Islands of Vanuatu - Tanna
Tanna
Tanna Island is located in the southern province of Vanuatu called TAFEA Province. It is the most populous island down south and is home of one of the most accessible volcanoes in the world, Yasur Volcano.
This island was discovered by James Cook in August 1774 and he gave the island the name Tanna from the local Kwamera language which means ‘earth’.
Tanna is one of the most fertile island in Vanuatu and it produces Kava, Coffee, Coconut, Copra and other fruits and vegetables. If you plan to go to Tanna island during your visit to Vanuatu, visiting the local market is a must!
Tanna. Digital Image. Tanna. Wrecks to the Rainforest – Inbound travel Agent for Espiritu Santo and outer islands. 2012. Web. 9 November 2016.
MOUNT YASUR VOLCANO
Visiting the Yasur Volcano is an experience of a lifetime. There are a few tour operators that provide this tour and one of them is AIR TAXI VANUATU. There are four (4) options that they provide and they include 1. Mt. Yasur Scenic Flight, 2. Tanna Day tour, 3. Tanna Overnight Tour and 4. Tanna Twilight Tour. These tours vary from taking a scenic flight over Yasur Volcano and along the coast of Erromango and Aniwa Island to a scenic flight around Tanna Island. Some of them also involve taking a 4WD adventure through tropical jungles, over mountain passes, past villages and across the ash plain with a guided tour up Mt. Yasur Volcano. A visit to a cultural village prior before going to the Volcano is also included in a few of these tours and if you decide to do the Tanna Overnight Tour, Whitegrass Resort and Evergreen Resort are two options you can chose from to stay at. Unity Airlines also does tours to Yasur Volcano and some of them are similar to those done by Air Taxi. You are welcome to choose either and we can help assist with booking the tour for you.
Air Taxi Vanuatu. Digital Image. Tanna-Mt Yasur Volcano Day Tour. Air Taxi Vanuatu. 2016. Web. 29 November 2016.
BLUE CAVE
The Blue Cave tour is an unforgettable tour that you must do if you are in Tanna. The Blue Cave Adventure & Tour Company provides tours to this cave. They pick you up from your resort and take you on a 4WD drive to a beautiful beach where a local fisherman escorts you to the cave in their traditional boat. This tour is entirely led by a guide and to enter the cave you will either have to duck dive during high tide or swim through during low tide. Once you are in the cave you will be amazed by the crystal clear water and will be able to swim with the fishes. The tour ends with a boat ride back to the beach and drive back to your resort.
Air Vanuatu. Digital Image. 10 Terrific Tanna Experiences. Air Vanuatu. Web. 17 November 2016.
GIANT BANYAN TREE
This tree is estimated to be a least 600 years old and is potentially the World’s largest Banyan Tree! It is a short walk from Leitouapam Village and you only need to pay a small fee to help support the local community. You will be amazed at the size of this tree which is said to have a breadth larger than a football field.
X Days In Y. Digital Image. Volcano Hunting and Tribal Living in Tanna Island. X Days In Y: Inspirational Travel Itineraries. 15 October 2015. Web. 17 November 2016.
Visit Films. Digital Image. Tanna. Visit Films. 2015. Web. 18 November 2016.
YAKEL KASTOM VILLAGE
Yakel village is a village on Tanna island that’s lifestyle has been left almost unchanged for centuries. The people here are friendly, they still dress in their traditional attire and live in simple thatched huts. The road to this village is quite rough, muddy on rainy days and goes through the dense bush and across a stream on a bridge made with few logs. A reality TV show called “Meet the Natives” that was first aired in September 2007 in the U.K featured five (5) local villagers from Yakel village who travelled to England to meet Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh whom the villages regarded as a God. The Australian movie “Tanna” which was set on the island of Tanna also features villagers from Yakel Village. This movie is based on a true story about two lovers who chose to go against their family’s wishes and marry for love.
Virage. Digital Image. A 23. Titanic Filmfestival kincsei: Tanna. Virage. 22 March 2015. Web. 18 November 2016.
Other things you can do while in Tanna include visiting the Coffee plantations there. We serve their “Tanna Coffee” for breakfast for our guests when they stay at the Villas. You can also go on quad bike tours around Tanna as well as horse riding tours. The John Frum Cargo Cult may be something in which you may be interested in visiting also. This cult believes in this person “John Frum” as a god or Jesus that will return one day and that if they worship him he will bring them wealth and prosperity. Others believe that he is someone who was in the American troop that came to Vanuatu during WWII. There are also cultural villages that perform Black Magic and also places to go surfing as well as hot springs at Sulphur Bay.