Savusavu, Vanua Levu, Fiji

Last year we did Polynesia, this year we’ll cruise Melanesia - our very first stop in Melanesia was Savusavu, Fiji.  Savusavu (population approximately 5,000) is Vanua Levu’s liveliest and prettiest settlement, nestled against a sweeping bay, backed by sloping green hills and strung out along a main street dotted with decorative plant pots and flowers.  We found the Fijians to be incredibly friendly with infectious smiles – we were always greeted with a cheery “Bula” (hello, cheers, welcome) and people going out of their way to chat with us.

We moored our boat at the Copra Shed Marina in Savusavu which is also the sole port of entry on Vanua Levu for yachts, and one of the most popular places in Fiji for cruisers to anchor.  We loved the restaurants, shops and farmers market, and we really appreciated the very reasonable prices!  Very tropical location with fruit bats flying overhead.