The trip took 4 ½ hours, the boat stopping at many islands along
the way where a small boat came alongside to collect people who were staying at various resorts on the islands. At first there were very low coral islands and
we wondered how long it would be before they are inundated by seawater. These coral islands then gave way to volcanic
islands with high mountains.
As we came to the Yasawas we were welcomed by a warrior standing on a high rock.
On approaching Nacula Island we were collected by a small
boat and transported to our destination, Tevan Homestay near Naisisili
Village and close to Nabua Lodge.
We were shown our accommodation – a cute little thatched bure
which looks out onto the water. It has a
double bed, a single bed and a cute metal baby’s cot plus a metal ‘pram’ (like
a tiny cot with a hood, wheels and a handle. It's all pretty basic and part of the 'real' Fiji as opposed to many of the resorts we passed along the way (which could have been anywhere on earth).
We were served lunch
on the verandah overlooking the water – three different shades of blue, just amazing. We met
Aasa (rhymes with Rosa) from Denmark who is staying in another of the Bures at
the homestay.
The Homestay (which also operates a 'teahouse') is operated by Salome and her husband Bill with the help of their niece Dee (probably in her early 20's). Salome runs the business and Dee does most of the looking after of the guests.
After a rest, it was off to the Naisisili Village to present our Kava to the chief. We all had to partake sitting on a tarp (with most of the men of the village) outside the main meeting room.
Dee then showed us around the village and the afternoon 'market' where the women of the village were selling the trinkets they had made from shells, beads and palm leaves.
Back to Taven for dinner and a glorious sunset.
Nacula Island is one of approximately twenty volcanic islands known as the Yasawa Island Group. Located above the touristic Mamanuca Islands, home to the infamous backpacker party island of Beachcomber, the Yasawas are less developed, more mountainous and more remote. The only way to reach them is by catamaran from Denarau on Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, ferry from the mainland or by private seaplane.
There are no roads on the islands. No shops, no restaurants, no street lights. Tourism has only come to the Yasawas since the late 1980s and even now it is restricted to a handful of backpacker resorts with a few luxury resorts sprinkled in for good measure.
The small villages that are dotted throughout the Yasawa Islands still paint a picture of the traditional way of life before the arrival of tourism nearly 30 years ago. The main difference is that there are more job opportunities now, in the form of working at the various resorts.
This helps the villagers to sustain their traditional way of life as well as opening up other opportunities such as access to education and a chance to work overseas and on the main island: dreams that would have been hard if not impossible to accomplish before the arrival of tourism to the islands. Nacula Island is the third-largest island in the Yasawas and is home to four traditional villages (Nacula village, Malakati village, Naisisili village and Navotua village) as well as four backpacker resorts, clustered at the southern end of the island.
Dee then showed us around the village and the afternoon 'market' where the women of the village were selling the trinkets they had made from shells, beads and palm leaves.
Back to Taven for dinner and a glorious sunset.
Nacula Island
Nacula Island is one of approximately twenty volcanic islands known as the Yasawa Island Group. Located above the touristic Mamanuca Islands, home to the infamous backpacker party island of Beachcomber, the Yasawas are less developed, more mountainous and more remote. The only way to reach them is by catamaran from Denarau on Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, ferry from the mainland or by private seaplane.
There are no roads on the islands. No shops, no restaurants, no street lights. Tourism has only come to the Yasawas since the late 1980s and even now it is restricted to a handful of backpacker resorts with a few luxury resorts sprinkled in for good measure.
The small villages that are dotted throughout the Yasawa Islands still paint a picture of the traditional way of life before the arrival of tourism nearly 30 years ago. The main difference is that there are more job opportunities now, in the form of working at the various resorts.
This helps the villagers to sustain their traditional way of life as well as opening up other opportunities such as access to education and a chance to work overseas and on the main island: dreams that would have been hard if not impossible to accomplish before the arrival of tourism to the islands. Nacula Island is the third-largest island in the Yasawas and is home to four traditional villages (Nacula village, Malakati village, Naisisili village and Navotua village) as well as four backpacker resorts, clustered at the southern end of the island.
