Getting to & Getting Around Taveuni

Both Air Fiji and Pacific Sun fly to Taveuni from Nadi, and Air Fiji has service from Suva and Savusavu. The hotels send buses or hire taxis to pick up their guests.

The large ferries from Suva stop at Savusavu before arriving at Waiyevo, and the small Amazing Grace crosses the Somosomo Strait between Waiyevo and Buca Bay daily.

Taxis don't patrol the roads here, but your hotel staff can summon one. I have been satisfied with Taveuni Island Tours (tel. 888 0221), Nan's Taxi (tel. 888 0705), and Ishwar's Taxi (tel. 888 0464). None of the taxis have meters, so negotiate for a round-trip price if you're going out into the villages and having the driver wait for you. The official fare from the airstrip is F$2 (US$1.30/65p) to Maravu Plantation and Taveuni Island resorts, F$17 (US$11/£5.70) to Bouma Falls, and F$20 (US$13/£6.70) to Navakoca (Qamea) Landing, or Waiyevo.

Local buses fan out from Waiyevo to the outlying villages about three times a day from Monday to Saturday. For example, a bus leaves Waiyevo for Bouma at 8:30am, 12:15pm, and 4:30pm. The one-way fare to Bouma is no more than F$4 (US$2.60/£1.30). Contact Pacific Transport (tel. 888 0278) opposite Kaba's Supermarket in Nagara.

Coconut Grove Beachfront Cottages in Matei (tel./fax 888 0328) rents bicycles for F$25 (US$16/£8.30) a day.

Rough Road -- Budget Rent A Car (tel. 800/527-0700 or 888 0291; www.budget.com) has an agency on Taveuni, but I always hire a taxi and driver instead. Taveuni's main road, which runs along the west and north coasts, is paved between Waiyevo and Matei, but elsewhere it's rough gravel, winding, often narrow, and at places carved into sheer cliffs above the sea. A taxi and driver cost about F$150 (US$97/£50) for a full day, or about the same as a rental with insurance and gas.

Fast Facts

Currency Exchange -- Colonial National Bank (tel. 888 0433) has an office and an ATM at Nagara. It's open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 4pm.

Electricity -- The resorts and hotels have their own generators since only Taveuni's villages have public electricity. Most generators are 220 volts but a few are 110 volts, so ask before plugging in your electric shaver.

Emergencies -- In an emergency, phone tel. 917 for the police, tel. 911 for fire or ambulance. The police station (tel. 888 0222) is in the government compound. Taveuni is relatively safe, but exercise caution if you're out late at night.

Healthcare -- The government hospital (tel. 888 0222) is in the government compound in the hills above Waiyevo. To get there, go uphill on the road opposite the Garden Island Resort, then take the right fork.

Internet Access -- Lani's Digital Services, in Nagara opposite Colonial National Bank (tel. 888 0259), has Internet access for F$1.20 (US80¢/40p) per 10-minute interval. They also will burn your digital photos to CDs. Open Monday to Saturday from 7am to 7pm.

Mail -- The post office is in Waiyevo (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 8am-noon).

Visitor Information -- There is no visitor information office on the island, but the Taveuni Tourism Association has a website at www.puretaveuni.com.

Water -- The tap water is safe to drink at the hotels on Taveuni but not elsewhere.

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