Taveuni Island, Fiji
I was unprepared for but how beautiful Taveuni isle would be. H5N1 mountainous landscape covered yesteryear tropical rainforest in addition to enough of hidden waterfalls to explore.
Nicknamed “The Garden Island” due to the incredible amount of vegetation you’ll discovery there, Taveuni is the third largest of Fiji’s 300+ islands. Compared to others it has really petty development.
A bulk of Taveuni’s industrial plant life & brute are protected yesteryear 2 nature preserves in addition to a national park.
Visiting is normally accomplished inwards a modest propeller plane, in addition to doing so allows yous to run into Fiji’s numerous colorful islands from the air. This is a worthwhile sense inwards itself. Taveuni’s Matei Airport is but a shack amongst a few benches nether a roof acting equally a terminal.
Taveuni Island Villages
The indigenous population of Taveuni survives yesteryear growing coconut, kava, breadfruit, cassava, vanilla, in addition to java on modest plots of household unit of measurement province to feed themselves in addition to earn an income.
Villages are made upwards of modest wooden homes amongst metallic roofs. Sometimes corrugated metallic is used to construct the whole structure.
Clothelines hang exterior each abode — although amongst all the pelting in addition to humidity the isle gets, it must direct maintain days to dry out anything this way.
Roads on Taveuni are fossil oil in addition to muddy. In or so places streams & modest rivers were flowing correct over them. We passed local kids who enthusiastically waved equally our 4×4 van crawled it’s agency to the Eastern terminate of the isle to see the national park.
Bouma National Park
In improver to farming modest plots of land, tourism is also an increasing source of income for local residents of Taveuni. Nearby villages part revenues from the entry fee that tourists pay for a see Bouma National Park inwards gild to trek to it’s hidden jungle waterfalls.
Joined yesteryear my friends JD, Lesley, Ryan, Stephanie, in addition to our guide Atu, nosotros entered the common in addition to began marching upwards a broad path of thick grass absolutely teeming amongst frogs. They hopped out from nether our feet inwards the drizzling rain.
Small patches of taro grew on steep inclines adjacent to the trail. If you’ve never heard of taro, it’s an of import beginning crop amongst large heart-shaped leaves in addition to reddish stems commonly grown on Pacific islands.
After cooking it to withdraw toxins, yous tin consume it’s roots in addition to leaves. Island nations direct maintain been surviving on it for hundreds of years.
Taro grows good on Taveuni, in addition to 80% of Fiji’s render comes from the island.
Waterfall Hike
The rainforest landscape inwards Bouma National Park is a feast for the eyes & ears. Vibrant cherry ginger flowers stand upwards out inwards stark contrast to the copious amounts of green.
Exotic isle birds similar the orangish dove, wood pigeon, in addition to Taveuni parrot serenaded us equally nosotros marched.
A serial of beautiful waterfalls tin live reached spell hiking inwards Bouma National Park. The offset i is called Bouma falls, in addition to it’s in all likelihood Fiji’s most famous waterfall. It’s quite impressive at 24 meters (78 ft.) tall.
We stopped hither for thirty minutes to direct maintain a dip inwards the refreshing Tavoro river water. But I’m non happy until I tin discovery something to restrain from…
Wet & Slippery Trails
Fortunately yous tin climb the rocks behind the Bouma waterfall in addition to jump off a v meter (15 ft.) cliff into the puddle below. The loud pillar of cascading H2O creates a cloud of mist that helped cool us off.
For the adjacent leg of the hike nosotros climbed higher into the mountains spell looking dorsum at fantastic views of the ocean, nearby Qamea Island, in addition to local villages downward inwards the valley. The trail got progressively steeper, muddier, in addition to narrower equally nosotros pushed on to the 2nd waterfall.
A fork inwards the trail took us downward a really slippery path that led to the 2nd waterfall. We jumped inwards for or so other swim of course!
Purple freshwater crabs scurried over the rocks.
Waitavala Waterslide
Rather than run along on to the third waterfall, nosotros decided to larn out Bouma in addition to see a natural waterslide located on or so other department of the island. The Waitavala river is a favorite local hangout for Fijian kids.
We’re all but a bunch of large kids equally well, so nosotros had to banking concern jibe it out.
Basically it’s a 50 meter (150 ft.) department of river amongst modest waterfalls in addition to smoothen stone chutes that yous tin slide downward similar a waterslide. And it’s fast! There are fifty-fifty banked turns on this thing.
The local kids are pros, they were truly barefoot surfing downward sections of it standing up!
As for the residuum of us, nosotros left amongst enough of bruises. But it was incredibly fun nonetheless. ★
Watch Video: Jungle Waterslide Fiji
(Click to sentinel Jungle Waterslide – Taveuni, Fiji on YouTube)
Cost: $8 the U.S.A. (park entry fee)
Accommodation: Garden Island Resort
Packing Guide
Check out my travel gear guide to assist yous start packing for your trip. Pick upwards a go backpack, photographic television camera gear, in addition to other useful go accessories.
Book Your Flight
Book inexpensive flights on Skyscanner, my favorite airline search engine to discovery deals. Also read my tips for how I discovery the cheapest flights.
Rent H5N1 Car
Discover Car Hire is a swell site for comparison motorcar prices to discovery the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.
Book Accommodation
Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent local apartments on Airbnb ($35 discount!). Read my post for tips on booking inexpensive hotels.
Protect Your Trip
Don’t forget go insurance! I’m a large fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read to a greater extent than virtually why yous should ever comport go insurance.
Ever tried a natural waterslide? Drop me a message inwards the comments below!
#ExploreFiji is made possible inwards partnership amongst Tourism Fiji. As always, the content & opinions expressed hither are only my own.
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