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The Yasawa Archipelago is in the far west of Fiji, northwest of the main island of Viti Levu.
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A couple of decades ago a BC woman named Margie ran occasional kayak tours through a cluster of small islands called the Yasawa Islands. Upon hearing of these adventure tours we immediately booked one for December 1999 with a couple of like-minded outdoorsy friends. The four of us had explored a couple of the larger Fijian islands before arriving in the small coastal city of Lautoka on the main island of Viti Levu. A launch was hired to take our party of twelve on a six-hour crossing to the island of Tavewa in the middle of the Yasawa archipelago. We set up our tents on a hospitable beach and settled in for a dozen days of a peripatetic tropical island lifestyle.
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Home sweet home on the island of Tavewa.
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Henry needed time to himself, finding solace up a palm tree where he could keep up with the latest news from distant Canada.
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Henry was our local facilitator/guide who worked with Margie. Henry had relatives on the islands who gave permission to sleep on island beaches, also occasionally in local one-room bures made from wood and straw that traditionally housed the islanders. Nothing five-star here, just the four stars of the Southern Cross high above each clear night.
Planning a wardrobe for the islands took little imagination. Shorts, swimwear, short-sleeved shirts, rain shell, and water sandals/reef shoes. That about covers it. Essential add-ons were tents and very light sleeping bags. Weather was as expected with frequent tropical showers, especially at night when rain pounded the tents ---but whenever the sun was out the temperature soared, often driving us underwater to cool down.
The fleet for island exploration was six Klepper kayaks, each being a double (two-seater) with simple sails. Both the main sail and the jib were controlled with lines from the stern seat. Even a slight breeze in the sails was enough to power the fleet, especially welcome in the heat of the day when energy is sapped and paddling loses its charm. The sails were especially useful for long crossings from one island to another. Shorelines were cruised with endless beaches available for shore leaves --- pee breaks, lunches, shore explorations, or a need to cool down in the amenable bath water of the Yasawas.
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Sailing a shoreline in the Yasawas.
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Lunch break on an un-named island.
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Thanks to Margie’s and Henry’s connections in the islands we enjoyed easy socializing with the locals. Much local fare was of the islands --- tropical fruits, vegetables, and plentiful seafood, everything laid out on palm and banana leaves. Every night we were welcomed to share their kava bowls, the kava being a muddy-looking (and tasting) social drink that induces drowsiness and a numbness around the mouth and apparently relieves anxiety --- maybe that’s why these Melanesian folks are so laid-back.
Henry knew all the island villages and seemingly most of the villagers. They did well with our visits as a lot of their local crafts were purchased, also the payment of some suppers significantly adding to village coffers. Traditional music was played almost nightly, a meke with the villagers often dancing to the music and encouraging their visitors’ rhythmic involvement which ensured much merriment all around. On a couple of nights the music continued until the roosters kicked in with their audio cacophony at the first hint of dawn.
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Villagers prepare for a lovo feast by digging a pit and placing hot coals in the underground oven to cook the supper.
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Laundry dries quickly in the Fijian sun.
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The local guys find a ball to kick around.
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When camping remotely on beaches the group suppers were locally purchased or scavenged food --- fruit, coconut, veg, fish, cassava, and more, occasionally augmented with noodles or rice. Henry’s fishing line was a magnet for walus. The walu was a supper-time favorite, a tasty Spanish mackerel that might pair especially well with a cheeky Viognier if that was available. It wasn’t. Observances of the day both on and under the water were shared between the dozen of us while dining with bare feet in the sand.
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Low-hanging fruit in the Yasawas.
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Young women gather fronds for weaving.
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Three village sisters were married to three village brothers at Navotua, a couple of the sisters seen here weaving pandanus mats.
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Snorkeling was a daily diversion, both for cooling down and for marveling at the aquatic life. Small reef sharks lurked about the coral, hardly a concern when swimming --- more of concern were the occasional sightings of highly venomous (though very shy) sea snakes. Large groupers prowled the coral heads, rays skimmed the bottom, and moray eels stood guard at the coral crevasses like sentries, gently swaying with the currents. The kaleidoscope of bizarrely shaped and coloured reef fish was a technicolour extravaganza of endless viewing, all taking little notice of our presence.
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Cooling down, seeking respite from the mid-day sun.
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The fleet stops for lunch.
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The island of Sawa-i-Lau is known for its limestone caverns. An underwater tunnel connects dark caves to a limestone 'cathedral' where a series of very narrow cave passages were climbed and swam for further snorkelling exploration, best avoided for those bothered by claustrophobia
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The sails assist the crossing to another island in the Yasawas.
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Sunrise from a beach campsite on Naviti Island.
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In these irresistible turquoise waters the wreck of a World War Two aircraft was discovered less than ten metres deep.
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The abundant beaches were a wealth of seashells scattered in the sand, a few collected for taking back home. Some of the smaller islands were uninhabited though locally visited for fishing, picking fruit, or to visit simple shrines. There was some topography so hills could be climbed for overall views.
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A hilltop climbs affords a fine view of the uninhabited island of Vanua Levu.
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This village on Waya Island was especially kind to the fleet.
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Women prepare supper with help from their girls on Waya Sewa Island.
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Lucie and Wise facilitated the fleet for a few days, celebrating with us
their island lifestyle.
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Lucie and Wise were tickled to have a photographer handy for their extended family.
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After a couple of nights camping on their beach the villagers on Nacula Island gave the fleet a farewell send-off.
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After our kayaking odyssey I rented perhaps the only small plane available near the international airport in Nadi on Viti Levu for aerial photos of both the Yasawas and the Mamanuca islands to the south. From the familiarity of our kayaking charts the individual islands and their topographic features were easily identified from the air as we cruised the entire archipelago for almost three hours. The Mamanucas differed from the Yasawas in being festooned with holiday resorts that often blanketed an entire islet, a total contrast to the traditional lifestyle on the Yasawas. Perhaps now, a couple of decades later, the Yasawas are also rife with tourism --- how would that change the lives of our Fijian friends in the islands? Likely not for the better.
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Waya Sewa Island and Waya Island are tethered by a sandbar in the heart of the Yasawa Islands.
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Despite the scenic allure of south Pacific islands my dominant memory of the Yasawa Islands, and of Fiji in general, is the warmth of the native Fijians. They live simple subsistence lives where nature generously provides on land and sea. They are generous and kind people, almost to a fault, and smile incessantly. Their souls are the warmth of the south Pacific.
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