Sailing to TWO REMOTE ISLANDS IN EASTERN FIJI: Koro & Makogai Islands

July 21st, 2024

After getting our Fijian cruising permit, we left Savusavu and sailed 46.5 nautical miles to Viani Bay on the eastern side of Vanua Levu to snorkel the Rainbow Reef, considered one of the best diving and snorkelling places in the South Pacific and is said to be the soft coral capital of the world. We spent a week anchored in Viani Bay enjoying its stunning landscapes. During this time, we were anchored in approximatley 30 m of water. It was the deepest bay we had experienced yet. Fiji is said to have over 10,000 square kilometres of pristine reef, of which most of this is fringing reef (reef close to the shore). Because of this, we often have to anchor in deeper water to avoid the fringing reef (and bommies) along the shoreline.

However, the time had come for us to start sailing west, sadly leaving the remoteness, quiet, and beauty of Vanua Levu behind. We would be sailing from Vanua Levu to Vitu Levu, a journey of approximately 192 nautical miles mostly across the Koro Sea. Along the way, we stopped at Koro and Makogai Islands before making our way up the Broad Passage and eventually entering Vitu Levu’s northern reef. After motorsailing 53 nautical miles, we arrived near dark at Dere Bay, Koro Island. We couldn't see much but one single light from the shore and many many beautiful stars. We knew that we had come to a pretty remote location. The best part of arriving in the dark is that you get to see where you've anchored for the first time in the morning. We couldn't believe our eyes. Dere Bay was an absolutely stunner and Koro Island looked so lush. We had the company of three turtles during our time there. Again we were anchored in 20 m of water but we were pinching ourselves, we couldn't believe we were the only boat there! This is what the sailing life is all about. Getting the experiences of these remote locations and meeting the people who live there. Makogai was just as beautiful.

Join us as we visit these remarkable islands and learn to navigate through reef systems.