Dravuni Island Beach Day
- Paul Hallman
- Feb 16
- 4 min read
We arrived at Dravuni Island aboard the Coral Princess, and anchored offshore in the waters about 40 miles from Suva. The island is a volcanic island known for it's clear, pristine and white sandy beaches.
Our ship launched four tenders around 8 am but Jan and I headed in to shore around 9 am, with the last return tender running us back to the ship at 3 pm. It was a classic tropical day—about 30°C, with a bit of wind that took the edge off the heat, but strong sun. The water was warm, the kind that makes you want to stay in longer than you had planned but we had to watch out for the sun rays.
First impressions
Dravuni Island is long and narrow, with coral reefs circling the island. Even from the beach you could tell the reef shapes the colour of the water and the calmness of the shallows. It is one of the Pacific's most unspoiled destinations with only one village, and it is an example of almost perfect timelessness. The island is virtually surrounded by the Great Astrolabe Reef, a curving stretch of ribbon reef that is renowned as a divers reef full of hard and soft coral. The drop off from the outer reef wall can extend down 1.6 km into the sea.
One of the best parts of the day was meeting the locals with many greeting us with "bula" meaning hello in Fijian. We saw people gathered in the church and as we walked through the village we noticed how many homes were painted in bright colours—with yellow, blue and green being especially popular. Even more memorable was that some residents invited many visitors into their homes, turning a beach stop into a genuine cultural moment.
The people of Dravuni
The island is home to an estimated 200 residents including a school. Life here appears to be built around community, faith, and making the most of what the island provides.
Like many small island communities, livelihoods are typically a mix of:
Fishing and reef-based food gathering
Small-scale farming/gardening
What’s on Dravuni Island
Beyond the beach itself, we noticed:
A cemetery which is a quiet reminder of how rooted families are here
Many simple huts along the beach, giving the shoreline a lived-in, community feel
Rainwater tanks collecting water for daily use
There was some hydro power and Septic tanks for sanitation
Everyday village animals: a small pen with two female pigs and their piglets, and chickens nearby which helps them raise food for their families
At one home, lots of shells being collected and displayed as decorative items—and we even saw an empty shell out in the ocean that someone brought back to shore
This is the local church where they have services daily
We walked past two pens with Mama Pig and her babies sleeping till I arrived
The hike to the top
One end of the island rises into a large hill (about 225 feet above sea level), and many hiked to the top along the Hilltop Track and I joined in with others from the ship. The view at the hilltop was absolutely worth it—clear sight of the reefs wrapping around the island, and a perfect look back at the Coral Princess anchored offshore. While at the top a float plane flew past and I was lucky enough to snap a photo as it passed us on the hill.
The view from the top was awesome especially looking across the Pacific Ocean
The hike to the top took about 40 minutes for the entire trek from the beach to the top of the hill. There were areas that were difficult to pass, including an area where 8 foot tall grasses covered the walkway and it was necessary to separate the grass stalks as you walked, but with temperatures at 30C and humidity it was a challenge to pass through this area. The balance of the hike was up stepped areas where the actual stairs were not consistent in height so you had to be careful with each step. I can't imagine doing this climb in the rainy season, or being caught, up the hill when it starts to rain. It was a worthwhile climb and I made a video of the last half of the climb to give you an idea of the trek. This video is a 40 minutes hike in a 3 minute video. Enjoy my exercise session!
A perfect place to slow down
We were able to stay out of the sun for most of the day, stretching out under a palm tree and simply relaxing. The only surprise was how strong the sun’s reflection off the water was—Jan and I both ended up with a few tan lines, but nothing bothersome. We did some snorkeling and immediately started spotting life in the water—parrot fish and lots of other small fish moving through the shallows.
Heading back
By mid-afternoon it was time to tender back to the Coral Princess. Dravuni wasn’t just a beautiful beach—it felt like a real place, with real daily life, and we were grateful to be welcomed into it for a few hours.
Up next: Port Vila, Vanuatu
Tomorrow we set out for Port Vila, Vanuatu, and we are ready to explore yet another island in the Pacific—and see what new sights, culture, and adventures the next stop brings.
Hang in through all the cold weather at home and keep following our Journey... we are having fun !
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