I was actually staring down into the crater of an active volcano from its rim in Vanuatu, which was the main reason why I wanted to visit the country: to enjoy this rare opportunity that is not easily as possible anywhere else in the world.
Staring Down Into the Crater of an Active Volcano in Vanuatu
Although the tour to Mount Yasur can be booked through several options, our tour was arranged through White Grass Ocean Resort & Spa, which is where we stayed on Tanna Island for two nights. The ride of almost 35 kilometers will consume approximately two hours, as the trip is on mostly unpaved narrow roads which wind through small villages in dense jungles across the island — along with a stop for a safety briefing on the way there.
Fewer than three hours after we arrived on Tanna Island via Air Vanuatu, the time had come to depart on the journey to Mount Yasur. This was risky because Air Vanuatu has had more than its fair share of problems — which is why we decided to stay on Tanna Island for two nights instead on one night, as we would have headed for Mount Yasur on the second day if the first day was unsuccessful for whatever reason.
We knew going in to this adventure that we would likely need to sit in the bed of a pickup truck that is equipped with four-wheel drive capabilities for the long and arduous ride of two hours towards Mount Yasur. I figured it would be in the bed itself of some rusty old vehicle. I did not expect a reasonably decent bench seat to be installed in the bed…
…but room was available inside of the extended cab of the late-model vehicle — which was air conditioned — so we did not have to sit outside in the back mainly because of the oppressive humidity in the warm air. Otherwise, I likely would not have minded sitting on the bench in the bed of the pickup truck — but then, interaction with our driver and guide would have been limited.
Philip was both our driver and guide for the duration of the excursion.
This banyan tree is a popular spot for the men of one remote village to congregate and enjoy some kava, which is a psychoactive ceremonial and recreational beverage that is derived from the root of the plant of the same name. The drink is thought to have originated in Vanuatu.
We traveled through the mountain region known as Middle Bush — passing by wild horses, coffee plantations, and remote villages — as we headed towards the far side of Tanna Island.
A glimpse of the people of Tanna Island — who were quite friendly — going about their everyday lives was interesting. Despite the trials and tribulations that they face — mainly due to earthquakes, tropical cyclones, erupting volcanos, and other natural phenomena — they seem rather content. I admire their tenacity.
We briefly stopped at a market on the side of the road along the way — brief enough that we did not need to get out of the vehicle. Philip purchased some items, which included nuts. He generously offered one to us.
The nut was almost the size of the palm of my hand; and it looked like a piece of a giant walnut. I tried a taste of it. Yep — it was a nut. Blech. I simply do not like nuts; but I did not want to be rude and say that. Hey — at least I tried it; and I am glad I did so.
Time to move on.
As we were crossing Mount Loanialu at 522 meters above sea level 26 minutes later, we saw the first glimpse of Mount Yasur from a distance — as well as the east coast of Tanna Island itself, the black sand surf beaches, and Sulphur Bay. Smoke and volcanic ash billowed into the air above the volcano. However, we were not almost there by a long shot, as we still had quite a long way to go.
The plume of smoke from Mount Yasur resembled a tornado. The ash plains which used to be Lake Siwi are more prominent in this view.
The vehicle approached a potential barrier for closer access to Mount Yasur. Our intrepid driver stopped, exited the vehicle, and assessed the situation for himself. Upon careful inspection, Philip deemed that going through the water with the vehicle will be safe enough to do. He slowly — and seemingly effortlessly — drove the vehicle through the somewhat deep flowing water to the other side where the tracks of other vehicles continued.
We finally approached a building where we stopped for a safety briefing. Among other things, we were warned that the possibility of hot lava rock could spew out of the volcano at any time and hit any of us.
A family of five missionaries from Utah and three women from Japan were now part of the entire group.
Vanuatu has an official volcanic alert level system. On the day we arrived, the alert level was Level 2 — meaning that “Danger around the crater rim and specific area, notable/large unrest, considerable possibility of eruption and also chance of flank eruption”. If the alert level was any higher, visits to the rim of the volcano would not be allowed.
Major Unrest. Cool.
The building is equipped with a toilet — whereas Mount Yasur has no facilities nearby. This is the last chance to use a toilet before moving on.
We eventually crossed the ash plains and arrived at Mount Yasur almost 20 minutes later. I had no idea exactly how we were going to access the rim of the volcano. Would it be through impenetrable jungle vegetation up an almost impossibly steep rocky incline?
No. A relatively short yet winding and mildly steep concrete ramp was all that separated us from the top. The climb up the ramp was approximately ten minutes.
The concrete ramp was not without its imperfections. It is located on the side of an active volcano in a country that experiences earthquakes and tropical cyclones, after all.
This is the immediate view at the top of the ramp from the rim of the volcano of Mount Yasur…
…as well as the expanded view.
Watch out for those flying lava rocks, as they may be lethal!
The red part of the sign designates that the rim of the volcano is a permanent exclusion zone through which warns not to pass this sign. Know the closed zones from your guide or the current alert bulletin.
The time has come to face the volcano — but instead of being nervous or hesitant, I wanted to get as close to the rim as soon as possible and walked as quickly as I could to get there.
I could not believe that I was actually standing on the rim of an active volcano and staring down into its fiery crater, with plumes of thick smoke and volcanic ash only meters away from me.
As dusk was upon us, seeing bright red molten lava spontaneously dancing in the air whenever a small eruption occurred was a sight that cannot be compared to anything else — and was nothing short of amazing as we experienced the awesome majesty of the mighty Mount Yasur volcano.
We started our descent down the side of the volcano after dusk. Portable electronic devices with flashlight software needed to be used so that we can somewhat see our way down, as without them, the side of Mount Yasur would be pitch black. We departed in the same vehicles in which we came and meandered our way through the darkness back to White Grass Ocean Resort & Spa.
Final Boarding Call
The excursion costs a total of 20,500 Vanuatu vatu per person, which is almost $170.00 in United States dollars. I thought that the excursion was well worth the price. I truly enjoyed the experience, which was unlike anything else I have experienced in my life.
Mount Yasur is located on the eastern side of Tanna Island in Vanuatu. Driving there by yourself is virtually impossible for many reasons — one of them being that you must be accompanied by an experienced guide for informative purposes and safety purposes. You will need to book a tour to experience the active volcano for yourself, of which you have several options.
If you choose to book the excursion to Mount Yasur through White Grass Ocean Resort & Spa, note that the departure time for the tour is 2:30 in the afternoon — although it can leave at any time between 2:00 in the afternoon and 3:00 in the afternoon, depending on the season. The excursion begins in the afternoon to ensure that participants arrive at the volcano to experience the setting of the sun and the change in color, as the molten lava lights up the sky at night.
Note that no facilities of any kind are located anywhere near Mount Yasur — but toilets are available at the building where the safety briefing is conducted.
All photographs ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
