A quick review of Volcano Island Paradise Bungalows on Tanna Island
Volcano Island Paradise Bungalows offers stunning volcano views, simple rooms, homemade meals, and easy access to the ash plains and crater rim of Mount Yasur on Tanna Island. The owner, Morris, is warm and helpful. He is happy to organize tours and transport, or to give you space if you prefer to explore independently.
Hi, Morris!
We stayed two nights and felt that was long enough for our Vanuatu itinerary, but we met another lodger who stayed almost a month.
How to book and costs
We booked directly via email at volcanoislandparadise@gmail.com. Morris was a good communicator, and we got responses quickly.
In July 2025, the bungalows cost 2,500 Vatu per person per night.
The rooms are basic but clean. I only got a pic in the dark the day we arrived because then the room was a mess.
There is a shared toilet and enough water pressure for a decent shower (no hot water though).
There are two USB plugs to charge your phone, which you share with everyone else. You can probably get by with just your phone’s flashlight for a short stay (1–2 nights), but if you’re staying longer, bring a headlamp and power bank for convenience.
This is the website for more info. The views here are amazing!
Sunset views of Mount Yasur
And as the sun sets, the glow of Mount Yasur looks insane as the crater center glows from the lava. To be honest with you, I only got these views through my phone camera, it wasn’t as stunning in real life.
The Food at Bungalows
Lunch/dinner costs 1,000 Vatu per meal and is cooked by Susie, Morris’s wife.
She prepared a simple meal of rice and soy sauce veggies for us for dinner on our first night. There was a sausage available, but we opted out.
We also bought some groceries from Leneka in town: some basic bread, easy-to-open cans of tuna, fresh tomatoes, and carrots. We were able to keep that in the kitchen and had a makeshift dinner one night, too.
Volcano Tour and Getting Around
Mount Yasur
You can arrange your Mount Yasur tour through Morris. The evening tour starts around 4:30 p.m. for sunset viewing. We were dropped off at the volcano entrance since we came straight from Lenakel, but you can also walk from the bungalows. It’s a 45-minute walk to the entrance of Mount Yasur. Read all about how to visit the volcano in my other blog post.
If you don’t want to walk, the pickup/drop-off fee with a car is 1,000 Vatu.
We added the walking route to the Mapy.com app, which is helpful if you want to follow the jungle trail yourself. On our way back, we needed to be picked up and guided because it’s easy to get lost if you’re not familiar with the route. It’s totally worth arranging for someone to walk you back in the dark. The paths can be confusing, and there are small streams and uneven logs to cross.
If you manage to arrive at the bungalows first (which was our original plan), someone can guide you down to the volcano entrance for your evening visit. You might be able to find your way back on your own afterward, but I’d still recommend asking for a guide to lead you back at night.
Ash Plains
This route is somewhat similar to the one that leads to the volcano entrance, but you can follow the trail we marked on the Mapy.com app, or ask Morris for directions. There was one tricky spot where the road had been washed away, and we had to climb a mud wall in the dark to get to the other side of the trail. There were also a few branches sticking out along the way, though by the time you visit, this may have changed… so definitely ask for the correct path the night before.
The same spot in the dark and in daylight!
Take the same route out and back, because we tried a different way on our return and ended up doubling back after the path disappeared into the jungle, even though it still showed on Google Maps and the Mapy.com app.
The ash plains are an amazing spot to visit for sunrise. We started walking around 4:30 a.m. and caught a really beautiful sunrise with the volcano in the background.
There was no one else around, and we were able to walk up a little closer and explore. We could actually feel the warmth of the volcano here — something we didn’t notice when we were standing at the rim the night before.
We spent about an hour exploring before walking back to the bungalows.
Transport
Pickup and drop-off between Lenakel and Volcano Island Paradise Bungalows cost 5,000 Vatu each way.
We were picked up around 2 p.m. in Lenakel and had a truly local experience riding in the back of a pickup truck that made a few stops along the way to buy vegetables.
Tell Morris we say hi if you go!