The Best Island In Fiji To Visit For Unparalleled Waterfall Hikes

Because it is made up of 330 isles smattered across remote Pacific waters, one of the main challenges of planning a trip to Fiji is whittling down your island wish list. The archipelago encompasses spanning coral atolls, beaches coated in soft white sand, and undisturbed forests growing wild over inland mountains. Diverse and mostly rarely traversed, it's not possible to build a one-size-fits-all Fiji itinerary. However, pellucid seas and palm groves entice many types of travelers to the island of Taveuni. Dubbed Fiji's "Garden Isle'" its verdant interior conceals crashing falls and pristine national parks. If you're a nature lover struggling to choose the best Fiji island for your travel style, you should consider placing it up at the top of your list.

Most travelers arrive into Nadi International Airport, found on one of the top-rated islands to visit in Fiji, Viti Levu. Direct flights carrying U.S. travelers leave out of Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Dallas Fort Worth, and it's easy to travel from further afield with a quick stop over in Australia or New Zealand. From Nadi, you can catch a quick connecting flight to Taveuni, as it runs daily. If you're feeling adventurous and want to take in the seascapes that have long shaped the vision of Polynesia, choose one of the vessels that make up Fiji's extensive inter-island ferry network. Taveuni is very long sail away, so it should be incorporated into a multi-island itinerary if you're planning to travel over sea.

Explorers venturing into the interior of Taveuni hear the cascades before they even come into sight. Concealed by the thick rainforests of Bouma National Heritage Park, a 57-square-mile preserve that protects more than 80% of the island's wilds, the tumbling waterfalls of Taveuni can only be accessed on foot. There are three main falls, with differing accessibility levels, each accompanied by a pool suitable for swimming, so pack ahead if you plan to dip into the jungle-bound oases.

Known as the Tavoro Waterfalls, these cascades are connected by a regularly maintained track. The 3-hour excursion starts at Bouma Village's Tavoro Visitor Centre. From there, you'll follow trails slinking through the forest, the dirt underfoot light-dappled by a canopy dense enough to waylay even the intense Pacific sun. After just 10 minutes, you'll reach the first of the three falls. The 78-foot-high cascade is the most popular, given its ease of access and proximity to amenities, but that makes its pool no less picturesque.

The route grows more challenging after the first falls, starting out with a steep incline that opens out to panoramic views of the neighboring Qamea Island. It involves hanging to ropes wrapped onto mid-river boulders and hiking through thick forest before you emerge at the secluded second falls, plunging nearly 100-feet into another natural pool. Far fewer visitors make it to these falls, and even fewer reach the third. The final stop in the trio requires another 30 minutes of strenuous hiking, but there is a good chance you won't find another soul disturbing its remote wild swimming pool.

Taveuni didn't earn its title of the "Garden Isle" for its waterfalls alone — over 100 species of tropical birds circle above its fish-filled marine parks and palm-lined coastal trails. Devoid of touring foreigners or an array of mega-resorts, its wilderness is still wild and its land is still conserved by its local population. Despite being the third largest isle in the country, Taveuni has managed to run under the mass-tourism radar, ranked one of the best remote destinations in Fiji for a crowd-free vacation, making it a serene escape for lovers of far-flung isles.

Explore its shoreline on foot by following the Lavena Coastal Walk, as the trail dips past the waterfalls but also loops around 6 miles of the island's southeasterly beaches and lush jungle brush. On the other side of the island, the Somosomo Strait contains a massive marine park, Waitabu. Carefully conserved by the local villages and the Fijian government, the uninjured coral sprawl houses more than 1,000 species of tropical fish for snorkelers to dodge. Divers should also head to the Strait to swim through lava tubes to the Great White Wall or spy slinking blue ribbon eels in Eel Reef.

Further inland, intrepid hikers can take to the trails snaking up Des Vouex peak, capped by a crater lake. It's famed for its wild growing tagimoucia — a symbol of the island nation, known as the "world's most remote flower." Other trekkers tackle the Vidawa Rainforest Hike, a 7-hour guided loop that passes historic fortified villages and vantage points over the spectacularly green volcanic hills of Taveuni.