 Title Bouma National Heritage Park Diving the Rainbow Reef - off Taveuni Tuvaluan and Banaban settlements on Kioa and Rabi islands Rare Tagimaucia flower Taveuni, the Garden Island of Fiji, is the most popular destination for eco-tourism. It is the third largest island in Fiji being 26 miles long and about 7 miles in width. Taveuni has a number of traditional Fijian villages along its coast. The volcanic island is covered in tropical rainforest which is rich in colour, full of sound and scattered with waterfalls. High up in the mountains is a large lake where the rare Tagimaucia flower blooms in November. In the south of Taveuni there are several large working copra (coconut) plantations. Unfortunately the beaches on Taveuni are not that good although Prince Charles Beach and Lavena are exceptions. Taveuni has a well developed tourist infrastructure making it easy to get around yet retaining the feel of being off the beaten track. Bouma National Heritage Park has several excellent walks along stunning coastline and past refreshing waterfalls. The island is particularly geared towards independently minded travellers of all budgets and there are several dive specialists to lead expeditions to see the incredible soft corals and walls of Rainbow Reef. Laucala, Matangi and Qamea islands off the north-western coast of Taveuni are well known for their informal and luxurious resorts. Qamea is the largest of these islands and has good exploring and an abundance of wildlife, particularly nesting birds. Tiny Namena island off Vanua Levu is a protected nature reserve and has a number of rare species as well as nesting boobies. There is a small luxury eco-resort on the island. Between Vanua Levu and Taveuni are the islands of Kioa and Rabi. Although neither have official accommodation, it is possible to visit these islands by contacting the respective Island Council of Chiefs. Both islands are culturally unique - Rabi was settled by Banaban Islanders from Kiribati when they lost their own island to phosphate mining in the 1940's and Kioa was bought by the Tuvaluan government in 1946 to resettle their growing population. Kioa and Rabi offer a lifestyle and culture quite different to their Fijian counterparts. Accommodation on Taveuni Getting There Pacific Sun flies to Matei Airstrip on Taveuni several times each day from Nadi and Suva. There are also flight connections between Savusavu and Taveuni. Passenger ferries depart for Taveuni via Savusavu from Suva Harbour twice a week. Ther's also a small daily ferry travelling actross Buca Bay from Vanua Levu to Taveuni. Airlines / Travel Operators |
