Top 20 Travel Destinations: Rabaul Going on a tour of an active volcano which is spitting out smoke and hot lava seems like a pretty stupid thing to do, right?

The staff at my hotel does this several times a week so I figured that it must be relatively safe. For those who don’t remember, Mt Tavurvur erupted in 1994 and covered most of Rabaul in a layer of volcanic ash.

Even though the volcano tour of Mt Tavurvur in Rabaul was pretty terrifying at moments, it is an experience that I would definitely repeat.

I had the option of a boat or land tour. I took the land tour because I really wanted to see the sulfur springs created by the volcano.

The water temperature near the volcano is almost boiling temperature, so that is also another reason for taking the land tour! I am told that the boat tours of Tavurvur are generally safe and they are the best way to really appreciate the scenery. We got out of our vehicle and started walking through the crazy span of black volcanic ash.

It was like entering a whole new planet! As we trekked along, the volcano let out a huge rumble and puff of smoke. The sound was amazing, like a bomb dropping down.

You can see fire coming right out of the mouth. We couldn’t get too close to the mouth; I estimate we were 1km away. Let me tell you, this was close enough! Even at this range, we got showered with ash. It was a really spectacular experience and a great adrenaline rush. Though, I don’t think we were really in any danger especially with the guides experience.

On the way back, we paid a bit extra (about $5 per person) to visit the hot sulfur springs near the Lakunai airstrip. This is about 300 meters from the volcano. You can swim in the water at certain places but have to be careful walking in because the water can cause burning. You must enter at the cold parts and then wave your hands through the water to mix hot and cold together.

Even if you are too timid to get in the water (don’t be! It is amazing!), you will be amazed by the lava rock formations.

They are like round black globs protruding from the water.

Basically all hotels offer tours of the Tavurvur volcano. Hotel Rabaul, Rapopo Plantation Resort and Kabaira Dive are just a few of the good ones.