Planning a Trip

Getting There--Air Fiji (tel. 888/354-3454 in the U.S., 331 3666 in Suva, or 672 2251 in Nadi; www.airfiji.net) has early morning and late-afternoon flights to Ovalau's unpaved airstrip at Bureta, on the island's west coast. The excursion fare from Suva is about F$65 ($29) round-trip. Levuka is halfway around Ovalau on the east coast. An unpaved road circles the island along its shoreline and makes the bus ride from airport to town a sightseeing excursion in its own right. Airport bus transfers cost F$3.60 ($1.60) each way.

More adventurous souls can watch Ovalau's jagged green peaks go by from one of the ferries that run between Viti Levu and Levuka. Most boats land on the northwest coast, a 30-minute bus or taxi ride from Levuka.