Demetrio’s short vacation called for a fairly tight schedule, so we set off the day after his arrival to reach Viani Bay, strategically located near the Rainbow Reef — a choice also driven by the fact that Demetrio is a keen scuba diver.
Sunset at Viani Bay
The Rainbow Reef, located in the Somosomo Strait between the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni, is recognized as the world capital of soft coral — meaning coral without a rigid calcareous skeleton. To cover the roughly 50 miles separating us from our chosen anchorage, we left at 6:00 in the morning, lucky enough to have favorable wind, which unusually was blowing from the south. Arriving in the late afternoon, we moored the boat to one of two mooring buoys provided by “Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat,” a dive center run by Roland, a Swiss man recommended to us by other sailing friends. After making the necessary arrangements for the next day, we enjoyed a splendid sunset. Roland took us diving for two consecutive days. He was exceptional at showing us an incredible variety of corals and fish; he took us to two diving sites, the Great White Wall and the Cabbage Patch — a breathtaking experience.
The White Wall, the most famous dive site on the Rainbow ReefDemetrioSergioGemmaRoland and GemmaGiant clamSoft coralCabbage Patch (and the three photos that follow)Still in Viani Bay, facing another dive center
After three days we headed to the island across the way, Taveuni. Although the crossing was short, it was fairly rough due to strong winds and choppy seas. On arriving at Paradise Resort, where we had booked a mooring buoy, we booked a dive for the next day in the waters near the resort.
ZOE moored at Paradise ResortA nudibranch in the waters near the resort
The following evening we treated ourselves to a delicious dinner of chicken cooked in a lovo, the traditional Fijian earth oven: the food is wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked underground, over embers or red-hot stones covered with leaves and earth. The result is meat that’s extremely tender and smoky. More than just a recipe, it’s a social ritual tied to major occasions — weddings, village celebrations, welcoming guests — often prepared communally by the men of the village.
Preparing the chicken wrapped in leaves before cooking in the lovoThe lovo — traditional cookingChicken cooked in the lovo
The next day we rented a car to explore Taveuni, the third-largest island in Fiji, famous for being crossed by the 180° meridian — the International Date Line. It’s also known as the “garden island” since 60% of its surface is covered by rainforest, partly because it’s one of the rainiest places on earth. We visited the Bouma Falls, the most famous in Fiji, reached after a pleasant walk.
Straddling the date line meridianToward the Bouma FallsThe Bouma FallsThe rainforestWe treated ourselves to a small lunch before heading backReturn to Nawi Marina
On the morning of the 20th, a little reluctantly, we set off again to head back to Savusavu, where the following day Demetrio would catch his flight back to Auckland.
Demetrio’s short vacation called for a fairly tight schedule, so we set off the day after his arrival to reach Viani Bay, strategically located near the Rainbow Reef — a choice also driven by the fact that Demetrio is a keen scuba diver.
The Rainbow Reef, located in the Somosomo Strait between the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni, is recognized as the world capital of soft coral — meaning coral without a rigid calcareous skeleton. To cover the roughly 50 miles separating us from our chosen anchorage, we left at 6:00 in the morning, lucky enough to have favorable wind, which unusually was blowing from the south. Arriving in the late afternoon, we moored the boat to one of two mooring buoys provided by “Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat,” a dive center run by Roland, a Swiss man recommended to us by other sailing friends. After making the necessary arrangements for the next day, we enjoyed a splendid sunset. Roland took us diving for two consecutive days. He was exceptional at showing us an incredible variety of corals and fish; he took us to two diving sites, the Great White Wall and the Cabbage Patch — a breathtaking experience.
After three days we headed to the island across the way, Taveuni. Although the crossing was short, it was fairly rough due to strong winds and choppy seas. On arriving at Paradise Resort, where we had booked a mooring buoy, we booked a dive for the next day in the waters near the resort.
The following evening we treated ourselves to a delicious dinner of chicken cooked in a lovo, the traditional Fijian earth oven: the food is wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked underground, over embers or red-hot stones covered with leaves and earth. The result is meat that’s extremely tender and smoky. More than just a recipe, it’s a social ritual tied to major occasions — weddings, village celebrations, welcoming guests — often prepared communally by the men of the village.
The next day we rented a car to explore Taveuni, the third-largest island in Fiji, famous for being crossed by the 180° meridian — the International Date Line. It’s also known as the “garden island” since 60% of its surface is covered by rainforest, partly because it’s one of the rainiest places on earth. We visited the Bouma Falls, the most famous in Fiji, reached after a pleasant walk.
On the morning of the 20th, a little reluctantly, we set off again to head back to Savusavu, where the following day Demetrio would catch his flight back to Auckland.