Waya

Introducing Waya

Waya is exquisite on the eyes and promises travellers some postcard scenery. It has rugged hills, beautiful beaches and lagoons and a periphery that alternates between long, sandy beaches and rocky headland. There are four villages, a nursing station and a boarding school on the island. Resorts vary in quality and price and are spread out so the locations are generally isolated.

One for the walkers, Waya has a good network of hiking trails snaking through the tropical vegetation of its hilly centre. It's easy to hike to the top of Yalobi Hills, from where you can see the entire Yasawa islands chain. However, hiking across the island requires more preparation as it is 10km each way over the hills. It's best done with a guide but if you want to head out on your own take plenty of water. It's also advisable to avoid going after heavy rains; the tracks are steep in parts and navigating their slushy ascent varies from difficult to impossible. At low tide it's possible to walk from Wayasewa to Waya on a sandbank so avid trekkers can avoid transfers altogether.

A thick rim of coral follows the shoreline and provides great snorkelling just off the beaches, particularly near Sunset Beach Resort and Octopus Resort.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009