Vanua Lava

Steam curls from volcanic rock where thermal springs meet the sea, and behind you the jungle is already reclaiming the trail you cut through an hour ago. Vanua Lava in the Banks Islands is a place where the earth is hot, the vegetation is relentless, and the outside world feels like a rumour. The few hundred visitors who reach the island each year find a volcano, a reef, and a community that knows every one of them by name.

Vanua Lava is the largest of Vanuatu's Banks Islands group, dominated by the volcanic peak of Suretamatai. At Vatthe on the coast, thermal springs boil from volcanic rock and cascade directly into the sea — you can cross between scalding and cool with a single step. The jungle grows so aggressively that paths need re-clearing within weeks of being cut, and your guide will use a machete for stretches that were open on their last visit. Sea caves at the island's base are accessible only at low tide, their volcanic walls still warm to the touch. The island receives almost no tourist traffic; the guesthouse will know your arrival date before the plane lands. Reef fish smoked over coconut husks in the traditional Banks Islands style is the staple meal.