THE GUIDE - Rough Guide to Fiji - page 229

basins surrounded by steep mountains. Their river estuaries are lined in mangrove forests
and you can explore these incredibly peaceful environments by kayak . However, it's the un-
derwater spectacle of the Astrolabe Reef that attracts most visitors here; the reef hugs the
southeast side of Kadavu all the way to Galoa Harbour and extends 40km north in open sea.
Divers are well catered for at East Kadavu's dive resorts .
Kadavu village
The village of Kadavu lies hidden behind mangrove estuaries and hemmed in by steep moun-
tains. At the back of the village, a high waterfall has carved and hollowed a russet-coloured
rocky chamber into unusual shapes with a deep swimming pool below - when visitors arrive,
energetic village kids swarm in to show off their courage by jumping from the 20m-high rock
faces surrounding it.
Nacomoto
From Kadavu you can hike for an hour through rainforest to Nacomoto , where village stays
can be arranged. If you want to see grey reef sharks and large schools of barracuda, jacks
and emperors, Nacomoto Passage is as good a bet as anywhere in Fiji, with dive boats from
Matava diving the site frequently.
Kavala Bay and Tiliva village
A strenuous full-day hike from either Kadavu Village or Nacomoto crosses over to Kavala
Bay on the north coast, passing several waterfalls along the way. The trail continues east
along the coastline to the village of Tiliva , where there's a small resort. From here, a pretty
coastal trail heads east to the only backpacker dive resort on Kadavu.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: KADAVU
By plane Vunisea has the island's only airport, connected by flights (daily except Sun) from
both Nadi (45min) and Nausori (30min), operated by Pacific Sun.
By boat The weekly cargo boat operated by Venu Shipping ( 339 5000; F$50 one way,
F$75 for a bed in a six-berth cabin) departs from Walu Bay in Suva every Tues at 10.30pm,
arriving at 6am on Wed at Vunisea, where it unloads for a few hours before heading east to
Kavala Bay for its second stop on Kadavu. The boat leaves Kavala Bay at 2pm on Wed and
heads back to Suva. You could also try Western Shipping ( 331 4467; lounge F$50 one-
way), which operates the Cagi-Mai-Ba , an aged cargo boat that visits Vunisea and various
bays along the northeast coast, including Daku Bay (9hr), once or twice a month but to no
fixed schedule.
GETTING AROUND
By resort boat Each resort has its own fleet of boats, which meet pre-booked guests at
Vunisea airport or at one of Vunisea's two ferry jetties, the Old Jetty and the New Jetty just
to the north.