Pipedream trip to Lau group

Hello all,

I'm trying to plan an excursion to the Lau group for myself and a friend, and need a LOT of advice. Answering any of the following questions is much appreciated.

First, I'm finding very mixed results about when a visa is necessary. Looks like touring without visa is okay for US citizens for up to four months? Yet I've also read that without visa, you're restricted to two weeks. Any clarification possible?

Second, I know travel to Lau is limited to expensive and rare flights and unreliable cargo ship transport. Has anyone found alternative travel routes? Is it possible to walk the harbors and find boats going between islands?

Third, does anyone have suggestions for bed options? The two guest houses acknowledged online are fine, but seem to limit the range of islands you can then visit. Is that the case? And do you get enough exposure to the islands and people by staying at a single location that is designated for tourists?

Finally, for all the effort that is going to go in to this trip, is Lau worth it?

Cheers!

We visited northern Lau in 2011 on a 7 day "Historical and Cultural" cruise with Blue Lagoon Cruises.
They only went there a couple of times before shutting shop.
Stunning area and wonderful people. It was a highlight of our 2 years in Fiji.
Check out the NW corner of Vanua Balavu on google earth.
Some villages are Fijian and some are Tongan. There were no accommodation facilities for tourists in the area we visited.

At that time, it was necessary to get special permission from the central government before visiting (even with a visa for Fiji), but I understand those restrictions may have been relaxed since. You need to check that.
Transport to and from the area has been notoriously unreliable. Our route brought us in from Tavenui.

Cheers,
Peter

Thanks Peter!

Glad to know it's worth it. Perhaps I will talk to people on Tavenui, who will have a more local connection for how to stay on the various islands. If naught else, it's camping time!

I visited South Lau by cargo ship.
No permit was necessary (needed for yachties though) and it was a wonderful area.
However the islands are extremely remote, with most not even having a jetty let alone a port, so catching random boats inter-island is hardly an option.
I believe only 3 islands in Lau have air access, which is the only predictable way to go. And Vanua Balavu and Lakeba are the only islands with formal places to stay.
Village accommodation should be possible to arrange, but camping is unusual in Fiji and permission from landowners should be sought.

I just noticed this..... http://www.vudamarina.com.fj/blog/cruising-in-lau/
I would suggest contacting Vuda Marina and seeing if you can get a berth on a private boat.

Cheers,
Peter

Thanks! I've settled down with some volunteer work for 2 months on Viti Levu, so no have the proper time to plan. That's a great lead!

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