Tanna

One of the world's most accessible active volcanoes, where you can stand at the rim of Mount Yasur at night and watch lava erupt.

Tanna belongs to Tafea Province in southern Vanuatu, about 200 km from Port Vila, and is about 45 minutes away by domestic flight to White Grass Airport on the west coast. The island is about 40 km long. The west coast is home to the provincial capital, Isangel, and the town of Lenakel, with most resorts clustered around White Grass; the southeast holds Mount Yasur, the ash plain and Port Resolution. The dry season from May to October is the best time to visit, while November to April is hot, humid and wet, and mountain roads turn muddy. Mount Yasur is managed on a 0–4 alert level scale, so be sure to check the level issued by the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department before you go. Tanna is known for its traditional culture: villages such as Yakel still hold to a traditional kastom way of life, and Sulphur Bay is the center of the John Frum cargo cult movement. A typical itinerary: Day 1, the west-coast blue hole and sunset on the White Grass plain; Day 2, cross the mountains in the afternoon and go via the ash plain up Mount Yasur for dusk and night-time lava, staying at Port Resolution if you like; Day 3, traditional villages and Lenakel Market. We suggest 3–4 days. There is almost no public transport and the roads are poor, so hire a 4WD or have your accommodation arrange one. Good to know: bring plenty of cash; ask permission before entering villages or taking photos; on the volcano, follow your guide and do not go near the crater edge.

Top sights

• Mount Yasur – One of the world's most accessible active volcanoes, on Tanna Island. You can stand at the crater rim and watch red lava bombs shoot into t…
• Yakel Kastom Village – A village that still keeps the traditional kastom way of life. Villagers wear grass skirts and namba, and perform traditional dances beneat…
• Port Resolution – A natural bay and village east of Mount Yasur, where Captain Cook landed in 1774. Hot springs and a yacht anchorage are found at the bay.
• Tanna Blue Cave – A sea cave on Tanna’s northwest coast. You swim under the reef and into the cave, where light from an opening in the roof turns the water a…
• Yasur Ash Plain (Siwi) – A black volcanic ash wasteland northwest of Mount Yasur, with an otherworldly landscape. Driving across it in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, y…
• Lenakel & Market – The main town on Tanna’s west coast. On market days, villagers from across the island come with fruit, vegetables, kava, and handicrafts, c…
• Sulphur Bay (John Frum Village) – The center of the “cargo cult” movement at the foot of Mount Yasur, where villagers sing and dance every Friday and hold a flag-raising par…
• White Grass Plains & West Coast – Open grassland and lava coastline on Tanna’s northwest shore, where wild horses wander the fields. Resorts are concentrated here, and it is…
• Giant Banyan Tree (Tanna) – A giant banyan tree managed by the local community near Lenakel, with aerial roots so tangled they form something like a small forest. It i…

Where to eat

• Rockwater Resort Restaurant – An open-air restaurant with sand floors on the beach at Ipak Bay. The daily menu uses produce from the resort's own gar…
• White Grass Ocean Resort Restaurant – A seaview resort restaurant near the airport, ranked first among Tanna's restaurants on Tripadvisor. Fresh fish, lobste…

Itineraries

• Vanuatu Three-Island Hopper – Connect Efate, Tanna, and Espiritu Santo to experience waterfalls, blue holes, an active volcano, and world-class wreck…
• Port Vila & Mount Yasur Volcano – A short break covering Efate and Tanna islands, focusing on Mele Bay beaches and the night views of an active volcano.