June 11, 2013
We woke up to a cloudy morning in Savusavu after a night of heavy showers. A good rain after an arrival is on every cruiser’s wish list–it’s how we get the passage salt washed off our boats. The morning’s cloudy skies were a gift, not only for giving us a clean boat but allowing us a leisurely morning onboard without guilt that we weren’t running out to see the area. (Pictures of cloudy mornings in Savusavu–click to enlarge and scroll.)
By lunchtime it was clearing up and time to go see Savusavu. Our adventure started at the Waitui Marina’s somewhat rickety and funhouse-adventurous dinghy dock. There are no slips at this marina, just the dinghy dock and the main building, which I’d call rustic. The people who run it, though, were as nice as could be and got our paperwork started for our cruising permit (something required for cruising around Fiji’s islands). After that, we went out to explore the town.
The town of Savusavu is several blocks long and runs along the waterfront. Most of the business are on the inland side of the street but there are a few scattered along the shoreline. The Waitui Marina is near the south end of town, and a 2-story appliance store marks the north end. In between are a multitude of small shops selling things like electronics, hardware, cheap home goods, videos, clothing, souvenirs, etc. There are numerous tiny Indian markets, a few eateries, a pharmacy, a wonderful liquor store/market, and two small supermarkets. Along the shore side are the Waitui Marina, the Copra Shed Marina, a large open-air marketplace, a bus depot, and a few businesses at the north end of town. (Click to enlarge and scroll.)
With the exception of the very nice Copra Shed Marina building, I’d describe the town of Savusavu as somewhat weathered. The streets are potholed, the sidewalks come and go, and some of the buildings look pretty worn, even the newer ones. If you were to just see the buildings, you would not think of this as a pretty town. But then there’s the backdrop: the islands just offshore, the waterway filled with boats, the beautiful canopied trees, the thick green vegetation and colorful flowers, the towering mountains in the distance, and the swaying palm trees. This backdrop gives Savusavu an ever-present, underlying gorgeousness that doesn’t get squelched by muddy, potholed streets or less-than-pristine buildings. (Click to enlarge and scroll.)
Add to this is the warmth and friendliness of the people here. They are about equal parts Fijian and Indian-Fijian with a scattering of Chinese and palangi (white people). Everyone says bula (hello) as they pass on the street, and they smile these beautiful warm smiles, especially striking on the Fijian faces with their bone structure and wide faces (Farrah Fawcett has nothing on these people!). This warmth and friendliness adds to the magic of this place.
After getting a feel for the town, we headed to the Copra Shed Marina. This truly is a marina in that it actually has a dock with about 12 slips. The building itself is 2-stories high with a few small business on the bottom floor, and features two restaurants and a deck bar. It’s a really nice place. We opted to try the Captain’s Deck, the casual eatery, for lunch. It’s on a deck alongside the water and a very pretty little place. The food is good, too.
Later we headed out with our friends Bob and Linda from Bright Angel to explore the supermarkets and then down the street for our arrival celebration dinner at the Surf ‘n Turf restaurant, generally considered the best restaurant in town.
We had a great time drinking wine and comparing notes about the passage. It definitely wasn’t an easy one, and it was so nice to have it behind us. Rich and I split wahoo in coconut cream and steak Diane, with chocolate coconut ice cream for dessert. The food lived up to its great reputation!
After the day’s wonderful introduction to town, we headed back to our boats to catch up on more sleep. In came another round of heavy, boat-rinsing rain, a perfect end to a Savusavu day. –Cyndi
