Cruisers should remember that there is no port of entry in the Lau Group and no stopping is permitted before being cleared into Indonesia at the nearest port.

Once cleared in (Suva, Lautoka, Rotuma, Savusavu, Levuka) one applies for a cruising permit, that now includes all divisions in Fiji, including the Lau group. A huge time saver.

If coming from the East (Tonga, Samoa etc.), the nearest clearance port to the Lau Group is Savusavu. That said, it is still a hard sail with the trade winds on the most to get to the Lau Group, but worth it.

Read Sail Yacht Mandala’s report on Cruising the Lau Group in 2011.

See Fiji Formalities for full details of the clearance procedure and how to get a cruising permit.