Top Things to do in Tanna Island
Top Hotels in Tanna Island
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What to do and see in Tanna Island, Vanuatu: The Best Places and Tips
Discover the best top things to do in Tanna Island, Vanuatu including Mount Yasur, Blue Cave, Blue Hole Number Two, Yakel Village, Giant Banyan Tree, Volcano Island Divers, Lenuanatuaiu Waterfall, Tafutuna Cultural Experience, Louniel Beach, Tanna ATV Adventures Day Tours.
Restaurants in Tanna Island
1. Mount Yasur
Overall Ratings
5 based on 784 reviews
This relatively short volcano (360 meters above sea level) is regularly active.
Reviewed By TCC43 - Juneau, Alaska
There is no experience like this...or rather this accessible...in the world!!! The evening hike is ideal. The tour guides/ entire operation is absolutely excellent!!!! Wear long pants and a light jacket (hood too if possible)...it gets windy with ash and also cool as the sun goes down. Bring water if you need more than the small bottle they give out. Arrive with curiosity and zero expectations...this is “natures fire”...you give up all control when you are standing on the RIM of an active volcano! You will FEEL it emotionally and physically!!! Enough said. Just go...and be grateful such an opportunity still exists!!
2. Blue Cave
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 74 reviews
3. Blue Hole Number Two
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 47 reviews
Reviewed By CarolMarie13 - Brisbane
Firstly you need reef shoes to access the hole, best at low tide. Beware there are lots of big holes you dont want to step into! Once you are there it is like jumping off a cliff into the magnificent blue hole. The water was so clear and the colours just amazing. There are lots of caves but best I think to have diving equipment. I loved it.
4. Yakel Village
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 29 reviews
Reviewed By wendhmagz - Waihi, New Zealand
This tour started with a 45-minute drive from our hotel into the hinterland of Tanna Island, Vanuatu. Distance-wise, it’s not very far but the roads are in a very poor state and it takes a long time to get anywhere.
The tour provided a fascinating insight into tribal life as it used to be. There are no mod-cons, cell phones, TVs and the like. The villagers (about 30 people) live entirely off the land, growing vegetables, taking fruit from the surrounding forest and using forest plants for medicinal purposes. The village was almost completely destroyed in the cyclone last year and re-building is a slow process. Our guide told us that until the village repairs are completed, they all pitch in and share their houses, their food and cooking implements etc. We visited the main kitchen – a long hut with thatched roof but no sides. One of the ladies was making a banana bake – creaming a green banana by scraping down a long stick, then laying this mixture on big baking leaves, scattering coconut milk and finely torn spicy cabbage leaves on top. She then folded the baking leaves around the creamed banana, tying it securely and putting it in the hot coals to cook for an hour. They had already made one earlier which the young girls took off the coals and cut into slices for us to eat. It was very tasty, a bit like banana-flavoured porridge. From the kitchen we were taken to the community area to meet the village chief, named Steven, and to be entertained by him and the other men in the village together with the women and children. Chatting with Steven was very interesting as he told us the whys and wherefores of village life. They do have the opportunity to adopt modern ways but only take on board those things that will assist their customs, such as building stronger houses/community buildings so they can protect their children from the likes of Cyclone Pam.
This was a very interesting tour and I highly recommend it. If you like my review, I hope you'll click the 'Helpful' button; those of us who write reviews love to get them and it motivates us to do more.
5. Giant Banyan Tree
Overall Ratings
4 based on 40 reviews
Reviewed By dmittleman - Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Billed as the largest banyan tree in the world (is there a guiness book entry?), it is indeed really, really big tree. But there are many other really, really big banyan trees throughout Vanuatu. It's a nice tree. But I wouldn't go out of my way to see it.
6. Volcano Island Divers
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 18 reviews
Volcano Island Divers, based at White Grass Ocean Resort on Tanna is the newest dive location in the world. Offering Pristine Virgin reefs, Swim Throughs, Caverns, Dugongs, Sharks, Turtles & all other marine life
Reviewed By RockMeAsmodeus - Southport, United Kingdom
I have done 100 dives across 10 countries and I'm a qualified Rescue Diver and this is by far the most unsafe dive I have done. Vanuatu generally does not have a stellar safety record and it was very apparent here.
Despite there being a dangerous level of swell in the sea, the guide took me through the caves. We went through one swim-through whose current was so strong, it swept me right through. I could not hold on to the sides with all my limbs, and had my head hit the side, I would not be typing this message.
Upon finally realising the swell was too strong, instead of surfacing, the guide gestured back toward the swim through with the strong current. I clearly gestured that I was not comfortable with it and that we should go up, but he went through anyway without checking I was with him!
We cancelled the second dive, but we should not have gone out for the first dive knowing the sea had the level of swell that it did. As it currently stands, I do not recommend diving on Tanna - there aren't enough highly certified divers there at the moment.
7. Lenuanatuaiu Waterfall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Lenuanatuaiu waterfall is one of the iconic Waterfalls of Tanna Island, and has been a must see for travellers for many years. The Lenuanatuaiu waterfall is reached via the transverse road starting at the whitegrass plains and heading up to the crossroads at middlebush. Taking the left hand turn at the crossroads, passing through Fetukai, and the next right will lead you to the 'Tanna-Adventures' restaurant where you can arrange to be taken down to the waterfall.The 'Tanna-Adventures' restaurant is situated at the edge of an escarpment providing fantastic panoramic views over the eastern side of Tanna Island. Visitors to the waterfall start here and follow a prepared (but rough) track down through the surrounding tropical bush to the waterfall. The small river which feds the waterfall has been said to have stayed within an age old prehistoric period and has remained unspoiled since then. One of the food sources of the local village is the fresh water shrimps which can be found there.As with all Waterfalls, it is spectacular after heavy rain in the wet season, while water volumes decrease over the dry season. However, its great viewing at anytime, being enclosed within its own little valley and developing its own moss and greenery around. For those who are adventurous the river can be followed down onto the Louniel Beach - another great attraction.
Reviewed By vanuatulocal - Port Vila, Vanuatu
Did this waterfall with Vanuatu ATV Adventures and had a ball, check out my photos of the day on: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/johnnichollsvanuatu/album/662991
Lenuanatuaiu is so hard to remember so we named it "Isso's waterfall" in respect to the wonderful local owner/guardian of the waterfall called it Isso.
Best to do it by quad as the journey is awesome and it is a long hike otherwise, the quads go all the way down the mountain closer to the falls, the 4WD vehicles cannot make it down that far and you have to walk. Nice on the way down but exhausting on the return leg.
the ATV website is: http://www.vanuatutour.net/quad-bike-tours/
Cheers,
John
8. Tafutuna Cultural Experience
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9 reviews
Reviewed By Mark B - Cesena, Italy
not far from lenakel center, this cultural village is really worth a visit though they are just beagn their Performances we'd suggest to have a look at it. you'll have the chance to understand a bit of futuna islanders life
9. Louniel Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
Louniel Beach is a surf beach ideally placed at the centre of the long stretch of Beaches located on the northern sweep of the north-eastern side of the island. Louniel beach is a black sand beach reminiscent of the northern west coast Beaches of the north island of New Zealand such as Piha and Muriwai. The coastline is covered in large plantations of Coconut palms and numerous Pandanus trees.Louniel beach has rolling surf, like its New Zealand counterparts, but its tropical setting makes the water temperature much warmer. The beach itself is not flat but - falls away fairly quickly allowing swimming in close to the shore. The black sand reminds one of powder snow and you can sink up to some depth in places. There are a number of underwater volcanic fumaroles just out to sea which results in various parts of the beach being covered in wavy patterns of pumice beads.A walk along the full length of Louniel beach takes about an hour and shows a different side of Tanna, most visitors don't get to see and appreciate. Getting to the beach is up over the transverse road from the whitegrass plains, to the cross roads in Middlebush. From there the road to Fetukai, leads onto the road down to the beach itself - the ride providing an exceptional view of the large Banyan trees and tall tree ferns amongst the dense tropical rainforest.Just before walking down onto the flatland adjacent to the beach, visitors can view the entire length of the beach from an escarpment immediately above it. The view is breathtaking, with My Yasur Volcano smoking in the background. Louniel Beach provides a contrasting experience to a trip to Tanna and one which ultimately ends up being a highlight to any visit to Vanuatu.
Reviewed By Maree W - Brisbane, Australia
We again booked our tour to Louniel beach through White Grass Resort where we were staying. The tour was an all day affair starting at 8:30a.m. and finishing about 2:30 p.m. We were blessed with the driving skills of Phillip and were guided by Reuben who despite having only a small amount of English did a magnificent job of engaging us in conversation and sharing two beautiful spots with us - the waterfall and black sand beach. Both places require a walk and the suggestion from White Grass is for a reasonable level of fitness - this advice is sound and although we mangaged the walks we were slower than the locals and suffered a little from the humidity. Take plenty of water to do the walks more easily. The trip to the waterfall is quite steep at the end and of course what goes down must get back up. The bamboo rails that Reuben tested with his machete made the walk just that more manageable. Take your time and all should be well. The black sand beach was also a treat and we thoroughly enjoyed walking along the shore and bathing in the fresh water stream that meets up with the ocean - we hadn't realised that this was the water from the waterfall we had visited earlier. We were given plenty of time to enjoy the beach and on,y left when we let Phillip and Reuben know that we were ready (packed picnic lunch from White Grass was included). When we dropped off Reuben the rest of the village came to meet us and were genuinely welcoming and thrilled to have shared their special part of paradise with us. Well worth the walking and an experience to remember.
10. Tanna ATV Adventures Day Tours
Overall Ratings
5 based on 5 reviews
Tanna ATV Adventures offers an exciting and unique opportunity to gain a real insight into this unspoilt tropical paradise and its friendly people. Utilising our small fleet of American-made Polaris quads, a variety of tours have been planned in conjunction with local chiefs allowing unprecedented access to Tanna’s rich beauty, history, customs and culture.
Reviewed By Kath B - Sydney, Australia
I had the pleasure of meeting Justin and local guide Jack, and spending an afternoon on the back of a quad to see the "worlds largest Banyan tree." The ride itself was a great experience, passing villages, waving to local kids and getting off the beaten path, on super fun and very comfortable quad bikes. The Banyan Tree was absolutely amazing and definitely worth seeing in your travels. Thoroughly recommend.
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