New York — Tourists tired of traipsing around cities and in need
of something more dramatic to spark their imagination could opt for a volcano
adventure. Forbestraveler.com has compiled a list:
1. Kilauea, Hawaii. The 4,091 foot volcano has been erupting continuously
since 1983. Located in Volcano National Park on the island of Hawaii, native
guides conduct by-appointment only tours.
2. Mount Liamuiga Volcano, St. Kitts. Located on the Caribbean island of
St Kitts, a six-hour round trip to the crater of the 3,792 foot volcano takes
visitors through bamboo rain forests and tropical glades.
3. Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. It is the largest mountain in Africa and
although the volcano is not active, there is hot magma just 1,300 feet below the
crater summit, which soars to 19,340 feet. Visitors usually take a five-day hike
and must be aware of altitude sickness.
4. Mount Vesuvius, Italy. The eruption of the volcano in 79 AD destroyed
the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Each year thousands of tourists visit
Pompeii and the National Archaeological Museum in Naples where they can see
well-preserved frescoes.
5. Augustine, Douglas, Illiamna and Redoubt volcanoes in Alaska. Located
on the east coast of Katamai National Park and Lake Clark National Park, the
chain of volcanoes, which range in height from 3,053 to 10,197 feet, are just
four the state’s 80 potentially active volcanoes. Homer Air Service, a
flight-seeing company, conducts a Ring of Fire Tour of the four peaks which
takes in a crater lake and a glacier.
6. Niyragongo Volcano, Zaire. The giant volcano reaches 11,384 feet. A
gas eruption in 2002 killed 42 people and left 120,000 homeless. Today,
visitors can be taken on an expedition culminating in a three-day trip to the
crater rim.
7. Yellowstone, United States. Although it is not the classic shape of its
conical cousins, Yellowstone is the largest super-caldera on earth, with half of
the geysers on earth and other unique geological formations.
8. Shiga volcanic complex, Japan. No mountain in this range that rises to
6,696 feet has erupted for the past 10,000 years but it is still an active
geothermal attraction and the largest ski resort in the country.
9. Ambrym Volcano, Vanuatu. It is a favorite with volcanologists and
botanists because of a near permanent lake of boiling lava and a lush
rainforest. Travelers can venture with a guide to the hottest hot spots in a
region — wherever an eruption is happening.
10. Mount Taranaki, New Zealand. The dormant volcano was used as a
stand-in for Mount Fuji in the film "The Last Samurai." — Reuters
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