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Tavewa Travel Guide
Yasawa Islands
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The cluster of small hilly volcanic islands with Tavewa at its heart are the most popular tourist destination in Fiji amongst backpackers. A few of the backpacker resorts have redefined themselves as more upmarket budget style resorts for couples and there are several small exclusive resorts in the region. This is Fiji's most rapidly growing tourism hot spot.
Yaqeta & Matacawalevu
The southern most island of this cluster is Yaqeta which boats a new Italian managed resort on a rocky outcrop overlooking the protected turquoise lagoon and Matacawalevu island. Matacawalevu is a hilly island with sparse forest covering its upper hills and coconut palms covering the flatter regions around the coast. There are two fishing villages here; the picturesque Catholic village of Vuake is perched between a long sandy beach, a hill and a mangrove bay and can be visited on a guided walking tour from Long Beach Resort. This idyllic resort, as its name suggests, lies at the point on a sweeping stretch of white sandy beach that extends for over a mile. There are several other small beach resorts popping up along the beach front, but none yet have the facilities and organisation offered by Long Beach Resort, and its location, in the shallow lagoon opposite Goat Island, in unsurpassed. Goat Island can be climbed for stunning sunsets and there is good snorkelling off its west coast.
Turtle Island
Off the east coast of Vuake Village, less than a mile across the lagoon, is Turtle Island Resort, a private island (Nanuya Island) with just 14 gorgeous bures and 14 private beaches. This is the domain of the super rich and famous with all inclusive prices starting from around US$2000 per couple which includes picnic lobsters and French champagne.
Nanuya Lailai Island
Almost touching Nanuya Island is its slightly smaller sister, Nanuya Lailai Island. This island is divided into two halves: the southern half is owned by Blue Lagoon Cruises and being territorial of their beautiful sandy beach (one of the most picturesque ion the region) they exclude any outside guests from walking on the sand. They even try to discourage tourists from swimming in the blue lagoon offshore but have no powers to enforce it. The snorkelling here is excellent and the fish, which are fed by visitors from the Blue Lagoon Cruise when it calls in every second day, are extremely friendly! Extending from the Blue Lagoon beach is another private property which has been developed into a mid market resort, Nanuya Island Resort. This is a much more down to earth place than its neighbour and offers spacious wooden bungalows, a large restaurant and lots of activities including scuba diving and kayaking. A 30-minute walk to the other side of the island (the more exposed east coast where the seas are often quite rough) leads to a small settlement where four families have set up small budget accommodation. The largest of these is Sunrise Beach Resort which is often full and provides basic wooden bungalows with shared bathrooms and two large dormitories in a rather cramped setting. This resort offers excellent organisation and frequent trips to the Sawa-i-Lau caves. Guests staying at the other resorts are welcome to join in - the resort owners here are all from the same family and get on well. The pick of the four resorts is the quiet Kim's Place, more suited to couples and set beyond a rocky point that divides it from the other resorts enabling more privacy. Kim's offers delightful bures with hanging beds and sand floors all et up on the hillside overlooking the beach. The restaurant, tea house and communal bathroom are set beachside. Guests staying at all resorts can wander over the hill to the calmer west coast where there's a public access stretch of beach between Blue Lagoon beach and Nanuya island Resort.
Tavewa Island
Offering the third boundary of the protected Tavewa lagoon is the freehold island of Tavewa. The beaches here are not as fine as on either Nanuya or neighbouring Nacula, but being freehold, the island has developed without the commercial restriction imposed by traditional Fijian values. The three backpacker accommodations along the protected east coast have been here since the 1980s and the owners are expert hands at the tourism business. Coral View Resort is the pick of the bunch on Tavewa and offers private thatch bures and two dormitories as well as a camping ground. The hilly interior has few trees, and several walking tracks traverse the long grassy hills offering great views of the surrounding islands at both sunrise and sunset. Snorkelling is good off the north and south point of Tavewa and there are tea houses, massage huts and a water sport activity centre with scuba diving courses along the beach front.
Nacula Island
Off the eat tip of Tavewa Island is Nacula Island. At ten kilometres long, Nacula is the third largest island in the Yasawas and there are several high peaks over 200 metres. The southern coast has some excellent walking tracks meandering over its grassy hills and leading down to several remote beaches. On the southern point near the village of Naisisili are three beach resorts owned and operated by the traditional landowners. The best run of these is Safe Landing Resort which fronts a gorgeous white sandy beach protected either side by rocky outcrops. One of these has an ancient burial site on its point with views overlooking the lagoon to Nanuya Lailai and Tavewa Island! The lagoon in front of the resort is a delightful turquoise and great for swimming - snorkelling is superb a few hundred metres offshore along one of the walls. Safe Landing Resort offers spaciuos and clean duplex and private bungalows with ceramic tiling and hot water private bathrooms, as well as budget traditional thatch bures with shared bathrooms. All in all this is thye pick of the budget resorts in the Yasawas. Around the western rocky point from Safe Landing are two adjacent beach resorts: Melbravo is the largest with bungalows, bures and dormitories, although a large portion of the beach front is taken up by the local village grave yard and several of the bures face it. Next door is the more appealing Nabua Lodge which has traditional thatch bures for couples and a large dormitory but as yet few organised activities. If sitting on the beach and exploring the coastline is enough for you, then this is a good place to experience genuine Fijian hospitality.
On the south east coast of Nacula Island, the point closest to Tavewa, is the delightful setting of Oarsman's Bay Resort. Apart from the fine white sand backed by palm trees and the turquoise swimming lagoon, the accommodation and organisation at Oarsmans is a little more upmarket from the backpacker resorts. And so too has the price creeped up out of the range of backpackers with the clientele now more likely to be couples and families.
... on to Yasawa Island
Getting to Tavewa Area
There is no airstrip on Matacawalevu, Tavewa, Nanuya or Nacula. All travellers arrive by boat aboard the 200 passenger Yasawa Flyer which takes about 4 hours from Nadi. Some resorts offer transfers on their own smaller 20 passenger fishing boats taking about 4 hours from Lautoka.
Local Cruises / Ferries
Readers may also be interested in the following destinations:
Cook Islands Travel Guide
Samoa Travel Guide
Tonga Travel Guide
Tahiti Travel Guide
Hawaii Travel Guide
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