Perhaps the world’s most famous volcano, Krakatau (commonly called Krakatoa) needs no introduction. Its gigantic eruption in 1883 made the loudest bang ever recorded, waking people on the far side of the Indian Ocean! That catastrophic eruption completely destroyed the volcano, sent tsunamis halfway around the globe and killed 36,000 people. In 1927, Krakatau was reborn when a “new” volcano emerged from the sea, known as Anak Krakatau (“child of Krakatau”). This unruly child has been erupting frequently, though not continuously, ever since then. Typical eruptions are highly explosive, with volcanic bombs often peppering the entire island and surrounding waters, so when it is active there is usually a 5 km exclusion zone around the island (though locals may take you closer in their rickety boats). A night eruption of Krakatau is absolutely awesome, with massive sprays of glowing bombs and roiling ash clouds flashing with volcanic lightning. This is another volcano that has killed visitors, so landing on the island is NOT advised. Anak Krakatau is extremely volatile and can abruptly change its eruption style without warning. It lies 44 km west of Carita, Java, in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Boats can be hired from Carita but have a good look at the boat before agreeing to be taken that far out to sea! During high activity the sonic booms from Krakatau’s explosions can shatter windows in Carita.

Written by  Mike Lyvers.

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