Natasha Egré is Head of Client and Product Development at Marbral Advisory and Chair of the PR sub-committee for the Institute of Directors in Jersey.
There are 15 words in the Fijian language meaning Heaven and ‘Yasawa’ is the first. Therefore, a trip to the Yasawa Islands, part of the Fijian Pacific archipelago, was top of the list for myself and my partner Stewart. Our adventures took us through six islands, three amazing shark dives, two lagoons and one tsunami evacuation.
Many people are often surprised when they realise how vast Fiji actually is. The archipelago consists of more than 330 islands, of which about 100 are inhabited. They are split into nine separate geographic island groups.
Passengers were forbidden to set foot on the Yasawas until the 1950s. Thanks to a Government ecotourism initiative, the islands are now dotted with accommodation options and you can reach them via the daily water-bus service, the Yasawa Flyer. The majority of islands are not highly developed, affording visitors a realistic insight into Fijian life.
You can’t and shouldn’t rush Fiji. We were lucky to be able to arrange a month-long break from our day jobs to visit and we could have stayed much longer.
The area boasts paradise beaches, lush flora and fauna, mountains, traditional villages, some of the longest coral reefs in the world and the friendliest of people.
In 2016, Fiji was sadly hit with the full force of Cyclone Winston, the damage it wrought was considerable, but Fiji’s vibrant tourism industry has bounced back quickly. We didn’t encounter any storms during our trip, but we were evacuated to the peak of Naukacuvu
Island due to a tsunami warning. It was some trek uphill and an anxious wait at the top but thankfully the alert subsided, and we were safe to return to base camp having missed our transfer to the next island but pretty pleased we weren’t on the sea when the alarm was raised!
The quality of diving was a major incentive for us to venture to Fiji and we couldn’t have been more delighted. Due to the dependence on dive tourism, the health of the coral reefs surrounding the islands are paramount to the future well-being of the Yasawa people, so they are incentivised to take great care of them. Tourists are invited to take part in numerous conservation projects. One such project monitors shark species – the intention is to gather enough data to encourage the designation of the area as an official marine reserve. We had the opportunity to dive with awe-inspiring tiger, bull, silver tip, nurse and lemon sharks. The sharks came close out of mere curiosity, but it was an experience of surprising serenity that we’ll never forget.
My tips for the best islands are:
Kuata– Kuata is located at the gateway to the Yasawa Islands, and every day a Kuata warrior will venture out onto the rock peak to dance and grant each boat safe passage. We stayed in a beautiful resort called Barefoot Kuata, which is all about living simply, sustainably and in harmony with the environment (you do not need to be an eco-activist to enjoy it and there is a plentiful supply ofPiña Coladastoo!).
Nacula Island– We stayed and made many friends at Blue Lagoon Resort – located near the private island of Nanuya Levu, which served as a location for the romantic adventure film of the same name The Blue Lagoon.
Naviti Island– We stayed at Botaira Beach Resort and were the only ones there! We slept in a traditional beach bure made out of local timber and decorated with local artwork. Here the water is crystal clear and they are running a Giant Clam conservation project. Watch out for the giant spiders though!
Viwa Island– The resort has just 11 beachfront bures. The island is surrounded by a blossoming, rich, colourful coral reef that is abundant with a variety of aquatic life, making it a fantastic location for diving, fishing, snorkelling and other water sports with a white sandy beach and crystal-clear turquoise water. One of our best dives of the entire trip took place here – the swell educed a feeling of flying over the reef and gullies, as tropical fish and reef sharks circled and spiralled around the underwater landscape.
There’s an island for everyone and many more we did not have time to visit on this trip. Regardless of where you choose to stay, you can be assured of a warm welcome with a bellowing bula! (hello), genuine smiles and a traditional Kava ceremony. Fijian people are known to be some of the happiest on the planet – perhaps the Kava root drink has something to do with that!