THE culture of mailing postcards is still a popular one amongst avid travellers, even in this age of internet and e-postcards. This is mostly for the unique postcards and stamps that usually become valuable collectibles.
For many who send out these postcards to family and friends, it is a thrill or a part of the adventure of their travels.
While there are many post offices in strange locations around the world, such as one in space, on Mount Everest or even in “hell,” is there one you have to actually swim to?
Verdict:
TRUE
You may not witness the newt play the flute, or the carp play the harp, but there is indeed a postal service that sits within the crystal-clear waters of Vanuatu, a tropical paradise in the South Pacific.
Placed on site by Vanuatu Post, this official and currently unique postal location was opened for business in May 2003.
At a depth of around three meters, adventurers can swim up to, or rather, down, to the post office, where a waterproof post box can be found.
The post office provides special waterproof postcards that tourists can drop into the submerged post box with their own hands, or ask the staff to do so.
At a designated time, a scuba-donning postal worker dives down to the postbox, retrieves the postcards from the postbox, stamps them while still underwater and sends them on their way.
Instead of ink, which would wash away in water, the postcards are stamped with a special emboss device - verifying its underwater origin!
Vanuatu was designed for snorkelling, and has countless good snorkelling spots and a wide range of spectacular sea life.
The stamp issue follows the extremely popular eco-tourism stamp issue that features the attractions available in Vanuatu.
On its official website, the Vanuatu Post “encourages visitors to literally look below the surface of this beautiful country and grab a mask, fins and snorkel, and visit the Underwater Post Office.”
References:
1. https://www.vanuatupost.vu/underwater-post
2. https://www.blueprintdirectmail.co.uk/strangestpostoffices
3. https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/04/underwater-mailboxes-around-world.html
