Vatulele Island

Vatulele lies about thirty kilometres south of Viti Levu, a low limestone island with four villages, and it is known for two things. The first is masi: the barkcloth made and printed here is among the most highly regarded in Fiji, with designs specific to the island. The second is the ura buta, red prawns that live in a pool in the coastal rock, held sacred by the islanders, protected by custom, and traditionally called up by a chant.

What you actually see

• The masi making - barkcloth beaten and stencil-printed with Vatulele designs.
• The red prawns - the sacred ura buta in their coastal rock pool.
• The rock art - painted figures on the limestone cliffs on the western side.
• The villages - four communities on a low limestone island with no roads to speak of.

When to go

May to October is the drier season and calmest for the crossing. Boat transfers depend on weather. Cyclone season runs November to April.

Honest expectations

Visits run through the villages with sevusevu, and the prawns in particular are a sacred site where behaviour matters: they are not to be touched or taken. Accommodation is limited and access is irregular. The island resort that once operated here has closed.

Nearby

Sigatoka and the Coral Coast are north on Viti Levu, and Beqa is east.