Below is a Google map showing the most common anchorages in the eastern part of Fiji as well as some that are less common. It also shows routes between these anchorages (not for navigation!!!) Zoom in, zoom out and pan around. Here’s a key to the colors on the map…
Blue – Common routes and anchorages
Yellow – Less Commonly Visited
Purple – Seldom Visited
It seemed confusing at first, but as time went on it became apparent that there are some common patterns when it comes to cruising Fiji.
There are places pretty much everyone goes, some places only some people go, and some places very few go. Being less visited doesn’t necessarily mean less nice. Sometimes it means it’s too out of the way and a lot of us have tight schedules. Sometimes there is so little info about a place that people don’t know about it.
Above is a map of Eastern Fiji with and travel patterns of cruisers. We went to most, although not all, of these places and will give short descriptions of them. Of course not every little island in Fiji is listed as there are plenty of places with no anchorages.
Off Limits Islands: A couple of Fijian islands are off limits because they are private resort islands for the wealthy. The main one I know of is Laucala Island, which is owned by the billionaire who created Red Bull. They don’t want yachts there at all and will chase you off. Wakaya Island is the other one, but they will allow you to use a single mooring fairly far out from the island.
I will mention Matagi is also a private resort island, but you are welcome to anchor there as long as you don’t go ashore. When we visited, Matagi Private Island Resort was letting cruisers book romantic dinners for two (adults only) at the resort. We went (in 2018) and loved it; so I hope they’re still allowing this.
Our Eastern and Middle Fiji Itineraries
First, a quick summary of our itinerary the first season we spent in Fiji . I’ve included this because it worked out really well. (Actually, I’d consider it perfect if we’d been able to make a planned stop at Matagi Island, thwarted by our outboard motor which died). I should mention here that we enjoyed a lot of leisure time in Savusavu, and this itinerary could be done much faster with fewer trips back there and less lingering.
Season One:
–Vanua Levu Island: Savusavu (with an excursion to Labasa)
–Vanua Levu Island: Fawn Harbor
–Vanua Levu Island: Viani Bay (with an excursion to Waitavala Water Slide, Taveuni)
Back to Savusavu to re-provision and enjoy town life
–Vanua Levu: Dakuniba
–Kioa Island: Kennedy Bay (fyi most cruisers go instead to the Salia Anchorage)
–Rabi Island: Albert Cove
–Rabi Island: Katherine Bay
–Taveuni Island: Matei Area (with an excursion to Tavoro Waterfalls)
–Taveuni Island: Paradise Resort
Back to Savusavuu to re-provision and enjoy town life
–Fulaga (Southern Lau)
–Vanua Balavu including Dalconi Village, the Bay of Islands, and Mbavatu (Northern Lau)
Back to Savusavu including a day trip to Namena Island with Koro Sun Dive.
–Koro Island (Dere Bay)
–Makogai Island
–Ovalau Island: Levuka
–Leleuvia Island
–Viti Levu Island: Suva (Fiji’s big city)
Season Two:
After spending some time in Tonga, we returned to Fiji and focused on the middle islands, in particular Namena Island (which has among the best diving in Fiji) and Gau Island, which really intrigued me. We also dipped into the Southern area to make our first visit to the Kadavu area.
–Vanua Levu Island: Savusavu
–Namena Island
–Makogai Island
–Wakaya Island
–Gau Island
–Leleuvia Island
–Viti Levu Island: Suva
–Kadavu Island and the Astrolabe Reef Area
–Viti Levu Island: Suva (to finish the season there)
Season Three: We spent this season in Western Fiji. I’ll put that itinerary into a section on Western Fiji (which hopefully I’ll get finished soon).
Season Four: This season we focused on going to some places we missed during our first 3 seasons and went to areas of Eastern, Middle, Western, and Southern Fiji. Below, the places we visited in Eastern and Middle Fiji.
–Vanua Levu Island: Savusavu
–Vanua Levu Island: Fawn Harbor
–Taveuni Island: Paradise Resort (with an excursion to the Lavena Coastal Walk and Waterfalls)
–Taveuni Island: Matei Area
–Matagi Island (including dinner at the Matagi Resort)
–Fawn Harbor
Back to Savusavu to re-provision and enjoy town life
–Ovalau Island: Levuka (after an aborted visit to Wakaya Island)
–Leleuvia Island
–Viti Levu Island: Lami Bay near Suva
After this, we did a circumnavigation of Kadavu Island and visited some of the islands just north of it. After that we returned to Suva to re-provision, then went and spent time in Beqa Island and Pacific Harbor. Since it’s pretty extensive, I’ll go over that itinerary in the section on Southern Fiji.
–Toberua Island (quick stop)
–Leleuvia Island
–Naigani Island
–Nananu-I-Cake Island
–Viti Levu: Volivoli Beach Resort Anchorage
–Nananu-I-Cake Island
–Nananu-I-Ra Island
–Viti Levu: Volivoli Beach Resort Anchorage
From here we continued to Western Fiji before finishing our season back at Beqa and Pacific Harbor. This part of the itinerary will be in a separate section.