An Unusual Fiji Destination: Taveuni, the Garden of Fiji

When you think of Fiji, you imagine white sandy beaches, palm trees, and paradise resorts, isn’t it?

And that’s absolutely true, but if you landed on this article you know there is more in Fiji than that. You know that there are cultures and traditions, and that there is a chance for you to experience Fiji authentically.

How? Go to Taveuni, the Garden of Fiji.

Taveuni is a truly beautiful small island. You can certainly go to resorts even there, but if you want to have a real cultural experience, you should book your stay with a local family. You’ll find quite a few on Airbnb.

We had a wonderful stay at Jima’s Home Retreat and we would love to go back there again! Sia, Charlie, and Nita made us feel part of the family and gave us the opportunity to learn a lot about the Fijian culture and way of living. Food is delicious and you’ll get all the support you need to plan your activities on the island.

Choosing the right accommodation is very important in Taveuni, so make sure you go to Jima’s place 😉

Let’s now see some more tips to organise your trip to Taveuni (Fiji) and what to expect when you get there. We went there in August 2023 and we spent 5 nights in Taveuni and one night in Nadi, where we stayed only for a day. Nadi is not exciting, but it could be a good stopover to have a glimpse of the Fijian city life compared to villages as well as to witness the cultural mix you have with the “Fijian” and the “Indo Fijian”.

*Hindu temple in Nadi / Tagimoucia dress gifted to Giulia by our host family in Taveuni*

Introduction to Fiji and Taveuni

Fiji (Fijian: Viti), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands – of which about 110 are permanently inhabited. It’s only 3-hour flight from New Zealand, making it a very popular holiday destination. However, not many people go to Taveuni because you need to book another internal flight and that adds up to the costs – there are cheap ways to move and we’ll talk about that in the following section “How to get there”.

About 87% of the total population of 924,610 live on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. The capital city is Suva, but the main tourist city is Nadi thanks to its airport, one of the most important in the region and great if you want to visit more a Pacific island at once.

In Fiji, the population is very much divided between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians due to the British, who brought Indians to Fiji as labourers to work on their plantations in the 19th century.

Politics has always used the ethnic separation between Indo-Fijians and indigenous Fijians as a propaganda weapon to gain votes, creating a divided society where the Indo-Fijians can carry out their business but can’t own the land; this way, they will always be “guests”, even if they were born in Fiji.

How to get to Taveuni, Fiji

There are two international airports in Fiji: the main one is in Nadi, the other one is in Suva, the capital of Fiji. So the first step would be getting there – and we recommend you to fly with Fiji Airways. Then, you need to get to Taveuni, and you have three options:

Flying from Nadi or Suva to Taveuni with Fiji Airways – very convenient if you’re stopping over in Nadi since there are many flights, but expensive (about 600 NZD each return – tax included)
Flying from Suva to Taveuni with Northen Air Fiji – less flights available, but much cheaper (about 300 NZD each return)
Taking the ferry from Suva to Taveuni – definitely the cheapest option and the most local one, but also the slowest one (about 100 NZD each return)

All prices refer to August 2023.

How to get around

Taveuni has only got one main road, which is paved only in the central part. The road goes from Lavena, in the north to Navakawau in the South. There are also two secondary roads that go respectively to Salialevu and to the top of the mountain.

The main center is Waiyevo, near Somosomo. There, you can find shops, supermarkets (with cheap bottles of water – 1.5 FJD for a 1.5L – that’s the honest and local price) an ATM, two phone companies, places to eat (8-10 FJD per meal), and the main bus station. Do not expect a big town, it’s just a road with shops, but it’s the place to go.

Buses

There is a bus service on Taveuni but it’s poorly reliable, especially in the south of the island. Remember that it runs on “island time” (it will most probably be late) and there are no official bus stops, just wave at the driver and they will stop.

All buses depart from the main bus station in Waiyevo. To find the bus station just go to Vinod Patel and Company Ltd (TAVEUNI) on google maps, it’s right in front of it. Otherwise ask anyone and they will tell you where to go.

Buses only go from town to north or from town to south (there is no bus from Lavena to Navakawau, you need to stop in town) – where “town” is Waiyevo – following this schedule:

Northbound:

Lavena to Town departure time: 6am, 12pm, 2pm

Town to Lavena departure time: 10am, 12pm, 5pm

Southbound

Town to Navakawau departure time: 9am, 4pm

South to Town: 12pm

Bus rides are very cheap and payment is cash only!

Taxis

There are plenty of taxis in Taveuni and most people end up taking one at least once. They are quite cheap but be aware that there are official taxis that use taximeters and non-official taxis that do not use taximeters. The latter ones are more expensive but generally have better cars, we believe there is margin of negotiation if you decide to get a private taxi, give it a go!

Hiring a vehicle

Hiring a vehicle it may be the best option at the end of the day. We did it only for one day to go to the top of the mountain (you need a 4WD), for the rest we relied on buses and taxis. We were told that a car cost you 120 FJD per day (90 FJD if you hire it for a few days). 4WD cars are going to be more expensive but you don’t need one unless you want to go up the mountain.

Drive carefully, most of the road is unpaved and it’s not uncommon getting a puncture there!

Biking

We haven’t seen a single bike on Taveuni, some resorts may rent them out, though.

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is another option but there are not many cars on Taveuni. We hitchhiked from Lavena back to the village of Wii Wii where we stayed. If you decide to hike the Lavena coastal track you will most likely miss the last bus from Lavena (2pm) and to go back there is no other option but hitchhiking and taxi (be aware that you need to pre-book it and it’s expensive, though).

We were lucky because we found other tourists with a car and we asked them for a lift; locals don’t often have a car but they may help you sort out a taxi in case you haven’t pre-booked it.

What to do on Taveuni

Taveuni is a small island but you can easily stay there 5 or 6 days without getting bored!

Snorkelling & Diving

When in Taveuini, you must go snorkelling and/or diving to see the Rainbow Reef and its see wonders! Be ready for a quite long boat ride to get to the coral reef as this is nearer to Vanua Levu than Taveuni, overcome your ocean fear – if any – and jump in the water to see amazing corals and fish!

We didn’t go diving, so we can’t tell you how beautiful it must be. But we can say that we had a breathtaking snorkelling experience. The sound of the corals, so alive, their colours, the deep blue ocean, and the colourful fish – it’s something we’ll never forget! We didn’t encounter any sharks, but they may be around – our hosts were disappointed by that, they thought we missed out!

We booked with Salt Diver Taveuni (at the Tides Reach Resort) and we had a great experience: an instructor snorkelled with us and kept us safe, we snorkelled in two different locations, and we were given a refreshment of the boat.

Hiking

Taveuni is also nice for a day or half-day hike. You have different options such as the Lavena Coastal Track and the Tavoro Falls (Bouma Falls). We did the Lavena Coastal Track only and we can definitely recommend it. We didn’t do the Tavoro Falls because we preferred spending Sunday with our host family scratching coconuts, cooking and eating together, singing and relaxing. Such a priceless experience!

The Lavena Coastal Track

If you decide to walk the Lavena Coastal Track, make sure you listen to the instructions and cross the river when you get to it – there is a rope to help you do that (see picture below).

As a reference, if you start going uphill, you’re going in the wrong direction – yes, we got distracted talking about Fiji and its culture and followed a path straight, instead of turning left toward the river; when the track finished and we were in the middle of the jungle, we realised it was time to come bak and cross the river!

However, we enjoyed a spectacular view of the Bouma National Heritage Park, so you may want to take that short diversion on purpose!

When you get to the end of the Lavena Coastal Track, you’ll see a waterfall, but you can swim in the river and get to see the other, hidden, waterfall. It’s actually very nice, but please mind the current; it’s quite strong.

Don’t forget to pack some lunch with you and, if you go to Lavena by bus, make sure you’re aware of the lack of public transportation to come back – see the above section “how to get around”.

Note: There is a very calm and basic accommodation in Lavena where you can stay for one or more nights: the Lavena Lodge. It’s isolated compared to the other accommodations on Taveuni, but it could be quite a nice experience and you can also do a boat trip with them – not sure how you can book it, though.

*Bouma National Heritage Park* – view if you go take the wrong way and go a bit up before crossing the river on the Lavena Coastal Track

Lake Tagimaucia and Des Voeux Peak

Our recommendation is that you don’t go up there alone. The road is long and steep, and not scenic. People walk up and down there for farming because they don’t have a car; so, if you really want to go hike in the jungle up there, hire a 4WD, a driver and a local guide.

It is a truly beautiful experience, just be prepared to get super muddy and wet – you’re hiking in a tropical jungle afterall!

We went up to see Taveuni emblem flower, the tagimaucia, with our host family and other people from the village. It wasn’t cheap, but we would do it again!

We had fun with our crew and hiking in the jungle was a unique experience!

We could only see the first buds of the tagimaucia and some close flowers, since it blossoms between late October and January.

Other attractions in Taveuni

When in Taveuni, you must go to the International Dateline! It’s informative and fun to jump from one day to the next one in a matter seconds; and the view it’s very nice, too!

2. We went there by taxi and then we decided to walk to get to the Waitavala Water Slide. Tip: the road is longer than you think and it’s not a nice walk – unless you want to see the prisons! On the way back, we hitchhiked; but it may be easier for you to just pay for a taxi.

What about the water slides? They looked dangerous to us, so we didn’t slide. We saw some local kids running up and sliding down barefoot, but we decided to just bath in the river.

3. If you hire a car or a driver for a day, you can get to South Cape and see the Blowhole, where the road ends. It’s a long ride, but the view is quite panoramic. The rocky coast where the blow holes get formed, it also pretty spectacular.

4. There are other things you can do such as going horse riding, visiting caves, and snorkelling near the coast – we recommend Prince Charles Beach for an easy swim.

Final Tips for Taveuni

Stay with a local family. You can enjoy the comfort or a resort anywhere, but you can’t experience Fijian traditions anywhere else. You may not like all of them, but you’ll learn a lot and make connections and memories.
Eat local food. Go to a small eatery in Waiyevo, where locals are eating, and ask your host family if they can provide meals for you.
Be ready to pay for your experiences, but make sure the price is fair and reasonable.
Mind the prices. A bottle of water (1.5L) shouldn’t cost you more than 2 FJD
Can’t miss the snorkelling!
Slow down your pace. It’s island time!

Discover the People of Fiji

Hope you will enjoy your trip in Taveuni, we loved it and maybe one day we will go back. Do you want to know more about Fiji and its people? Check this out!

The Fijian People