The Yasawa Islands are an archipelago of about twenty volcanic islands stretching some 90 kilometers northwest of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island. Unlike the Mamanucas, which are closer to the mainland and more touristically developed, the Yasawas retain a wilder, more authentic atmosphere.
On August 19th we left Musket Cove to head north through the Yasawa Islands. Our first stop was off the island of Navadra, where we anchored for the night.
At anchor off Navadra
A couple of days later we set off again and spent one night off the isthmus connecting Waya Island with Wayasewa. The following day, August 22nd, we continued north in search of shelter from a southerly wind. We anchored in Nalauwaki Bay, on the north side of Waya Island.
Waya Island – Nalauwaki Bay
Unfortunately the anchorage here wasn’t comfortable either, due to the swell, so the next day we moved to the western side of the island, off the Octopus Resort.
Waya Island – off the Octopus Resort
Here, to our great surprise, we ran into Ghego and Anna, an Italian couple sailing around the world on their boat Mizar, whom we’d met back in the Tuamotu Islands. We took the opportunity to treat ourselves to a good lunch at the resort restaurant!
On August 24th we resumed sailing north and anchored in the bay south of Naviti, a wide inlet with a lovely beach, sheltered from most winds. Unfortunately the weather turned rather unstable, with cloudy skies and frequent rain. The next day we took the dinghy to Drawaqa Island, at the northern tip of which there’s an eco-resort with a small biodiversity research center. On the recommendation of the very kind staff there, we set off along a trail that took us to the top of a hill with a beautiful 360-degree view.
Meanwhile Alex and Tamara on No Stress caught up with us, and together we explored with mask and snorkel the pass between the two islands, letting the incoming current carry us along, hoping to spot some manta rays — those waters have a “cleaning station,” an area of the reef where mantas gather to be “cleaned” by cleaner fish, particularly wrasses, which feed on parasites, dead skin cells, and debris on the mantas’ skin and gills. Unfortunately, despite several attempts and a thorough search of the area, all we got to enjoy was the sight of the magnificent coral.
Together with No Stress, we moved to anchor between Drawaqa and Nanuya Balavu islands, where we again enjoyed a long snorkeling session, admiring hundreds of coral formations of various colors and shapes. That evening we treated ourselves to a “luxurious” dinner at the Paradise Cove Resort.
On August 29th, in the early afternoon, we said goodbye to Alex and Tamara to continue north, heading for the village of Somosomo on Naviti Island.
At anchor off the village of Somosomo
Once ashore, we were immediately welcomed by the headman, the village’s administrative chief, who took us to meet the “chief” — the traditional and spiritual leader of the village — for the sevusevu ceremony. Sevusevu is the traditional ceremony through which, upon arriving in a Fijian village, you present yourself to the chief by offering a bundle of kava root as a sign of respect. It’s a gesture that formalizes the request to visit the village, anchor in the surrounding waters, fish, or explore the area. Once the offering is accepted — in the past with a brief ceremony in which the kava was prepared and drunk together — you’re officially “welcomed” into the community and under its protection. For sailors cruising the Fiji islands, it’s good practice to keep a few bundles of kava on board, easily found at local markets, before going ashore in any village.
In the chief’s house
Accompanied by the headman, we toured the village, meeting various families along the way, a small handicraft market specially set up for us, and a little shop stocked with basic food supplies.
The next day, accompanied by a young man from the village (who described himself as the “future chief”), we walked a trail up to the top of the hill overlooking the town.
In the afternoon we moved to the neighboring bay, Vunayawa Bay, also known as “One Dollar Bay,” since its stunning beach was once pictured on the old Fijian one-dollar banknote.
Naviti Island – Vunayawa Bay
On August 31st we hoisted sail for Nanuya Lailai Island and its famous “Blue Lagoon,” where we anchored off the resort.
Aerial view of the Blue Lagoon
The next day we took a lovely walk along a trail crossing the island to its southeastern coast, where we stopped at Lo’s Tea House and treated ourselves to a wonderful full-body Fijian massage for the modest sum of 15 euros. This side of the island also has a beautiful beach right along the reef.
Mike, who cut open a coconut for usA young girl made us an excellent smoothieThe Tea House tables facing the beach
Given how much we enjoyed it, we went back the next day with Pat and Gary (the friends who had come to our rescue off Penrhyn), who had in the meantime anchored right near us in the Blue Lagoon bay. With them we had a tasty crab lunch, followed by a delicious ice cream at BV Organic Ice Cream!
Cassava plants along the trail
Early on September 3rd, after fondly saying goodbye to our friends, we set off again heading north to reach Nabukeru Bay, on the south side of Yasawa Island. After beating upwind for almost three hours, we reached the bay, where we anchored as close to the reef as possible to reduce the wave action caused by the strong wind blowing from the east-northeast.
At anchor off the village of NabukeruThat evening we watched the sad spectacle of the fires devastating the hills.
This bay is very popular with tourists because of the two caves on Sawa-i-Lau Island, which can be visited by swimming in with local guides. We too wanted to have this experience, so we took our dinghy to the caves; after buying our entry tickets, we headed to the cave entrance, which is reached via a set of steps, expecting to find a guide there to take us in. Instead we found ourselves alone, swimming through the first cave with no idea how to reach the second one, which we knew was accessed via a short dive underwater. We complained about the lack of a guide, but in the end we missed the chance to fully enjoy the experience.
The following day we went ashore to do sevusevu and visit the village. We were very positively struck by the school facilities and by how welcoming the kids were, showing us around their classrooms. The Fijian school system consists of eight years of primary school and four years of secondary school, twelve years total, from age 6 to 18. Both primary and secondary school are free and compulsory by law. In smaller, more remote villages like Nabukeru, only the primary school is present: to continue their studies, kids have to move to boarding school — there are about 65 of them across Fiji — often far from home, a common reality for families on outlying islands like the Yasawas.
“Dui seva ga na bua ka tea” — a Fijian proverb that literally means “you will reap the bua (frangipani) flowers you planted,” conceptually identical to the English saying: it means you must always face the consequences of your own actions.Sawa-i-Lau Island and ZOE, seen from the village of Nabukeru
The Yasawa Islands are an archipelago of about twenty volcanic islands stretching some 90 kilometers northwest of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island. Unlike the Mamanucas, which are closer to the mainland and more touristically developed, the Yasawas retain a wilder, more authentic atmosphere.
On August 19th we left Musket Cove to head north through the Yasawa Islands. Our first stop was off the island of Navadra, where we anchored for the night.
A couple of days later we set off again and spent one night off the isthmus connecting Waya Island with Wayasewa. The following day, August 22nd, we continued north in search of shelter from a southerly wind. We anchored in Nalauwaki Bay, on the north side of Waya Island.
Unfortunately the anchorage here wasn’t comfortable either, due to the swell, so the next day we moved to the western side of the island, off the Octopus Resort.
Here, to our great surprise, we ran into Ghego and Anna, an Italian couple sailing around the world on their boat Mizar, whom we’d met back in the Tuamotu Islands. We took the opportunity to treat ourselves to a good lunch at the resort restaurant!
On August 24th we resumed sailing north and anchored in the bay south of Naviti, a wide inlet with a lovely beach, sheltered from most winds. Unfortunately the weather turned rather unstable, with cloudy skies and frequent rain. The next day we took the dinghy to Drawaqa Island, at the northern tip of which there’s an eco-resort with a small biodiversity research center. On the recommendation of the very kind staff there, we set off along a trail that took us to the top of a hill with a beautiful 360-degree view.
Meanwhile Alex and Tamara on No Stress caught up with us, and together we explored with mask and snorkel the pass between the two islands, letting the incoming current carry us along, hoping to spot some manta rays — those waters have a “cleaning station,” an area of the reef where mantas gather to be “cleaned” by cleaner fish, particularly wrasses, which feed on parasites, dead skin cells, and debris on the mantas’ skin and gills. Unfortunately, despite several attempts and a thorough search of the area, all we got to enjoy was the sight of the magnificent coral.
Together with No Stress, we moved to anchor between Drawaqa and Nanuya Balavu islands, where we again enjoyed a long snorkeling session, admiring hundreds of coral formations of various colors and shapes. That evening we treated ourselves to a “luxurious” dinner at the Paradise Cove Resort.
On August 29th, in the early afternoon, we said goodbye to Alex and Tamara to continue north, heading for the village of Somosomo on Naviti Island.
Once ashore, we were immediately welcomed by the headman, the village’s administrative chief, who took us to meet the “chief” — the traditional and spiritual leader of the village — for the sevusevu ceremony. Sevusevu is the traditional ceremony through which, upon arriving in a Fijian village, you present yourself to the chief by offering a bundle of kava root as a sign of respect. It’s a gesture that formalizes the request to visit the village, anchor in the surrounding waters, fish, or explore the area. Once the offering is accepted — in the past with a brief ceremony in which the kava was prepared and drunk together — you’re officially “welcomed” into the community and under its protection. For sailors cruising the Fiji islands, it’s good practice to keep a few bundles of kava on board, easily found at local markets, before going ashore in any village.
Accompanied by the headman, we toured the village, meeting various families along the way, a small handicraft market specially set up for us, and a little shop stocked with basic food supplies.
The next day, accompanied by a young man from the village (who described himself as the “future chief”), we walked a trail up to the top of the hill overlooking the town.
In the afternoon we moved to the neighboring bay, Vunayawa Bay, also known as “One Dollar Bay,” since its stunning beach was once pictured on the old Fijian one-dollar banknote.
On August 31st we hoisted sail for Nanuya Lailai Island and its famous “Blue Lagoon,” where we anchored off the resort.
The next day we took a lovely walk along a trail crossing the island to its southeastern coast, where we stopped at Lo’s Tea House and treated ourselves to a wonderful full-body Fijian massage for the modest sum of 15 euros. This side of the island also has a beautiful beach right along the reef.
Given how much we enjoyed it, we went back the next day with Pat and Gary (the friends who had come to our rescue off Penrhyn), who had in the meantime anchored right near us in the Blue Lagoon bay. With them we had a tasty crab lunch, followed by a delicious ice cream at BV Organic Ice Cream!
Early on September 3rd, after fondly saying goodbye to our friends, we set off again heading north to reach Nabukeru Bay, on the south side of Yasawa Island. After beating upwind for almost three hours, we reached the bay, where we anchored as close to the reef as possible to reduce the wave action caused by the strong wind blowing from the east-northeast.
This bay is very popular with tourists because of the two caves on Sawa-i-Lau Island, which can be visited by swimming in with local guides. We too wanted to have this experience, so we took our dinghy to the caves; after buying our entry tickets, we headed to the cave entrance, which is reached via a set of steps, expecting to find a guide there to take us in. Instead we found ourselves alone, swimming through the first cave with no idea how to reach the second one, which we knew was accessed via a short dive underwater. We complained about the lack of a guide, but in the end we missed the chance to fully enjoy the experience.
The following day we went ashore to do sevusevu and visit the village. We were very positively struck by the school facilities and by how welcoming the kids were, showing us around their classrooms. The Fijian school system consists of eight years of primary school and four years of secondary school, twelve years total, from age 6 to 18. Both primary and secondary school are free and compulsory by law. In smaller, more remote villages like Nabukeru, only the primary school is present: to continue their studies, kids have to move to boarding school — there are about 65 of them across Fiji — often far from home, a common reality for families on outlying islands like the Yasawas.