VU
Ambrym
The black island of lava lakes and living magic
The black island of lava lakes and living magic
A demanding one- to two-day guided trek crosses the vast ash plain and climbs to the calderas, camping on the volcano to reach the rim of the lava lakes.
💡 Go with an experienced local guide; it is tough and weather-dependent.
Marum and Benbow hold some of the only permanent lava lakes on earth, churning cauldrons of molten rock that glow fiercely red against the night sky from the crater rim.
💡 The glow is most spectacular after dark from a rim camp.
Vanuatu’s UNESCO-listed sand drawing is practised beautifully on Ambrym, where artists trace intricate continuous-line designs in the sand that encode stories and knowledge.
💡 Ask a village artist to demonstrate and explain the symbols.
Ambrym’s spectacular Rom dance features dancers in towering banana-fibre costumes and carved masks, a sacred kastom ceremony tied to grade-taking and magic.
💡 Performances are arranged through villages for a fee.
Ambrym’s coast is lined with dramatic black volcanic sand beaches and coconut groves, a stark and beautiful setting between the sea and the smoking calderas.
💡 The black sand gets hot; wear sandals midday.
Ambrym’s food is simple village fare: taro, yam, banana, island cabbage and fish, cooked over fire or in an earth oven and eaten at the bungalows where you stay. There are no restaurants, and supplies are limited, so trekkers carry provisions arranged with their guide. Meals are hearty and local, and the island is known for its potent kava, drunk in the quiet of the evening.
Fly in from Port Vila, settle in a village bungalow, and watch a Rom dance and sand-drawing demonstration.
Trek across the ash plain and up to a caldera rim camp to witness the glowing lava lakes after dark.
Hike back down, rest on a black-sand beach, and browse Ambrym’s famous wood carvings before flying out.
The volcano trek is serious and the terrain hazardous; only go with experienced local guides and proper gear.
Ambrym is reached by small plane from Port Vila; arrange guides, treks and accommodation in advance.
Ambrym’s traditions are powerful and private; follow local rules on photography and sacred sites.
There are no ATMs or shops of note; carry vatu and any trekking supplies you need.
Harbour-town Port Vila, the volcano of Tanna, the blue holes of Espiritu Santo, land-diving Pentecost and the lava lakes of Ambrym — Vanuatu end to end.