Visiting Tanna Island & Mount Yasur Volcano in Vanuatu

Standing on the rim of a live volcano, feeling the ground rumble beneath your feet, watching lava burst into the night sky... this was a special moment for me. 

In this episode of Tourist to Traveller, I’m taking you to Tanna Island in Vanuatu, one of the most raw, powerful, and unforgettable places I’ve ever travelled. This is an island ruled by nature, not infrastructure, where life moves slowly and tradition still shapes everyday living.

At the heart of it all is Mount Yasur, one of the most accessible active volcanoes on the planet. Visiting it wasn’t just a bucket list experience, it was a reminder of why I travel in the first place.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How to get to Tanna Island and what to expect from domestic travel
• What it’s really like to visit Mount Yasur at sunset and after dark
• Whether Mount Yasur is safe, and why local guides are essential
• Why staying overnight on Tanna Island completely changes the experience
• Where to stay, and what else to do beyond the volcano

Helpful Resources & Links

• I’ve written a full Tanna Island travel guide covering where to stay, what to pack, and what else to do.

Connect & Explore

Find destination guides, travel planning resources and more at touristtotraveller.com, and follow along on Instagram @_touristtotraveller for behind-the-scenes planning and future travel inspiration. 

Transcript

Speaker 0:00

Welcome to the Tourist to Traveller Podcast, the show that helps you go beyond the guidebook and turn your bucket list dreams into real adventures. I'm Tahnee, a travel blogger, podcaster, and everyday explorer who's been ticking off epic destinations for over 20 years while balancing a 9 to 5. Each week I'll bring you inspiring stories, destination deep dives, and practical tips to help you plan smarter, travel deeper, and capture those unforgettable moments along the way. So, grab your passport, pack your curiosity, and let's get started. If you've ever wondered what it would feel like to stand on the edge of something truly alive. Something unpredictable, powerful, and ancient, this episode is for you. Because today I'm taking you to Tanna Island in Vanuatu, a place where nature calls the shots. Roads are rough, villages are deeply traditional, life moves slowly, and rising above it all is Mount Yasur, one of the most accessible active volcanoes on the planet. Standing on the rim of a live volcano, feeling the ground rumble beneath your feet, hearing explosions echo through your chest, it's not just a travel experience, it's something that stays with you. So if you're craving travel that goes beyond pretty beaches and actually makes you feel something, let's talk about why Tanner Island feels different and why Mount Yasur is a true edge of the earth moment. If you've been listening to my recent episodes, you might know that I've been planning my 40th birthday adventure. Yes, adventure, because for me, parties just don't excite me, but birthday trips absolutely do. I had an epic trip planned to the Middle East that we had to pivot for obvious reasons. And the destination that we landed on was Vanuatu. Not only is it much closer to home, but it's a country that has been on my bucket list for a long time, especially because of one epic experience there, and that is the opportunity to stand on the rim of an active volcano. And I'm gonna take you through that journey today. So Veneatu is a country in the South Pacific made up of 83 islands, and it's located somewhat in the vicinity between Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand, and it's right near New Caledonia. Because there are so many islands to choose from, we had to be really selective in where we wanted to go. It's not always easy traveling between the islands, so we decided just to stick with two for this trip. I traveled to Vanuatu with my family, with my elderly parents and my sister. Just for context, years ago for my dad's 70th birthday, we gave him a trip, a cruise around the South Pacific that was meant to stop in Vanuatu. And unfortunately, due to a cyclone, we had to skip Vanuatu. He has talked about missing this destination, I swear at least once a week ever since. So not only has it been on my bucket list, but it has definitely been on my dad's bucket list. And I actually really love traveling with my family because they all have the same travel style as me. My parents, regardless of their age, are still very active and they will go snorkeling, they will go hiking, and they'll climb to the top of an active volcano with me. Now that volcano was also on my dad's bucket list because he wanted to go to Vanuatu to experience the volcano. So all of us were really excited about this trip. We flew directly into Port Vila on the island of Efate from Brisbane, which is only about a two and a half hour flight, and stayed overnight before we caught another flight, a domestic flight with Air Vanuatu, over to the island of Tanna. Tanna Island is to the south of Vanuatu, and it's a place that feels very much untouched compared to the island of Efate. The island itself is really traditional, the roads are rough, you can't just catch a taxi or hire a car. It is a very authentic Vanuatu experience. And of course, the big highlight is Mount Yesua, the active volcano. Just to help you to adjust your expectations to Tanna, think limited Wi-Fi, limited electricity, many villages without power or running water. Lower your expectations when it comes to food and convenience and luxury accommodation. But Tanna is really about the experience, the culture, and the people. The best way to get to Tanner is via domestic flight via Air Vanuatu. Now I want to give you a bit of a heads up when it comes to booking your domestic trips in Vanuatu because at the time that we booked, the website for Air Vanuatu was actually not really functional. And you could book directly via phone or email, but you actually couldn't book through the website. Prices are fixed and there is also very limited baggage. So they allow 10 kilos checked baggage and 5 kilos carry-on. Yes, that is correct. A total of 15 kilos. So you've got two options here. Option one is to leave the rest of your luggage at the accommodation that you've just left or might be checking into when you get back from Tanna. Option two, you can take all of your stuff with you and pay the excess, which to be honest, was not that expensive. And that's the option that we decide to go with. We paid approximately $25 Australian dollars each to take an extra 10 kilos each on that flight. And we will only charge for one of our two domestic flights. Here you'll be traveling on a small plane, and there are frequent delays and cancellations, and that really is across the whole of Vanuatu. Because of this, you need to plan accordingly. So what I would recommend is to always plan a buffer day at the end of any island trip in Vanuatu so that you can make your international flight on time just in case there are cancellations or delays. So when you arrive on the island, you get a sense immediately of what Tanna is like, purely based on your airport experience. And most of the accommodation will come and pick you up via a shuttle because it is the best way to get around the island. And I also want to prepare you for what comes next: the roads. The journey from the airport to your accommodation or from your airport, from the airport, anywhere on Tanna Island, really, it's gonna be a bumpy one. Uh just think uh mostly dirt roads, depending on where you're driving to, and also potholes for days. So you're not gonna be going anywhere fast on Tanna Island. Let's just put it that way. While the volcano is definitely the big ticket item, the highlight of Tanna Island, there is actually a lot to do here, and I'm gonna get into that later. But first, I need to tell you what I'm sure you're all excited to hear about, and that is our experience going up to the rim of an active volcano on Tanna Island. The only way to experience Mount Yasur is via a guide. That is really important to know. And as I mentioned, high cars are not a thing. Tours are actually really easy to organize around the island, and you can do that directly through your accommodation, or you can join a couple of really great Vanuatu travel Facebook groups where you can connect with drivers and tour providers directly. Once you are picked up from your accommodation or from the airport if you're doing a really short trip, you'll often be traveling in the back of a dual cab ute (truck). Don't worry, they're usually fitted out with seats, but this is perfectly legal and very normal across Vanuatu. If your group numbers are low, don't stress, you can definitely sit inside, but sitting in the back is definitely an experience in itself. For us, we were staying in the airport, and the drive for us around the island to reach the volcano was actually really beautiful. It rained occasionally on and off throughout our drive. We consistently had rainbows. Uh, the locals were waving and shouting out and were so friendly. Uh, our guide was pointing out things along the way when we could hear him, of course, because we did spend a lot of time in the back of the ute. But it was such a beautiful drive. You're driving past a lot of banyan trees, black volcanic sand beaches, and locals just out and about having fun. We passed kava bars, we drove through local villages, and then eventually we reached the start of our volcanic experience. Most tours before they take you to the volcano will start off by driving over the ash plain. The landscape here is absolutely stunning, and it's really hard to describe it, but it kind of feels like you're on another planet. You've got the dark ash that's just covering the ground, you've got you've got beautiful formations, erosion, you've got greenery, and also at the time there was also running water from the rain. So, if you do have the option, I highly recommend stopping here for a little bit to get some really great photos and to truly take in the landscape. And this is where you're going to get a photo of the volcano in the background. So take advantage of this opportunity. One big thing to note when visiting the volcano, the weather really matters and you can't control it. Something that you'll you'll get to know in Vanuatu is that it rains almost every day, but it doesn't typically rain for long. You might get a shower for five or ten minutes and then it goes away. In a few hours' time, you might get another shower for five to ten minutes and then it goes away, and it's just something that you get used to. But rain on a volcano equals steam and smoke. So unfortunately, if the weather is bad, it means that the roads are really, really challenging and dangerous. But also, it can mean that you don't see anything when you get to the top of the volcano. Now, unfortunately for us, as we landed on the ash plane, it started bucketing down with rain. Uh, we decided to wait it out and we we had some fun in the rain and we still got some great shots there. But because of the impacts that it has on the volcano, it was really hard to see because it was just surrounded in clouds and smoke and dust. After the ash plane, you'll drive about five to ten minutes to get to the entrance of the volcano, and there are set briefing times that you need to arrive for. This is a safety briefing that they'll do as a group. They bring everyone there together into a big room and do a very, very quick safety briefing. And to be honest, we could only understand fragments of the safety briefing. But don't stress, the guides and the locals have done this many, many times. They all know the deal, uh, and they're all there to try and keep you safe. There was the option to grab things like a hard hat for safety, but uh, to be honest, I think only one person took one, and that was my dad. From there, you're gonna get back into the Ute with your guide and drive further up the volcano. The best time of day to see the volcano is at sunset and into the evening because you get such a better light show in the dark. There are also very few tour options that go in the morning around sunrise, but personally I think, and from all accounts that I've heard, the evening one is the best. The drive up the volcano was really interesting because it was raining, the ground was rough, the ground was slippery, and it was really interesting watching the youths in front of us struggle to tackle the terrain. They were often getting stuck and having to have a few runs up to get over certain parts where it was steep, where it was slippery, or where it was incredibly rough. And as you start to go up, you really get the sense of where you are when you start to see steam and smoke coming out of the earth beside the track. By the time we got up to the top, you only have to walk upstairs for about 10 minutes to reach the rim of the volcano. So if you're not a super active person, don't stress, you are not walking the entire way up a volcano, you're driving most of the way, and you're taking some stairs towards the end. So everyone will park, everyone will get out, they'll do another quick safety check, and then they'll bring everyone up together up the stairs. It is really important to listen to the guides because they know this volcano like the back of their hand. They know what happens when the wind changes, they understand the they understand how to keep you safe. So it's really important that you listen to them, that you stick with them, that you stay within the safe area, and that you don't wander outside of that, because that's when things can really become dangerous for you. Now, as you're climbing the stairs towards the rim, you can really start to hear the sounds and feel the vibrations of the volcano. And from the moment that I stepped onto the top, it was for me a jaw-dropping moment because all we could see was smoke and steam, but you can just hear the rumbles, the explosions, and even the splatter of lava hitting nearby. The scary thing for us was because of the smoke and the steam, you couldn't actually see the lava and where it was splattering. You knew it was nearby because you could hear it, and that was a little bit nerve-wracking because uh let's face it, you don't want lava landing on you. The other thing that hits you at the top is the smell of sulfur, and and we got lucky here because the wind was kind of blowing it out of our way. Now, after standing on the rim for a while, just wandering around, taking it all in. But that one thing that we really wanted to see, we had an experience, and that was to actually see lava. As we're standing there waiting for the sun to go down, getting more and more hopeful with our fingers crossed that we might actually be able to see something. The conditions got worse. That's right. It started raining again, lightly initially, and then it got heavier and heavier and heavier. And eventually it is pouring rain while we're standing around the volcano. I didn't realize it at the time, but a lot of people, as soon as it started raining, turned around and went back down. And the guides were still at the top, and I overheard someone ask one of the guides, will we see anything? And he said, "look... mother nature is in control. We can't control the weather, we can't control what it does, we'll just see." And for me, in what seemed to be terrible conditions, when he said, We'll just see, for me, that gave me a little bit of hope. I wasn't going anywhere. And I'd pay good money for this experience, this once-in-a-lifetime experience of standing on the volcano. And even if I didn't see anything, I wanted to take in every single moment standing at the top, hearing the rumbles, feeling the vibrations, and just taking it all in. Now eventually the wind started to change, and we saw what we thought in the distance was a little bit of a red glow. And for me, that's all I needed to see. I was stoked. I saw a glow of red. I was like, oh my God, that is lava. How exciting. And then I turned around to see the look on my parents' faces, my dad, especially, because this was such a big bucket list moment for him as well. And he wasn't there. So uh I turned to my sister and I said, Where are they? And she said, I think they went back down. And I was shocked. This moment that we'd all been waiting for, this moment that he had been waiting for. Uh he went back down to the to the ute to the car and he missed it. And I was like, Well, do I go back down to get him? Do I stay at the top? But I thought, no, this is a bucket list moment. And what if, what if we only see this for a couple of minutes and I don't want to miss this opportunity. So I stayed and I watched, and the breeze continued, the wind kept changing, and then finally we could see explosions of lava. Nature's fireworks. Oh my god, it was incredible. And they were very sporadic, but fairly frequent and occurred for probably about I feel like it was maybe 10 minutes, until eventually the wind changed again, the rain peaked back up, and it was all over. Uh all we could see once again was smoke. This was our experience on a day with really poor conditions. And for me, it was incredible, and I can't stop talking about this moment. I can't even imagine how amazing this would be if you had good weather. Because not only would you be able to see the lava really clearly, but also you'll be able to watch the sunset while you start to see the explosions. So it is just, it is an experience that I just I have to recommend. So eventually, of course, the guides usher us back down. At this stage, it is pitch dark. So I highly recommend pulling out your your phone, your mobile phone torchlight or an actual torch if you have one handy for the walk down, just so you can see the steps. By the time we got back to the car, we were absolutely drenched, but you could not wipe the smile off my face. And then I had that gut-wrenching moment of having to tell dad of what he'd missed. Even worse when I opened up my camera and I showed a video, and oh, the the disappointment knowing that he turned around and missed it. Um that that was really hard for me because it's a moment that I really wanted for him. I just want to be upfront here that depending on where you're staying on the island, this this can be a really long day. I think we were picked up at around 2 p.m. We were staying on the opposite side of the island near the airport. We were picked up around 2 p.m. and we got back to our accommodation probably around 8:30 or 9 p.m. So it was a really long day. Obviously, if you're staying near the volcano, it is going to be much shorter for you. But it's also the most expensive tour that you were going to do on Tanner Island, and one of the most expensive that you'll do across Vanuatu. But that is for good reason because it is uh, yes, it's it is one of the most accessible volcanoes in the world, but it's still not super accessible. There's obviously a really big safety factor involved. Uh, and and the money that you're paying for me personally, I think is absolutely worth it. The big question I'm sure is on everyone's mind at the moment, and was definitely on the minds of my friends and family was is this even safe? Is it even safe to hike up the top of an active volcano? And to be honest, you this experience can never be truly 100% safe. How could it be? It's mother nature and anything can happen. But the guides are there to protect you. Um, they'll also give you a brief history of, you know, the the levels of the volcano in terms of safety. If it goes over a certain level, all tours are cancelled, but they say that it's never really anywhere near that level because it's not just the safety for us going. Up the volcano, it's also the safety of the guys and the safety of all the people living in the villages nearby. So tours will only run when it's safe, and you can only ever visit with a guide. Now, while there are quite expensive tours that take you to Tanna and back in a day, I highly recommend staying overnight to have the true volcano experience. And in an ideal world, I would recommend two or three nights on the island. We spent two, and to be honest, there was so much more we wish we could have done, but we just didn't have time. If you are planning on visiting Tanna Island, there are two key areas that I would recommend staying. The first and probably the most popular is near the airport. Near the airport, the accommodation you'll find is higher quality with more amenities. Now I wouldn't really call it high-end luxury accommodation, but it is really nice accommodation. We stayed at White Grass Ocean Resort and Spa, which was really beautiful. Also, hot tip if you are vegetarian or vegan, they have an entire vegetarian/vegan menu, which was great. The other options that I would also recommend in that area are Rockwater Resort and Tanna Evergreen Resort. The alternative is to stay on the other end of the island near the volcano. The accommodation here is going to be a lot more basic and rustic, but you are within proximity of a lot of the quay sites. So I haven't stayed at any of these, but a few places that I would probably choose to stay would be Tanna Lava View Bungalows, Volcano Island Paradise, or Castle Tree House. If you are staying overnight, pre-order your dinner in advance before you go on your volcano tour. Almost every accommodation will organize dinner for you and have it ready when you return because they understand that most people come here to have this experience. There is actually a lot more to do on Tanna Island than just the volcano itself. So here are some of my other favorite experiences. For me, an absolute must-do experience was the Blue Cave. The Blue Cave is accessible by boat only, and it is on and it is on the same side of the island as the airport. So if you're staying at one of those locations that I just mentioned, you're going to be in a great position to go and see the Blue Cave. The Blue Cave, as I mentioned, accessible by boat. To get into the Blue Cave, you actually need to swim to the entrance, dive under the water, swim through a little rock cavity to get inside the blue cave. So that being said, you do need to be at least an okay swimmer for this experience. Now, I wasn't sure how far we were going to be diving under the water here. It's actually not that far. You go down, um, and we weren't there at low tide. It was not, uh, it was probably about a median tide when we went. You only go down about a meter, and the the rock that you'll swim through, it's not very thick at all. And then immediately you were inside the blue cave. If you go at low tide, you might even just be able to duck your head under. Um, and and you will see it almost lapping the top of the rock there because it's actually not that deep. From the outside, you can't even tell anything's there. But on the inside, you've got this really cool cavity with a hole in the top, um, and the sun beams down through that hole. So you have these beautiful sunbeams that are hitting the water throughout the day. And based on where the sun is throughout the day, that that sunbeam position is going to change. And then through the entrance, you've got this striking blue color from the sun that is beaming in from the outside. It's it's another jaw-dropping experience that I can't believe people travel to Tanner Island and don't go to experience the blue cave. Hot tip: wear your reef shoes because the the sea was a little bit rough the day that we went and um we were scrambling over rocks on the inside, especially when you're being hit by some light waves. So wear your reef shoes for the blue cave experience. Next one are the blue holes. If you're also staying in that area of the island, there are a couple of blue holes that are really close to you. From White Grass Resort, they're very um cleverly named Blue Hole One and Blue Hole Two. Uh, they're only a few minutes' walk away from White Grass. So Blue Hole One was about a five-minute walk, and Blue Hole Two was probably about a 10 to a 15-minute walk away. You can hire snorkeling gear from your accommodation on that side of the island, and it's basically within walking distance. But these blue holes are all the way around the island. And essentially, amongst all of the coral at low tide, um, there are deeper spots where you can jump in and you'll see smaller fish, sometimes bigger fish, and just ample coral. And sometimes it can get really deep in these areas. Personally, I preferred blue hole too in this part of the island, and it really surprised us. It was probably the best coral that we actually saw in the whole of Vanuatu. We saw starfish, really coralful, colorful fish, uh, and also a sea snake. If you're going to do a cultural village tour, this is the place to do it because Tanna is so traditional and fairly untouched compared to a lot of the other islands. So I highly recommend doing a cultural tour here on Tanna to understand the local life. You might also hear a little bit about black magic tours. And yes, black magic is actually believed in and still somewhat practiced on Tanna Island. There are also beautiful waterfalls, beautiful beaches. You'll you find beaches that are directly off coral reefs, but also others that are volcanic sand. There is really great diving and snorkeling around Tanna, and you can even do your paddy diving course on the island. There was a place you could do that directly at White Grass Resort. And of course, whilst in Vanuatu, including Tanna Island, there are kava bars. If you're not familiar with kava, it is the root of the kava plant. And when prepared, it it the drink that it creates kind of tastes like muddy water. There's really no sugar coating that. Some of them every single day. So you can go to a kava bar to experience kava, and I think it is the best way to meet and chat with the locals. There is actually a Will Smith kava bar on Tanna Island. There are a couple of extra things that you should know before you go. Cash is king in Vanuatu, especially on Tanna Island. You can pay by card in a lot of your accommodation, but around most of the island, stick with cash. Because this is a fairly traditional island, dressing modestly, especially when you're around local villages, is really important and also a sign of respect. Sundays are a religious day across Vanuatu. Most things aren't open. However, tours around Tanna do run on Sundays, especially if you've booked them in advance. And also the Blue Cave is not available for tours on a Saturday. And just keep in mind the weather is really key to your experience on Tanna Island. I would recommend booking your tours towards the early part of your trip so that if the weather turns bad, you have another opportunity. So, for example, if you were spending two nights on Tanna Island, try and do your volcano tour on night one because if it's cancelled due to weather or due to safety, you'll have a second opportunity on day two. So if you're wondering if Tanna Island was worth it, absolutely. It was one of my favorite experiences in Vanuatu. Not only is it perfect for people who are looking for cultural experiences, adventure travel, bucket list moments, but also there are a lot of people with kids on the island as well. So a lot of these activities are kid friendly. So if you're considering a trip to Vanuatu, don't worry. I am going to cover the rest of my experience around Vanuatu in future episodes. So stay tuned. I just had to dedicate this one to Tanna Island and Mount Yasur. Standing on the rim of Mount Yasur reminded me why I travel. Not just to see places, but to really feel them. Tanna Island isn't polished, and that's exactly what makes it so powerful and so memorable. It's a place to slow down, let go of control, and to remember that this planet is alive and we're just visitors. If Vanuatu or Tanna specifically is calling to you, I've linked my full Tanna guide in the show notes. And if this episode has sparked something in you, make sure you're following Tourist to Traveller. I've got plenty more bucket list conversations coming your way. As always, thank you for joining me on this adventure. Thanks for tuning in to the Tourist to Traveller podcast. I hope today's episode has inspired you to travel more authentically and plan your next adventure with confidence. Don't forget to head to www.touristtotraveller.com for today's show notes, resources, and free guides to help you plan like a pro. And if you love this episode, please hit subscribe and leave a review. It helps more travellers like you discover the show. Until our next adventure. Go beyond the tourist track and level up your travel experiences.