Stay at Kioa Island

Most visitors to Fiji arrive by plane into Nadi International airport. From there you can choose to fly directly to Savusavu via a 19 seat DHC-6 Twin Otter plane or by the larger 46 seat ATR 42-600 plane which flies into Labasa, a 1 hr 20 min taxi ride from Savusavu. Taxi’s usually charge FJ$120 to transfer you to Savusavu and are usually plentiful at the airport. The drive over the mountains is also a visual treat.

There are also 2 ferry options to get you across to Vanua Levu Island.

1 departs from Suva 3 times a week, Mon, Wed and Fri, boarding at 4pm, departing Suva at approximately 7pm. This trip is an overnighter to Savusavu, usually taking about 12 hrs. Fares are reasonably priced and a few cabins are available. Keep in mind while a lot cheaper, it is a 2-star option but perfectly fine for the adventurous and budget conscious traveller. Tickets are available from the Goundar Shipping office at the wharf.

The 2nd option is a 2hr bus ride from Suva bus terminal to Natovi wharf, where you catch another ferry for approximately 6hrs to Nabawalu on Vanua Levu. From Nabawalu another bus ride of 4hrs will take you directly to Savusavu. Once again affordable and another 12-hr journey, but this one leaves twice a day. The first departs Suva bus terminal at 2am, the 2nd at 2pm. Tea, coffee and a limited choice of food can be purchased on board. Tickets for the entire trip from Suva to Savusavu can be purchased from the Suva bus terminal. Usually there is space to spread out across the ferry seats for a sleep.

Officially, the adventure starts at Savusavu bus terminal in the heart of town, where one of our representatives will meet you and help you on to the correct bus. Savusavu, aptly known as Fiji’s “Hidden Paradise”, is a regional centre and tourist hub on Fiji’s 2nd largest island, Vanua Levu. Most services are available.

From there you will travel by local bus to Buca Bay (pronounced “Butha”) approximately 1.5hrs from Savusavu.

Once there you are met by villagers who will transfer you by boat to Salia Village on Kioa Island. By now the fun has already begun.

Note: Guests for Kioa Island need to meet Sekone at the Savusavu bus terminal by 9:30am for the included transport. Alternatively you have the option to receive a $50 per person discount if you would like to organise your own transport to the village.

Kioa is populated by former residents of the tiny south pacific nation of Tuvalu. It was purchased from the Fijian government at auction in 1946. The first inhabitants arrived by barge in 1947. In 1986 the Kioan people were granted citizenship by the Fijian government and operate as Fijians. They do however retain there native Tuvaluan as their primary language and still adhere to Tuvaluan customs.

These differ slightly from the Fijian customs.

Bula! Is not their greeting. It is replaced with “Talofa” for “Hello” and “Tofa” for “Goodbye”. 

Most of them do also speak Fijian, and they also speak fluent English. They are quietly spoken, both humorous and generous by nature and I am yet to hear one swear.

You will be given the name and number of who to contact in the unlikely event something goes astray during your transfer.

Have a good look through the photos of Kioa on this page. We have attempted to give you a visual snapshot of the conditions, but you have to keep in mind you have chosen to do a village stay, to live with these beautiful people as they live. Conditions are basic. You will have a cold shower. That said, the weather will be warm, you will be on a proper mattress with clean linen and a mosquito net, with access to toilet paper and in most cases, a flushing toilet.

The island has solar 240v power, phone and internet access and a Nurse Station staffed by a qualified nurse from the mainland.
There is ample refrigeration, so these days, the local diet is less of a “subsistence” nature.

Your meals will likely include chicken, fish, seafood, bread and occasionally pork accompanied by local vegetables. Commercial tea and coffee are readily available as well as a pretty good cappuccino in the new coffee shop that grinds its own beans.

There is also a local store that stocks a range of items including sweets, biscuits and toiletries.

While living in the village is not a high-risk endeavour, some of the activities, such as snorkelling and jungle trekking are classed as high risk for insurance purposes. For this reason, you will need to sign our liability waiver prior to departure, and we strongly suggest you have travel insurance to cover any activities you might participate in, which is common practise. 

Fijian people, like most South Pacific Island inhabitants, are welcoming, very respectful, family-oriented people with big hearts and a naturally cheery disposition. English is widely spoken, and communication is not usually difficult. 

It is not the place for opulent displays of wealth if you plan on blending in. Dress is respectful in the sense that T-shirts, shorts and flip flops are the men’s clothing of choice, while women and sometimes men wear sulu’s in the village, which is the same as a sarong and women will be expected to do so inside the village boundaries. Scanty swimwear is best left behind, or covered by a T-shirt and shorts.

The people are extremely polite and quietly spoken. They are Christian and you are welcome to attend their church with them, but you will not be frowned upon if you decline. The Fijians are very sharing people. It is not uncommon to sit in a group of 20 or more sharing a meal, kava or any other social pursuit.  Your use of respect and manners will be returned to you tenfold.

You are ambassadors for those who will follow in your footsteps. For this reason, drugs and alcohol are strictly prohibited.

You need to able to get in and out of a 6m fibreglass open boat. If you can be helped into a boat, even with assistance, the rest is up to you. The bushwalks vary in difficulty and can be tailored to suit. If you are not the active type and just want to chill on the beach, or sit in the overwater coffee shop reading a book, you are most welcome to do so.

The following is a basic, generic list however you may have interests that will influence what you take. This does not include your normal choice of clothing and footwear.

• Sulu/sarong (for both men and women, see “Respecting the Culture” above)
• Camera
• Sunscreen 
• Insect repellent 
• Hiking shoes
• A broad brimmed hat
• Water bottle
• Personal toiletries
• Swim wear (including respectful coverings such as T-shirt and shorts)
• Towel
• Mask, snorkel and fins if snorkelling
• Ear plugs (village animals, particularly dogs and roosters can be rowdy on odd nights)

You may choose to take a limited amount of cash to purchase a locally made souvenir or snack items. I encourage the villagers to value add a little by offering extra services such as massage, hair braiding, facials, and other spa type services. These will be at a nominal price and usually performed by the village youth.

These extras can be a great reminder of your stay, but most importantly pack an oversize spirit of adventure.

In the instance this may occur, talk to your host family and they will seek out the correct person to handle your inquiry. 

Tipping is not customary in Fiji.

If you feel inclined to take something, run it past us for suggestions. The schools can always use bits and pieces including stationery and sporting balls, ie, soccer, basketball, rugby etc.

You can also choose to leave behind any unwanted shorts, T-shirts or other gear with the tour representatives for future guests to use.

First look over our list of participating villages and select your preferred option. You will then check the village specific webpage calendar for suitable dates, and complete the booking form linked at the bottom of each village page. This will include paying your deposit. Keep in mind, the deposit is minimal and only refundable as a result of a natural disaster, cyclone etc where Village Stay Fiji determine it is unsafe for the trip to proceed. In such an instance, a full refund will be forthcoming. The balance will be payable at the bus stop on the morning of departure. You will need to have the correct amount in cash as there are no credit card facilities currently available. However, there are ATM’s in all the towns at the departure points. We are working closely with an emerging NFC credit card payment facility but that is yet to formally launch. As soon as it does, we will be all over it.

I would suggest you have your money sorted the night before as there can be long queues at the ATM’s depending on the time and day of the week.