a sarong for about $12.00 and a hat for about the same price.

In the rainforest

With the money that has been raised through the cave tour and the selling of souvenirs, the village has been able to start the Millennium School that provides education for all the village children.  It costs around $1,000/year to send a child to school but with income being a tenth of the average Australian income, many parents cannot afford to send their children to school.  Here is a village that has created one of Santo’s top tourism attractions with all monies raised going back into their community to pay for the education of its children.

Man-made railing

After the rest-stop I thought we just had to hop into the Hilux and be driven back to the Beach House but alas, I had forgotten about the walk back to the other village.  It took about 40-minutes to walk through the rainforest and back to the village where I was very grateful to be able to climb into a car and have someone drive me back to our accommodation.

Nearly there

A day on the Millennium Cave Tour has to be on your must-do list when visiting Santo.  Yes, it’s strenuous but also exhilarating.  And you will sleep well that night.

Here’s a very short video of the little guy jumping into the river…

Verdict:  An absolute must.

Millennium Cave Tours :  Vunaspef Village, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu

Charlie, that’s the most amazing experience that I’ve ever read about and seeing the pictures just made me shake my head in wonder. Of course, being mobility challenged, I could barely make the walk to the caves and back so to see everything that you and your family did on this tour is the only way I could ever ‘experience’ something like that. I think Archie, Arabella and Alfie will never forget it.

WOW, that looks fantastic… It is so great that you got to experience such a wonderful day! When I travel I always take advice from the locals… I have had the best holidays because of it…! Thanks for sharing! Liz x

Great blog post, Charlie, but also what a wonderful journal of adventures that your children can look back on someday!

I’ll bet your little guy loved that day to the moon and back. So much fun. I haven’t been to Vanuatu for about 7 years…but reading this makes me want to book a ticket!

Wow, I’m wet, sweaty, dirty and tired after all of that. I love that waterfall – that must have felt amazing.

It does look like a great day out but I’m afraid it would have been me regressing to childlike behaviour in the cave and climbing down the canyon. I got told to walk like a proper adult in snow a couple of weeks ago!!! But it’s great the village is putting their children through school and all the funds are going to a great cause.

What an incredible tour! Strenuous is an understatement though! Thanks for taking us along the fantastic experience.

Oh my what an experience this must have been!! AMAZING. I’m glad you got to do it before it rained!

What a fun adventure. Alfie must be in heaven! Loved the photo of Arabella by the outhouse.

I am exhausted just reading about this adventure. I would never do this. I would not have the stamina. And being in a cave is something I couldn’t do.

But I’m glad your family could do this together. It’s something that you will always talk about and that will connect you forever.

This was a really interesting post.

What an amazing vacation you had! Loved taking that trip with you. 🙂

Now that’s an adventure! I am exhausted reading about it, I can only imagine how tired you guys must’ve been! Sounds like so much fun! How did Alfie hold up? That’s a lot of walking for a little guy! The slipping and sliding reminds me of the hike we took the other day up at a state park here. We don’t have the problem with rain so much right now, but with all the tree cover, the snow and ice doesn’t melt..so we wre also slipping and sliding with nothing to hold onto! I’m so glad I bought my walking staff, I may have looked like a wizard but it saved me from doing serious damage to my knees!

What a fabulous tour and an amazing experience! So beautiful and interesting. Not sure I would have made it back up that vertical climb to the village after all of the other strenuous parts of the tour. Bravo to all of you for your stamina! 🙂

That sounds like an amazing experience, you must have kept like logs afterwards. A really memorable fantastic day out. Wonderful to think that the money raised is used so wisely too. GG

What an adventure!!! The scenery is beautiful—and your kids all look like they’re having a terrific time 🙂

Wow – what a terrific and fun adventure! I love caves and this must be a great experience!

That sounds like an excellent experience, I am actually gunning to visit Vanuatu now with some friends! These caves sound exhausting but so much fun to go through!

Cheers Choc Chip Uru

You are a braver women than I. Awesome post and great adventure. I hope you were wearing heaps of mosquito repellant!

WOW!! Such an incredible experience!!! I had a similar float-down-the-river moment in Mexico a few years ago, and absolutely loved it. 🙂

Oh, Pete and I would love to do this! Sorry I have missed out on so many of your posts. Having Pete home for an extended holiday meant no time in front of the PC. Have a wonderful day Charlie. 🙂 Mandy xo

What an intrepid family you are! At first I was thinking that yes I could do that but towards the end I don’t know if I could! 🙂

WOW looks like a great venue, except the OUT House!!

Wowee Charlie I’m exhausted reading this but what a wonderful opportunity and experience!

Hi Charlie, reading through this post it’s pretty obvious that you are giving your children such great memories, love it!

What a great adventure – Charlie – and you are so lucky to have seen this hidden treasure.

This sounds absolutely amazing!! What an adventure packed experience. I am so glad you went on your first day – it would have been a terrible shame to miss it. I worry about my level of coordination for something like this (I’d definitely end up slipping over in the mud, at the least!) but if we ever find ourselves visiting the area, I’ll definitely be looking to go.

God almighty Charlie that’s one hell of a trek. you really saw the real Espirito there. As Lorraine said you are one intrepid family

Looks exhausting but lots of fun.

Wow, I’m so glad you didn’t miss out on such a wonderful adventure Charlie! What a great project the villagers were able to pull together and for such a wonderful cause too xo

I’m SO fascinated by your adventure (and the whole trip!)!!!! I studied geology and geography in college and when I hear a cave, I get excited! I wish my kids are up for the challenging hike like that.

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Millennium Cave Tours

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The Millennium Cave tour is an action packed, adventure filled experience. Not for the faint hearted but if you enjoy a challenge join the team on a trek through tropical forest, explore Vanuatu’s largest cave, scramble over rocks and boulders, then cool down with a river swim. Trip Advisor reviews describe this experience as “Not to be missed” – “The tour that keeps on giving …” – “Best holiday adventure ever”.

Millennium Cave is situated in South Central Santo, a 45 minute drive from Luganville town. When the transport stops, a 15 minute walk then takes guests through coconut plantation and across a bamboo bridge leading to the village of Funaspef. This Village is likely to be the home of a Tour Guide and within the traditional Nakamal building he will explain the tour, showing a map and the route to be followed. Guests are provided with a torch, life jacket and flotation aid for the walk through the cave and the river swim.

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millennium cave tours santo, Millenium Cave, Vanuatu

45 minute drive from Luganville town

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Explore a rare, 25,000-year-old cave near Lake Michigan

• Updated: Jun. 22, 2024, 2:06 p.m. |
• Published: Jun. 22, 2024, 9:05 a.m.

• Aya Miller | [email protected]

BUCHANAN, MI -- Most people explore nature in Michigan on its beaches or in its woods.

But at a place called Bear Cave in Southwest Michigan, you can explore Great Lakes history underground.

Buchanan is home to one Michigan’s only public cave systems. Bear Cave is a naturally forming cavern on the St. Joseph River, a watershed of Lake Michigan. The cave is about 15 miles from the lakeshore at 4085 Bear Cave Road in Buchanan.

The cave is on private property as part of the Thousand Trails Bear Cave RV Resort. But the resort allows public tours for $3.

The cave walls are 18-feet thick and made of tufa limestone. The cave was formed more than 25,000 years ago via glacial drifts on Lake Michigan, according to the resort.

A tour of the Bear Cave in Buchanan, Michigan on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com

It’s a “natural cave” with a few rooms, said Katie Long, assistant administrator at the resort. It’s not a massive cavern system like Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave.

Going down the stairs, visitors will see a boulder from the Kansan ice age deposited thousands of years ago, resort officials said. The tour of the cave is self guided along a well-lit circular path. In some areas, signs indicate fossils embedded in the walls and “cave pearls,” which are small spherical formations unique to limestone caves.

There are pools of water on the cave’s path, but the resort has installed stones and a platform to help visitors avoid the small, muddy pools. Because the cave is level with the river, it’s at risk of flooding at certain points of the season, said Adam Morris, manager of the resort.

“We do have a natural deposit that seeps out through the cave over the winter months,” Morris said. “It gets so wet down there.”

In some spots on the cave wall and ceiling, water droplets grip to the walls due to high humidity.

In the past, the cave has been used to hide bank robbers and enslaved individuals during the Underground Railroad, according to stories passed along.

Bandits robbed an Ohio bank in 1895 and hid in the cave. The story led to the cave being used as a filming location for the 1903 silent film “The Great Train Robbery.”

One of the cavern’s rooms, filled with a clear pool of water and marked with a “No swimming” sign, leads to a larger room where enslaved individuals were hidden during the Underground Railroad. Now, the room is home to the largest population of Eastern Pipistrelle Bats in Lower Michigan, according to the resort.

The cave is most popular on weekends, the resort said.

As far as a history of bears in the cave — as its namesake suggests — Morris said it’s possible bears used it as a hibernation area in the past.

The only bears you’ll see now are plushies you can purchase at the resort gift shop.

Looking for more to do along Michigan’s Great Lakes? Check out MLive’s Lakeshore Travel series .

Michigan lakeshore travel stories

• No injuries at Silver Lake State Park after storm uproots trees onto campsites
• Michigan Adventure closes due to power outage
• Lake Michigan park offers free admission to celebrate playground, bathroom renovations
• A trout stream runs through this 18-hole disc golf course in West Michigan
• Lake Michigan city announces fireworks show date, time, bridge traffic impacts

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Japan’s MILLENNIUM PARADE Announce Global Tour: See the Schedule

The band, led by Daiki Tsuneta of King Gnu, will kick off the trek on Nov. 2 in Mexico City.

By Billboard Japan

Billboard Japan

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MILLENNIUM PARADE / WHO AND HOW TOUR 2024

November 2- Mexico City, Lunario del Auditorio Nacional November 4 – Los Angeles, The Fonda Theater November 7 – New York, Irving Plaza November 9 – Toronto, Danforth Music Hall November 14 – Berlin, Festsaal Kreuzberg November 16 – Paris, Le Trianon November 18 – London, HERE at Outernet November 20 – Utrecht, TivoliVredenburg Ronda December 19 – Tokyo Garden Theater December 20 – Tokyo Garden Theater

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Oscars Invite 487 New Members: Lily Gladstone, Catherine O’Hara, Jessica Alba, ‘RRR’ Director S.S. Rajamouli and More

The Directors Branch encompasses a diverse array of filmmakers, including Lila Avilés, Alice Diop, A.V. Rockwell, Angel Manuel Soto and Emma Seligman

By Clayton Davis

Clayton Davis

Senior Awards Editor

• Oscars Invite 487 New Members: Lily Gladstone, Catherine O’Hara, Jessica Alba, ‘RRR’ Director S.S. Rajamouli and More 10 hours ago
• Gloria Calderon Kellett, Xolo Mariduena and Edward James Olmos and More Join NALIP’s 2024 Media Summit (EXCLUSIVE) 1 day ago
• ‘Wheel of Time’ Director Sanaa Hamri Talks Finale, Teasing ‘Rings of Power’ Season 2 and Being Open to Making ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 3’ 4 days ago

Jessica Alba , Lily Gladstone , Greta Lee, Catherine O’Hara, and S.S. Rajamouli , director of “RRR,” are among the 487 artists and executives invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. With all expected acceptances, AMPAS membership will rise to 10,910 from 10,817 last year, with 9,934 members eligible to vote in the upcoming 97th Oscars in 2025—an increase from last year’s 9,375.

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Among the invitees are 19 Oscar winners, including Da’Vine Joy Randolph (supporting actress for “The Holdovers”) and Holly Waddington (costume design for “Poor Things”), and 71 nominees such as Samy Burch (original screenplay for “May December”) and Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”).

Eight filmmakers have been invited to multiple branches, including Bahrām Beyzaie (“When We Are All Asleep”), İlker Çatak (“The Teachers’ Lounge”), Cord Jefferson (“American Fiction”), Celine Song (“Past Lives”), Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Nadim Cheikhrouha (“Four Daughters”), Christine Turner (“The Barber of Little Rock”) and Michael Andrews (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”). They must select one branch upon accepting membership.

It is always noteworthy that established professionals like actor Catherine O’Hara (“Beetlejuice”), LuckyChap co-founder and producer Tom Ackerley (“Barbie”), and scribe Kogonada (“After Yang”) are only now joining the ranks.

Last year, the Academy invited 398 new members , including Taylor Swift, Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan, nominee Austin Butler and “RRR” stars Ram Charan and NTR Jr.

“We are thrilled to welcome this year’s class of new members to the Academy,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a statement. “These remarkably talented artists and professionals from around the world have made a significant impact on our filmmaking community.”

With the addition of the new member class, the Academy now includes 35% women, 20% from underrepresented and racial communities, and 20% from countries and territories outside the U.S.

This year’s slate of possible award contenders looks to include an eclectic mixture of blockbuster films (“Dune: Part Two”), massive star power (Lady Gaga, “Joker: Folie à Deux”), and beloved auteurs (Steve McQueen, “Blitz”). The 97th  Oscars  will be held on Sunday, March 2.

The complete list of the 2024 invitees is below:

Actors Jessica Alba – “Machete,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City” Erika Alexander – “American Fiction,” “30 Years to Life” Swann Arlaud – “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Bloody Milk” Shabana Azmi – “Godmother,” “Arth” Obba Babatunde – “City of Lies,” “The Manchurian Candidate” Saleh Bakri – “The Blue Caftan,” “The Band’s Visit” Stephanie Beatriz – “Encanto,” “In the Heights” Danielle Brooks – “The Color Purple,” Clemency” Tia Carrere – “True Lies,” “Wayne’s World” Sergio Castellitto – “Don’t Move,” “My Mother’s Smile” Alfredo Castro – “El Conde,” “Tony Manero” Jason Clarke – “Oppenheimer,” “Zero Dark Thirty” Kate Del Castillo – “Under the Same Moon,” “American Visa” Gang Dong-won – “Broker,” “Peninsula” Lily Gladstone – “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “The Unknown Country” Rachel House – “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” “Boy” Sandra Hüller – “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Zone of Interest” Maeve Jinkings – “Toll,” “Neon Bull” Greta Lee – “Past Lives,” “Gemini” Kate Mara – “Megan Leavey,” “The Martian” Dash Mihok – “Silver Linings Playbook,” “The Thin Red Line” Catherine O’Hara – “For Your Consideration,” “Best in Show” Da’Vine Joy Randolph – “The Holdovers,” “Dolemite Is My Name” Fiona Shaw – “The Last September,” “The Butcher Boy” Qi Shu – “The Assassin,” “Three Times” D.B. Sweeney – “Dinosaur,” “Eight Men Out” Jasmine Trinca – “Fortunata,” “Honey” Koji Yakusho – “Perfect Days,” “The Blood of Wolves” Teo Yoo – “Past Lives,” “Vertigo”

Cinematographers Eric Branco – “Story Ave,” “The Forty-Year-Old Version” Chananun Chotrungroj – “Birth/Rebirth,” “The Trapped 13: How We Survived the Thai Cave” Matthew Chuang – “You Won’t Be Alone,” “Blue Bayou” Andrew Commis – “Blueback,” “Babyteeth” Ashley Connor – “Polite Society,” “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” Josée Deshaies – “The Beast,” “Passages” Alex Disenhof – “Alice,” “Captive State” Jomo Fray – “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt,” “Port Authority” Damián García – “Jungleland,” “I’m No Longer Here” Magdalena Górka – “Die in a Gunfight,” “An Ordinary Man” Ryuto Kondo – “Monster,” “A Man” Dariela Ludlow Deloya – “A Million Miles Away,” “Prayers for the Stolen” Catherine Lutes – “Close to You,” “Mouthpiece” Aurélien Marra – “L’Homme Debout,” “Two of Us” Igor Meglic – “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Fast X” Crescenzo Giacomo Notarile – “Bullet,” “Moonwalker” Sophia Olsson – “Charter,” “Echo” Yerkinbek Ptyraliyev – “Yellow Cat,” “Karinca” Jamie Ramsay – “All of Us Strangers,” “Living” Nanu Segal – “Emily,” “Donkey Punch” Hidetoshi Shinomiya – “Drive My Car,” “The Town of Headcounts” Jigme Tenzing – “The Monk and the Gun,” “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” Ravi Varman – “Japan,” “Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two” Maria von Hausswolff – “Godland,” “A White, White Day” Sophie Winqvist – “Clara Sola,” “Pleasure”

Costume Designers Dave Crossman – “Napoleon,” “1917” Mario D’Avignon – “Midway,” “Hochelaga, Land of Souls” Anne Dixon – “The Marsh King’s Daughter,” “The Song of Names” Jürgen Doering – “Personal Shopper,” “Clouds of Sils Maria”  Leesa Evans – “Always Be My Maybe,” “Bridesmaids” Gabriela Fernández – “I’m No Longer Here,” “Cantinflas” Małgorzata Karpiuk – “The Zone of Interest,” “Quo Vadis, Aida?” Kazuko Kurosawa – “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai,” “Silk” Ann Maskrey – “The Man Who Knew Infinity,” “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Mona May – “Enchanted,” “Clueless” Rama Rajamouli – “RRR,” “Baahubali: The Beginning” Sheetal Sharma – “Gangubai Kathiawadi,” “Kesari” Preeyanan “Lin” Suwannathada – “The Creator,” “Buffalo Boys” Jill Taylor – “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” “My Week with Marilyn” Mónica Toschi – “A Ravaging Wind,” “Argentina, 1985” Holly Waddington – “Poor Things,” “Lady Macbeth” Khadija Zeggaï – “Passages,” “Love Crime”

Documentary Trish Adlesic – “The ABCs of Book Banning,” “Gasland” Daniela Alatorre – “A Cop Movie,” “Midnight Family” Waad Al-Kateab – “We Dare to Dream,” “For Sama” Anne Alvergue – “The Martha Mitchell Effect,” “Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn” Raed Andoni – “Ghost Hunting,” “Fix Me” Alethea Arnaquq-Baril – “Twice Colonized,” “Angry Inuk” Mila Aung-Thwin – “Let There Be Light,” “Last Train Home” Tina Baz – “Adolescents,” “Fix Me” Jorge Bodanzky – “The Amazon, a New Minamata?,” “Third Millennium” Moses Bwayo – “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” Caryn Capotosto – “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Nadim Cheikhrouha* – “Four Daughters,” “Benda Bilili!” Mstyslav Chernov – “20 Days in Mariupol” Michael Collins – “Almost Sunrise,” “Give Up Tomorrow” Flávia de Souza – “Aftershock,” “Open Heart” Jeanie Finlay – “Your Fat Friend,” “Seahorse: The Dad Who Gave Birth” Beadie Finzi – “Only When I Dance,” “Unknown White Male” Ellen Goosenberg Kent – “Torn Apart: Separated at the Border,” “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” Sky Hopinka – “Kicking the Clouds,” “Malni: Towards the Ocean, towards the Shore” José Joffily – “A Symphony for a Common Man,” “Foreign Soldier” Rachel Lears – “To the End,” “Knock Down the House” Rebecca Lichtenfeld – “The Eternal Memory,” “The Nightcrawlers” Sergei Loznitsa – “Babi Yar. Context,” “Mr. Landsbergis” Aïcha Macky – “Zinder,” “The Fruitless Tree” Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala – “Delikado,” “Call Her Ganda” Elaine McMillion Sheldon – “King Coal,” “Heroin(e)” Mark Mitten – “A Compassionate Spy,” “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” Vincent Moloi – “Skulls of My People,” “Men of Gold” Nisha Pahuja – “To Kill a Tiger,” “The World before Her” Pola Rapaport – “Addicted to Life,” “Broken Meat” RaMell Ross – “Easter Snap,” “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” Ousmane Samassekou – “The Last Shelter,” “The Heirs of the Hill” Frédéric Tcheng – “Invisible Beauty,” “Halston” Jennifer Tiexiera – “Subject,” “P.S. Burn This Letter Please” Hemal Trivedi – “Among the Believers,” “Saving Face” Christine Turner* – “The Barber of Little Rock,” “Lynching Postcards: “Token of a Great Day”” Keith Wilson – “Joonam,” “I Didn’t See You There”

Executives Salma Abdalla Cate Adams Maya Amsellem Lenora del Pilar Ferrero Blanco Sasha Bühler Michelle Byrd Elaine Chin Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Paolo Del Brocco Gina Duncan Dan Friedkin Poppy Hanks Kate Hurwitz Iris Knobloch Tim League Sasha Lloyd Harvey Mason Jr. Daniela Michel Brittany Morrissey Brianna Oh Lejo Pet Areli Quirarte Matthew Reilly Chris Rice Ben Roberts Peter Safran Couper Samuelson Ellen Stutzman Fumiko Takagi Graham Taylor Emily Woodburne Kim Yutani

Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Ana Bulajić Črček – “Illyricvm,” “Number 55” Hildegard Haide – “Run to Ground,” “Extinction” Karen Hartley Thomas – “Golda,” “The Personal History of David Copperfield” Frédéric Lainé – “The Animal Kingdom,” “Benedetta”

Marketing and Public Relations Michele Abitbol-Lasry Matt Johnson Apice Austin Barker Neil Bhatt Darnell Brisco Nasim Cambron Holly Connors Mauricio Azael Duran Ortega Stephen Garrett Christopher Gonzalez Andrea Grau Blair Green Carlos Alberto Gutiérrez Lisa Zaks Markowitz David Ninh Julien Noble Gitesh Pandya Michelle Paris Elaine Patterson Lonnie Snell Ray Subers Caren Quinn Thompson Jessica Thurber Hemingway Vilija Vitartas Stephanie Wenborn

Music Michael K. Bauer – “Cassandro,” “The Equalizer 3” Stephen Bray – “The Color Purple,” “Psycho III” Anthony Chue – “Man on the Edge,” “G Storm” Gary M. Clark – “Flora and Son,” “Sing Street” Marius de Vries – “Navalny,” “CODA” Jerskin Fendrix – “Poor Things” Simon Franglen – “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “The Magnificent Seven” Jo Yeong-wook – “Decision to Leave,” “Hunt” Shari Johanson – “Maybe I Do,” “All Together Now” Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch – “All of Us Strangers,” “Living” Fabrizio Mancinelli – “Il Viaggio Leggendario,” “The Boat” Diego Navarro – “The Cuckoo’s Curse,” “The Wasteland” Martin Phipps – “Napoleon,” “The Princess” Plínio Profeta – “Desapega!,” “Nosso Sonho” Philippe Rombi – “Driving Madeleine,” “Joyeux Noël” David Sardy – “The Beekeeper,” “Zombieland” Katrina Marie Schiller – “Wonka,” “Black Mass” Carl Sealove – “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down,” “The Human Trial” Ryan Shore – “Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World,” “Zombie Town” Kubilay Uner – “American Traitor: The Trail of Axis Sally,” “Force of Nature” Dan Wilson – “American Symphony,” “Love Again”

Production and Technology Deva Anderson Keir Beck Nicholas Bergh Geoff Burdick Larry Chernoff Man-Nang Chong George Cottle Eddie Drake Shauna Duggins Jonathan Eusebio Clay Donahue Fontenot Kyle Gardiner Barrie Hemsley Joel C. High Susan Jacobs Renard T. Jenkins Joshua Levinson Larry McConkey David James McKimmie Samantha Jo “Mandy” Moore Kenny Ortega Prem Rakshith Chad Stahelski David Webb Woo-Ping Yuen

Production Design Alain Bainée – “Society of the Snow,” “Official Competition” Annie Beauchamp – “Swan Song,” “Penguin Bloom” Ruth De Jong – “Oppenheimer,” “Nope” Douglas Dresser – “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Finch” Emmanuelle Duplay – “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Red Island” Warren Flanagan – “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” Lorin Flemming – “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Henry Fong – “Army of the Dead,” “A Wrinkle in Time” Jennifer Gentile – “Blue Beetle,” “Malignant” Shona Heath – “Poor Things” Sam Hutchins – “The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” “Joker” Steven Jones-Evans – “Anyone but You,” “Carmen” Claire Kaufman – “Oppenheimer,” “White Noise” Carol Kupisz – “Napoleon,” “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” Zsuzsa Mihalek – “Poor Things,” “Atomic Blonde” Edwin L. Natividad – “Blue Beetle,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” Till Benjamin Nowak – “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Black Panther” Chris Oddy – “The Zone of Interest,” “King of Thieves” Jenny Oman – “Mr. Malcolm’s List,” “The Green Knight” Adam O’Neill – “Chevalier,” “Empire of Light” James Price – “Poor Things,” “The Iron Claw” Peggy Pridemore – “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House,” “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” Scott Purcell – “Ambulance,” “A Quiet Place” Steve Saklad – “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.,” “Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar” Rick Schuler – “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” “Once upon a Time…in Hollywood” Don Shank – “Elemental,” “Luca” Andrew M. Siegel – “The Fabelmans,” “Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” Tom Targownik Taylor – “Stand Up Guys,” “Little Fockers” Adam Willis – “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Marriage Story” Katia Wyszkop – “Peter von Kant,” “Une Jeune Fille Qui Va Bien” Milena Zdravkovic – “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”

Sound Gina R. Alfano – “Baby Ruby,” “You Hurt My Feelings” Manfred Banach – “Home Sweet Home – Where Evil Lives,” “John Wick: Chapter 4” Stephanie Brown – “Haunted Mansion,” “The Marvels” Johnnie Burn – “The Zone of Interest,” “Poor Things” Alexandra Fehrman – “American Fiction,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Linda Forsén – “Love Lies Bleeding,” “A House Made of Splinters” Lee Gilmore – “Dune: Part Two,” “The Batman” Glynna Grimala – “End of the Road,” “Father Stu” Loveday Harding – “Heart of Stone,” “The Batman” Brent Kiser – “The Lionheart,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Frédéric Le Louêt – “Only 3 Days Left,” “Alibi.com 2” Steven A. Levy – “Oppenheimer,” “Tenet” Kate Morath – “The Boys in the Boat,” “Belfast” Mark Purcell – “Maestro,” “Dune” Alejandro Quevedo – “Murder City,” “Radical” David M. Roberts – “The Killer,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” Shelley Roden     – “Elemental,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” Jay Rubin – “How to Blow Up a Pipeline,” “Master Gardener” Ian Voigt – “The Creator,” “The Hustle” Laura Wiest – “The Boogeyman,” “Sanctuary” Tarn Willers – “The Zone of Interest,” “Starve Acre” Linda Yeaney – “The Beekeeper,” “Interstellar”

Writers Bahrām Beyzaie* – “When We Are All Asleep,” “Killing Mad Dogs” Elegance Bratton – “The Inspection,” “Pier Kids” Samy Burch – “May December” Dave Callaham – “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” Alessandro Camon – “The Listener,” “The Messenger” Nicolás Casariego – “Society of the Snow,” “Intruders” İlker Çatak* – “The Teachers’ Lounge,” “I Was, I Am, I Will Be” Massimo Ceccherini – “Io Capitano,” “Pinocchio” Linda Yvette Chávez – “Flamin’ Hot” Akela Cooper – “M3gan,” “The Nun II” Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer – “Blue Beetle,” “Miss Bala” Zeina Durra – “Luxor,” “The Imperialists Are Still Alive!” Lee Eisenberg – “Good Boys,” “Bad Teacher” Massimo Gaudioso – “Io Capitano,” “Tale of Tales” Arthur Harari – “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle” David Hemingson – “The Holdovers” Cord Jefferson* – “American Fiction” Erik Jendresen – “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” “Ithaca” Maryam Keshavarz – “The Persian Version,” “Circumstance” Marc Klein – “Mirror Mirror,” “Serendipity” Kogonada – “After Yang,” “Columbus” Tony McNamara – “Poor Things,” “The Favourite” Rhett Reese – “Ghosted,” “Deadpool” Tony Rettenmaier – “They Cloned Tyrone,” “Young. Wild. Free.” Bernard Rose – “Traveling Light,” “Candyman” Sarah Adina Smith – “The Drop,” “Birds of Paradise” Celine Song* – “Past Lives” Gene Stupnitsky – “No Hard Feelings,” “Good Boys” Takuma Takasaki – “Perfect Days,” “Honokaa Boy” Juel Taylor – “They Cloned Tyrone,” “Creed II” Erica Tremblay – “Fancy Dance,” “Heartland: A Portrait of Survival” Justine Triet* – “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Sibyl” Eva Vives – “All about Nina,” “Raising Victor Vargas” Paul Wernick – “Ghosted,” “Deadpool”

Artist Representatives Laura Berwick Eryn Brown John Carrabino Hillary Cook Tim Curtis Brian Dobbins Frank Frattaroli Jay Gassner Roger Green Laurent Gregoire Jermaine Johnson Theresa Kang Becca Kovacik Linda Lichter Douglas Lucterhand Devin Mann Gregory McKnight Evelyn O’Neill David Park Cynthia Lee Pett Valarie Phillips Maggie Pisacane Lindsay Porter Gretchen Rush Jodi Shields Chris Silbermann Carolyn Sivitz Gary Ungar Douglas Urbanski Steve Warren Alex Yarosh

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