Fiji Travel Vision
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Lomaiviti Travel Guide
Historic and charming old capital of Levuka on Ovalau
Impressive scenery, walks and waterfalls on Ovalau
Several budget resorts and exclusive retreats
Mabualau Reserve, nesting island for Boobies and wildlife
Excellent potential for exploring larger islands of Gau, Koro and Naigani
Introduction
The Lomaiviti Group has several large islands and numerous smaller ones, but only Ovalau has a developed tourist infrastructure with a wide range of accommodation, transportation and tours. The highlight of Ovalau is the sleepy historical town of Levuka set around a harbour at the foot of some magnificent tropical hills. Levuka was once the capital of Fiji in the early era of European settlement. The heritage of the town is keenly preserved and there are some interesting historical sights, colonial architecture and a small museum. There are several hotels in Levuka including the Royal, Fiji's first hotel built in the heyday of the mid 1800's. There are also several bed and breakfasts. Levuka is a good base to explore the region and there are several tour operators to help you get by. The island of Ovalau is attractive and easy to get around with a good coastal road and bus service. It is also possible to hire cars and bikes. Although there are no good beaches on Ovalau, the stunning scenery of the rainforest more than makes up for this. There are some excellent well-marked walks, particularly to the central volcanic crater and the village of Lovoni, and several popular waterfalls. Organized kayaking trips can also be made from Ovalau.
Naigani Island and Wakaya Island to the north and east of Ovalau are both fascinating islands for exploring and have rough roads across the island for easy access. Both islands have resorts with private golf courses. Wakaya Club is one of the most exclusive in the country.
There are several small coral islands to the south-east of Ovalau not that far from Suva that have accommodation. Toberua island has a charming small resort and although it is in the upper price range it has an unpretentious atmosphere and offers village tours, visits to uninhabited Mabualau Island (home of thousands of nesting red-footed boobies birds) and mangrove river trips as well as the luxury of golf at low tide.
Caqalai has the most basic accommodation in the group with simple thatch bures and communal cold showers from a bucket. Provisions can be sparse. The beach is good and you really get the feeling of being away from it all although the island can be suffocating as it only takes fifteen minutes to walk around. Nearby Leluvia is a little larger and a more commercialized backpacker hangout with PADI diving and some organized activities. All islands have good beaches.
The larger islands of Gau and Koro in the east have excellent exploring potential although accommodation is limited (Gau has an expensive artists retreat). The plus for these islands is that although they have no tourism, they are easy to get to with several flights each week and both islands have roads and local transport connecting the islands' many local villages. For those who really want to explore, Koro and Gau are ideal - you will not run into other tourists and the local people are friendly and very helpful. Plan ahead to make accommodation arrangements.
Lomaiviti Accommodation
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Getting There
Air Fiji fly several times a day to Ovalau. Ovalau can also be reached by passenger ferry departing daily from Notovi Landing north of Suva. Local boats take passengers to the small island resorts from Bau Landing, north of Suva or from Levuka in Ovalau. The exclusive Wakaya Club has its own airline.
Airline / Travel Operators
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