©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Vanua Levu &

Why Go? ...... 151 Vanua Levu (Big ) and Taveuni look like a surrealist & Around ...... 153 rendition of a mountainous, waterfall-lush rainforest lined North & East of with cerulean coasts. Vanua Levu’s main settlement La- Savusavu ...... 161 basa is a dusty patchwork of sugar cane and copra planta- Off shore ...... 162 tions but other than that, nature reigns. Most visitors stay ...... 163 around colonial-feeling Savusavu, where sailboats fl oat in the shelter of slightly off shore islands, or in one of Taveuni’s Nabouwalu & Around ... 166 botanical-garden-like villages. Everyone, from the locals to Wainunu Bay ...... 167 the numerous expats, smile and act as if they’ve just awoken Taveuni ...... 167 from a long sunny nap – and they probably have. Waiyevo, & All around the islands you’ll fi nd traditional villages and Around ...... 171 calm, relaxing resorts. The Rainbow Reef and Namena Ma- Matei ...... 174 rine Reserve have some of the best dive sites in the South Pacifi c and non-water babies can head into the rugged interior for hiking, rafting, plunging into waterfalls and birdwatching. Best Places to Stay » Moody’s Namena (p162 ) When To Go » Maqai Resort (p 179 ) Savusavu » Dolphin Bay Divers °C/°F Te m p Rainfall Retreat (p 173 ) inches/mm 40/104 16/400 » Taveuni Palms (p 174 ) 12/300 » Naveria Heights Lodge 30/86

(p 156 ) 8/200

20/68 4/100 Best Dive Sites 10/50 0 » Namena Marine Park J FDNOSAJJMAM (p 155 ) » Great White Wall (p167 ) Apr–Dec Sailing Jul & Sep Usu- Nov–Mar The season, when ally the months rainy season; » Nasonisoni Passage Savusavu Bay with the best dive Taveuni is the (p 155 ) is thick with visibility. wettest Fijian » Rainbow Reef (p167 ) sailboats from island so expect » Dreamhouse (p 155 ) around the world. daily showers. 151 VANUA LEVU & TAVEUNI VANUA LEVU

c Sun c fi ce, ce, ffi ISLES Tavoro Waterfalls RINGGOLD 885 2214) Rabi Paci Lavena Coastal Walk Channel Peak % ) (p 178 (

Matei Des Voeux 00 km 20 miles 12 Rabi Udu Point ) p 160 Somosomo (p 152 ) Qamea c Sun c fi ights from Labasa to fl Wainigadru Napuka ng at Lounging on white on white Lounging Having a waterside a waterside Having Bumping aimlessly along Bumping aimlessly Paci fi Sese Savusavu TAVEUNI Wairiki the main drag. Mission ff Catholic Reef sands, snorkelling and snorkelling sands, sur sunset cocktail with yachties with yachties cocktail sunset in the rutted dirt tracks of of dirt tracks the rutted Levu Vanua 9 7 8 Natuvu A bus leaves Savusavu every morn- ce of of ce Yanuavou ffi Rainbow Bay Natewa Druadrua

Great Sea Reef Koronatoga Vunilagi Navukebuli Naweni c Sun has regular GettingThere & Away fi Tutu Tavoro

881 1454; Northern Service Travel o Wairiki Wairiki ag it down. A taxi from Labasa costs $16. fl The Labasa airport is about 11km southwest Savusavu airstrip is 3km south of town, but only % ights and you’ll have to go out to the main road ) (p 171 Labasa Malau BOAT AIR Nadi ($225) and ($240), and perhaps in the future, Taveuni (check the website). In Sa- o the vusavu is in the Copra Shed and in Labasa, ( Nasekula Rd) is o of Labasa. There’s a bus that passes the airport about every hour, but it doesn’t link up with fl to TAVEUNI TO 8 Flying is thebest way to get to Vanua Levu and Paci ing at 7am, arriving at the pier at Natuva at around around at Natuva at pier the at arriving 7am, at ing 11am where a small boat leaves for Lovinivonu, charter airlines were using it at the time of writ- ing. Labasa is the main airport for Vanua Levu. (p 172 ) 172 (p K O R O S E A tagimaucia Waisali Reserve Rainforest Mali Korolevu Savusavu ) (p 177 Tabia Seaqaqa Namena Marine Park Swimming in all three in all three Swimming Feeling the Lord’s power power the Lord’s Feeling Finding the rare, delicate delicate Finding the rare, Valeni of high on the slopes ower glorious pools of the glorious pools of Waterfalls via booming song at via booming song Catholic Mission red-and-white red-and-white fl Peak Voeux Des 6 4 5 Kia Naduri Batiri lled with folks fi VANUA LEVU

Dawara Reef Namenalala

Bay

Navidamu - Wainunu Sea Daria Cogea Rainbow Rainbow S O U T H O C E A N P A C I F I C

Nadogo Great ) (p 178 Lavena Lavena Bua Namena Marine Nasarowanqa Nabouwalu (p 167 ) (p 167 Yaqaga (p 155 ) Exploring the lush Exploring Making bubbles around around Making bubbles Diving the soft-coral Diving the soft-coral Navunievu the pristine Park the of beauty Walk Coastal wonderland of the of wonderland Reef 3 2 Vanua Levu & Taveuni Highlights Levu & Taveuni Vanua 1 Bligh Water POP POP 130,000 second-biggest The it to ’s fewmake who – they smile smugly island they’re know secrets. best-kept the tropic’s onto one of here from the bus- another world over It’s east and roads on the tle of . Many dirt Labasa, and rutted west sides are the strip of is a one-road largest ‘city’, island’s few settlements the island’s shops. Still, places are hard-working copra. Outside thefarming sugar cane and small pockets remote of relative hustle are streaming withvillages, mountain passes waterfalls, and an endless swaths of forest by the ever-changing coastline forgotten a smile on your keep slow, it world. Take on itsface and enjoy exploring rural Fiji grandest scale. VANUA LEVU