Tanna Adventures – Great Walk Tours

Second (Lenuingao) Waterfall & Beach
Leaving Tanna adventures accommodation either ealry morning ( 8.30am) or immediately after an early lunch (12.00pm), take a guided bush walk over untouched tribal lands of Esso’s family. The walk takes travellers over little used bush tracks and through areas where there are no tracks at all.

At several places along the route, coming out on plateaus with extensive outllooks, view a number of small offshore islands and the east coast shoreline.

Delve deep into an area where a number of large trees occur, which are the roosting place for thousands of flying foxes (fruit Bats). Sneak up to obtain the best views and watch as they take off from their perches and settle back down.

Continue down into fairly dense bush and rugged country, marvelling at the diversity of trees and plant life along with the amazing effect of light as it shrouds or highlights the bush.

Coming out at the top of a large waterfall, take in a huge island panorama from the top. The waterfall occurs in two parts, with a seies of short jumbles and steps at the top which belies the sudden fall off which occurs at the larger lower section. This appreciation is not taken in until the traveller has climbed down through steep bush at one side of the waterfall. Take time to swim in the pool below the waterfall and walk under the torrential cascading water.

Walk along the stream down onto the black sand beach which is typical of the eastern shoreline. View the pattens of pumice stones which have been washed up on the shoreline, which occur periodically due to underwater volcanes and spouts nearby.

Watch local ‘Man tanna’ fishing on the coral outcropping, while their families set up camp for the day in temporary shelters erected along the shore for overnight stays.

At a special large waterhole hidden amongst the coral beach heads, cool down and enjoy the waves breaking over its outer edge when the tide comes in. View the beach escarpment behind filled with coconut palms and Mount Yasur smoking in the background.

Climb a short but very steep hill side, with the track taking a series of switchbacks to get to the top.

If a vehicle has been arranged, and conditions allow, be collected at the top of the hill, or better still walk back up a rudimentary vehicle track taking in a number of Banyan trees, along the way. The walk tales about three quarters of an hour up gentle but contantly rising topography

If the tour is taken from any of the accommodation along the whitegrass coast, then approximately 1 hour can be added to the tour time (half an hour each way), for transport to the location and back to you accommodation on the whitegrass coast.
‘Kastom’ Walk to Esso’s Travel Timeframe:

Approximate timeframe is 4.0-5.0 hours from start of walk to arriving at Esso’s Nima. This depends on road and walking track conditions, as well as the weather and walking pace of participants on the tour.

‘Kastom’ Walk to Esso’s
Very few travellers get to experience ‘kastom’ trials, as they are an old traditional social and transport network. in the more developed areas of vanuatu, Kastom trails have been replaced ( or more correctly, have been ‘supplemented’) by roadways which have been contructed more to do with land topography and directness from point A to point B, than village boundaries and land ownership. As everywhere in the world roadways are impersonal and all interaction follows a more western philosophy ( although less so on Tanna Island). Walking along ‘Kastom’ trails is different, and you can walk across the island using such trails without coming across any major sign of western influence. This is an experience in life on Tanna how it has always been.

‘Kastom’ trails have their own protocol, in regard to entering villages, acceptance of food and general interaction. It is always advisable to go with a guide on a kastom trail to ensure that you do not offend anyone or unknowingly abuse a system which has provided amazing service to Melanesian society over many of years.

The Kastom Trails promoted by Tanna adventures are not a fabricated attraction to suit travellers, but the real deal. they are used by villages in their everyday life.

The ‘Kastom’ trail to Esso’s Nima, begins by being dropped off at the roadside, along with your guide. From here you find your way through tracks from village to village, passing stands of reed, wild fields of food such as banana paw paw, island cabbage, taro and sugar cane which are free for all travellers to use while on the trail.

After passing through a number of villages, the topography becomes more rugged and the trail more remote, bringing the traveller more deeply into a more ancient rainforest. A stretch occurs along a stream lined with moss and bracken, with large tree ferns overhead. Fresh water prawns can be seen in the stream. Depending on time, a travellers pass a waterfall entrenched deep in the bush.

At the end, a climb up medium hillside covered in bush brings the traveller up into the sunshine of Esso’s Nima which is situated high up on a plateau overlooking the coast with Mount Yasur smoking in the background.

Added Overview Travelling from the Whitegrass Coast :
• If the tour is taken from any of the accommodation along the whitegrass coast, then approximately 1 hour can be added to the tour time (half an hour each way), for transport to the location and back to you accommodation on the whitegrass coast.
‘Kastom’ Walk to Esso’s Travel Timeframe:
• Approximate timeframe is 3.0-3.5 hours from start of walk to arriving at Esso’s Nima. This depends on road and walking track conditions, as well as the weather and walking pace of participants on the tour.

‘Kastom’ Walk to Black Magic
One of the popular walks to do, is the kastom walk to Black Magic, which combines two aspects of life on Tanna Island – namely ‘Kastom Trails’, and ‘Kastom Rituals’.

Both have developed due to the consequences of their inability in past history to resolve conflict and solve disputes, often resulting in widespread local wars and wholesale killings. At some point the population determined that they had to find another way to relate to each other, and solve social problems. The rules of ‘kastom’ were developed and are still strongly followed today, because the consequences of the past are still remembered.

‘Kastom’ has been so successful that it can claim to be a major contributor to Ni-Vanuatuan people being one of the friendliest peoples in the world.

Kastom trails provide a demarcation of land ownership between villages – neutral ground that is sacrosanct to all. For that reason protocols have developed for walking on the trails, entering villages and Nakamals. For travellers, walking the trails provides a non touristy peek into Tannese life, at is simply not available otherwise.

Similarly, very few outsiders get to see and experience rituals that are traditionally reserved and kept secret for men. Magic provides a glimpse of warriors & war, while also providing a glimpse of magic & mystic that little is spoken about openly. Other islands of Vanuatu are renowned for their magic, but it is little understood that substantial ritual magic was also present on Tanna Island.

While Black Magic is a show, you would not think it and it is done with humour and most will leave with a smile on their face. For this reason we always try to program this walk on the last day for our itineraries.

Travel Tour Overview from Esso’s Accommodation :

Walkers leave from The Tanna Adventures restaurant after breakfast down the only steepish section of the walk to the deep valley containing the creek which heads down to Lenuanatuaiu waterfall. Travellers then head along the creek for a short distance, before connecting onto one of the ‘Kastom’ trails.

The ‘Kastom’ walk from Esso’s to “Black Magic” takes about three hours and generally goes over easy walking tracks. The ‘Kastom walk itself is not a touristy excursion, but a walk through real life and you get to go through about three or four villages and generally experience whatever is going on there ( from just another day, through to a funeral, or a feast or celebration).

‘Black magic” is a show, you would not think it ,and is quite surprising. I will not say too much about it as it will spoil it .
Added Overview Travelling from the Whitegrass Coast :

If the tour is taken from any of the accommodation along the whitegrass coast, then approximately 1 hour can be added to the tour time (half an hour each way).
Kastom Walk to Black Magic – Travel Timeframe:

Approximate timeframe is four to five hours.

Approximate walk time for the Kastom walk is three to three and a half hours.

The Black Magic show takes about 1 hour.

the pickup and drive back to Esso’s is about 20 minutes.

First (Lenuanatuaiu) Waterfall

The was one the first major attractions in the highlands region to be found by travellers staying down on the west coast and remains a popular attraction. The waterfall is located just down from the escarpment where Rachel and Esso’s accommodation is located, and part of the attraction itself is the view that is present from the Restaurant (a view that you wake up to if you stay at Tanna Adventures), which provides views of Mt Yasur Volcano in the background.

The creek that feeds the waterfall feeds its way on its way through a deep valley that has vegetation dating back to the beginning of time. Walls of small orchards, ferns and deep forest flora abound everywhere. The creek eventually ends up at Lenuingao beach.

When plentiful, Rachel goes down to the creek and collects freshwater prawns from the various shallow pools, for dinner. Simply delicious – but only available occasionally.

Travel Tour Overview from Esso’s Accommodation :

From the restaurant it takes about half an hour to walk down a series of pathways and steps down to the waterfall, and is fairly steep in parts. Coming back obviously takes longer, and in all takes about 45 minutes. Take your swimming trunks for a swim.
Added Overview Travelling from the Whitegrass Coast :

If the tour is taken from any of the accommodation along the whitegrass coast, then approximately 1 hour can be added to the tour time (half an hour each way).

Central Highlands Cascades

The Central Highlands Cascades is a series of Pools and Cascades located in the Central highlands amongst dense tropical rainforest. The Local village has developed some clearance and pathways to allow travellers to walk around and through the bush to view, enjoy and swim in the pools.

The reality is that just getting there is half the fun and experience. While there is a semi-cleared pathway leading into the cascades, for vehicles to pass along, this is covered in long grass and the track actually weaves and winds around trees and large clumps. If you are in the tray of the 4WD, its a great way to see dense tropical bush.

As an alternative, you are able to be dropped off with a guide at the main road near a walking track which takes you down a different way to the cascades – no more than an hour (picked up afterwards at the cascades).

Inspiring Walk Overview from Esso’s Nima:

The total time is about 2-3 hours depending on how you do it and what you do while you are there. As it is quite close to Rachel and Esso’s it takes about half an hour by vehicle to get there (and the same back obviously).

There is the possibility of having a lunch of river prawns at the cascades, but this would need to be arranged beforehand.
Added Overview Travelling from the Whitegrass Coast :

If the tour is taken from any of the accommodation along the whitegrass coast, then approximately 1 hour can be added to the tour time (half an hour each way), for transport to the location and back to you accommodation on the whitegrass coast.