By mattdotvu | 2 June 2025
The heart of Port Vila — our Central Business District (CBD) — was hit hard. The earthquake left deep scars, and for a while, it felt like the city had gone completely silent. Buildings were damaged, streets were blocked, and life stood still. We all remember that time — when the whole town felt like it was under lockdown, not just physically, but emotionally too.
But today, things are beginning to shift. There’s a slow but steady sense of normalcy returning. Down at Feiawa Park along the seafront, life is blooming again. I saw groups of people hanging out, chatting, relaxing under the shade. Couples hanging out, kids were running around the playground again, like nothing ever happened. The mamas at the handicraft stalls were back at it, weaving and selling. Old men sitting under the trees, catching up on life. The seafront is breathing again.
I took a walk through town to see the changes for myself.
The NBV building, which was recently rebuilt, has now been demolished once more because it was constructed directly on a fault line.
The NBV building — recently rebuilt — has now been demolished again, sitting on a fault line. Gone. The Lolam Building? Gone. The Chinese Club and the Customs Department buildings? Also gone. The old Department of Finance building is now halfway through demolition, and the building once known as Maroba Bookshop? That too is no more. Even the entire block that used to house Island Time and Olympic Hotel has vanished.
Demolition work has started on the VNPF building. In the meantime, VNPF has established temporary offices in multiple locations: at Socapore in the old VFF Haus, at Korman, and likely at Pango Half Road, where they initially set up after the earthquake.
Up the hill, they’ve started tearing down the VNPF building.
Rue du Paris in the CBD is still blocked off. And the main Lini Highway — or Kumul Highway — is reduced to just two lanes. It’s still rough around the edges, but you can see what’s happening: Port Vila is cleaning itself, healing, and preparing to rise again.
BRED Bank has reopened its branch in downtown Port Vila, marking an important step in the city’s recovery and return to normal life. At the same time, the BRED branch in Tagabe remains fully operational, continuing to provide essential banking services to customers both within the CBD and in the surrounding outskirts of Port Vila.
Signs of life are everywhere. BRED Bank is open, and so are the waterfront restaurants — from The Rossi to Nambawan Café. The Chinese shops along Bougainville Street are bustling, including the popular Chew Store. Erick Wong’s is still closed, but surprisingly, one Chinese shop in the ex-Himford Building is open, standing alone in an otherwise quiet Chinatown.
More photos on Instagram
Slideshow: A Walk Through Port Vila’s CBD
People are returning, businesses are reopening, but some key services remain closed as Port Vila rebuilds.
People are returning to work. Businesses are slowly reopening. Some are just coming to town for errands — banking at BRED, grabbing lunch, or simply catching up with friends. But not everything is back yet. The ANZ building is still closed, as are Wanfuteng Bank and BSP. The police station at Centre Point? Still looks deserted.
But through it all, the spirit of Port Vila remains.
We may have been shaken, but we’re not broken. The city is finding its rhythm again. One building at a time. One step at a time. One smile at a time.
Mattdotvu 
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