Have you ever heard of the Sawa-i-lau caves?
Have you ever seen or been to Sawa-i-lau?
Do you know where Sawa-i-lau is located?
If you have not heard, seen, been or know where the famous Sawa-i-lau caves is located, this article will tell you at least all the information that it has about the island and its caves, why it is fast becoming a tourist attraction.
In its four—night package the Captain Cook Cruises has a stopover on Sawa-i-lau island, home to more than 100 caves.
Located on the south western tip of Yaqeta island, a view from the top towards the north of Yaqeta is southern tip of Matacawalevu and to its right is Turtle Island.
Sawa-i-lau is a small volcanic island with weird rock formations, built like a fortress with similarities of, may be the Fijian version Barad-dûr, Fortress of Sauron – the Dark Lord in the movie The Lord of the Rings.
There is a principle cave where visitors use to bathe and from there many other small caves lead off from the principle one.
These small ones are accessible only to the bold, who must dive under overhanging rocks and emerge from the other side.
For me I managed to find my way through one of the small caves, fight my way up and scaled up the inside of this small cave before jumping from one of the little openings off the side of the wall. This indeed is a lifetime experience that will remain with me for as long as I can remember.
Entering the cave you stand in amazement at the majestic limestones, creepily sculptured by nature rising up to as high as 900 feet.
A mixture of salt and fresh water, the icy cold pool inside the cave with the suns rays fight its way into every tiny holes in the caves is just a beauty.
Perhaps one of the most famous of it all is the qara ni bukete (Pregnant cave). The cave still has ability to single out a woman that is hiding her pregnancy.
In the past, woman who hid their pregnancies were often a bad omen, and to avoid they would be taken to the cave for confirmation. It is said if a woman no matter her physical feature enters the cave and is stuck it means she is hiding her pregnancy.
In the book “Blue Lagoon” it was here the people of Yasawa would retreat in times of war and await its resolution.
There are many stories and myths that have been heard of the island in the particular the cave.
There have been reports that the god of the cave still dwells in the cave. According to Nabukeru, Yasawa native Eroni Sau Sadrata, Lewaqoroqoro, the owner of the cave was sitting at the mouth of the cave when two snakes appeared from nowhere.
Out of anger she turned both snakes to rocks, because she would not allow any other snake to be on the island. The island is the territory of the Gata Ulu Daimani (the snake with the diamond on its head). Mr Sadrata said those rocks remain there until today.
Mr Sadrata said the snake had super natural powers to which villages of Nabukeru still today experience its powers.
He said some of the tourists who visit the island often come searching for these magical powers which are believed to have the ability to bring success and fortune.
However despite the myths, the legends or the stories one thing for sure I enjoyed my time at the Sawa-i-lau caves.
More importantly thought as they say in the Yasawa dialect “Sawa-i-lau au na lesu leqwa me” (Sawa-i-lau I will return), this time to spend a good whole day.
