Been to Vanua Levu? Whatcha think?

HI, off to FIji again in a few days to hit some Yasawa islands again but also have the time to go to Vanua Levu for 5 days, keen on what's to do and options of getting there etc please. k

I flew there then took the ferry back; can't remember the name of the ferry wharf but it is across the island which makes for an interesting local bus ride. I think the ferry point on Viti Levu side is around Rakiraki somewhere (sorry, can't really remember), as the ferry to Suva took much longer and was a rougher crossing at the time.

Savusavu was a nice little town. Lots of decent little swimming beaches all along the road to the east.

Hi K,
You cannot beat going to the beautiful small, only 2 cabins available Salt Lake Lodge in Vanua Levu....easy to get to on the local bus system....or phone and you may catch Sonja or Andrew in town picking their daughter up from school in Savusavu.
Theres a kitchen to cook all your own tucker so hit the market first.
They now have aweb site< www.saltlakelodgefiji.com><BR>We stayed a week..lots to do and see....the best time of our stay in Fiji...regards Macdog2

Salt Lake Lodge looks like a great place to stay!

Savusavu is a major in-season port of call for yachties doing a tour of the south pacific -- quite an ex-pat community there, and has a curious atmosphere when compared to more indigenous areas of Fiji. I stayed there to unwind after a busier couple of weeks on Taveuni, so didn't explore too much. There was a rainy spell while I was there: passing time with a beer at one of the local bars and watch the thunderclouds build up kept me content. (otherwise, chatting it up with locals in the market's kava corner).

Labasa on the north side is also a world apart. A larger indo-fijian presence .. walking down the main street with all the Indian music blaring out of the stores, you'd think you were somewhere in India. Personally, I quite enjoyed the slice of life on Fiji that it represented. Nice river-side location, a bit of walking in the surrounding countryside. In four days I saw only 2 other tourists, with a rented car on a day trip from Savusavu.

So it's for someone who wants to do a bit of exploring off the beaten track. If you're mainly interested in extending a Yasawa-type holiday, time and money might be better spent closer to Viti Levu.

Getting there: you could fly (quickest). Getting there by the Viti Levu north coast ferry will have to take account of the time it takes to get there overland. All in all probably takes longer than the Suva ferry option. I recall there being a direct bus connecting to Lautoka (north of Nadi), in combination with the ferry ride, and further connection to Labasa. Inquire at a travel agent in Lautoka or maybe Nadi.

The overnight ferry from Suva to Savusavu did not run everyday when I was there, so you'd have to check the timings -- the name of the ferry slips my mind at the moment, (something like Sulivan??). Anyway, if it's running, it's worth taking a first-class ticket. There'll be likely room to stretch out and get a decent night's sleep (pill against sea sickness and something warm against the AC are both recommended).

Thanks for your kind advice. Sounds great. C.