One of the most stunning hikes in Fiji is a relatively easy, extremely rewarding hike through the jungle to see three epic waterfalls on Taveuni, Fiji’s third largest island.
On the rugged eastern side of Taveuni Island, you’ll have to get here with one of the rugged taxis that can handle the unpaved roads.
It’s a long, bumpy, dusty road — but it’s worth it to see some of the most stunning waterfalls in Fiji, and certainly the most stunning waterfalls on Taveuni.
Located in Bouma Heritage National Park, these waterfalls have many names.
Bouma Waterfalls, Tavoro Waterfalls, Tavoro Falls, etc. — it all refers to the same beautiful hike!
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How to Get to Tavoro Waterfalls & Bouma National Heritage Park
The easiest way to get to Tavoro Waterfalls is by taking a taxi, who will then wait at the visitor center for you to finish your hike.
Typically, you’ll work out a roundtrip price with your accommodation that incorporates the taxi wait time in the cost.
We found this the easiest way to get around and did this when visiting Waitavala, Lavena, etc.
From Matei, we paid $100 FJD ($44 USD) for a half-day trip, leaving Matei around 9 AM and coming back around 1 PM.
It takes about one hour to get from Matei to the visitors center, where you’ll start the hike.
The hike itself takes another 2.5-3 hours, then you’ll need an hour to get back to the Matei area as well, if that’s where you are staying.
How Much Does the Bouma Waterfalls Trail Cost?
In Fiji, many of the hikes, including the Lavena Coastal Walk and the hike to Savulelele Waterfall on the main island of Viti Levu, have a fee associated with them.
This fee supports the locals of Bouma village and ensures they benefit from tourism, and the villagers also help to care for the upkeep of the trail.
The fee is $36 FJD per adult or $10 FJD per kid (that’s around $16 USD and $4 USD, respectively) to access the Tavoro Falls trail.
What is the Tavoro Waterfalls Hike Like?
The best thing about the Tavoro Waterfall Hike is that it’s really customizable — pick between one, two, or all three waterfalls, or a hike with or without water crossings!
Depending on your level of fitness and how much time you want to dedicate to hiking, you can walk to just the first waterfall or you can hike all three waterfalls.
The first waterfall is extremely easy to get to, and it’s great for multigenerational families or those with some mobility limitations.
While it’s not necessarily wheelchair-accessible, it is a very easy walk to the first waterfall, so it should be fine for most people with mobility or health issues.
The second and third waterfalls require more time and stamina, especially since you have to hike up and then down at the end!
Hike to Waterfall #1
The first part of the hike to the lower falls is extremely easy.
There’s even a paved path that leads you directly to the first fall, which also happens to have the largest drop (78 feet or 24 meters) — and the nicest natural pool to swim in!
Personally, I think it’s the prettiest of the three waterfalls, so even if you are limited on time or energy, I think it’s still worth paying the entrance fee just to see this hike.
This part of the hike is very easy! It’s about a 10-minute walk, maybe a 15-minute walk if you are on the slow side, from the visitor center to reach Lower Bouma Falls.
Along the way, you’ll see some beautiful scenery, like tropical flowers and bird life, including the endemic orange doves you’ll find on Taveuni.
The Lower Tavoro Waterfall is a single-drop waterfall that cascades thunderously into a gorgeous turquoise-blue pool with crystal clear water that looks straight out of a dream.
You can swim in the water just by wading in, though mind the slippery rocks as you enter the water!
Hike to Waterfall #2
The second fall takes a good deal more effort, so be prepared! Have plenty of water and sun protection for this part of the hike.
In my opinion, this is the hardest part of the hike, at least on a cardio level. Get ready for lots of stairs!
Luckily, there’s a dedicated rest point about halfway along the way, with a shaded platform area with some picnic tables, where you can enjoy panoramic views over the ocean and Qamea Island.
And despite being a somewhat difficult stretch of hike, it’s a really well maintained trail, so the difficulty is really just about the incline.
As you hike to waterfall #2, you can choose between two paths — the left way will bring you there via a small river crossing, the right way will bring you there without a river crossing.
We had done a river crossing during the Lavena Coastal Walk and didn’t want to do it again, so we opted to avoid the river crossing and go via the right path.
Eventually, you’ll see a small fork in the path that leads you to either the third waterfall or the second waterfall (continuing to the left side vs. taking a right) — follow the blue sign, pictured below.
To get to the middle Bouma Falls, it takes about 40 more minutes from the first waterfall… mostly because of the stairs.
The second waterfall is the most rugged and least inviting to swim in, with quickly-churning waters, a large amount of spray creating lots of slick rocks, and a very small pool area.
It’s the second-tallest, at 15 meters or 49 feet, and it’s super strong!
You can definitely swim here, though personally, I think the third and first waterfall have much nicer natural pools to swim in.
Personally, we skipped swimming in this pool just for the sake of time, since it wasn’t particularly welcoming!
That said, it’s still a really beautiful waterfall and only a short 5-minute detour rather than continuing straight on to the third and final waterfall, so you should definitely see it.
It’s up to you and how much time you have to see if you also want to swim!
By the way, if you took the river crossing way, you’ll also need to cross the water here (essentially a second river crossing) in order to continue onto the trail to the final waterfall.
If you took the non-river-crossing way, you’ll need to backtrack back to the fork where you saw the “2nd waterfall” sign.
Hike to Waterfall #3
The third waterfall doesn’t take quite as much physical effort as the hike up to the second waterfall, which has more elevation gain and is more exposed to the sun.
To get to the next waterfall, you’ll have to double-back a bit from the second waterfall until you reach the fork in the path that clearly shows you where to continue on in order to reach the third falls.
The hike to the upper falls isn’t too intense and it’s more shaded, as you go through dense tropical rainforest to reach the last part of the hike.
After about 40 minutes from the middle waterfall, you’ll reach the Upper Bouma Falls, where you can reward yourself for all the sweat with a dip in the big pool. It’s so pleasantly cool!
We were the only ones at the big pool and it was such a nice reward to enjoy a break from the tropical heat at the end of the hike.
Of course, watch out for slippery surfaces when entering the pool — the rocks are quite mossy.
This waterfall has the shortest drop of the three (33 feet or 10 meters), but it’s still one of the nicest falls, since it’s a wide waterfall that cascades over the top of the mountain.
Do You Need a Guide for the Tavoro Waterfalls in Bouma National Park?
In my opinion, definitely not! The trail is really well-marked and obvious, so it’s quite hard to get off the path.
If you’re staying in a resort, like Taveuni Palms Resort, Garden Island Resort, etc. they’ll typically offer a guided tour, perfect if you don’t want to do the hike all by yourself.
While the hike itself is easy, the nice part about going with knowledgeable local guides is that they’ll let you know more about the varieties of island plants and explain more about the island’s lush rainforest vegetation.
Can You Visit Lavena Coastal Walk & Bouma Falls in One Day?
If you look at the map, you’ll see that the Lavena Coastal Walk is also located within the Bouma National Heritage Park, just like Tavoro Waterfalls.
In essence, if you’re up for an early start and don’t mind committing to roughly 3 hours of hiking in Lavena and another 3-4 in Bouma, then the answer is yes!
However, to tackle this, it’s essential to fuel up with a substantial breakfast beforehand and also bring along a packed lunch. You’ll also want to hire a taxi for the full-day for an easy round trip commute.
This is definitely a taxing ask for non-experienced hikers, but it should be relatively easy to more experienced hikers.
It’s a good way to economize on taxi expenses or squeeze multiple activities into a tight itinerary, if you only have a few days on Taveuni or if your days are taken up with other activities like scuba diving the Rainbow Reef.
The drive time between the starting points of the Lavena Coastal Walk and the entrance trail to Bouma Falls is minimal, especially when compared to the time it takes to reach the secluded eastern side of the island from Matei.
So, if you don’t mind having an intensive hiking day, combining these two can be a great — but tiring! — day out in Taveuni.
Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. Her blog posts merge her background as an educator with her experience traveling to 70+ countries to encourage ethical, meaningful travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. Now a full-time traveler, she has lived in Prague, Sofia, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area.