Will you visit Tanna, Vanuatu with me? #AnswerTheCall

 

For my first trip to Vanuatu in 2007, I wanted to visit the island of Tanna but it did not work out. I was thrilled to be invited back for Tok Tok Vanuatu in 2019 and be able to visit Mount Yasur and Lowinio village. Please enjoy the videos below to see our adventures where we #AnswerTheCall!

VIDEO 5 Flying to Tanna to see the Volcano in Vanuatu Aug 26 2019

We flew 35min on Air Vanuatu from Port Vila, Efrate to White Grass Airport on Tanna. Sue Herrick, our Vanuatu Tourism tour leader, took us to Cafe Boulangerie for chocolate croissants and meat pie on the way to the domestic terminal in Port Vila.

The sightseeing out of the window of the plane as we flew was fantastic. 

VIDEO 6: Where did we stay in Tanna? White Grass Ocean Resort

Mandy, Tree and I stayed in a two bedroom villa and Sue had a bungalow just in front of us. There is a pool, spa and we ate our meals in the fantastic restaurant. I loved the fresh coconuts at breakfast! Join us as we explore Vanuatu! I hula-hooped at Ned’s Look-out. I also brought my hoop to the village to share with the children!

VIDEO: 7 The road to Mount Yasur Volcano, Tanna, Vanuatu 2019

Many people wonder what the journey to Mount Yasur volcano is like. Join us in these three videos which show you the road we traveled, the dance we saw and our climb up to the volcano. I found the road and our van very comfortable. I loved the scenery as we got closer to the volcano and we of course we took many photos!

I could not believe how close we were to the edge of the volcano! We were with people from all over the world. I loved this experience! I highly recommend visiting Mount Yasur! 

VIDEO 8 Welcome Dance at Mount Yasur, Tanna, Vanuatu

Enjoy the welcome dance before we climbed!

VIDEO 9 Climbing Mount Yasur Volcano in Tanna at night

It is time to climb up to the edge of Mount Yasur volcano. It is truly awesome to stand so close to an active volcano.

We heard the volcano rumble, we felt it shake, we saw the sparks of lava and smelled the smoke. It was amazing.

When will you #AnswerTheCall?

What else is there to do in Tanna? We went scuba diving, to the Blue Cave and to visit a village.

VIDEO 10 Dive with Volcano Island Divers on Tanna, Vanuatu

Mandy and I went diving with Andrew and Jack on the house reef from White Grass Ocean Resort. We tried on our gear at the dive shop and Jack drove it down to the Jetty.  We walked there because it is so close. We went through a “swim-through” that seemed more like a tunnel to us. It felt long and narrow to my buddy and I.

We enjoyed the dive and saw a blue spotted stingray, giant brain coral, many nudibranchs and a large green moray eel. 

VIDEO 11: Explore the Blue Cave in Tanna, Vanuatu in Tanna, Vanuatu

The Blue Cave in Tanna is beautiful and the water is very blue and beautiful. Depending on the tides, the opening of the cave may be visible or like we went below the water and out of sight. I did swim through the tunnel and get into the cave. The most giant thank you to my boat team who were supportive and convinced me I could do it. I was excited to see it!

12: Visiting Lowinio Kustom Village in Tanna, Vanuatu

We answered the call of adventure in Tanna by learning about the culture. Thank you to White Grass Ocean Resort for setting up our tour to visit Annie and her village. Annie was an amazing host and a joy to meet. We were greeted with flowers and she took us around her village and explained to us about the fruits they harvested from the trees and about the medicine of the plants in the jungle. We saw the cooking house and tasted laplap. They cook sweet potato, taro, cabbage leaves and coconut. 

I loved meeting the children and watching their dances. I was able to teach them to hula-hoop. We had shared smiles and laughter. Thank you to the chief and all of the village for allowing us to come visit and see your way of life. See my other video #13 for the dancing in the village: https://youtu.be/-pbZrootnX8

Lowinia Village in Tanna Vanuatu

We also visited the school and our group brought many materials for their classroom including pencils, notebooks and children’s books.

On our way to the village from our resort, we stopped in the market and Sue got feathers and vegetables!

VIDEO: 13 Watch the dances from Lowinio Kustom Village in Tanna, Vanuatu 2019

14 How to get to Tanna? Fly Air Vanuatu

We flew from Tanna back to Port Vila on Air Vanuatu.We had two amazing days in Tanna and needed to return to Efrate for Tok Tok Vanuatu 2019.

I loved the flight seeing out of the window. It felt more like an island tour than an inter-island flight. 

Enjoy the music by Island Soul, recorded at Tok Tok 2019 

Learn more about our journey in Vanuatu:
Watch my 38 videos: Click here
Part One: Will You #AnswerTheCall? Tok Tok Vanuatu 2019
Part Two: Will you visit Tanna, Vanuatu with me? #AnswerTheCall Part Three: Want To Dive Deep With Me In Vanuatu? Meet Me In Santo #AnswerTheCall
Part Four: What To Do and Where To Stay in Santo, Vanuatu #AnswerTheCall

Read about Vanuatu in The Jewish Journal: Part One, Two, Three, Four

Lisa Ellen Niver

Lisa Niver is an award-winning travel expert who has explored 102 countries on six continents. This University of Pennsylvania graduate sailed across the seas for seven years with Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Renaissance Cruises and spent three years backpacking across Asia. Discover her articles in publications from AARP: The Magazine and AAA Explorer to WIRED and Wharton Magazine, as well as her site WeSaidGoTravel. On her award nominated global podcast, Make Your Own Map, Niver has interviewed Deepak Chopra, Olympic medalists, and numerous bestselling authors, and as a journalist has been invited to both the Oscars and the United Nations. For her print and digital stories as well as her television segments, she has been awarded three Southern California Journalism Awards and two National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and been a finalist twenty-two times. Named a #3 travel influencer for 2023, Niver talks travel on broadcast television at KTLA TV Los Angeles, her YouTube channel with over 2 million views, and in her memoir, Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

We Said Go Travel