Waiyevo, Somosomo & its Surroundings

There are no large towns on Taveuni; rather you will find a number of small villages and settlements all over the island. Waiyevo, Somosomo and its surrounding area are where most of the important services and facilities on Taveuni can be found. While Somosomo is the largest village on the island, Waiyevo is the administrative capital. Headquarters of the village chief, in Somosomo you can find the grave of the missionary William Cross.

As you head out of Somosomo, the next village you will come across is Naqara. Here you can find plenty of shopping opportunities, with most of the shops on the island located here. The Colonial National Bank sits in Naqara along with a supermarket, the bus station and a few budget hotels. A short distance from Naqara is Waiyevo, where the police station and hospital can be found. A resort is also based out here as are a few affordable hotels. Some 2 km from Waiyevo is Wairiki, where you can find the Wairiki Catholic Mission, a general store and the cinema.

A unique tourist attraction in this part of Taveuni has to be the International Dateline, which cuts straight through the island. If you take a 10 minute walk south of Waiyevo, you will come across a small red beacon, which marks the spot where the dateline passes. Another popular attraction near Waiyevo is the Waitavala Water Slide. A natural water slide, this is not for the faint hearted. Providing you with some memorable moments, this slide often leaves you with a bump or two.

In Wairiki, the Wairiki Catholic Mission is definitely worth seeing. Built in 1907 by French Missionaries, this grand mission overlooks the Somosomo Strait and has some impressive stained glass paintings. Mass is held here every Sunday and listening to the service can be quite a spiritual experience. From Wairiki, you can also easily take a hike up Des Voeux Peak. At 1195 meters, it is not an easy climb, but the reward is well worth it with some stunning views of the surrounding area. It takes about four hours to climb up the peak and roughly two hours to get down.

While you are in Somosomo a visit to Lake Tagimaucia is a must. Formed from an old volcano crater, this lake supports a lot of the vegetation around it including Fiji’s national flower, the rare Tagimaucia, which grows by the lake shore.