Dravuni Island - Port Guide
Where is the ship/how to get to the sights?
Weather
Sunny and possibly rainy year round. Tropical storms are possible, especially September to November. Temperatures are usually between 24-30 degrees Celsius, and weather usually sunny.
Sights & Sites
- The main thing to see here are the stunning soft white sandy beaches.
- When you arrive on the island, look at the map, and take photos to have it with you, as it shows you the best snorkeling areas, where the best sunbathing spots are, where the local village is, and where the trail is to hike through the forst to reach the beach on the other side of the island from where the tenders dock.
- Snorkeling – There are some great snorkel spots, check on the map and test as many as you have time for. My favourite spot was on the other side of the island, near the rocks as this is where I found some coral reef and therefore more fish. Be careful of jellyfish though, they are small and not very dangerous, but they do sting and it hurts for a couple of hours. The jellyfish are about the size of an adult male’s hand, and are white with a bright blue rim.
- Local village – It is lovely to walk through the local village and see how people live there. The island has some people living on it in hut like abodes, with chickens and pigs on their land.
- The forest – The forest is very interesting to stroll through, and a wide variety of tropical plants can be seen here, but wear sunscreen as a lot of mosquitos also take up residency here.
Shopping/Souvenirs
There is a small local market on the island and as you walk through the village, several of the huts also have some factory made, and some locally tie dyed, sarongs for sale displayed outside on clothes lines. US dollars, Australian and New Zealand dollars are accepted, as well as the Fijian dollar. The main things on offer are sarongs, hand made jewelry crafted from shells and coconuts, and small souvenirs such as fridge magnets.
If you only have two hours
You can easily see all the main sights of Dravuni Island in two hours. The tender ride is only about ten minutes, and the beach is right there. You can relax near the tender boat, or walk further down to find a more secluded spot, swim, snorkel, walk through the village, forest, market, everything easily within this timeline.
What is it known for?
Dravuni Island is known for its pristine sandy beaches and clear water with decent snorkeling.
Food & Drink
Next to the local market with the sarongs and trinkets for sale, there are some locals cooking and selling BBQ meat and home bakes cakes. I sampled the BBQ lamb with salad, and we tasted one of the homemade lemon cake slices, which was quite pleasant, lemony and the sponge quite fluffy. There are also local Fiji Bitters beers and sodas for sale. All prices qupted will be in Fijian dollars, so if you are using USD, AUD, or NZD, they will accept it, but try to sell it for the same amount of dollars as Fijian dollars. ($1 USD = $0.50 Fijian dollars).
Wi-Fi
There is zero Wi-Fi on Dravuni Island. It is literally a beach island with no proper buildings or official businesses at all, so leave your devices on the ship.
ATM/Money exchange
There are no money exchanges on the island, but the locals will accept USD, AUD, and NZD. Check what price you will be charged if using different currencies, as they will charge you a higher rate as they have to exchange it later finding a bank on the mainland.
Karen’s Top Tip
Wear your swimwear already under your clothes coming off the ship, and bring your towel, bug spray, sun glasses, plenty of sun lotion, water, a little money and just relax there. Enjoy the beautiful beaches, whether you’re just lying back relaxing on the beach, or snorkeling or checking out the small market. This port is not one for getting anything practical done, or doing much shopping, just enjoy being away from everything here.
My experience here
I went out here and did all the things I mentioned above in the ‘Sights and Sites’ section. I walked along the beach, lay on the beach, swam, walked through the forest to the other side of the island, snorkeled, walked through the market, ate some local food from the BBQ place and just enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere.
My Most Memorable Moment
I really enjoyed walking around the island and enjoying each new section as we found it. My favourite part was being on the other side of the island, where there were hardly any other tourists, and swimming in the sea here, and just enjoying the view of the long, soft white sandy beach, tourist free. The snorkeling was pretty good, with at least ten species of reef fish to see, but my favourite part of it was simply being on this very simple, basic island away from all the other people.