Kuata and Waya
Hiking and quick accessSouthern islands, closest to Nadi, with hills and reefs.
Fiji city guide
Yasawa Islands Travel Guide
The Yasawas are the Fiji you came for: a chain of volcanic islands with white beaches, coral reefs and backpacker lodges, linked by one daily catamaran. Buy a Bula Pass, hop off where you like, swim with manta rays, explore limestone caves and spend the evenings drinking kava with the staff.
9
Hostels in the city
8.0
Average, from 705 reviews
About 20
Islands in the chain
1
Boat linking them daily
Apr–Oct
Manta ray season
The Yasawa Islands at a glance
The Yasawa Islands are a chain of about 20 volcanic islands stretching north-west of Viti Levu, about 80 km long. They're remote and rugged, with grassy hills, white-sand beaches, clear water and small villages.
Until the 1980s, land-based tourism wasn't allowed here. Now the islands have a string of backpacker lodges, eco-resorts and village-run stays, and they're the heart of independent travel in Fiji.
Travel works by the Yasawa Flyer, a catamaran that leaves Port Denarau every morning and works up the chain, stopping off each island while lodges send small boats out to meet it. A Bula Pass gives you unlimited hops over 5, 7, 11 or 15 days, so you book lodges as you go and move when you feel like it.
Lodges include meals, because there's nowhere else to eat, and days are spent snorkelling off the beach, hiking to viewpoints, visiting villages and lying in hammocks.
The highlights include the Blue Lagoon, the limestone caves of Sawa-i-Lau, manta rays off Drawaqa from about April to October, and the friendly village visits.
A week is ideal for three or four islands. Some people stay for two.
Where to stay in the Yasawa Islands
Pick islands by mood: Kuata and Waya in the south for hiking and quick access, Naviti and Drawaqa in the middle for mantas, Nacula and Tavewa in the north for the Blue Lagoon and the caves.
Naviti and Drawaqa
Manta raysMiddle islands with the manta channel.
Nacula and Tavewa
The Blue LagoonNorthern islands with calm lagoons and lodges.
Sawa-i-Lau
CavesLimestone island with swim-through caves.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 9 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Island hopping, mantas and caves
Island hop on the Yasawa Flyer. Each stop has its own character, from social backpacker lodges to quiet eco-resorts, and you can move every day or stay put.
Swim with manta rays. Between about April and October, manta rays feed in the channel near Drawaqa and Naviti, and lodges run snorkel trips when they're spotted.
Visit the Sawa-i-Lau caves, in the north, where you swim through a limestone cave into a hidden underwater chamber, lit by a torch.
The Blue Lagoon, between Nacula and Tavewa, is famous from the 1980 film and has calm, clear water for snorkelling.
Hike to the viewpoints on the hilly islands, like Waya and Kuata, for sunrise or sunset over the chain.
Visit a village. Many lodges are run by or with local villages, and village visits include church on Sundays, school visits and a kava ceremony. Bring a sevusevu (kava root) and dress modestly.
Snorkel straight off the beaches, kayak, fish with locals and watch the sunsets.
Free things
The Yasawas for free (or nearly)
Most of the best things in the Yasawas are free once you're there: snorkelling off the beach, hiking to viewpoints, swimming and sunsets.
Many lodges include kayaks, snorkel gear, hikes and evening activities.
Village visits and church on Sunday are often free or cost a small donation.
Kava sessions with the staff are part of the evening.
Food and drink
Lodge meals, lovo and kokoda
On the islands, you eat what the lodge cooks, and most stays include a meal package of breakfast, lunch and dinner, because there's nowhere else to eat.
Expect fish, curries, rice, root vegetables and tropical fruit. Lodges often lay on a lovo, an earth-oven feast, once a week.
Kokoda, raw fish cured in lime and coconut milk, is common.
Everything is imported, so snacks and drinks cost more than on the main island. A beer is FJ$7 to FJ$9. Bring water bottles to refill, and buy snacks in Nadi.
Nightlife
Kava, guitars and crab racing
Nightlife on the islands means the lodge: a kava session, guitars and singing, fire shows, crab racing and whatever the staff have organised.
It's communal and low-key, and on a small island with twenty guests, it's genuinely social.
Drink kava the Fijian way: clap once, take the bowl in both hands, drink it in one, clap three times.
Getting around
Getting to and around the Yasawa Islands
The Yasawa Flyer is the backbone of travel here. It leaves Port Denarau, near Nadi, every morning and works up the chain, with lodges sending small boats out to meet it at each stop.
The Bula Pass gives unlimited hops over 5, 7, 11 or 15 days, and costs FJ$500 to FJ$900 depending on length. Book lodges as you go, usually a day ahead.
The boat is weather-dependent, so don't plan a tight flight connection on the day you return.
Seaplanes and helicopters reach some resorts, at a price.
Costs
What the Yasawa Islands cost
The Yasawas cost more than the main island, because everything is imported and meals are compulsory. Hostelworld lists dorm beds from about FJ$55 to FJ$60, and lodges add a meal package, often FJ$100 to FJ$170 a day.
The Bula Pass is the main planned cost: FJ$500 to FJ$900 depending on duration.
There are almost no ATMs, and card acceptance is limited, often with a surcharge, so take cash from Nadi.
Snorkelling, hikes and village visits are often free; manta trips and cave visits cost extra.
Allow around FJ$150 to FJ$250 a day, including meals.
Safety
Staying safe in the Yasawa Islands
The Yasawas are safe and welcoming, but the environment needs respect.
Currents between islands are strong. Snorkel near the shore and ask the lodge where it's safe.
Coral cuts infect quickly in the tropics, and stonefish hide in the shallows: wear reef shoes.
Medical facilities are minimal, and evacuation is slow, so make sure your insurance covers it.
Cyclone season runs from November to April, and boats can be cancelled in bad weather.
Dress modestly in villages: cover shoulders and knees, and remove hats and sunglasses.
Day trips in the Yasawa Islands
From your lodge, boat trips go to the caves, the mantas and the Blue Lagoon.
Sawa-i-Lau caves
Swim through limestone caves into a hidden chamber.
Manta ray snorkel
Snorkel with feeding mantas in season.
Blue Lagoon
Calm, clear water and reef.
Village visit
Meet locals, visit the school and church, share kava.
What's on
What's on in the Yasawa Islands
The islands follow village and church life, and the manta season.
About April to October
Manta season
Drawaqa and Naviti
Manta rays feed in the channel.
Weekly
Sunday in the villages
All islands
Church and family; join a service if invited.
November to April
Cyclone season
All islands
Boats may be cancelled.
Hostels
Hostels in the Yasawa Islands
The Yasawas have nine lodges and resorts on Hostelworld, from social backpacker spots to eco-lodges. Most add a compulsory meal package.
Best rated
Octopus Resort
Rated 9.4 from 223 reviews, on Waya, with dorms from about FJ$60.
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon Beach Resort
Rated 8.6 from 147 reviews, on Nacula by the Blue Lagoon, with dorms from about FJ$60.
Manta rays
Barefoot Manta Island
Rated 7.7 from 153 reviews, on Drawaqa, with a marine conservation centre and mantas from about April to October. Dorms from about FJ$57, plus a compulsory meal package of FJ$167 a day.
Octopus Resort
Dorms from FJD 59 a night
See dates and book
Paradise Cove Resort
Rooms from FJD 179 a night
See dates and book
White Sandy Beach Dive Resort
Dorms from FJD 20 a night
See dates and book
Blue Lagoon Beach Resort
Dorms from FJD 59 a night
See dates and book
Naqalia Lodge
Dorms from FJD 126 a night
See dates and book
Barefoot Kuata Island
Dorms from FJD 53 a night
See dates and book
Barefoot Manta Island
Dorms from FJD 56 a night
See dates and book
Sunrise Lagoon Homestay
Dorms from FJD 30 a night
See dates and book
Safe Landing Eco Lodge
Dorms from FJD 35 a night
See dates and book
When to go to the Yasawa Islands
The Yasawas are hot all year, with highs from 28°C to 31°C and warm sea. May to October is the dry season and the best time, with manta rays from about April to October. November to April is wetter, with cyclone risk.
Jan
Wet; cyclone risk
Feb
Wettest; cyclone season
Mar
Wet and quiet
Apr
Improving; mantas arrive
May
Dry season; mantas
Jun
Dry and clear
Jul
Peak season
Aug
Best visibility
Sep
Dry and warm
Oct
Last mantas
Nov
Wet season starts
Dec
Hot and wet
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average daily highs from weather2travel's Yasawa climate data. Crowd levels are our rough guide.
How much do the Yasawa Islands cost per day?
Pick a style and a number of nights for a rough total. Per day, for one person, in Fijian dollars.
Estimates. Beds are based on Hostelworld prices in October 2026, converted from US dollars; food includes lodge meal packages. The Bula Pass sits outside these figures.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Yasawa Islands FAQs
Prices and timetables change. Check before you travel.
How do I get to the Yasawa Islands?
On the Yasawa Flyer, which leaves Port Denarau near Nadi every morning, with a Bula Pass for unlimited hops.
How much is the Bula Pass?
FJ$500 to FJ$900, depending on duration (5, 7, 11 or 15 days).
Are meals included at Yasawa lodges?
Usually yes, as a compulsory meal package, because there's nowhere else to eat.
When can I swim with manta rays?
From about April to October, near Drawaqa and Naviti.
Are there ATMs in the Yasawas?
No. Take enough cash from Nadi.
How long should I spend in the Yasawas?
About a week, for three or four islands.
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