GUNUNG · Vanuatu

Manaro Voui

Lombenben / Aoba (Ambae)

Kerucut piroklastik di Lake Voui, 9 Januari 2006; foto historis sebelum perubahan kawah 2026. Job Eassau, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Pyroclastic cone in Lake Voui, 9 January 2006; historical photograph predating the 2026 crater changes. Job Eassau, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: source

Information

Elevation: 1.496 m
Country: Vanuatu (VU)
Location / Range: Pulau Ambae (Aoba), Provinsi Penama, Vanuatu (Melanesia)
Mountain type: Gunung berapi perisai dengan kaldera dan kawah aktif / Shield volcano with calderas and an active crater
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: -15.4069, 167.8461
Difficulty: Pendekatan hutan terpencil; akses kaldera tunduk zona bahaya VMGD / Remote forest approach; caldera access subject to VMGD danger zones
Best Season: Tidak ada musim yang menjamin akses; periksa aktivitas, hujan dan kabut / No season guarantees access; check activity, rain and fog
Permits & Rules: Pemandu dan koordinasi desa diperlukan. Saat diperiksa 12 September 2026, VMGD menampilkan Level 3 dan zona bahaya sekitar 3 km dari lubang aktif Lake Voui; jangan memasuki zona tersebut. / Arrange a local guide and village access. Checked 12 September 2026: VMGD displays Level 3 with a danger zone about 3 km from the active Lake Voui vent; do not enter it.
Hazards: Gas vulkanik, abu, hujan asam, kabut mendadak dan jalan berlumpur. / Volcanic gas, ash, acid rain, sudden fog and muddy access roads.

Description

Manaro Voui, also known as Lombenben, is the shield volcano forming Ambae Island in Vanuatu. Wikidata records an elevation of 1,496 m; VMGD describes nested calderas and crater lakes. The 2017–2018 eruption damaged water supplies, food resources and settlements. Expedition accounts describe a forest approach dependent on road conditions and rapidly changing fog. Checked on 12 September 2026, VMGD displays Level 3 (minor eruption); its warning dated 23 February 2026 identifies a danger zone about 3 km from the active vent in Lake Voui. Historical visits do not establish that the caldera is accessible today; follow official boundaries and local arrangements. An Extreme Pursuit field report dated 13 August 2026 describes lava occupying the former Lake Voui basin and observations hampered by rain and fog; it records one visit rather than official access guidance.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Lingkar pesisir Lolowai–bandara (bukan jalur puncak)

Jalan kaki pesisir panjang / Long coastal walk

13.00 km

Sugar Shack records an approximately 13 km loop from Lolowai around the northern coast and airport area before returning. This Ambae Island walk does not reach the summit caldera. The walkers missed a lake turnoff and were short of supplies; carry water and food and confirm local paths. Stay on paths outside the airport runway.

Source

Pendekatan desa–kaldera Manaro (catatan historis; akses dibatasi)

Menantang; tunduk zona bahaya / Challenging; subject to danger-zone restrictions

Bergantung kondisi jalan, cuaca dan izin akses / Depends on road conditions, weather and access clearance

The 2023 expedition documents an approach from a village guesthouse through forest with porters toward the caldera. Travel time changed when the vehicle road became impassable. This records a historical approach rather than guaranteed open access: consult the official warning in the profile and do not enter the VMGD danger zone around the active Lake Voui vent. The caldera shown in older photographs and accounts is not static: the profile links a 2026 field report describing the Voui basin changing into a lava field.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Four trekking and expedition accounts follow Manaro from an overgrown trail in a 2011 report to the Voui basin reported as lava-filled in 2026. Two additional coastal-walking and flying experiences are distinguished from ascents. Rain, fog, supplies and guide coordination shape these trips; every crater account is historical and does not establish current access. Consult the VMGD danger-zone guidance linked in the profile.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.