Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Yaqeta
Shaped like a hammerhead shark,
Yaqeta
has an extremely fertile and flat middle, stretching
from the west to east coast, where the solitary Matayalevu Village is located. The
north side
of the island boasts an outstanding turquoise lagoon, overlooked by the elegant
Navutu Stars
Matacawalevu
Just across the lagoon from Yaqeta is the hilly island of
Matacawalevu
, home to the laid-
back
Long Beach Resort
and budget option
Bay of Plenty
. Just offshore from the resort sits
the triangular rocky island of
Deviulau
, which can be climbed for fantastic views of the beach
and bay; it also offers good snorkelling along its southern point. You can walk to the island
at low tide, though look out for sting rays lurking in the water.
A twenty-minute track from the resort leads across to the east coast village of
Vuake
. The
village's picturesque
Catholic Church
, perched on a hill overlooking the shallow tidal wa-
ters of Nasomo Bay, is a wonderful place to experience the full volume of a Fijian Sunday
church service. From Vuake, walking tracks lead up into the hills, where village gardens are
planted with
dalo
and
yaqona
, or you can walk north to the island's second village, the Meth-
odist enclave of
Matacawalevu
, also on the east coast.
Blue Lagoon Bay
Flanking the north and east coast of Matacawalevu are the small islands of Nanuya and Tave-
wa, with the larger island of Nacula to the north forming the
Blue Lagoon Bay
. The bay is
named partly for its dream-like turquoise waters but also to capitalize on the semi-erotic 1980
film
The Blue Lagoon
, starring Brooke Shields, filmed partly on Nanuya Levu. Around this
sheltered bay is the highest concentration of
backpacker resorts
in the Yasawas, making it a
handy place for island-hopping.
