Waitabu Marine Park:
This area of Taveuni has just been awarded the "International British Airways Eco-Tourism Award" of the year. You are picked up and driven up to the eastern side of the island where you will be welcomed into Waitabu village life with morning tea. This 5-hour journey includes a bamboo "bili-bili" raft trip, snorkeling, and am/pm tea in the village with kava ceremony, local island music and roundtrip transport. This trip is a great cultural experience combined with a day of adventure!
Fiji Activities | Fiji Adventure Travel | Taveuni Palms Resort Fiji
October 30, 2008
Fiji Activities | Fiji Adventure Travel | Taveuni Palms Resort Fiji
October 26, 2008
Taveuni Island Resort & Spa - Fiji
Waitabu Marine Park
This area of Taveuni has recently been awarded the “International British Airways Eco-Tourism Award”The Waitabu Villagers will welcome you, and are proud of this marine and cultural experience they have worked so hard to establish.
The 5-hour visit is a marvellous cultural experience of Fijian village life. The visit includes round trip transport, morning and afternoon tea in the village, snorkelling in the marine reserve, kava ceremony, local island dance and song, and to top it all; a trip up the river on a bamboo “Bilibili” raft.
This is a 20-minute ride by taxi from the resort.
Taveuni Island Resort & Spa - Fiji
October 24, 2008
Taveuni Travel Guide and accommodation reviews
The east coast is wild and mostly inaccessible due to steep cliffs and much of the land is protected by Bouma National Heritage Park.
Access to the park is from the north-east coast, with the main attraction being the Tavoro Falls (three lovely waterfalls between 10 minutes and an hour walk from the main road). The first waterfall is only a five minute flat stroll from the road and has excellent swimming and an indent behind the falls from which you can jump through the waterfall into the pool beneath.
The second waterfall is a steep climb through tropical rainforest along a well maintained trail, taking about 20-minutes. This is the highest of the three falls at about 100 feet. The third fall requires wading through a river assisted by a rope and is another 30 minutes higher up the valley. Beyond, it is possible to follow the stream further into the rain forest and venture past a series of smaller falls.
Also within the Bouma Park is Waitabu Marine Park, set alongside a picturesque beachfront. The village of Waitabu has set aside its lagoon as a marine conversation area and funds its project by offering guided snorkelling trips (excellent marine life and corals) and bilibili bamboo raft excursions.
At the end of the road about 20 minutes from Bouma Falls is the attractive village of Lavena, departure point for the 3 mile Lavena Coastal Walk along the forest edge, passing cove beaches and waterfalls. There is an excellent trail that hugs the coastline and a swing bridge forging several rivers. The trail takes just over 1 hour in one direction and is relatively flat. This is a good place to spot endemic birds including the orange dove. This coast can also be explored by kayak from Lavena. The village has a small basic lodge with private rooms and shared bathroom . kitchen.
Taveuni Travel Guide and accommodation reviews
October 22, 2008
World Travel Awards - Green 2008
World Travel Awards - Green 2008
October 20, 2008
Matangi Private Island Resort
Visit the Waitabu Marine Park on Taveuni Island's rain forested Eastern Coast where the people of Waitabu Village offer visitors two tours.
One tour takes you on an open outboard powered skiff for a 2-hour snorkelling excursion. The other tour takes you to snorkelling sites on a Bilibili or traditional Fijian bamboo raft.
Visitors to the Park and weather and tide permitting and incur round-trip boat and car transfer charges; minimum 4 people FJD115 per person; minimum 6 people FJD75 per person.
In addition, an entrance fee is payable at the Park Ranger's office.
Matangi Private Island Resort
How Better Conservation Measures Can Help Reduce Poverty : TreeHugger
The authors conducted over 1,100 interviews with local residents from the four sites - each of which had been picked because of the perceived benefits of its conservation projects - to determine what impact the MPAs had had on their economic status and overall quality of life.
The overwhelmingly positive response was best articulated by a Fijian community leader, who explained that, "The marine protected area is like a bank to the people. Opening more branches of the bank in developing countries can contribute to coastal poverty reduction."
How Better Conservation Measures Can Help Reduce Poverty : TreeHugger
October 18, 2008
Fiji's Remote Reefs | Oceanic Society
Posted January 19th, 2008 by oceanic in Expeditions
Date: 08/26/2008Snorkeling
The Fijian Archipelago encompasses one of the most extensive coral reef systems in the world. , The waters host an extraordinary variety of marinelife, including over 1,200 varieties of fish and countless invertebrates.This program offers snorkeling Fiji's spectacularly colorful coral communities, and includes an introduction to island ecology and Fijian village life. Our snorkeling expedition begins on the island of Taveuni. Shrouded in tropical forests and rich volcanic soils, Taveuni is known as “the Garden Island” of Fiji. Our island resort offers views over the Somosomo Strait which contains extensive coral reefs including the 32-kilometer "Rainbow Reef".
We enjoy daily snorkel excursions by private boat in the company of our experienced marine naturalist. Most snorkel sites are within 15 minutes of the resort. Korolevu Island is just 5 minutes by boat from the resort offering beach snorkeling from a white sand beach. Taveuni's beautiful terrain provides excellent birdwatching opportunities including nesting parrots, orange doves, silktails and fantails.
One day is dedicated to visiting the Waitabu Marine Park, a vibrant reef set aside for the benefit of snorkel tourism and environmental education. In 1998, the traditional rural village of Waitabu decided to set aside this area as a “no-take” reserve to replenish marine life and fish stocks.
In place of income earned from fishing, the villagers lead snorkel tours to the marine park, promoting small-scale marine tourism as a consistent source of income. Rainbow Reef's spectacular underwater gardens are just 20-minute boat ride away. This excellent snorkeling location is quite different from Korolevu Island. In addition to the beautiful coral, there are often multitudes of fish.
Fiji's Remote Reefs | Oceanic Society
New Google Earth layer spotlights marine sanctuaries
Last week it was a plan to save the world. This week, Google is helping to make people realize why the world needs saving. In the past, we've touched on how Google is using its Google Earth platform to help scientists, whether it be better visualizing their data or better explaining what that data mean to the general public. At the International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Conservation Conference, taking place in Barcelona, Spain, it was announced that the IUCN is making use of Google Earth Outreach to launch a new layer to Google Earth that pinpoints the locations of all the protected marine areas on the planet. You can check out the layer online at Protect Planet Ocean, but unfortunately the plugin only works on Windows.
It's a neat tool, although the climate change layers I wrote about recently have more bells and whistles. That said, I applaud the move, and despite the Windows-only nature of the API at the moment, I'm sure that more and more researchers and interest groups will incorporate this kind of technology in their outreach efforts.
It's a good time to highlight the plight of the oceans. The problem of aquatic hypoxia (loss of dissolved oxygen) is both serious and growing. We'd probably take the issue more seriously if similar-size areas on land suddenly didn't have enough oxygen to support life, but that's far from the only crisis facing the oceans.
The IUCN's meeting had more bad news yesterday, with the shocking statistic that one in four mammal species is facing extinction. Of the nearly 5,500 recorded species of mammals, 1,141 of them are in trouble, with nearly 200 listed as critically endangered. The cause for most of these extinctions is due to a loss of habitat or food supply; polar bears in the Arctic being a well-publicized example.
Thankfully, it's not all gloom and doom; there are (admittedly few) examples of careful resource management and conservation efforts paying off. In Africa, the elephant population is making great strides, and in the US the black-footed ferret is doing rather well after being reintroduced to the wild.
Publicizing that good news is one of the more fun aspects of covering conservation and the environment, and science outreach needs to let people know about the successes as well. Google seems to be doing its level best to live up to the company motto, what with its Clean Energy 2030 plan and Google Earth Outreach. I'm almost afraid to find out what else the company has up its sleeve, but based on past form, I think it's worth anticipating.
New Google Earth layer spotlights marine sanctuaries
It's a neat tool, although the climate change layers I wrote about recently have more bells and whistles. That said, I applaud the move, and despite the Windows-only nature of the API at the moment, I'm sure that more and more researchers and interest groups will incorporate this kind of technology in their outreach efforts.
It's a good time to highlight the plight of the oceans. The problem of aquatic hypoxia (loss of dissolved oxygen) is both serious and growing. We'd probably take the issue more seriously if similar-size areas on land suddenly didn't have enough oxygen to support life, but that's far from the only crisis facing the oceans.
The IUCN's meeting had more bad news yesterday, with the shocking statistic that one in four mammal species is facing extinction. Of the nearly 5,500 recorded species of mammals, 1,141 of them are in trouble, with nearly 200 listed as critically endangered. The cause for most of these extinctions is due to a loss of habitat or food supply; polar bears in the Arctic being a well-publicized example.
Thankfully, it's not all gloom and doom; there are (admittedly few) examples of careful resource management and conservation efforts paying off. In Africa, the elephant population is making great strides, and in the US the black-footed ferret is doing rather well after being reintroduced to the wild.
Publicizing that good news is one of the more fun aspects of covering conservation and the environment, and science outreach needs to let people know about the successes as well. Google seems to be doing its level best to live up to the company motto, what with its Clean Energy 2030 plan and Google Earth Outreach. I'm almost afraid to find out what else the company has up its sleeve, but based on past form, I think it's worth anticipating.
October 15, 2008
MAQO. org - All posts tagged 'waitabu marine park'
Fiji Protected Marine Areas on the Web
July 1, 2008 17:39 by derek.sampson
MAQO. org
October 13, 2008
Traveler Reviews - A REAL slice of Paradise! - TripAdvisor
“A REAL slice of Paradise!”
Waitabu Marine Park and Campground
Bedfordshire
Oct 12, 2008 
1/1 found this review helpful
The people of Waitabu really make this experience perfect - true Fijian hospitality at its best. The facilities include showers, flushing toilets and a kitchen, or you can choose to have delicious home cooked local foods. These, coupled with the campground being situated right on the beautiful sandy beach make for a wonderful holiday .
The tour of the Marine Park is fabulous, and other adventures, such as rain forest hike and stunning waterfalls are just a short walk away.
We had so much fun there and were made to feel so welcome, will definitely be going back! Highly recommended
October 12, 2008
Traveler Reviews - Super séjour ! - TripAdvisor
“Super séjour !”
Waitabu Marine Park and Campground
Oct 12, 2008
1/1 found this review helpful
I-d-é-a-l :
Le séjour au petit village de Waitabu a été merveilleux. La localisation est parfaite pour profiter dans la même journée d'un peu de découverte d'un parc marin, d'une visite de chutes d'eau magnifiques (Tavoro falls) et d'un petit trajet en bus qui vaut le détour.
Le séjour au petit village de Waitabu a été merveilleux. La localisation est parfaite pour profiter dans la même journée d'un peu de découverte d'un parc marin, d'une visite de chutes d'eau magnifiques (Tavoro falls) et d'un petit trajet en bus qui vaut le détour.
L'ambiance est très paisible sans que l'on se sente seul, car les gens du village sont adorables et très serviables quand cela s'avère nécessaire. Laissez-vous tenter comme nous par ce petit coin de Paradis loin des gros hôtels où toute la petite famille peut s'y retrouver.
Sans hésitation, un passage obligé pour les amoureux des îles paradisiaques et des coins sauvages. Ames d'aventuriers vous ne serez pas non plus déçues !
- This TripAdvisor Member:
- Liked — Le cadre
- Disliked — Un peu de route avant d'arriver, mais ça vaut le coup
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
KaivitiTristan's Summary
Date of Stay: September 2005
Traveled with: Famille (étendue)
Visit was for: Moments agréables en famille
Age group: 25-34
Member since: yesterday
- My ratings for this hotel are:
-
Value -
Rooms - Location
- Cleanliness
- Check in / front desk
- Service
-
Business service
-
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Families with teenagers, TouristsI do not recommend this hotel for:
People with disabilitiesI selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Outdoor / Adventure Taveuni Island: Waitabu Marine Park and Campground - Traveler Reviews - Super séjour ! - TripAdvisor
October 11, 2008
Taveuni Island: Waitabu Marine Park and Campground - Traveler Reviews - great new option for village stay - TripAdvisor
Waitabu Marine Park and Campground
StuartinFiji, Fiji Islands
Oct 7, 2008
Waitabu Marine Park has just added a new feature of camping in the village. This is great and they have their own tents and sleeping inflatable mattresses.
The campground is directly ON the beach and you go to sleep with the sound of the waves in your ears.
Prices are:
$10 per person if you take your own tent
$15 per person if you use a Waitabu tent
Food:
There is a kitchen and eating area which you are free to use to cook your own food, or the village ladies will cook for $10 a plate per meal.
An absolutely great experience to camp on the beach and interact with the village, but still have your own place to stay in a tent.
New toilets and showers have been built specifically for the use of the campground and they were clean and kept locked when no guests are 'in house'.
- This TripAdvisor Member:
- Liked — Sound of waves at night to lull me to sleep
- Disliked — Mosi's
StuartinFiji's Summary
Date of Stay: September 2008
Traveled with: Family (extended)
Visit was for: Quality time with family
Age group: 35-49
Member since: October 09, 2006
- My ratings for this hotel are:
- Value
- Rooms
- Location
- Cleanliness
- Check in / front desk
- Service
-
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend? absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for: Young singles, Older travelers, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for: People with disabilities, Pet owners
I selected this hotel as a top choice for: Beach / Sun, Outdoor / Adventure
Taveuni Island: Waitabu Marine Park and Campground - Traveler Reviews - great new option for village stay - TripAdvisor
October 7, 2008
Global MPA Plan of Action launched
7th October - Today at the 4th World Conservation Congress IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas launched a plan to help protect planet ocean using Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
It is well recognised that despite our best efforts more needs to be done to protect our oceans. Nations of the world have already committed to this task, but so far less than 1% of our seas have been set aside for wildlife, and of that a much smaller amount is adequately managed. Much more needs to be done using MPAs to rise to the challenge of protecting wildlife, combating climate change and sustaining livelihoods and human health.
The MPA Plan of Action took two years to develop through an unprecedented global collaboration between leading ocean experts, with funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The Plan sets out the key actions that the World Commission will take in the coming years to support a significant increase in protection for our seas and to complement the work already underway worldwide by conservation partners on this issue.
The Official MPA Blog
October 6, 2008
Matthews Peace Corps Page
Ok.. So no more leaving anyone hanging here.. I have been stationed on the Island of Taveuini in Fiji... It is Considered the Garden island of Fiji and the Most beautiful... Here we have it all.. White sand beaches.. Some of the best Diving anywhere in the world... And we also have the World famous waterfalls you see in the postcards and Tv and some of the most remote old growth Virgin Rainforest in all of Fiji. I will be staying in the village of Waitabu(WHY-TOM-BOO). It is on the Eastern side of Taveuini and is considered to be the most beautiful side as well... My main Project here will be working with the Local Takina(Collection of villages) in Bouma to help develope their World Famous , BOUMA NATIONAL HERITAGE PARK. My village runs the Waitabu Marine Park portion of the Park so i will working heavilly on this aspect of the park.. I have a fellow Volunteer who will be stationed about 10km away from me(2 hour walk, 1 hour kayak ride). we will be working together to come up with a marketing, business, ecotourism management plan for the park as well as ensuring the protection of its natural resources.. My fellow peace corps volunteer lives in the village of Lavena where the movie ,"Return to the Blue lagoon" was filmed.. In the BNHP(Bouma National Heritage Park) we have a trip to our marine park, a rainforest hike, a waterfall hike and also a coastal walk that ends in a fantastic waterfall that can be jumped off of for those with the balls enough to do it!! Needless to say i did it.. About 45 feet high ..!!!! Crystal Clear water with fresh water trout swimming everywhere.. And to top it off we have a backpackers lodge for you to stay in and enjoy the night, or even a few days.. i would recomend a few days here though to truly take it all in... I will also be coming up with community projects for the women of the area to help bring in a sustainable income or to at least supplement the current incomes... Plus some communtiy projects with the kids as well.. I will also be working on learning a totally new Dialect as well..!!! As if it wasn't hard enough learning one!!!! Guess i have 2 years huh.......
So i may beg some of you for a care package from time to time.. Nothing to expensive, just things that i can't get here.. I'll keep anyone up to date on that who might be interested in helping out with that.....!!
Hope everyone is doing good, and don't forget if you comment on here make sure i already have your email so i can get back to you!!!!!
Take care,
matthew
Matthews Peace Corps Page
marine ecology consulting
The Waitabu Marine Park was established in 1998 in an agreement of over 7 Fijian communities not to fish or anchor in the 1 km of selected fringing reef.
Aside from the small tourism business this MPA has provided a first hand example of the power of conservation, generating larger fish catches and increased bio diversity in the surrounding waters.
The Waitabu Marine Park offers 2 guided tours. the "Cultural Experience Tour" with a "Bilibili" ride (traditional raft), a guided snorkelling tour with tea and refreshments while being serenaded by local musicians they also offer a "Backpackers Tour" with a guided boat trip and guided snorkelling trips.
marine ecology consulting provides marine biological support for Waitabu MPA as part of its charitable community support.
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