Wailotua Cave

Wailotua village sits on top of a cave system, and the entrance opens beside the road with the village above it. Local tradition attaches the cave to a six-headed snake god, and a formation inside is identified with it; the cave was also used as a refuge in times of conflict. A guide from the village takes visitors in with torches through chambers of stalactites and flowstone, and the visit runs through the community with a sevusevu.

The landscape

• The snake formation - the rock the six-headed god tradition attaches to.
• The chambers - stalactites, columns and flowstone through the lit route.
• The refuge history - the cave's use as a place of safety by the village.
• The village above - Wailotua sitting directly over the system.

When to go

May to October is the drier season; the cave takes water in the wet months and sections can close. Visits are arranged at the village on arrival. Torches are provided by the guides.

Things to know

The cave is on village land and the sevusevu and fee are part of the arrangement. Footing is wet and uneven and there is no lighting beyond torches. The visit takes about forty minutes.

Nearby

Korovou is west on the Kings Road, and Suva is south.