Province · Vanua Levu e Taveuni

Macuata

Macuata is the northern part of Vanua Levu: Labasa, the largest town outside Viti Levu, amid sugarcane fields, the Naag Mandir temple and the Great Sea Reef, one of the largest coral barriers in the world.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

The province

Get to know Macuata

Macuata occupies the north of Vanua Levu, the second-largest island of Fiji. The coast is dry, with sugarcane fields, pine forests and mangroves, and the interior rises into green hills. It is the most populous of the three northern provinces.

Labasa, the capital, is the largest town in Fiji outside Viti Levu and the administrative center of Vanua Levu. Much of the population is Indo-Fijian, and the town revolves around the sugar mill, which grinds cane from May to December, and the municipal market, with fruit, spices and fish.

Near the town, the Hindu temple Naag Mandir shelters a snake-shaped stone considered sacred by devotees. Labasa receives few tourists and serves as a stopover for those continuing by road to Savusavu.

Off the coast lies the Great Sea Reef (Cakaulevu), one of the largest coral barriers in the world, stretching more than 200 km. The villages of Macuata have traditional fishing rights on the reef and marine protected areas, and islands such as Kia and Mali lie within it.

When to go

From May to October there is less rain, and it is also the season when the Labasa mill grinds cane. The north of Vanua Levu is drier than the south of the island; from November to April heat and rain increase, with cyclone season.

Getting there

Labasa Airport (LBS) has domestic flights from Nadi and from Suva. Confirm before booking. Labasa is connected by road to Savusavu, crossing the mountains, and to Nabouwalu, where the ferries from Natovi, on Viti Levu, arrive. Local buses serve the villages of the province.

Your questions

Frequently asked questions about Macuata

Is it worth including Labasa on the trip?

For those who want to see everyday Fiji, yes: the market, the sugar mill and the Naag Mandir temple. Labasa has little tourist infrastructure and is often a one-day stop en route to Savusavu.

What is the Great Sea Reef?

It is the coral barrier that runs along the north of Vanua Levu and continues to the west, one of the largest in the world, stretching more than 200 km. The coastal villages have fishing rights over it and maintain protected areas.

How to get from Labasa to Savusavu?

By road, by bus, taxi or rental car, crossing the central mountains of Vanua Levu. The trip takes several hours and passes through forested valleys.

What is the Naag Mandir temple?

It is a Hindu temple on the outskirts of Labasa, built around a snake-shaped stone that devotees consider sacred. Visitors enter barefoot and wear modest clothing.

Tap a province to see its destinations. Limites: Pacific Data Hub / geoBoundaries (CC BY 4.0). Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.