Experiencing Papua New Guinea is like being immersed in a National Geographic documentary. It’s a volatile wonder of Mother Nature, as one of the World’s Greatest Volcano Hotspots. In 2011, I spent a day exploring the Rabaul caldera and its volcanoes. This timing was just in between the latest 2 eruptions in the last 30 years. Here’s my overall experience and photos of the village, volcanoes and native people.
Rabaul Village is built on the volatile Rabaul Caldera, with 2 active vents or volcanoes: Mt. Vulcan and Tavurvur. And it sits on the shores of Simpson Bay. Furthermore, this volcanic hotspot has a dangerously active history, including a double eruption of both these volcanoes 3 times since 1858. In 1994 and 2014, just Mount Tavurvur erupted. Also, Mount Tavurvur is the most famous and active volcano in Papua New Guinea continuously spewing ash. During the 1994 eruption, the rain of ash caused most buildings in Rabaul to collapse, devastating the village.
Historically, Rabaul has been occupied by numerous countries. It became a military base for Germany, until captured in WW I by the British Empire. Later, in WW II Japan captured Rabaul and used it as a military base. Finally now, it’s the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.
As a tourist destination, this port-of-call is popular for volcanoes, snorkeling, scuba diving and history. Furthermore, scuba diving and snorkeling reveal stunning coral reefs with sunken ships and ammunition from WW II. Also, the Tolai people and their culture are another main attraction to this unique destination. Cruise ships also dock in Rabaul as an adventurous port-of-call.
My Rabaul Papua New Guinea Tour of Volcanoes and Village
As an Acupuncturist-at-Sea, I spent one of the best days of my life visiting this unique and primitive port-of-call. It’s important to realize that my tour was back in 2011, almost 10 years ago. Therefore, I can’t account for the changes since then, with another eruption back in 2014. Because we only had a day and it was so foreign to me, I did a tour. Sometimes tours can be lame. However, my tour in Rabaul was up close and personal to experiencing the best of its culture, people and volcanoes.
Meeting the Native Tolai People
The first thing noticeable about the native people here is that even though they have dark skin, their hair is light, almost silvery white. I was told this is from the minerals absorbed from the volcanic residue. The children singing for us was such a heartwarming and welcoming experience. Their setting was very humble and colorful with the native dress and rustic buildings. We also got to shop and purchase local souvenirs to support the locals. Also, I enjoyed my own personal tasty coconut cut by children in above photo.
We stopped to observe the stark landscape with surreal lunar like terrain. Some areas are lush with rainforest and tropical flowers. However, other tracts of land are desolate with black ashen ground and fields of barren tree trunks with no leaves or branches. This is where the lava devastated the land in 1994.
Walking Simpson Bay
Walking the Simpson Bay is one of the highlights of my life, in that I don’t recall ever being in a place so primitive and exotic. The black pyroclastic cone of Mount Tavurvur looked both ominous and mysterious. However, I loved the color contrasts of the black volcano, next to a lush, green mountain, blue water and sky, along with the rusty waters along the shoreline from minerals. And a young boy stood on top of the green mountain in only his shorts waving at me. (First Photo) It is beyond words how deeply this moment engraved in my psyche. This is where I truly fell in love with Papua New Guinea.
Here, I also got a chance to immerse in the lush tropical forests with colorful flowers and a view of the Simson Bay. Plus, I saw my cruise ship, reminding me that my time is unfortunately limited here.
Rabaul Volcanological Observatory
Additionally, our tour included seeing the inside of the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory. This was established on the northern ridge of the Rabaul Caldera in the 1950’s. Moreover, experts watch and monitor the volcanoes around Rabaul and nearby islands. It was fascinating to see the sketched print of the volcanic activity level under constant surveillance. Also, our guide explained in detail the innovative capabilities of this important observatory.
Overall, Rabaul Papua New Guinea Tour
This otherworldly destination offers a window into nature at its most raw and beautiful. And, also, the culture is such a wonderful complement as the Tolai people are friendly and gracious. I admit to being a bit envious of the native people, living such a unique life intimately connected to nature and the volcanic wonders. And I’m so grateful for experiencing this exotic sanctuary, from another time and place.
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