Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

boat to Nabouwalu: 4WD rental here or Labasa?

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Fiji

we are hoping to take the ferry from viti levu to Nabouwalu. at Nabouwalu, is it possible to rent a 4WD and drive to Labasa and on to Savusavu and drop the rented 4WD there?

we would really like to explore on our own, driving, from Nabouwalu exploring Vanua Levu. is this possible?

does anyone know or can help with this question?

thanks!

Its quite a few years since I took the ferry from Nabouwalu - but I can't imagine it has changed much. Then it was only a wharf, a couple of shops, a few houses. Its at the end of a long road (4 - 5 hour bus ride from Labasa) and its main reason for being seems to be that its the closest point to Viti Levu. Probably the bus is your only option from there. Certainly 4WD hire cars are available in Savusavu, and now that more tourists are going to Labasa they are possibly available there - or there could be a Savusavu firm willing to transfer one there for you for a fee. Probably would not be a newish vehicle in the best condition though. Roads on Vanua Levu are not that great.

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There are 63 miles of paved roads on Vanua Levu, the rest are the worst roads imaginable, and I've been to Baja 100 times. We drove on one unpaved road for 8 kilometers, I had to turn around, I was sure I would break the rental car, just take the bus.

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Ditto #1, unless Nabouwalu has gone through a major change, you will have to take a bus to Labasa.

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