Name: Yasawa Homestays
Address: Navotua Village, Matayalevu, Matayalevu, Matayalevu, 0, Fiji
Rating: 9

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Yasawa Homestays

Matayalevu

We stayed at Navi's homestay for 2 nights and would highly recommend it. Navi and Emi are very kind and welcoming hosts who are open to showing you Fijian life, culture and customs. Emi prepared three meals a day for us with fruit and vegetables grown in their garden. Navi took us to the village where we met the chief, visited the preschool and attended a church service. We found all the villagers to be very hospitable and friendly. It was an unforgettable experience.

Navi's place is situated just outside the village right on the beachfront, where you can watch the sunset or go swimming. There is a tea and cake shop next door where we met several others doing homestays in the area. The area is very peaceful and quiet at times but can be sociable too if you make the effort to meet people.

The accommodation was very clean and tidy. There is a small bedroom with a mosquito net and a main room with another single bed. The bathroom is an outhouse next to the bungalow with a toilet and a shower. The facilities are basic but clean.

Highly recommend if you are looking for a down-to-earth way to get to know real Fijian life and culture.

Unforgettable experience 

From conversations with other travellers I believe a lot of your experience will depend on how many other tourists are in the village and how much you engage with the people. Set your expectations right and it will be an enriching experience. Along the way you help a village to some needed cash.

Navotua, the village I staid in, currently has 3 bures for a max of 11 guests. For the most of the 5 days we were only 4 guests. We had meals with different families in their homes; often children picked us up to guide us to the respective bure. People were shy but warm and patiently answered all our questions, which became bolder with time. Their genuine willingness to show us their way of life, including matt weaving, coconut handling, a cava ceremony, and Sunday church ( expect a short prayer before each meal) left us humbled and appreciative. For 2 days there were an extra 4 guests and we had meals in a dedicated bure. Conversations now circled around our own lives. 

There is no food poverty but variety is limited to cassava, pumpkin, cassava leaves, rarely eggplant, occasional yam, rice, instant noodles, daal, papaya, fish and crabs. Also lots of pastry from white flour, and papaya. Cucumbers and pineapple featured only once as they come from the mainland. We visited the garden where mostly cassavas are planted, watched a young man leaving with his dogs and a spear only to see him later putting a wild pig on the grill. 

The bures are very simple - if you think of it as camping they are luxurious, they even have mosquito nets (and towels). Outdoor toilets and showers are in separate huts either next door or within 50m. During your stay you look after your bure/toilet yourself. You get drinking water from one of the many rainwater tanks. For this purpose, we brought a 2l bladder with us because we did not want to contribute to the rubbish piles of non-compostable items that you will see a few meters away from the village. (Remember: high-income countries are just better at getting their rubbish out of sight - we produce even more.)

Hiking in the hinterland is a challenge due to overgrowth, that we declined. Instead, there are a couple of hundred meters on either side on the beach, more if you walk at low tide. Other guests took to wind foiling (they specifically chose Navotua for it's favourable wind condition) and were satisfied with the wind. Snorkelling was decent.

Please feel free to DM me if you have any further questions.

All you want to know 

We have just had an incredible week at Navis homestay. From the minute we arrived on the Seabus we were greeted with Fijian hospitality by Navi and his wife, Emi. The house is extremely Fijian with so much garden space around it next to the sea. It is basic but it had everything we needed and a comfortable bed. We are a couple travelling and wanted a Fijian cultural experience and that’s exactly what we got. 

We ate a mixture of homegrown produce and foods shipped over from the mainland.  For breakfast we had fresh homemade bread buns, toffee buns, roti with coconut cream, papaya and pancakes, all made and prepared by Emi. Lunch and dinner we had a mix of freshly caught fish and crab, rice, eggs, noodles chicken and sausages etc. We never went hungry. Navi also let us try the fresh coconut in his garden and even have a go at cracking them open ourselves. Navi homestay is also located next to a tea shop which does the best cake which was perfect for us tea & cake lovers! 

Navi has a boat that he took us out on many times. We had a trip to the Sawa-I-Lau caves, a snorkelling trip to blue lagoon, a hand-line fishing trip (a Fijian experience we would 100% recommend) and multiple trips across to the supermarket on the neighbouring island to help Navi get supplies. The main beach we sunbathed on is a short walk from the homestay at Safe Landing. 

Naisisili village is located just a 5 minute walk away from the homestay. To be welcomed into the village you take the chief a gift of Kava root (all explained in the email once you book). We bought it on mainland Nadi before going to the island from a local market. It’s easy enough to source. In the village there is a kindergarten that you can visit which was great, the kids loved it and so did we. Small donations are appreciated here and there throughout the village to go back to the community. 

 The island is cash only so make sure you withdraw it in Nadi beforehand (there is an ATM next to the supermarket but on another island) so best to take it with you. We were advised 50fjd pp per day which was about right. We took lots of bottled drinking water with us just to be sure but they drink the rainwater, we had a mix of both and seemed to be fine.

Overall a great experience that we would love to do again in the future and we will be staying in touch with Navi and Emi as they are lovely. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and couldn’t do enough for us. Thank you Navi homestay for an amazing week on Nacula island. It was a perfect holiday in-between our backpacking trip to have a relaxing week. Vinaka!!

Navis Homestay - Incredible Week

We stayed 7 nights at Navotua Village homestay on the east coast of Nacula Island in an authentic bure right on the beach. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I have had in my travels. We were made very welcome by the friendliness of the village people and were invited to eat all our meals with a different family every day. I can thoroughly recommend doing a homestay in Navotua village, to experience the real Fiji. 

An amazing authentic stay experiencing the real Fiji. I would thoroughly recommend it.

It was a real stay in a Fijian village of Navotua. The price of 116 Euro is far to much and should be considered. Price/value is not good. Even with plenty of meals/food 30FJD/pers. meal is high priced. (a good meal in Nadi is around 10FJD)-To get there- totale Yasawa flyer ferry is 400FJD return.- 
There is only a beach on low tide due to increaseing  errosion also village trash/ garbage along the beach, nobody cares about. Also in village you see quite some trash around. The bure on picture is realy the bure in Navotua, very nice traditional with little solar.
With a little time you get an idea  what life is in a fijian village about. Very friendly women , kids, men seem not realy into "homestay". But  many thanks to Aporos in Navotua for good talks. As on other islands, too, it seems the "basic" living is sold for a lot, to thoses "hungry"overseas  tourist. Managed from foreign  " Dakua" internatinal from outside Fiji.
As tourism is the only good source for money, they sell the view, ocean and the overlook in their basic life. Activities are extra FJD. 40FJD for boatride, entrance fee for cave separate 35FJD/pers, guide 10FJD/Pers, Cava drinking 15FJD, school visit, island hike ,extra.
Overall interesting time so close to the ocean but consider the above.

Time, Changes, Overlook into a fijian village

We stayed at Taven homestay.  It was the highlight of our trip.  Navi and Emmi shared their home with us.  Joe, Bill and Paul we the best hosts.  Navi and emmi were so generous.  Samosa cooked great traditional food for us.  We would recommend this to everyone who comes to Fiji.  A true authentic experience ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Best place to stay in Fiji

Gorgeous family and authentic village experience, rustic charm in a cute thatched hut. Delicious food beautifully presented looking out to idyllic sea views. Plus a bonus of fresh cake made daily! You are made to feel part of the family and village as soon as you arrive. Everyone is warm and friendly even the dogs! You can visit local 'resorts' for a cold drink if needed otherwise enjoy a digital break with no wifi and limited electricity. This is a homestay so do not expect resort cleanliness, I suggest you take a mosquito net also, we loved it and would return!

Taven Homestay - Nassisli Village

We stayed in Malakati.
The cottages are basic but what the place lacks in modern comfort it makes up with its amazing clean quiet beach... and the villagers. Everybody made us feel welcome, and sharing meals with them at their homes is probably one of the most treasured moments from the trip. We listened to their stories about living in a community and in such a remote place. If I had a month to spend there reading and relaxing, I would. No electricity or WiFi either... 
do visit and support this community

Truly Fijian, peaceful and friendly

Lovely Fijian village to experience living in.  Basic but clean and practical Bure with window screens and netting over bed.  Windows situated to allow cooling breezes from the ocean to pass through.  And also allow the ocean waves to lull you into sleep.  Villagers allow you a great deal of privacy even though you are a part of their village.  So friendly and welcoming.  Each family takes a turn at feeding you one or two meals... breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and/or dinner.  Lots of fish and seafood fresh from the ocean.  Lots of tropical fruits.  Able to charge your phone between ~noon and 2ish.  Be prepared to wear a sulu, have shoulders covered, no hats, no sunglasses when walking around the village.  Do go to the caves - they have local significance in the Yasawas..  Try as many activities as possible.  These people are genuinely wanting visitors to have the best possible experience.

Unique Fijian Experience

Our week at Navotua Village surpassed all expectations.  Everyone we met were friendly and hospitable. The kids were divine and a pleasure to photograph.  Our bure was very comfortable with flushing toilet and a cold shower - quite adequate in 30 degrees.  Our meals were fab.   The seafood, eggplant and pumpkin curries were lovely as was the freshly caught fish and coconut crabs.  We loved the fresh rotis and bread and of course the fruits. There is no shortage of activities and the village folk are very obliging when it comes to day trips to other islands or caves.  There are dive/snorkle trips, fishing and the village people love to share their creative arts and crafts at their market.  On the last night we were entertained by the locals in dance and song followed by a cava session.  We learned a lot and would love to return in the future.  Every New Zealand family would benefit from a device free holiday at Yasawa Homestays where the children would learn how to play again :)
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Yasawa Homestays

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