Shore Diving

There are some shore dives available in Vanua Levu but these have to be booked through the Dive Centres at the Resorts as they are generally resort ‘House Reefs’.

The shore dives can be dived with any level of experience and are often used for dive training and night dives. The marine life is plentiful around the coastline with many reef fish and small critters to be seen.

Coral in Fiji, Credit

Boat Diving

The boat diving in northern Vanua Levu is centred around the Rainbow Reef – a large reef system with 20 different dive sites. Dive sites are available for all levels of experience, although currents can be strong in some areas so sites here would only be for experienced divers. The Rainbow Reef is world-renowned for its soft corals and these can be found at all dive sites in a rainbow of different colours. The world-famous “Great White Wall” is one of the sites on the Reef – a steep slope covered in white soft corals and accessed by a swim-through filled with sea fans.

Reef fish in their thousands can be seen – plus whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, manta rays, turtles, eagle rays, nudibranchs and octopus.

Bullshark! Credit

On the southern side of Vanua, dive shops are located in and around Savusavu Bay. Barracuda Point is a favourite dive site in the bay, with its humongous populations of barracuda, staghorn corals, gorgonian sea fans and the occasional school of hammerhead shark.  The Dreamhouse is one of the island’s best sites, largely because of the high number of pelagic sightings. This pinnacle site experiences strong currents at certain times of years, making it a more difficult site to dive. Be sure to keep an eye out for hammerhead and tiger sharks when currents are strong!

While in southern Vanua, it is well worth taking a 40 – 50 minute speedboat ride out to Namena Marine Reserve, which surrounds the island of Namena. As one of the few protected marine reserves in Fiji, the reefs here are in pristine condition and are among the best dive sites in the country.

Dives here exposes divers to anything from giant pinnacles to dramatic reef walls, with vibrant marine life around you. There are over 1000 species of invertebrate, 400 known corals, 445 documented marine plants and over 1100 species of fish. Four species of sea turtles are found in the area, as are a number of migratory cetaceans. Specific highlights include the Blue Ribbon Eel, the Barracuda, Tiger Sharks and the Hawksbill Sea Turtle.

Diving in Fiji, by Mairyn Piloto

Liveaboard Diving

A handful of liveaboards incorporate dive sites around Vanua Levu into their tour of Fiji. The S/Y Fiji Siren spends a full day diving at Nanema before moving towards Vanua Levu and Savusavu Bay.

How to Get there

Vanua Levu is easily accessible by domestic flights from the mainland on Viti Levu. Or if going via Tavenui you can fly into Matei airport from either Nadi or Suva airports on the main island on Viti Levu.

There is also a ferry service from Suva or Savusavu.

Air Pacific, Fiji, Credit

Where to Eat & Drink

The town of Savusavu has the largest number of independent bars and restaurants – though relative to other islands, selection remains limited. This charming town is located beside Fiji’s second largest port, against the backdrop of green hills and hibiscus trees. It is the only place for yachts to dock on the island, leading to quick growth in both the port and the town more broadly.

Restaurants in Savusavu tend to serve either international or Indian fare. Surf and Turf is the fanciest restaurant in the area, and has a great view of the ocean. Decked Out Café is, by contrast, much more low key and serves a similarly international menu. Sea View Café has some of the best Indian and Chinese food.

A very inviting Fijian tropical water, Credit

It is possible to poke around smaller towns, including Nagara, to sample local cuisine from tiny restaurants. Otherwise, once you are outside of Savusavu all dining options tend to come from the all-inclusive resorts. Some are open to non-guests.

Nightlife in Savusavu is fairly low key. The Savusavu Yacht club is however a 20-year institution with yachters in the region, and has a great happy hour and open-air bar. Otherwise, most nightlife occurs in the resorts themselves.

Other Activities

One of the best  - and most leisurely – things to do on Vanua Levu is to drive the Hibiscus Highway which connects Savusavu with the Natewa Peninsula. This highway offers great views of the island’s mountains and rainforests as you drive east. Busses are infrequent, though it is possible to hire a taxi to do the drive for you.

If interested in hiking through the island’s rainforests, head north of Savusavu to the Waisali Nature Reserve. This 130ha reserve has a number of hiking trails that run through it. On a guided walk, you can learn about the numerous endangered and endemic species and plants that live within the area.  

A collection of  few shells in Fiji, Credit

Another interesting – and unique – activity is taking a tour of a Pearl Farm on the island. Here, oysters are implanted with mussel tissue to spark the growth of a pearl. They are then suspended in Savusavu Bay where, twice a year, they are harvested. Tours of the farm include information on the history of cultured pearls, and a tour by glass bottom boat of the farm in the bay. The tour of course concludes in a showroom with local pearls are for sale.

In Savusavu, there is a collection of hot springs near the wharf. They’re great to see – especially when locals cook food in them – but are generally too hot to touch. There are a few sacred religious sites around town that are also possible to visit.

Otherwise, rent a kayak or join a cruise to explore the ocean by boat!

Tips

Fijian people are very friendly and are always happy to help travellers with any questions or problems they may have.

Taveuni has its own hospital and police station. There are also bigger hospitals in Nadi and Suva and the recompression chamber can also be found in Suva.

Travellers should exercise common-sense caution while travelling although in general Fiji is a friendly and open place, ideal for getting around and making friends with the local people.

Diving and snorkelling are usually available for children – although it is generally sensible to book these in advance.

Iguana in Fiji, Credit