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Tui Tai Itinerary
Feel free to do as much or as little as you like during the
trip – there are recommended activities each day, but we can supply guides and
equipment for almost any adventure you’d like to do! If you would like to do an
activity, let us know and we will arrange a guide and send you on your way.
Vinaka vakalevu!
Sample Itinerary
This is a sample itinerary because activities
often arise spontaneously (a sudden invitation
from a villager, dolphins or whales swimming by,
the discovery of a new dive site, weather
changes, etc), and because we don’t want
anything carved in stone. Though we can’t know
all you might experience during your expedition,
here’s some of what often occurs: |
Monday: Natewa Bay, Vanua Levu
A scenic drive
along pristine coastline takes you from Savusavu
to Natewa Bay. Upon boarding and checking in to
your stateroom or cabin, enjoy a snack and a
complimentary foot massage from our onboard spa
therapist.
Then it’s time to get wet. The morning
snorkeling and dive outings feature a chance to
see a resident pod of spinner dolphins. After
lunch onboard it’s time for sea kayaking.
Paddle along the protected coastline of Natewa
Bay (the 2nd largest bay in the Southern
Hemisphere). Natewa Bay is a magically quiet
location with no signs of development or
visitors from the modern world. The coastline
varies from white sandy beaches to black
volcanic cliffs, and a few stretches of
mangroves. Tui Tai will set sail around 5pm as
the sun sets behind us.
Activities: Guided Snorkeling
“Split Rock,” Dolphin Viewing, Sea Kayak “Natewa
Bay Coastline”
Scuba Diving (1): “Natewa No
Cry” |
Tuesday: Kioa Island
Welcome to the island of Kioa, the only island
in Fiji whose people are Polynesian. Originally
from the island nation of Tuvalu, the Kioans are
masters of handicrafts and fishing. We’ll
typically see Kioan fisherman wave to us as they
paddle out to sea in their hand-made outrigger
canoes. Around midday, we’ll usually visit the
village and learn from their elders how these
people came to live in Fiji.
This is a great day to get wet!
Both the snorkeling and scuba diving sites are
considered the best in all of Fiji. Divers will
explore the renowned “Rainbow Reef” region of
dive sites, within the Somosomo Straits.
Snorkelers will visit prolific, healthy gardens
of coral at “The Farm” and “Nakawa Point.”
Today also provides great opportunities for
non-divers to try a “Discover Scuba Dive” with
our Dive Instructor.
In the afternoon we’ll explore
the Tunuloa Peninsula on mountain bikes. You
can expect to meet people from villages we pass
by (and usually a few kids waving and yelling
“BULA!). Bird lovers might spot the rare and
beautiful Silktail. This small black bird is
endemic to the islands of Taveuni and Vanua
Levu, and has recently been classified as a
“Near Threatened” species.
Activities:
Guided Snorkeling “The Farm,” Mountain Biking
“Buca Bay Coastal Trail,” Polynesian Village
Visit “Salia Village”
Scuba Diving (4): “Great White
Wall (weather and tide permitting),” “Rainbow
Passage,” “Black Magic,” “Black Magic (Night
Dive)
|
Wednesday: Taveuni Island
Welcome to
Taveuni, the Garden Island of Fiji. Experience
lush rainforests and gushing waterfalls as you
visit the Bouma National Heritage Park. One of
Fiji’s best conservation and Ecotourism success
stories, the National Heritage Park includes 3
sets of waterfalls where you can relax and swim.
After breakfast, set out on mountain bikes along
Bouma Road. You’ll pass several villages along
the way (remember to smile, wave, and say “Bula!”).
The ride is approximately 45-minutes and
includes several hills, making it moderately
strenuous, so some guests opt to take a van
transfer to the park instead of biking. Once we
reach the park, the first set of waterfalls is a
short 10-minute walk along a nice trail.
There’s a huge pool for swimming, making it an
ideal place to relax, enjoy a massage right in
front of the pounding waterfalls!
In the afternoon, we have a short sail to the
island of Qamea. We will visit tiny and remote
Togo Village for a tour and Melanesian cultural
performance.
Activities: Mountain Biking
“Bouma Road,” Hiking “Bouma National Heritage
Park” and the “Tavoro Waterfalls,” Melanesian
Village Visit “Togo Village”
Scuba Diving (2): “Purple
Wall,” “Seven Bommies,” “Black Rock ”
|
Thursday, Cobia Island, Ringgolds
By now, you’ll be far away from any main
islands, anchored alongside seven tiny atolls.
Known as the Ringgold Isles, each is surrounded
by a barrier reef that drops into the deep blue
sea. Within the reef is a magnificent lagoon,
teeming with life and remarkable colors.
We like to spend most of the day near the
stunning island of Cobia, a sunken volcanic
crater, the inside of which has filled with sea
water, forming a mystic lagoon. In the morning
we will hike to the summit of the crater. The
trail is an interesting terrain of natural steps
formed by large tree roots. The island is home
to a handful of wild goats and a dense
population of fruit bats.
In the afternoon, you can explore the inside of
the crater on a kayak. Many guests describe the
feeling of floating around the inside of the
crater as sublime, experiencing a mix of
geologic power and supernatural superstition.
The crater edges drop steeply from the summit
down to the sea level and the coast varies from
mangrove to black rock.
Throughout this day, you’ll have excellent
opportunities for snorkeling and scuba diving.
This location usually offers some of the
clearest ocean waters on earth. Since the
islands are small and positioned in the middle
of the deep sea, the visibility often exceeds
120 feet (36 meters). We’ll eat lunch on one of
the best beaches in the world, one that only Tui
Tai passengers get to enjoy. There are 4
beaches on Cobia Island, lovely places to walk,
and you can even enjoy a massage as we set up a
spa right on the island.
Activities: Hiking “Cobia
Crater Summit,” Guided Snorkeling “True Blue,”
Sea Kayaking “Cobia Crater and Ringgold Atolls”
Scuba Diving (3): “Kokoda
Point,” “Wall Street,” “Eel Diamond”
|
Friday, Rabi Island
Rabi Island is
another of Northern Fiji’s hidden treasures,
rich in history and natural beauty. It is now
inhabited by Micronesian people relocated from
the equatorial islands of Kiribati after World
War II. In the afternoon, you can meet these
unusual people, hear their stories and
experience their culture. Micronesians are
famous for elaborate and powerful dances.
From the village settlement of Tabiang, you can
set out on mountain bikes for a scenic ride that
includes a beautiful view of the Tunuloa
Peninsula and the mouth of Natewa Bay.
In the afternoon, settle in on one of the best
white sand beaches in all of Fiji. Enjoy great
snorkeling right from the beach, take a sea
kayak over to tranquil Albert Cove , enjoy a
beach volleyball challenge, or, as always,
relax. Weather permitting (which we could say
about everything) dinner will be served on this
beach in true Pacific Islander style. Watch as
the underground oven is created by the chefs.
Activities: Guided Snorkeling
“Dolphin Bay,” Micronesian Dance Performance,
Mountain Biking “Tabiang to Nuku”
Scuba Diving (3): “Kesteven’s
Corner,” “Yellowstone,” “Purple Haze”
|
Saturday: Taveuni Island, Lavena Village
Also part of the Bouma National Heritage Park is
the Lavena Coast. This rugged coastline
stretches along the eastern side of Taveuni and
contains over 100 waterfalls!
Our exact route depends on the
wind and tides. Usually we begin the day on
kayaks launched from a white-sand beach in front
of Lavena Village. We’ll kayak for about 45
minutes along the coast to the Nacawa River.
The river mouth opens and we can continue on
kayak about 5 more minutes to a lagoon
surrounded by lush rainforest. The lagoon is
fed by a staircase of 3 large waterfalls. You
can paddle your kayak right into the bottom-most
waterfall.
After a swim at the Nacawa
River Falls, we’ll kayak back out of the river,
about 10-minutes to a landing site on a
black-sand beach. From here, we’ll set out on
foot hiking the Lavena Coastal Walk. 20-minutes
of moderate trail takes us to a river lagoon.
From here we have to swim, about 100 feet, to
get to a cathedral-like pool with 2 waterfalls
emptying into.
On the return hike you will
see a variety of beautiful landscapes that make
the national park such a treasure: rainforests,
waterfalls, rivers, white sand beaches and
more. Our naturalist guide will point out some
of Fiji’s exotic birds, herbal medicines and
important wild crops.
Activities:
Sea Kayaking “Lavena Coast,” Hiking “Lavena
Coastal Trail,”
Scuba Diving (3): “Stillwater,”
“Black Rock,”
|
Sunday: Albert Cove, Rabi Island
We return to the
island of Rabi, but this time to a different
side. Albert Cove is a beautifully protected
harbor featuring one of the best white sand
beaches in all of Fiji.
This is a great spot to enjoy an idyllic
tropical playground. Imagine you were stranded
on a deserted tropical island and all you had
was…well, everything! You can kayak, snorkel,
scuba dive…or just take in a private, remote
beach. Swim, relax, play volleyball, have a
massage on the beach.
Activities:Guided Snorkeling
“Albert Cove,” Sea Kayaking “Albert Cove”
Scuba Diving (3):“Albert’s
Wall,” “Fat Albert,” “Hard Coral Cafe” |
Monday, Savusavu
Time to say
goodbye (and start plans for your next Tui Tai
voyage, maybe next year?). Here; are a few
words from the farewell song: “i levu tu na ua…mai
na Tui Tai, nanuma tiko ga.” This means “Soon
you’ll be sailing far across the sea; but please
sometime just try and remember us and remember
the Tui Tai.” Activities:
Singing of the farewell song “Isa Lei”
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This page was last updated:
Monday, 16 June 2008 12:38
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