Savusavu is a convenient entry port for sailors coming west to Fiji, and it’s where we made landfall after Tonga. While our check-in experience wasn’t the best, we had a great time in this part of Fiji. If you ever get to Fiji by air or boat, don’t miss my top things to do in Savusavu.
About Savusavu, Fiji
Located on the southeast coast of Vabua Levu, Fiji’s second biggest island, Savusavu is best known for its volcanic hot springs and coastal waters. The population is small, only a few thousand people, but the town is bustling! With good restaurants and shops for provisioning, it’s a great stop for sailors, especially after the lack of choice in Tonga.
Another bonus of visiting Savusavu were the people, bar none among the friendliest we’ve met. Just walk down the street with a smile on your face and say the word Bula! You’ll make friends just like we did.
Checking In, i.e. Don’t Bring a Pet to Fiji
Waiting to check in
In this post-Covid world, we now have to send advance notifications before we go to a new country. I miss the old days, but this isn’t too bad once you get used to it. Fiji is a little stricter than many of the places we’ve visited on our boat. In Fiji, once you’ve alerted a marina that you’ve arrived, you wait on your boat for the officials to visit. We arrived late afternoon on a Sunday and were told to be ready the next morning.
After a good night’s sleep in the calm bay, a nice change after sailing for over two days from Tonga, a marina boat came by at around 8:30am and said officials would arrive shortly. In Fiji, that meant 11:30am. It gave us time to have coffee, tidy the boat some, and eat breakfast. I was almost starting lunch prep when the first group arrived. That was biosecurity and someone else. Unfortunately not everyone made the first group, so we sat around and waited. They didn’t even have me start on paperwork until the final person arrived to our boat.
checkin and biosecurity
All the officials are important in Fiji, and they have piles of forms. A different aspect of Fiji’s checkin process from the Caribbean and other places we’ve been is the biosecurity inspection and requirements. Fiji has stricter rules about what you are allowed to bring and keep on your boat. Biosecurity inspected our galley, checking to see if we had any disallowed items on board. In Fiji, this included honey (threw out before leaving Tonga), eggs, pork, dairy, and produce, all of which we ate on the passage. This was easy for us because we’d just spent a month in Tonga and ate all our good food we couldn’t restock there. If we had brought contraband, they’d have bagged it up and charged us an incineration fee, or bagged it up and left it on our boat, as they did to others we met. Friends of ours had honey on board and it was bagged and they were told not to open it until after they left the country.
One of the many questions on one of the many forms was if we had holy water on board. Fortunately, or not, we didn’t.
Mistake: We brought our cat to fiji
If you’re coming to the South Pacific by boat with a dog, cat, or other pet, enjoy French Polynesia, Niue, and the other islands. Skip Fiji. We tried to follow all the rules of entry, but it didn’t work for us. Upon arrival in Savusavu with Domino on board, we were not allowed to move Sava from the area until we got the results of a titre test, even though Domino had a rabies shot 18 months before we arrived. They didn’t recognize the validity of the shot.
We also had to bond Domino to Sava, which cost about $1500 Fijian. We would lose that money if Domino ever left the boat during her time in Fiji. Fortunately Domino is a sedentary 15 year old, not to mention a scaredy cat, but if you have an active cat this is a big risk. No only would we lose the money, but Biosecurity Fiji could kick us out of the country and even euthanize Domino. Just for leaving the boat. Learn from our mistake: don’t bring your pet to Fiji on a boat. This would have happened to us no matter where we entered the country and isn’t a knock on the lovely reception we otherwise received in Savusavu.
Mooring Ball vs Marina
Sailors have a choice of where to keep their boat in Savusavu. We opted for a mooring near the entrance of the bay. Our choice was not a great one, as our mooring line snapped in windy conditions less than a week after our arrival. Because we had to stay for several weeks waiting for our cruising permit, we moved Sava to the new marina in Savusavu, a much better choice.
Nawi Marina is a gem. A brand new marina, aiming to be the biggest and nicest in the region, it had only recently opened when we arrived in July. In fact, we were one of the first boats to berth there. We had a great experience, enjoying the restaurant for coffee, dinners, and drinks, the good laundry, and the free shuttle service to the mainland. The bathrooms are exceptional, and apparently already winning awards for the spa-like private outdoor showers.
While we waited for the titre test results, we took a boat break and flew back to North America to see friends and family. We left Sava and Domino in Savusavu in the care of a cat and boat sitter, and all went well at Nawi. Fortunately for us, the marina is so new they were charging an affordable introductory price.
The Market
In our years traveling, and provisioning our boat, we’ve seen how local markets reveal a lot about a place. Is this a land of plenty or want? Has the weather been good for farms and are the waters healthy and full of fish? Most places, especially the big towns, have a market where locals gather and sell what they have. Good news for Fiji. The markets are abundant with fresh produce and prices can’t be beat.
Our experience at Savusavu’s market was wonderful, and duplicated across Fiji, at every market we visited. We met friendly vendors and fellow customers, sampled sweet delicious local fruits and savory snacks, and bought produce at very affordable prices. The market air smells enchantingly of exotic spices: curries, turmerics, and more. Yes! One of our favorite things about Savusavu, and all of Fiji, was the Indian influence on the culture and the food.
Just outside Savusavu’s market is a shed with an excellent bakery selling fresh bread loaves, and another shed with vendors selling rotis for $1 as well as to-go lunch plates. Oh how we missed rotis since leaving the Caribbean. Don’t worry, we had our share in Fiji.
Great Bars and Restaurants
Good eating extends to Savusavu’s restaurants, and after a year in French Polynesia, we loved how inexpensive everything was! As one of our sailing friends mentioned, it’s cheaper to eat out than to cook, and much more fun too, so we sampled a lot at the local restaurants. Savusavu dining means Indian food, especially curries, samosas, and rotis, but you’ll also find seafood, burgers, pizzas and bakeries, all at affordable prices. Here are some of our highlights of Savusavu dining.
Copra Shed
You know we ate well in French Polynesia, but we were ready for a different kind of cuisine, and Fiji delivered the Indian food! One of the more popular spots for sailors is Copra Shed. It’s a marina with happy hour, of course cruisers go! Don’t miss out on the food there, especially the curry. They have pizza deals, but you can skip them for the curry. Seriously. If you get a curry for yourself, bring a container for the leftovers. Yum.
Surf N Turf
Locally owned Surf N Turf looks unassuming, maybe even rundown, but they serve delicious food. The menu changes daily because Savusavu’s best restaurant serves the freshest meats and produce.
Ethan’s Coffe
This cafe has great smoothies, coffees, and breakfasts. Even if you’re not hungry, pop in just to meet friendly Mel, who runs the place.
The Planter’s Club
One of our favorite spots in Savusavu to grab a cold Fiji Bitter was The Planter’s Club. If you go to a big town in Fiji, look for the club. Originally run by the upper crust in Fiji, they’re very inclusive now and not just for members. The only rules are no hats and singlets at the bar. The beers are among the most inexpensive anywhere, and cold. To give you an idea, most places charge $6 Fijian, which is a little more than $2.50 USD. The clubs charged about $4. Pretty good deal!
Cruisers Tip: Our favorite stop for provisioning in Savusavu was Sea Lovers. Located right near the marina docks, they sell gourmet cheese and meats, wines and spirits, and have a selection of international delicacies. Some of the items for sale we hadn’t seen in years! The best part is the prices are reasonable too.
Sights in Savusavu: The Hot Springs
A quick walk from the main road, the Nakama Thermal hot springs are a must do in Savusavu. Savusavu is at the center of one of the most active geothermal region in Fiji. Even from our boat each morning we could see the steam rising from the beach in the harbor.
It’s a short walk away from the bay tothe town hot springs, which are free to visit.
Read the signs explaining the volcanic geology of the region, sure, but go to talk to the friendly locals using the heat to cook their lunch or dinner. Usually it’s some kind of squash or cassava slow roasting away on the natural earth ovens. It’s definitely an insight into local Fijian life.
The Chocolate Farm
We love chocolate, so anywhere there’s a chocolate farm or factory, we go. In Savusavu, we walked to KokoMana for the chocolate tasting. They also do a tour, but we’ve seen that before and just wanted to taste. Two thumbs up on the chocolate. KokoMana makes chocolate with local ingredients like spicy ginger and sweet coconut, so snap up some bars for the boat fridge!
Final Thoughts on Savusavu
You may have noticed I don’t mention any water sports. Savusavu was wet most of our time there. It rained almost daily, and even the locals found it too much. After many years in the Caribbean, and even French Polynesia, we found Fiji cool like Tonga. To be fair to us, it was their winter. Scuba diving is supposed to be exceptional but I would rather do it in better weather conditions. We still found a lot to see and do and enjoyed Savusavu despite the persistent rain.
While I strongly recommend against bringing a pet to Fiji, it’s a wonderful country to visit! Make sure you go with a friendly smile and a big appetite for food and adventure. Bula to Savusavu!
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Pre-arrival notices were required pre-Covid here in the Pacific by almost any country except for FP. It’s been like that for a long time.
Thanks, Dagma. How long has it been a requirement? It was not like that in The Caribbean until Covid. Life was so easy!
Great writing, Mel. You make me feel like I’m there with you!
Thank you, Adele! It would be more fun if you were!
Oooh poor Domino! Was he okay staying on the boat the whole time? It sounds like the Bio security it pretty tough in Fiji – but that makes sense for a small island.
Savusavu’s market sounds fabulous. It must have been fab to have good produce even if there was a lot of rain while you visited. At least eating chocolate and relaxing in hot springs are fab whatever the weather is like.
Hey Josy, Domino is old and lazy and keeps to the boat, so it wasn’t a tough adjustment.
Phew! That worked out well!