Each night, we walked to the volcano rim and watched the best fireworks on Earth. The air displaces and shudders like the bullet in The Matrix. The sonic boom hammers you and sucks all other sound from the air. And then the bombs fly, swirling hundreds of metres into the night sky with a trailing jetstream of molten red. It goes on for hours, mesmerizing, perpetually shocking, a natural show of infinite wonder and humbling power. Volcano tours can be organised from all accomodation on the island (or Unity Airlines does a half day trip from Port Vila for about VVt45000). Heaps of spartan accomodation around while the resorts are back on the western side. The beaches of Port Resolution, the nearby Jon Frum and kastom villages, ashboarding, horse riding and jungle trekking are other worthwhile activities in the immediate area. A jumper, torch, good shoes and camera tripod are good ideas. And watch the sky and be ready to dodge the lava bombs - they will carbonise you instantly upon impact, as a Japanese tourist found out the hard way a few years ago.

Vanuatu’s island of Tanna is well known for its Kava, coffee, and coconuts, but it’s Mt. Yasur, the world's most accessible active volcano, that attracted me and my friend Joe, who was born in Vanuatu, to this tiny piece of paradise, as it did for Captain Cook in 1774. Climbing the 331 metres from the base to the top, my feet sank into the sand and ash making me fall back one step for every two I took. I soon noticed that there were no warning signs, no organised trails or areas roped off, and common sense seemed to be the order of the day. It came as a refreshing experience after arriving from New Zealand and what many would call a nanny state mentality. Unfortunately my first impression of Mt Yasur was not that great. Standing on the lip of the volcano and staring into two of the four craters, all that could be seen was the gentle billowing of smoke – no explosions, no fireworks, no lava and no excitement. I sighed and nodded politely when Charlie, one of the local guides, asked if I thought it was impressive. I pulled my camera out and was just about to take a photo of this most disappointing vista when BOOM!!! – the volcano erupted and molten rock, some the size of a small Japanese hatchback, flew into the air. “When it erupts,” Charlie shouted into my ear, “make sure you look up into the air and not into your camera or the volcano itself.” “Why’s that?” I shouted back. “Because then if you see a big rock flying at you, you can try and get out of the way before it lands!” “Great, thanks for the advice!” Back at the bungalow where I was staying, I asked Charlie what the different safety ratings for the volcano meant. ‘Well,’ Charlie spoke softly. ‘Level 1, means it’s very safe. Level 2, is what we have at the moment, and it’s still safe but you get to see a lot more than just smoke. At Level 3, we would have to stand a further 50m down from the lip and if it was Level 4, we wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near it, and from here we’d be running for our lives.” Bidding goodnight to Charlie, I positioned myself on a crudely erected bamboo bench and watched as Mt. Yasur continued its fireworks display into the night.

Agree with what everyone else has said. This is an amazing place. No fences, no barriers, you walk right along the edge of the volcano crater. Lava shoots up, throwing rocks all around, and once it's dark...the colours and light show is amazing. The sound waves on larger explosions help remind you how dangerous it really is...could have stayed there all night if our local guide hadn't gotten "cold" (I was in shorts and a t-shirt).