Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The coral islands
The
CORAL ISLANDS
comprise twelve tiny cays, surrounded by a shallow lagoon. These
islands seldom rise more than 5m above sea-level, are covered with light scrub vegetation
and until recently were all uninhabited. Apart from the resorts that are now built on them,
there's not an awful lot to distinguish one from another, except for Namotu and Tavarua in the
southeastern tip of the Malolo Barrier Reef, which have world-class
reef surfing
. The north-
ern coral islands are the most accessible, with transfers from both Port Denarau and Vuda
Marina in less than twenty minutes.
ISLAND NAMES
Resorts on the smaller coral islands have a higher profile than the islands themselves and
in most cases the
traditional Fijian name
has been ditched in favour of an alluringly exot-
ic title. We've used the
resort names
throughout, as this is what you will see on transport
information and timetables.
Resort name
Fijian name
Beachcomber Island
Tai
Bounty Island
Kadavu
Castaway Island
Qalito
Mystery Island
Tivua
South Sea Island
Vunivadra
Treasure Island
Elevuka
South Sea Island
The tiny speck of
South Sea Island
is the smallest of the coral islands and takes just 25
minutes to reach from Port Denarau. This is the first stop on both the South Sea Cruises and
the
Yasawa Flyer
routes, making it a busy little place with both day-trippers from Nadi and
backpackers heading to and from the Yasawas. It's a rather cramped island, not even a hun-
dred paces in width, and takes less than five minutes to walk around. If you like snorkelling
you'll be disappointed: this close to Nadi Bay the reefs have been damaged by runoff from
the sugarcane farms and rivers on Viti Levu. There's not much to do except bask on the beach
and cool off in the resort's swimming pool -
day-trippers
are enticed by the offer of unlim-
ited beer or house wine.
ACCOMMODATION: SOUTH SEA ISLAND
South Sea Island Resort
675 0500,
ssc.com.fj
.
Youth-orientated option on the minis-
cule island: accommodation is in one large wooden dorm room above the restaurant, with
