Only in Pas Pas Kato

The Most Generous Village in the South Pacific? 🍫 Sailing near the equator is a game of patience. With the wind completely dead, we motored our way to the northern tip of Vella Lavella Island to a place called Pas Pas Kato. Our arrival was a comedy of errors—paddling for miles in the blistering sun looking for a village, only to find ourselves deep in the mangroves. But what started as a failed supply run turned into one of the most heartwarming encounters of our trip. Before we could even ask, a local family began loading our kayak with fresh produce, proving once again that in the Solomons, hospitality is the only currency that matters. In this episode, we go beneath the surface to help our new friend Ken maintain his seaweed farm, an incredible and sustainable industry that is transforming remote island economies. We also explore a unique "Reception Island"—a spot where the ruins of an old cacao competition now serve as the only place locals can catch a phone signal. Ken also walks us through the entire Cacao process: from fermenting and drying the beans to roasting them over an open fire. We combine his hand-processed chocolate with our own freshly squeezed coconut cream for the best hot cacao we’ve ever tasted. To say thank you, we head out to the reef to spearfish for a massive community beach BBQ, ending the day with a feast of cassava, fish, and seaweed. Previous Video → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jaa8dtUSj1g ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 | Equatorial Doldrums: When the Wind Stops 01:15 | Lost in the Mangroves: A Surprising Welcome 02:30 | [Intro Sequence] 02:55 | Underwater Gardening: Working a Seaweed Farm 05:20 | The Reception Island: Meeting the "Only Resident" 07:30 | Drone Views: The Beauty of Northern Vella Lavella 09:20 | Tree to Cup: Processing Wild Cacao with Ken 12:00 | The Coconut Hunt: Sustaining a Coconut Habit 12:50 | Spearfishing for the Village: Giving Back 🎥 Episode 17 – Sailing Solomon Islands Become part of the crew 💡 PATREON ☞ https://www.patreon.com/c/onceuponareef ☕ Support Our Journey ☞ https://buymeacoffee.com/onceuponareef Or 🎁 Send us a gift ☞ https://throne.com/onceuponareef 🌍 Follow us: 📸 INSTAGRAM: @onceuponareef & @wheres.poppy 🎥 Poppy's YouTube Channel ☞ https://www.youtube.com/wherespoppy 📧 BUSINESS INQUIRIES - onceuponareef@protonmail.com Hey there, we’re Ryan and Poppy, a couple of adventure junkie sailors out to explore the most amazing reefs and islands in the world. We hope by documenting everything this lifestyle encompasses, we will inspire, raise awareness and support on going research to do our part in protecting these natural life systems. Subscribe if you’re on board! 📍Location: Pas Pas Kato, Vella Lavella Island, Western Province, Solomon Islands #sailingvlog #SolomonIslands #onceuponareef#SailingAdventure #Cacao #SeaweedFarming #Spearfishing #OffGridLiving #VellaLavella #TravelDocumentary #VillageLife #SouthPacific