Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION
Caqalai Island Resort
343 0366,
owlfiji.com/caqalai.htm
.
This appealing resort is
run by the Methodist Church of nearby Moturiki Island. The twenty bures are beautifully
thatched and hidden amongst palm trees on the edge of the beachfront, and the bathrooms,
painted in colourful murals, have cold-water showers and flush toilets. The only drawback
is that no alcohol is sold o
n the
island,
but
it's fin
e to br
ing your own. Rates include meals.
Camping (with hired tent)
F$55
; dorms
F$65
; bures
F$150
Leleuvia Island Resort
368 0721,
leleuvia.com
.
Caqalai's close rival, 2km to the
south, is slightly larger and has an equally stunning beach setting. Choose from traditional
thatched bures or the male and female dorms. The sand-floor restaurant is well positioned
overlooking the beach and there's fantastic sn
orkel
ling, pa
ddleb
oarding and kayaking. Sat
night is lovo night. Rates include meals. Dorms
F$35
; bures
F$160
Outer Lomaiviti
Few travellers reach the six islands of
Outer Lomaiviti
other than to scuba dive the ex-
Rising out of the Koro Sea some 50km east of Ovalau are the large volcanic islands of
Koro
and
Gau
, the fifth and sixth largest landmasses in Fiji respectively. Both are blessed with rich
agricultural land and large indigenous populations, but they are difficult to get to, even harder
to explore and seldom visited by foreigners except on organized working holidays.
Makogai and Wakaya
In 1911, the small hilly island of
Makogai
became a
leper colony
for sufferers of the disease
from throughout the South Pacific. Under the care of Mother Mary Agnes, a community was
built consisting of a large hospital, cinema, shops and a church, as well as a cemetery where
1241 leprosy sufferers now rest in peace. The colony closed in 1969, twenty years after an
effective treatment for the disease was found. In 1986, Makogai was declared a
marine re-
serve
and is now run by the Ministry of Fisheries as a research centre, with a large hatch-
ery breeding giant clams, trochus and sea turtles. To the south of Makogai lies the upmarket
private island resort of
Wakaya
.
DIVING AROUND MAKOGAI AND WAKAYA
The figure-of-eight coral
reef
that wraps around Makogai and Wakaya offers phenomenal
scuba diving. Live-aboards diving the reef include
Fiji Aggressor
(7-day package from
US$2995;
aggressor.com
) and the slightly more intimate
Nai'a
(10-day package
US$4914; 345 0382,
naia.com.fj
)
. The exclusive
Wakaya Club Resort
also offers
scuba diving.
