Tanna
The southern island whose volcano drew Captain Cook in 1774 by its red glow, and where a car can still stop 150 metres short of the crater rim.
- Arrival
- White Grass, Tanna · TAH
- To Mt Yasur
- About 25 km from the airport, straight line
- Private jets
- Customs at TAH; prior permission via the CAA
- Best time
- June to October
The city
Under the volcano.
Port Resolution is the way in to Mount Yasur and the ash plains around it. Four-wheel drives park within 150 metres of the rim and the walk up takes about ten minutes. There are no rails at the top, so go with a local guide and check the government’s volcano warnings first.
Yakel, Ikunala and Imaio keep to kastom, with no schools, shops or television, and welcome visitors who come with a guide. At Namakara the followers of John Frum, a movement born of the American presence in the Second World War, dance on Friday nights. Port Resolution has the whitest beaches on the island.
- Mount Yasur An active volcano you can reach in about ten minutes’ walk from the car, with a local guide.
- The Giant Banyan A tree more than 100 metres across and 80 metres high, whose age nobody knows.
- Port Resolution White sand, clear water and the track out to the ash plains below the volcano.
Arriving
An entry airport on a volcanic island.
White Grass airport lies on the west coast, eight kilometres north-north-west of Lenakel, and is an airport of entry with customs.
- Nadi 1 h 30
- Brisbane 2 h 45
- Auckland 2 h 55
- Bangkok 11 h 05 long-range jet
- Los Angeles 12 h 45 long-range jet
When to go
June to October.
Fresher than the northern islands, with highs of 24 to 25 °C from May to October. Rain falls in every month, heaviest from December to April. The tourism office recommends June to October for warm days with less chance of rain.
- 28° J 334 28°
- 29° F 266 28°
- 28° M 355 28°
- 27° A 210 27°
- 25° M 181 26°
- 25° J 164 26°
- 24° J 128 25°
- 24° A 178 24°
- 24° S 125 24°
- 25° O 109 25°
- 26° N 185 26°
- 27° D 200 27°
Where to stay
On the west coast, by the airport.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Tanna Evergreen Resort & Tours More than 650 hectares of beach, ponds and a private lake, five minutes from the airport, with a reef in front where whales and dugong pass in season.
- White Grass Ocean Resort & Spa Eighteen sea-view bures two kilometres from the airport, with a pool, a day spa and a PADI dive centre.
Flying to Tanna?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.