Filed in Couples, Elopments — September 28, 2022

Tanna in Vanuatu: The island That Will Blow You Away!

From the crater rim of the world’s most accessible active volcano to the magic of an underwater cave, the island of Tanna, in vanuatu, will be an experience of a lifetime!

Just a few hours flight from Australia and New Zealand, the island of Tanna in Vanuatu still remains an often unknown destinations. At least it was for Kim and Marcus as they boarded their direct flight from Auckland to Port Vila, Vanuatu’s bright and bustling capital.

Port Vila is a charming harbor town that will delight any visitor with its typical island vibes and landscapes, its traditional local culture and its multicultural influence. Kim and Marcus enjoyed exploring the town and the island of Efate for two weeks, by bus, on a scooter, a quad bike, or simply by feet. They loved being on their own and have complete privacy in breathtaking scenery, and were moved by people’s gentle smile and kind welcoming whenever driving by or going across a village. As the time to leave got closer though, they felt they wanted to explore Vanuatu further, and so decided to extend their trip with 2 days in Tanna, one of Vanuatu’s most exciting outer islands.

And so they hopped on another 30 minutes flight, headed to spend 2 days in Tanna. There, the storyline changed altogether, from a perfectly romantic and enjoyable tropical getaway to a truly unique experience. With its mere 40 kilometers long and 20 kilometers wide, the island of Tanna is just crumb of a land, lost in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, unnoticeable at first, like most hidden gems. But…

2 DAYS ADVENTURING IN TANNA

To the adventure seekers, the nature lovers, the wild at heart, and those of us who can hear their inner child begging to be set free of our grown up lives and responsibilities, for just a moment to be and breathe, the island of Tanna, in Vanuatu, holds every promise.

As Kim and Marcus watched the island get closer with their plane’s descent, and even more so as it landed, they knew this would be no ordinary destination.

Lush sweltering jungles are home to fresh ferns, colorful birds and pristine waterfalls accessible only by feet. Turquoise waters come whispering their secrets to palm-fringed white sand beaches, while massive swells crush full force onto black volcanic cliffs. Centuries of wind and salt, light and rain carve unbelievable caves in the bosom of the land. Tranquil rivers flow through dead ash plains, unlikely stretches of blue in a sea of black sand and red solidified lava. And above it all, majestic and fierce, Mount Yasur casts its shadow in the day, and lights up a red sky at night.

Getting to Tanna with Air Vanuatu

After grabbing their bags along with Tanna’s other visitors, they hopped in a 4×4, and let themselves be taken onto this journey. Their first stop was to Tanna’s upscale Rockwater Resort where they were warmly greeted by owner John and his wife Sylvana. While sipping their complimentary fresh coconut water, they discovered a couple of hosts whose cheerfulness, warmth and sense of genuine welcoming made them feel at home right away. So they settled in, laughing like kids when discovering that their bright, luxury suit was actually carved in the cliff, a perfect combination of modern dream and natural environment.

After enjoying a tasty meal on the restaurant’s terrace with 180 degrees garden and ocean views, Kim and Marcus took a quick selfie to send home to their loved ones, as they knew that on this land, internet connections and cell phone networks are only available in modern resorts. While this ground reality seemed hardly bearable at first, Kim and Marcus actually felt it was liberating, allowing them to focus on themselves, on this moment, this adventure they were taking together.

MOUNT YASUR: THE WORLD’S MOST ACCESSIBLE VOLCANO

As they hoped on another 4×4, they certainly felt more like bold explorers rather than just digital nomads. And so their adventure truly began.

We drove through villages and lush rainforests, came by 4x4s driving alongside horseback riders, took in incredible views, and before we knew it the scenery started changing, slowly turning into a dry, desolated ash plain, with Mount yasur towering it in a distance. Finally, we arrived by a parking lot about 150 meters down the crater rim. We left the truck and climbed up the easy path for 5 minutes, and there it was, the crater rim of the world’s most active volcano.

Traditional dances and traditional bungalows on the island of tanna in Vanuatu taken during a couple's holiday.
Bungalows and villages at the foot of Mount Yasur volcano

Everywhere on Tanna, in vanuatu, one can feel the Earth under one’s feet, powerful, alive. Everywhere, one can hear its voice coming from the deep. And standing on the crater rim of the world’s most accessible active volcano, one can feel, hear, and see, underneath and all around, the pulse of this planet we call our home. Up there, one feels a part of something ancient, bigger than us, stronger than us. Beautiful. Humbling. Inspiring. We watched the sun set in the ocean, the stars lightening up on the red sky, then nature’s fireworks began…

Images of the ash plain and the volcano on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu taken during a couple's holiday.
Trip to Mount Yasur volcano

TANNA in VANUATU: HOME TO THE BLUE CAVE

The next day we were taken on a boat ride from the Rockwater Resort along the coast to reach what the locals simply call the “Blue Cave”. The ride took us past deserted beaches, fishermen villages, and daunting solidified lava cliffs. The water was a display of all possible shades of blue and that alone would have made the trip worth it. Little did we know we had seen nothing yet. Once we reached our destination we were explained that to get in the cave, one needs to swim off the boat and through a hole in the cliff wall. While this requires no particular swimming skills at all, this entrance feels like transiting from one world to another.

Once inside, the crystal clear water, the pure light revealed by the mist inside the cave, the raw, mineral architecture of the place holds a magic of its own, and discovering it all at once feels like being privy to one of nature’s secret gems

landscapes of the shore and blue cave on the island of tanna in Vanuatu showing a couple on holiday.
Trip to the Blue Cave on 2 days trip to Tanna

After hours swimming and taking in the mind blowing beauty of the Blue Cave, we were reaching the end of our 2 days trip in Tanna. As the boat was taking us back to the resort, we felt the nostalgia kicking in already, wondering how it was, that in only 2 short days, we could have experienced so much, felt so strongly, and so alive. We knew we would remember this island for many, many years to come.

PHOTOGRAPHY:
Salt & Shores Photography

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