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Waya Island Guide
Yasawa Islands
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Kuata Island Nature Resort
Wayalailai Eco Haven Resort
Twin Bay Resort
Bayside Resort
The three volcanic islands of Kuata, Wayasewa and Waya are the most striking of the
Yasawa
Islands
and on a clear day can be seen from Nadi jutting out on the distant horizon. The fifty kilometre journey by boat from Port Denarau takes just under two hours.
Kuata
Kuata, an uninhabited rocky island with unusual rounded rock faces and overhanging caves, has been designated a nature sanctuary by its village owners on adjacent Wayasewa. You’re unlikely to see any of the crested iguanas that hide in the forest trees, but a deep ocean wall immediately off its west coast has fantastic scuba diving and snorkelling and there are lovely figure of eight swim through pinnacles off the east coast. There are dive operators at Kuata Natural Resort and Waya Lailai Resort or you can dive with Captain Cook Cruises. The smallest of the three
Waya
Islands
, Kuata has a coarse white sand beach on its north coast and a backpacker resort looking out on the bay overlooking the dramatic peaks of Wayasewa..
Wayasewa
Across the bay from Kuata, and sitting precariously under the towering twin peaks of Vatuvula and Vatusawalo, is the old
village
of
Namara
and its adjacent community- run resort of Wayalailai. The 40- minute hike to the summit of Vatuvula from Waya Lailai Resort is a must, especially at sunset, ascending a steep but well trodden track through forest and up through a narrow crag before opening out onto a rocky escarpment that leads to the summit. For avid hikers, there’s a fantastic three hour walk across the length of Wayasewa to
Naboro
Village
on the north coast..
Waya
A sand spit separates Wayasewa and Waya, exposed at low tide but covered by converging waves at high tide. The sand spit is a real gem and sitting directly on the beachfront here is the budget Twin Bay Resort. Its location, backed by hills, is one of the most stunning in
Fiji
but the resort itself is terribly disorganized, with the village community selecting a new member every year to have a go at being the resort manager. There are pretty coral reefs in both bays although the west bay is generally more sheltered with excellent snorkelling along Nativaga Point all the way to Bayside Resort, and off
Naboro
Village
on Wayasewa..
Around Nativaga Point is the crescent shaped
Yalobi
Bay
surrounded by a majestic mountain ridge. A delightful down-to-earth family from Yalobi Village have set up tiny Bayside Resort on a secluded beach fifteen minutes walk along the beach from the village. For hikers, this is a great base for exploring with tracks heading in all directions: south to Sunset Hill for stunning views overlooking Yalobi Bay and the sand spit of Wayasewa (20 minutes); east along an easy grassy inland ridge to Natawa Village (1hr) and on along the more challenging east coast trail to Wayalevu Village (3hrs); north across the rocky heart of Waya to Nalawaki Bay (2hrs); and west to the steep 510 metre rocky summit of Batinareba (2hrs), or along the grassy ridge to Lotu Point (1hr)..
Yalobi is the chiefly
village
of
Waya
with around five hundred people, a health centre, community satellite phone and a primary school with boarding houses for students from the other three villages on Waya..
Along the west coast of Waya is Octopus Resort facing a long crescent shaped beach backed by coconut palms with extensive coral gardens offshore
Kuata Island
Wayasewa Island
Waya Island
... on to Naviti Island
Getting to Waya
All travellers arrive by boat, either aboard the 200 passenger Yasawa Flyer which takes 2 hours from Nadi or on the Waya Lailai resort boat which takes 20 passengers and departs from Lautoka.
Local Cruises / Ferries
Yasawa Islands Resorts Listings
Fiji Tour Companies
Readers may also be interested in the following destinations:
Cook Islands Travel Guide
Samoa Travel Guide
Tonga Travel Guide
Tahiti Travel Guide
Hawaii Travel Guide
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