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Fiji Scuba Diving Regions > Vanua Levu

Fiji Scuba Diving Regions 10. Vanua Levu

Though only half as big as Viti Levu, Vanua Levu has good transport, a variety of scenery, warm welcoming people and few tourists. The main towns are Labasa, a small river port with a large airport and Savusavu which also has an airport.

Vanua Levu was once the centre of the sandalwood trade, now its primary economy is sugar, with copra a close second followed by timber.

Off the southern shores of the island is the island of Namena which has a wildlife sanctuary. The villages are numerous all the way around the island and it's here you'll experience real Fijian life.

Vanua Levu (pronounce Va-new-ah Lay-vu), with a population of approximately 130,000, is the second largest island of the Fiji archipelago. With an area of 5538 square kilometers, it is slightly larger than half the size of Viti Levu. The island measures 180 kilometers long and has an average width of 33 kilometers. The island is rugged, untrammeled and the coast is surrounded by an extensive system of coral reefs. Once a center for the copra trade, sugar cultivation is the most important industry and large cane fields can be seen on the dry western and northern coasts. There is a system of roads but they are not as extensive nor as well maintained as on the main island of Viti Levu (except for the newly paved road linking Savusavu and Labasa).

Although very near Viti Levu in distance (64 km northeast) it is less developed and less frequented by tourists. Vanua Levu thus offers the guest an ideal opportunity to observe local traditions and culture, relatively untarnished by tourism.

The largest centers of population are Labasa and Savusavu, but they are small towns compared to the larger urban centers on Viti Levu. Labasa, largely an Indian community, is a thriving business center tied to the sugar industry. Savusavu, a smaller less developed town, is gaining popularity as a dive destination and yachting community. It has a truly magnificent bay and a friendly local yacht club. One can travel to Vanua Levu either by flying to Savusavu or Labasa, or via local ferry boat from Viti Levu.

About Savusavu

Savusavu (population 2500) is a gritty, one-horse town with a several block long main drag facing the bay. The store fronts are rustic and in many cases ramshackle. The town's economy, is however on the mend. A new mining operation in the mountains and increased tourism is slowly adding dollars to the economy. The most striking aspects about the town are the incredible beauty of Savusavu Bay and the hot springs, which add a surreal, twilight zone quality. The hot springs are scattered liberally around the city limits. Steam rises literally from the cracks in the sidewalks, in grassy lots, from the seashore and even from the municipal pier which has to be paved periodically due to the corrosion from the thermal activity. Geologically, the whole town is kind of a devils kitchen, which locals have adapted to.

About Labasa:

Labasa (pronounced Lam-bah-sah) is a hot, dusty sugar mill town entirely dependent upon cane which is grown in great quantities in the area. With a population of about 15,000, it's much larger than Savusavu and entirely different in nature. The population is primarilly Indian in origin and consists of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, with their distinctive turbins. The surrounding countryside, covered with cane and golden sunburnt hills also has volcanically sculpted black lava outcroppings in nearby Vunika. During cane crushing season (between June and January) keep an eye out for trucks overloaded with cane heading for the mill. There are no stop lights in town! For anyone needing provisions, such as yachties, Labasa is an obligatory stop. If you are moored in Savusavu it's easy to take a local bus for a day's shopping trip for marine supplies in Labasa.

The north is the common name for the islands of Vanua Levu, Namenalala, Taveuni, Qamea, Laucala, Kioa, Rabi and a series of smaller islets and islands. For reference purposes, the North has two distinct tourist/dive areas: Savusavu and Taveuni.

Savusavu is located on the shore of a magnificent harbour on Fiji's second largest island of Vanua Levu, the township of Savusavu is the focal point of several resorts and outstanding diving. The Cousteau Society's Ocean search Project has used Savusavu for the past four years offering a testimonial to its diving and attraction as a destination. This area includes the island of Namenalala within the great Namena reef surrounded by pristine waters. Savusavu is only a brief but scenic flight from either Nadi or Suva showing a multitude of coral reefs with their wonderful pastel colour-shades of aqua greens, turquoise and the dark blue of the deep sea. There is much to see on the ground: an old gold mine, treks and trails through virgin forest beside streams with cascades and waterfall, horse riding, visits to villages and road tours

Diving

Most of the reefs of this area have never seen a diver and probably never will. The area is too vast and offers too much. Operators can only select dive sites which have the full spectrum of Fiji's best and concentrate on there. The nearby reefs of Savusavu and Namenalala have superb diving with a great choice of sites offering an underwater wonderland which has made Fiji famous: walls, caves, overhangs soft and hard corals, reef fish and pelagic fish - this has it all. The diving is less demanding in Savusavu Bay but becomes dramatic on the outer side of the barrier reef which sweeps up the coast to Somosomo Strait dividing Vanua Levu and Taveuni. it is also spectacular on the Namena Reef, which like the Savusavu barrier reef, stretches more then 30 miles between the ocean and the lagoon