Eleven days through the Lau Group, Qamea & Taveuni aboard SY Diana — surf, dive, fish, explore.
To our crew of adventurers,
It's a real pleasure to welcome you on this one — eleven days cruising the wild northern reaches of Fiji, from the remote limestone islands of Vanua Balavu through the surf passes of Qamea to the world-famous Rainbow Reef. This is one of the least-visited, most spectacular corners of the South Pacific, and we get to explore it the best way possible: from the deck of Diana.
Most of you know Diana well from our French Polynesia charter last year — she's had another season under her belt and is in fine form, with a full toybox and a crew ready to make this trip special. Alongside her we'll have Bhubesi, our dedicated chase boat, opening up surf breaks, dive sites and fishing grounds well beyond the anchorage.
Every day out here is shaped by wind, swell and tide — that's the fun of it. We'll plan as we go, chase the best conditions, and let Fiji surprise us. Bring your appetite for adventure.
See you at Nadi arrivals,
Two boats, seven crew, one mission: get you to the best wave, reef or fish in Northern Fiji every single day.
You know her, you love her. Diana is the Sunreef 23m sailing catamaran we called home in French Polynesia — freshly refitted in 2024 with extensive carbon work, she's one of the most advanced multihull superyachts afloat. Bright, California-beach-house interiors, a huge swim platform, trampolines, Jacuzzi, and a flybridge that doubles as a workout deck. Her shallow 2.1m draft is exactly what lets us tuck into places like the Bay of Islands that bigger boats can't touch.
The toybox travels with us: Williams 520 SportJet tender, e-foils, sea scooters, wakeboards, waterskis, glass-bottom kayaks, SUPs, a Tiwal sailing dinghy, kite gear, full snorkel kit, six sets of dive gear with onboard compressor, and trolling & jigging rods.
A 34ft Proline sportfisher — our range-extender and adventure machine. While Diana sits secure at anchor, Bhubesi takes us to the outer surf breaks, distant dive sites and offshore fishing grounds, fast.
FJD, roughly 2.2 to 1 USD. Cards work in resorts and towns; carry some small cash for village visits and crafts. Everything on board is taken care of.
Days around 26–27°C, nights 20°C, water a very swimmable ~26°C. Trade winds usually ease in July, though the currently developing El Niño may bring more variable winds and drier-than-usual conditions — we'll read the forecast daily.
GMT+12 — Fiji is one of the first places on earth to greet each day, and the 180° meridian runs right through Taveuni. We can literally stand in yesterday and today at once.
Visiting a village traditionally begins with sevusevu — presenting kava root to the chief. A warm, genuine ceremony and one of the great cultural experiences of Fiji. Dress modestly in villages (shoulders/knees covered, no hats).
Only about a third are inhabited. The Lau Group, where we start, is among the most remote and least-visited — many islands see just a handful of yachts a year.
You'll hear it everywhere — hello, welcome, and to-your-health all in one. English is an official language, so conversation is easy. "Vinaka" means thank you.
Everyone lands at Nadi together on the LAX flight, then we hop across Fiji by private charter with Joyce Aviation Fiji aboard a Cessna Grand Caravan turboprop — a spectacular low-level flight over the reefs of the Koro Sea.
Arrive from LAX. Clear immigration and collect your luggage.
Andrew will be waiting at arrivals with the Joyce Aviation team.
We proceed to counter 5 and hand luggage over to the handlers, then head to Joyce Aviation to prepare for the flight.
Depart Nadi in the Grand Caravan, heading east across Viti Levu and the Koro Sea.
Touch down on the grass strip in the northern Lau Group.
Tender transfer from the shore to Diana. Welcome back aboard — lunch is waiting.
Operator: Joyce Aviation Fiji · Aircraft: Cessna Grand Caravan (turboprop). Soft-sided luggage is much easier to load — pack light where you can, and keep essentials (sunnies, hat, camera, meds) in a day bag.
From the limestone maze of Vanua Balavu, to the surf passes of Qamea, to the soft-coral capital of the world at Rainbow Reef — finishing in Savusavu.
This outline flexes with weather, swell and wind. Each evening we'll talk through the forecast with Captain Nic and set the next day's plan together — meals at pre-chosen times, boat moves between dinner and breakfast where possible, and the itinerary shaped by what the ocean gives us. The charter formally ends in Savusavu; if we're diving Rainbow Reef that's the natural finish, or we can discuss staying around Taveuni and departing from there on the 26th.
After boarding at noon, a short cruise takes us into the Bay of Islands — a maze of mushroom-shaped limestone islets rising out of jade water — where Diana anchors stern-to the rocks in flat, protected calm. Meet the crew, settle in and get re-familiarised, lunch on board, then a short safety briefing.
Afternoon: first swims off the back deck, and Bhubesi heads out for a surf check at the nearby reef breaks.
It's expected to be windy on arrival and for the days after — so Diana stays securely moored in the Bay of Islands while all excursions run via Bhubesi and Diana's tender. Sheltered water everywhere inside the bay; the wind won't slow us down.
Four days in one of Fiji's most extraordinary and least-visited corners. Diana holds her calm anchorage among the islets while we range out by boat. Morning surf checks at Namalatu or Adavaci passage, then each day built around whatever's working best.
Chase-boat trips to Yacata or Nukutolu — the passage needs to be calm as there's no nearby anchorage for Diana.
Day 4 (19th): possible afternoon/overnight move toward Qamea at the Captain's discretion — roughly 55nm, about 6 hours at 9 knots. We've asked Nic to make passages between dinner and breakfast whenever possible, so we wake up somewhere new.
Qamea is our central surf base, and the timing looks good — a moderate swell is forecast to arrive around the 20th/21st. This leg is deliberately stretchy: if the surf lights up, we stay longer.
The jewel of the zone — a long, peeling right-hander with a deep-water channel for easy positioning. Works on all tides.
A winding, walling left running some 600m across the pass — rides of 150m+ on the right swell.
Short, sheltered ledge that comes alive when a serious south swell hits.
Softer waves for anyone finding their feet — plus the Laverna lefts and rights off Laverna village, and Tramontos on Taveuni at high tide.
Fiji's winter delivers the big Southern Ocean swells with SE trades. July sits in the winter window with trades usually easing — swell energy is up and hopefully backing off during our cruising dates.
Chase-boat missions to Wailagilala or the Nanuku sand spit, or a day visit to the ring of old islands.
The diving-centric chapter. The Rainbow Reef in the Somosomo Strait is often called the soft-coral capital of the world — tidal currents feed walls of technicolour coral that have to be seen to be believed.
A cascading wall of white soft coral dropping into the blue — one of the Pacific's iconic dives.
Where the big stuff shows up.
Coral pinnacles wrapped in fish life.
World-class snorkeling for non-divers — plus the chance to "ride the tidal bloom" as the current sweeps the reef to life.
Snorkel the manta station in the south channel, day-anchor in St Catherine's (Katherine) Bay, then move to Albert Cove for an afternoon on the sand and an evening bonfire on the beach. Rabi is home to the Banaban people, relocated from Ocean Island (Kiribati) after WWII — a unique Gilbertese culture within Fiji, with four villages (Uma, Tabwewa, Buakonikai, Tabiang) known for coconut-oil and kava crafts.
Fiji's third-largest island and its lushest — a volcanic ridge draped in rainforest.
Evening: possible overnight passage to Savusavu, arriving for breakfast.
Fiji's "hidden paradise" — a yachtie town wrapped around a deep, protected bay. We can arrive earlier if we want more time here. Final-day options before departure:
Nearby resorts: Namale, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, Emaho Sekawa Retreat.
The charter agreement ends in Savusavu. If Rainbow Reef diving is the finale, Savusavu is the natural exit — alternatively we can discuss remaining around Taveuni and departing from there on the 26th.
We take remote-area safety seriously. Two layers of professional rescue cover have been arranged for every guest, on top of the crew's own training and Diana's safety systems.
An individual membership has been created for each guest — 24/7 field rescue and medical evacuation to the nearest appropriate hospital, anywhere on the itinerary.
Garmin Response membership covering assisted rescue and extraction, linked to the satellite communicators we carry on both boats.
National search & rescue. Continuous watch on VHF 16 and 2182 kHz. operations@rccfiji.org
24/7 accident & emergency department — the main hospital at our arrival/departure gateway.
Our shoreside agent at Port Denarau. After hours: +679 999 7941 · fiji@baobabmarine.com
Police, fire and ambulance nationwide.