Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in reality there are six islands directly in front of you to the east, the Sacred Islands and the
southern Yasawas to the north, as well as most islands in the Mamanucas). The beaches on the
eastern side of both islands are beautiful, with fine white sand piled deep on a point backed
by tall palm trees.
The Sacred Islands
Ten kilometres north of Tokoriki, the seven uninhabited
Sacred Islands
(or Mamanuca-i-Ra)
rise out of the ocean in breathtaking splendour. Between May and September a handful of
yachts are usually anchored in the protected bays here enjoying the solitude. Apart from the
weekly visit by
Captain Cook Cruises
on its way up to the Yasawas, few other people ven-
ture this way except the occasional TV crew who have filmed four series of
Survivor
on the
islands.
The reef alongside the picturesque 200m-long sand spit on
Vanua Levu
has fantastic
snor-
kelling
, with extensive coral gardens, but the beach is difficult to land on. Neighbouring
Navadra
is more accessible, with a good swimming beach. The islands are important nesting
grounds for migrating seabirds, particularly terns and noddies.
THE LEGEND OF THE SACRED ISLANDS
The
Sacred Islands
are owned by the people of Tavua. In their oral history, the
legend
of
the canoe
Rogovaka
, arriving with Fiji's first inhabitants led by Tui Na Revurevu, is still re-
called in dance. The new arrivals are said to have settled on the largest of these islands and
called it Vanua Levu, translating to “big island” (not to be confused with its much larger
namesake in northern Fiji). The legend goes on to tell of a second wave of immigrants who,
finding Vanua Levu already settled, continued on to
Vuda
on Viti Levu. A village thrived
on Vanua Levu for a while, but as the island has no source of spring water, it was later
abandoned. An archaeological excavation revealed ancient
Lapita pottery
which seems to
justify the legend's authenticity. The people of Tavua hold the island sacred and to this day,
it's expected that anyone setting foot on Vanua Levu should lay a traditional gift of
yaqona
roots in a small cave found behind the row of coconut palms on the eastern side of the sand
spit.
The Yasawa Islands
The volcanic
YASAWA ISLANDS
attract thousands of visitors, drawn to their dramatic
jagged peaks, tranquil bays and stunning beaches. Connected by a fast daily catamaran ser-
vice from Nadi, the islands are easy to hop between and have developed into a popular
back-
packer trail
.
