Vanua Levu is Fiji’s 2nd largest island with an area of over 5,500 square kilometers. which is approximately half the size of Viti Levu. It has a current population of around 135,000. The island is 185 kilometers long with an average width of approximately 30 kilometers. It is located about 1 hour’s flight time from Suva.
Savusavu, the main Tourist Center
Although Labasa is the largest town on Vanua Levu, Savusavu is the main tourist center with a large expat community and picturesque Savusavu Bay. Three main attractions in Savusavu are the Coprashed Marina, the natural hot springs that bubble and steam along the waterfront as well as closer to the Hot Springs Hotel, and the J Hunter Pearl Farm that sits just across from the Savusavu waterfront alongside Nawi Island. The Hibiscus Highway that leads up the southern coast of Vanua Levu from Savusavu to Buca Bay is another popular tourist area with many resorts and private homes along its scenic coastline. About a 20 minute drive down the highway is a turn off to the largest bay in the South Pacific, Natewa Bay, which has pods of dolphins that are able to be ‘called’ by local Fijian villagers. The dolphins are a popular tourist attraction in this area.
Marina
In and around Savusavu, resort accommodation includes Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort, Namale Resort, Koro Sun Resort, and Lomalagi Resort (overlooking Natewa Bay). Hotel accommodation is available at the Hot Springs Hotel overlooking the marina and Savusavu Bay. Smaller accommodation options abound, and include rooms at the Coprashed Marina and Naveria Heights Lodge in Savusavu, and along the Buca Bay road there is Mumu’s and some budget beachside bure options. Further along at Fawn Harbour there is Hannibal’s Resort. In Labasa, the options are not so easy, but the largest hotel is the Grand Eastern. Off the northern coast of Vanua Levu is the luxury island resort of Nukubati.
