Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wayasewa
Across the passage from Kuata,
Wayasewa
(also known as Waya Lailai) is dominated by
the towering 350m-high twin peaks of Vatuvula and Vatusawalo, with the old village of
Namara
sitting precariously beneath. In 1985, after heavy rain, a landslide brought several
huge boulders tumbling down the hillside to within inches of people's homes. The village
was declared unsafe and relocated to the north side of the island at
Naboro
. It didn't take
long, though, for a few stubborn families to return and when the adjacent backpacker resort
reopened, more villagers moved back. Today, over half of the houses are occupied, although
most families with young children prefer living close to the new primary school at Naboro.
Inland Wayasewa
The forty-minute
hike
from the back of
Waya Lailai Ecohaven Resort
to the summit of
Vatuvula
is a must, especially at sunset. The well-trodden track ascends steeply through
forest and up a narrow crag before opening out onto a rocky escarpment that leads to the
summit. It's hard going after rain and crossing the 10m-long boulder to reach the sheer-cliff
summit is a little nervy, but for conquerors there are fabulous views looking directly down on
the resort and over the bay to Kuata and the Mamanucas. The return leg passes another island
icon, the
wobbling rock
, a giant boulder you can rock from side to side.
Waya
Dramatic
Waya
has a strange, contorted appearance, with knife-edge ridges, monumental
rock protrusions and several unbelievably photogenic
beaches
. From its western coast, a gi-
ant's face seems to peer out from the island, slanting back as though floating in the sea. Four
fishing villages lie around the coast, all connected by
walking trails
, making it a paradise for
hikers (remember
etiquette
codes for dress and behaviour when visiting villages). Although
Waya is connected to Wayasewa by a 200m-long
sand spit
exposed at low tide, the islands'
inhabitants have very different roots: the people of Waya look north to the high chief of Yas-
awa Island, while Wayasewa is inhabited by the people of Vuda from Viti Levu.
The south side of the island
For hikers,
the southern side
of Waya is a great base from which to explore the island. From
here
walking trails
head along the cliff edge and into the undulating hills, and it's possible
to scale the pointed 510m Mount Batinareba. Local
guides
(around F$35 per half day) are
essential for all but the short twenty-minute trail to Sunset Hill, as the paths can be difficult
to follow and are treacherous after rainfall; the locals also believe dangerous spirits lurk in
the hills; make sure you carry plenty of water.
Directly north of the sand spit, curved beach extends to either side, with pretty
coral reefs
in both bays although the west side is more sheltered. A twenty-minute walk from the sand
spit along the west beach brings you to
YALOBI
, one of the most stunningly located villages
in Fiji. Set in a deep bay, fronting a sandy beach, it's backed by a series of massive contorted
cliffs almost 500m high, with green veins of rainforest growing in the fissures and valleys.
