The stunning Savulelele waterfall is a short 1.5km hike from Nabalesere village.
The village welcomes organised groups and independent visitors from Monday to Saturday.
Making arrangements
Visitors are asked to call in advance before driving to Nabalesere village.
The village focal point is Paula and can be reached on +6799398393, however phone reception is patchy so please try calling several days ahead of time, send a text message with clear information (when you’d like to go, the number of people, a contact name), and then try calling again.
If you’re making your own travel arrangements, a 4WD is recommended and it is suggested you follow the itinerary and timings outlined below.
Doing so helps the village plan, and ensures you make the most of daylight hours.
If you don’t have your own vehicle, we recommend hiring a 4WD with a driver from pehicle.com.
Itinerary
- 08:30 | Depart your Suncoast hotel
- 09:15 | Turn inland onto gravel roads before reaching the Waimicia shops
- 10:30 | Arrive in Nabalesere, sevusevu ceremony, and be guided to their waterfall (1.5km track)
- 12:30 | Local lunch prepared by the village
- 14:00 | Depart Nabalesere
- 16:00 | Arrive back at your Suncoast hotel
Payment:
Cash payments can be made to the village through your guide or Tourism Committee representative once you return from your walk to the waterfall.
The cost for the waterfall visit is FJD 50.00 and lunch is an optional additional FJD 10.00.
The payment includes your guide.
Lunch in the village is prepared mostly with fresh local ingredients and is a great way to add to your experience.
Sevusevu
Visitors will need to provide a sevusevu (a bundle of kava roots) that can be passed to your guide upon arrival. Your guide or a member of the Tourism Committee will meet you as you arrive, brief you, and then present your sevusevu to the community on your behalf. Kava is easy to purchase at Rakiraki market
Village etiquette
- Always wear a sulu (sarong/wrap around material) that covers your legs down to just above your ankles while you’re within the village boundaries
- Never wear a hat or anything on your head while you’re in the village
- Always take your shoes off before going inside (you can keep your socks on)
- Sit down as quickly as possible when you go inside and don’t stand up indoors
- If you need to move around indoors when others are sitting, it’s polite to stoop or even crawl
- If you’re presented with a bowl of kava it’s polite to drink the first one. Clap once, take the bowl and drink it all, and after returning the bowl clap three times.
- Keep noise down
Directions
Nabalesere waterfall is marked on Google Maps and signs are displayed from the King’s Road turnoff.
You can also find a map on the Talanoa Treks website.
From the King’s Road turnoff, it takes about 1 hour on gravel roads to reach Nabalesere village.
Ensure your vehicle has sufficient clearance and drive according to the road conditions.
A 4WD is recommended and if you don’t have your own vehicle, we recommend hiring a 4WD with driver from pehicle.com.
What to bring
- A sevusevu
- A sulu (sarong/wrap around material) that covers your legs down to just above your ankles while you’re within the village boundaries
- Comfortable walking shoes that can get wet (the track crosses a stream and can be slippery and muddy after rain)
- Comfortable walking clothes that can also be used for swimming (a t-shirt and shorts are fine, and for politeness we recommend you swim in these rather than stripping down to revealing swimwear)
- A towel
- A change of clothes for once you arrive back in the village from the waterfall
- Reusable water bottle
- Payment
More information:
More information, including a map, can be found on the Talanoa Treks website.
Tourism Suncoast Member : Nabalasere Tourism Committee – Savulelele Waterfall