Mai Sunset Beach Resort is located on Naviti Island in Fiji’s Yasawa Islands. The island offers several points of interest to help you plan your trip: a seasonal area for manta rays, a tour to Soso with insights into customs and history, and a local story of marine conservation.
Manta Rays Between Drawaqa and Naviti
The passage between Drawaqa and Naviti is an aggregation area for manta rays from May to October. Sightings are not guaranteed, so the season is a guide to when to travel, not a firm promise of an encounter. In the mid-2000s, local resorts set up tourist snorkelling trips to observe manta rays. Operators and seasonal availability may change. If manta rays are a priority for you, use the stated time frame as a guide and check local snorkelling options for your travel dates.
Marine Conservation at Botaira Bay and in Manta Channel
In 2008, Botaira Resort established a marine reserve covering approximately 53 hectares. Botaira Bay is a tabu area that extends across a shallow fringing reef and deeper open water. Guests of Botaira Resort and day visitors used the bay for snorkelling; check current arrangements locally. To help you find your way, Botaira Bay and Manta Channel are two distinct place names: the bay is associated with the marine habitats mentioned above, while the channel is the passage between Drawaqa and Naviti.
In 2013, traditional resource users and the Ministry of Fisheries recognised the Drawaqa–Naviti Manta Channel and the surrounding area as a tabu area. In September 2025, Tui Naviti, the island’s paramount chief, and the chiefs of Naviti’s eight villages agreed to expand the protected area to more than three times its previous size. The plan included additional marine habitats and the channel, which was described as an important manta ray feeding ground. This was a planned expansion; boundaries and management may continue to evolve. This illustrates the difference between seasonal wildlife viewing and the conservation story: one has a stated time frame, while the other involves conservation measures and an agreed expansion.
Soso: Customs and History
Soso village tours take visitors to the village church and local school. Guides explain Soso’s customs and history. The tour combines specific stops in the village with cultural and historical commentary. Its focus differs from the seasonal marine wildlife around Manta Channel: in Soso, village history and customs take centre stage. If you are choosing between nature and culture, the island offers two clearly distinct areas of interest.
Plan Your Journey
For travel in 2026, a timetable lists Yasawa Flyer Route 7, departing Port Denarau at 8:45 am for Mai Sunset Beach Resort on Naviti Island. Times are indicative and depend on sea conditions. Check the details for your travel date before incorporating the departure into your plans.
Discover more destinations: Vomo, Yaro, Malevu, Wayasewa Island, Nanuya Balavu Island, Viseisei, Vunaniu, Tonge.
For the broader travel overview: Western Division.
