Once the near-exclusive playground of the rich and famous, the hilly, rugged and remote Yasawa Islands are quickly becoming one of the most popular parts of Fiji. In fact, backpackers and other budget travelers now choose excursions to the Yasawas rather than Ovalau and Levuka. The three- to seven-day Blue Lagoon cruises are still the easiest and most stylish way to go to the Yasawas, but fast catamarans and seaplanes now make daily Yasawa transfers from Denarau Island near Nadi.
One stunning island in this chain is Turtle Island, which has a property considered to be one of the world's best small resorts. (Both Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson honeymooned there.) It can be reached by a chartered seaplane from Nadi. Several backpacker camps—some considered the most "luxurious" properties of that type on Fiji—have their own boats for transporting guests from Lautoka.
Sights in the Yasawa islands include the Blue Lagoon Caves (one of the settings for the 1980 movie starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins) and the village of Bukama. In the northern part of the island group, the limestone caves of Sawa-i-lau are a great destination for a day trip. For the more adventurous, there are dives with manta rays on Drawaqa Island and snorkeling with sharks on Kuata Island.
Dining options in the Yasawas are resort-based. There are no private restaurants in the island group.
The Yasawa Islands are about 45 mi/70 km northwest of Viti Levu.
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