the best of fiji - wiley€¦ · the mamanuca islands. a rocky cen-tral mountain drops down to the...

The Best of Fiji

The best thing about Fiji isn’t its palm-draped beaches, blue lagoons, or ruggedmountains. I think it’s the enormous friendliness of the Fijian people.

Picking the best of everything else in Fiji is no easy task, for this is a diverse tropi-cal country with many choices. In this chapter, I point out the best of the best—notnecessarily to pass qualitative judgment, but to help you choose among many options.I list them here in the order in which they appear in the book.

Your choice of where you go and what you do will depend on why you are comingto Fiji, and how much money you have to spend while you’re here. You can scuba diveto exhaustion over some of the world’s most beautiful reefs or just laze on the beachwith a trashy novel. You can share a 300-room hotel with package tourists, or get awayfrom it all on a tiny islet. Even out there, you can be left alone with your lover or joinyour fellow guests at lively dinner parties. You can totally ignore the islanders aroundyou or enrich your own life by learning about theirs. You can listen to the day’s eventson CNN International or get out and see what Fiji was like a century ago. Those deci-sions are all yours.

Regardless of where you stay and what you do, you are in for a memorable time.The friendly Fijians will see to that.

1

“In the South Seas,” Rupert Brooke wrotein 1914, “the Creator seems to have laidhimself out to show what He can do.”How right the poet was, for all across theSouth Pacific lie some of the world’s mostdramatically beautiful islands. In myopinion, the best of the lot have jaggedmountain peaks plunging into aquama-rine lagoons. All these islands are beauti-ful, but I think the following stand outfrom the pack.

• Monuriki: Tom Hanks spent a lottime filming Castaway on lovelyMonuriki, one of the westernmost ofthe Mamanuca Islands. A rocky cen-tral mountain drops down to thebeach where Hanks figured out howto pry open a coconut. See chapter 6.

• Yasawa: This long, narrow island offthe northwest coast of Viti Levu hasseveral of Fiji’s best beaches scatteredamong its rolling hills. It’s also hometo Yasawa Island Resort and Spa, oneof Fiji’s best offshore hotels. See chap-ter 6.

• Waya: Near the southern end of theYasawa chain, Waya Island is one ofthe few in Fiji with the combinationof cliffs and sheer basaltic peaks I findso appealing in the Pacific islands. Seechapter 6.

• Beqa: Off Viti Levu’s southern coast,Beqa has no roads cutting through itshills. Lovely Malumu Bay, one of Fiji’smore scenic spots, nearly bisects Beqa,and it’s all surrounded by the magnif-icent Beqa Lagoon. See chapter 8.

1 The Most Beautiful Islands

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ATERIAL

• Kadavu: About 60km (37 miles)long and just 14km (81⁄2 miles) acrossat its widest point, Kadavu is Fiji’sunspoiled nature preserve. Nativebirds and other wildlife live in abun-dance on Kadavu, given the absenceof mongooses, iguanas, myna birds,and other introduced predators. TheGreat Astrolabe Reef provides greatdiving off the eastern and southernshores. See chapter 9.

• Ovalau: The sheer cliffs of Ovalaukept the town of Levuka frombecoming Fiji’s modern capital, butthey create a dramatic backdrop to anold South Seas town little changed inthe past century. Ovalau has no good

beaches, which means no resorts alterits landscape. See chapter 12.

• Savusavu: Savusavu isn’t an island butalmost seems like it, since it sits on apeninsula separated from the mainpart of Vanua Levu by spectacular,mountain-surrounded Savusavu Bay,which is so large the U.S. Navy con-sidered hiding the Pacific fleet thereduring World War II. See chapter 13.

• Qamea and Matagi: These little jew-els off the northern coast of Taveuniare lushly beautiful, with their shore-lines either dropping precipitouslyinto the calm surrounding waters orforming little bays with idyllicbeaches. See chapter 14.

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F F I J I2

Because all but a few islands in Fiji aresurrounded by coral reefs, it has no realsurf beaches like those so common in, say,Hawaii and Florida. Most islands (and allbut a few resorts) have bathtublikelagoons lapping on coral sands draped bycoconut palms. Unfortunately, mostlagoons in Fiji are shallow at low tide,thus limiting watersports for half the day.This is especially true on the Coral Coast.Fortunately for the environmentalistsamong us, some of the most spectacularbeaches are on remote islands and areprotected from development by theislanders’ devotion to their cultures andvillages’ land rights. Needless to say,resort developers have placed their estab-lishments on most of the best. Thesestand out from the many.

• Qalito (Castaway) Island (theMamanucas): Better known as thehome of Castaway Island Resort(p. 138), hilly Qalito Island ends at apoint flanked on both sides bybeaches of deep white sand, whichhelps make Castaway one of Fiji’smost popular resorts.

• Malolo Island (the Mamanucas):The beach fronting Malolo Island

Fiji resort (p. 137) has deep sand,and the lagoon here is deep enoughfor swimming and snorkeling at mosttides. The resort has one of Fiji’s bestbeach bars.

• Mana Island (the Mamanucas):Mana Island has beaches on both itssides, but the one on the south coastis worth writing home about. It’s solong that it’s shared by both ManaIsland Resort (p. 137) and bottom-end backpacker hostels.

• Matamanoa Island (the Mamanu-cas): Just enough room exists betweenMatamanoa’s rocky central hill andits beach to shoe-horn in Mata-manoa Island Resort (p. 138). Boththe sands and the lagoon here aredeep enough to enjoy all the time.

• Malololailai Island (the Mamanu-cas): Connected to the larger MaloloIsland by a marshy isthmus, Malolo-lailai is home to three resorts: MusketCove Island Resort (p. 134), LomaniIsland Resort (p. 134), and Planta-tion Island Resort (p. 135). Althoughthe lagoon is shallow, the beach infront of Lomani and PlantationIsland resorts is one of Fiji’s most

2 The Best Beaches

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T H E B E S T B E A C H E S 3

Fiji’s Best Beaches

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picturesque, with coconut palmshanging over it in places.

• Yasawa Island (the Yasawas): Severalof Fiji’s best beaches are on Yasawa,the northernmost island in theYasawa chain. One long stretch ofsand near the north end is divided bybig black rocks flanked by two Fijianvillages. Another in front of YasawaIsland Resort and Spa (p. 148) alsohas rocks plus waves, a rarity amongFijian beaches.

• Nanuyalailai Island (the Yasawas):About midway along the Yasawachain, Nanuya is skirted on its southside by a long beach that wraps arounda coconut palm–studded peninsulaand keeps on going. Nanuya IslandResort (p. 146) sits on the westernend, while Blue Lagoon Cruises(p. 131) uses the sands on the otherside of the peninsula.

• Nacula Island (the Yasawas): Theinexpensive Oarsmans Bay Lodge(p. 147), on Nacula Island, sits besideone of the top beaches in Fiji, a glori-ous strip of sand emptying into alagoon that is deep at all tides.

• Natadola Beach (the Coral Coast):Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu doesn’thave the high-quality beaches foundon the country’s small islands, butNatadola is the exception (p. 152).Until recently this long stretch wasspared development, but a big resortis coming.

• Vatulele Island Resort (Vatulele):The luxury resort on Vatulele Islandhas new owners and has been under-going significant changes, but the1km (1⁄2 mile) of sand in front of itremains one of the most brilliantlywhite beaches in Fiji. See p. 163.

• Long Beach (Kadavu): Fiji’s longestbeach runs for several kilometersalong the north shore of KadavuIsland, where one resort is under

development. In the meantime, visitors have it all to themselves butwill have to stay at nearby PapagenoResort (p. 176) or Dive Kadavu/Matana Beach Resort (p. 175).

• Matana Beach (Kadavu): Also onKadavu’s north shore, Matana Beachcombines deep white sand with adeep lagoon. Bordered by a Fijian vil-lage and Dive Kadavu/MatanaBeach Resort (p. 175), Matana has afine view westward along Kadavu’sshore.

• Volivoli Beach (Rakiraki): At thevery northern tip of Viti Levu a fewkilometers from Rakiraki, lovelyVolivoli also has soft white sand, adeep lagoon, and a spectacular viewsouthwestward toward Viti Levu’smountains. You don’t have to pay afortune either, with inexpensiveVolivoli Beach Resort (p. 201) justaround the corner.

• Namenalala Island (off Savusavu):The main beach at the remote littleresort known as Moody’s Namena isone of the finest I’ve seen in Fiji, butowners Tom and Joan Moody havemarked four other private beacheswith OCCUPIED/UNOCCUPIED signs.See p. 226.

• Prince Charles Beach (Taveuni):The northern coast of Taveuni hasthree great beaches within walkingdistance of each other, the best beingPrince Charles Beach, so namedbecause said prince once took a dip inits warm lagoon. See p. 236.

• Horseshoe Bay (Matagi Island):Matagi is an extinct volcano whosecrater fell away on one side andformed picturesque Horseshoe Bay.The half-moon-shape beach at itshead is one of the finest in theislands, but you have to be on a yachtor a guest at Matangi Island Resortto enjoy it (p. 242).


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T H E M O S T R O M A N T I C R E S O R T S 5

Fiji is a marvelous place for honeymoonsand other romantic escapes. I’ve neverstayed anywhere as love-enhancing as athatched-roof bungalow on the beach.You’ll find lots of these in Fiji. A few arebuilt on stilts out over the lagoon, whileothers have their own swimming poolsand hot tubs.

Fiji’s numerous small, relatively remoteoffshore resorts offer as much privacy asyou are likely to desire. Many of theseestablishments have less than 20 bunga-lows each, instead of the 40 or morefound in French Polynesia and elsewhere,which means they are usually widelyspaced. Many are even on islands all bythemselves.

They are so romantic that a friend ofmine says her ideal wedding would be torent an entire small resort, take her wed-ding party with her, get married in Fijiancostume beside the beach, and make therest of her honeymoon a diving vacation.

Every offshore resort in Fiji qualifies asa very good romantic retreat, but I’mheaded to one of the following whenCupid strikes. Most have full-service spasfor your pampering pleasure.

• Likuliku Lagoon Resort (MaloloIsland, the Mamanucas; & 672 4275or 666 3344; www.likulikulagoon.com). This exquisitely designed resortis tops in the Mamanuca Islands, pri-marily because it’s the first in Fiji withoverwater bungalows. See p. 136.

• Tokoriki Island Resort (TokorikiIsland, the Mamanucas; & 666 1999;www.tokoriki.com): The beach atTokoriki has erosion problems, but ithas five bungalows with their ownplunge pools (p. 140).

• Matamanoa Island Resort (Mata-manoa Island, the Mamanucas; & 6660511; www.matamanoa.com): It’sless luxurious than Tokoriki, butMatamanoa is a good choice for

cost-conscious honeymooners, and ithas one of Fiji’s best beaches. See p. 138.

• Turtle Island (Nanuya Levu Island,the Yasawas; & 877/288-7853 or672 2921; www.turtlefiji.com): Fiji’sfirst top-end resort continues to offerromance beside its seemingly land-locked “Blue Lagoon.” Its most pri-vate bungalow lacks a whirlpool buthas a 360-degree view of the lagoonand surrounding islands. See p. 146.

• Yasawa Island Resort and Spa(Yasawa Island, the Yasawas; & 6722266; www.yasawa.com): Sitting onone of the prettiest beaches in Fiji,Yasawa Island Resort and Spa has avery low-key, friendly ambience to gowith its very large bungalows, thechoicest being the secluded honey-moon unit with its own beach (iteven has a private pool). See p. 148.

• Navutu Stars Resort (Yaqueta Island,the Yasawas; & 664 0553; www.navutustarsfiji.com): Also in theYasawa Islands, Navutu Stars Resorthas a spa and yoga sessions in addi-tion to fine food brought to you byits Italian owners. See p. 142.

• The Wakaya Club (Wakaya Island;& 344 0128; www.wakaya.com): Incentral Fiji near Ovalau Island, theWakaya Club is generally consideredFiji’s top resort. It has some of thecountry’s largest bungalows, plus apalatial mansion with its own pool,perched high atop a ridge. The staffleaves the guests to their own devices,and you might see a movie star or tworelaxing here. See p. 213.

• Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji IslandsResort (Savusavu; & 800/246-3454or 885 0188; www.fijiresort.com):“Cousteau” is Fiji’s best family hotel.It expertly herds the kids away in theaward-winning Bula Club, and young

3 The Most Romantic Resorts

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ones are seldom if ever seen in a beau-tiful honeymoon villa with its ownswimming pool. See p. 222.

• Namale – The Fiji Islands Resort &Spa (Savusavu; & 800/727-3454 or885 0435; www.namalefiji.com):Motivational speaker Anthony Rob-bins’s luxurious resort also has pri-vate, pool-equipped villas plus abowling alley, golf simulator, and aton of other toys. See p. 223.

• Coconut Grove Beachfront Cot-tages (Taveuni; &/fax 888 0328;www.coconutgrovefiji.com): RonnaGoldstein’s charming three-unit, bed-and-breakfast-like hotel is one of Fiji’sbest bargains for anyone, includinghoneymooners on a budget. See p. 237.

• Maravu Plantation Beach Resort &Spa (Taveuni; & 866/528-3864 or888 0555; www.maravu.net): Mar-avu is not directly on the beach (apicturesque one is just across theroad); but bungalows come equipped

with hot tubs, and the honeymoonunit is built up in a tree. See p. 238.

• Matangi Island Resort (MatagiIsland, off Taveuni; & 888/628-2644 or 888 0260; www.matangiisland.com): One of the widelyspaced bungalows at Matangi IslandResort is built up in a Pacific almondtree, while two others are carved inthe side of a cliff. They all have out-door bathrooms. See p. 242.

• Qamea Resort and Spa (QameaIsland, off Taveuni; & 866/867-2632 or 888 0220; www.qamea.com): Among my favorite places tostay are the charming, old SouthSeas–style bungalows at QameaIsland Resort and Spa. More luxuri-ous still are the two units specificallydesigned for honeymooners and twomore with their own plunge pools.Kerosene lanterns romantically lightthe 16m-high (52-ft.) thatched roofof Qamea’s main building at night.See p. 243.


Some of Fiji’s offshore resorts are better atgetting away from it all than others. Theones I list below are small enough thatyou won’t have a lot of company, and—since they are on islands all by them-selves—you won’t have people from

another property walking along yourstretch of private beach.

• Wadigi Island Resort (WadigiIsland, the Mamanucas; & 672 0901;www.wadigi.com): On a tiny islet,Wadigi Island Resort has just three

4 The Best Places to Get Away from It All

Getting Hitched in FijiThese romantic islands are marvelous places to get married, and becoming offi-cially hitched is relatively easy in Fiji. You do not have to be a resident, andobtaining the necessary licenses and permits requires only a few days. Mostresorts will take care of the formalities and organize traditional ceremonies(which can take place on the beach if you like). Their wedding coordinators willtell you what documents you will need to bring (or send in advance) and whatlocal formalities you will need to execute. Do not even think of making thearrangements yourself.

Fun Fact

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units, all on top of a peak with a glo-rious view of nearby Malolo Islandand the surrounding Mamanucas. It’sexpensive and very private, so no onewill care if you run around naked. Seep. 141.

• Matamanoa Island Resort (Mata-manoa Island, the Mamanucas; & 6660511; www.matamanoa.com): In thewesternmost of the Mamanucas, thisremote little resort is one of Fiji’smost reasonably priced romanticresorts, and its beach is superb. See p. 138.

• Yasawa Island Resort and Spa(Yasawa Island, the Yasawas; & 6722266; www.yasawa.com): Anothergreat honeymoon choice, YasawaIsland Resort and Spa has no neigh-bors and is therefore very private. Itssecluded honeymoon bure (bunga-low) has its own private beach andpool. See p. 148.

• Lalati Resort & Spa (Beqa Island; & 347 2033; www.lalati-fiji.com):Beside picturesque Malumu Bay andenjoying a fine view of the BeqaLagoon and Viti Levu’s southernshore, Lalati appeals to couples look-ing to dive, or to just get away. Thefull-service spa is augmented by anair-conditioned lounge with TV andDVD player, and the outdoor poolhelps compensate for a poor beach.See p. 170.

• Royal Davui Island Fiji (in BeqaLagoon; & 330 7090; www.royaldavui.com): On a tiny, rocky islet inBeqa Lagoon, this luxury resort is setabove a small beach. Bungalows arebuilt in an old-growth hillside, butguests are compensated by marvelousviews from each unit’s plunge pool–equipped veranda. See p. 170.

• Dive Kadavu/Matana Beach Resort(Kadavu Island; & 368 3502; www.divekadavu.com): Only a 10-minuteboat ride from Kadavu’s airstrip, this

little resort has been a top dive basesince 1983, but it has begun usingthe name Matana Beach Resort totake advantage of its location on oneof Fiji’s most beautiful beaches. See p. 175.

• Matava—The Astrolabe Hideaway(Kadavu Island; & 333 6222; www.matava.com): Much farther thanDive Kadavu from the airstrip—atleast 45 minutes by small boat—Matava is so eco-friendly it has noair-conditioners and turns on thesolar-powered lights only at night.Made primarily of thatch and othernatural materials, its bungalows areboth basic and charming. It’s close tomany Great Astrolabe Reef divesights, but it also specializes in kayak-ing trips and bird-watching. See p. 176.

• The Wakaya Club (Wakaya Island;& 344 0128; www.wakaya.com):Except for a few private villas ownedby Hollywooders and other well-heeled types, Fiji’s top resort has all ofWakaya Island to itself. Nicole Kid-man, Russell Crowe, and other Aussiecelebs have been known to take abreak at Wakaya on their way home.See p. 213.

• Moody’s Namena (NamenalalaIsland, off Savusavu; & 881 3764;www.moodysnamenafiji.com): Youeither take a seaplane or ride a boatfor more than an hour to reach Joanand Tom Moody’s little resort. Notonly is Namenalala surrounded bythe fabulous Namea Reef, but theisland also has five beaches, four ofthem so private the pathways leadingto them have OCCUPIED/UNOCCUPIED

signs to prevent your fellow guestsfrom disturbing you. See p. 227.

• Matangi Island Resort (MatagiIsland, off Taveuni; & 888/628-2644 or 888 0260; www.matangiisland.com): This couples-only resort’s

T H E B E S T P L A C E S TO G E T A W AY F R O M I T A L L 7

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honeymoon bungalow up in a Pacificalmond tree is both charming andprivate, and you can walk over thehill and have the gorgeous beach inHorseshoe Bay all to yourselves. Seep. 242.

• Qamea Resort and Spa (QameaIsland, off Taveuni; & 866/867-2632

or 888 0220; www.qamea.com):Qamea’s two luxurious honeymoonbungalows are situated on one end ofthe resort, although I prefer the twoother villas with their own plungepools. See p. 243.


There are no Disney Worlds or othersuch attractions in Fiji. That’s not to saythat children won’t have a fine time here,for Fiji draws many Australians and NewZealanders on family holidays. It has oneof the South Pacific’s finest family resorts,and others make provisions for families aswell as honeymooners. Kids who likebeing around and in the water will enjoythemselves most.

With their innate love of children,Fijians are very good at babysitting andstaffing the kids’ programs at the majorresorts.

On the other hand, many of Fiji’s smallresorts do not accept young children. Ipoint these out in my hotel reviews.

Obvious family choices are the largehotels on Denarau Island. The Fiji BeachResort & Spa Managed by Hilton, theSheraton Fiji Resort, the SheratonDenarau Villas, the Sofitel Fiji Resort& Spa, the Radisson Resort Fiji Dena-rau Island, and the Westin DenarauIsland Resort & Spa are all equipped forfamilies with children. Of them, theRadisson, has Fiji’s best swimming-poolcomplex. See chapter 5.

Likewise, the Outrigger on theLagoon Fiji, the Warwick Fiji Resort &Spa, and the Naviti Resort on the CoralCoast all have plenty to keep the kidsoccupied. See chapter 7.

Here are my recommendations amongthe smaller resorts.

• Treasure Island Resort (LuvukaIsland, the Mamanucas; & 666 6999;www.fiji-treasure.com): Modest but

comfortable Treasure Island occupiesa tiny, beach-fringed islet, the middleof which has a children’s program, aminiature golf course, and baby seaturtles swimming in a breeding pool.See p. 132.

• Castaway Island Resort (QalitoIsland, the Mamanucas; & 800/888-0120 or 666 1233; www.castawayfiji.com): One of Fiji’s oldest resortsbut thoroughly refurbished, Cast-away has plenty to keep both adultsand children occupied, from a widearray of watersports to a kids’ play-room and a nursery. See p. 138.

• Malolo Island Fiji (Malolo Island,the Mamanucas; & 666 9192; www.maloloisland.com): This sister of theadults-only Likuliku Lagoon Resorthas a fine beach, as well as a shadedswimming pool designed with chil-dren in mind. See p. 137.

• Mana Island Resort (Mana Island,the Mamanucas; & 665 0423; www.manafiji.com): Relatively large ManaIsland Resort caters to everyone andgets many day-trippers from Nadi;but the beach is safe, and it has one ofthe better children’s programs in theMamanuca Islands. See p. 137.

• Plantation Island Resort (Malolo-lailai Island, the Mamanucas; & 6669333; www.plantationisland.com):The largest resort in the Mamanucashas long appealed to Australian fami-lies, offering a wide range of accom-modations and activities, including a

5 The Best Family Resorts

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children’s program with a full-timebabysitter. See p. 135.

• Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji (CoralCoast; & 800/688-7444 or 6500044; www.outrigger.com): Thebeach and shallow lagoon at the Out-rigger leave much to be desired, but ithas an exceptional swimming pool.See p. 156.

• Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa(Yanuca Island, the Coral Coast; & 866/565-5050 or 652 0155;www.shangri-la.com): The country’slargest resort with 442 units, “TheFijian” has a better beach and lagoonthan its big rivals on Denarau Island

and the Coral Coast. You mayexhaust yourself chasing the young-sters around its sprawling grounds,but the hotel has plenty of activitiesfor all ages. See p. 155.

• Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji IslandsResort (Savusavu; & 800/246-3454or 885 0188; www.fijiresort.com):Although it appeals equally to cou-ples, Fiji’s finest family resort encour-ages parents to enroll their kids in itsexceptional Bula Club, thus keepingthe youngsters educated, entertained,and out of sight from breakfast tobedtime. See p. 222.

T H E B E S T C U LT U R A L & E N V I R O N M E N TA L E X P E R I E N C E S 9

The Fijians are justly proud of theirancient culture, and they eagerly informanyone who asks about both their ancientand modern ways. Here are some of thebest ways to learn about their lifestyle andexplore the environment of their islands.

• Fijian Village Visits (nationwide):Many tours from Nadi, the CoralCoast, and most offshore resortsinclude visits to traditional Fijian vil-lages, whose residents stage welcom-ing ceremonies (featuring the slightlynarcotic drink kava, or yaqona as it’sknown in Fiji). The hosts then showvisitors around and explain how theold and the new combine in today’svillages. See “Exploring the NadiArea,” p. 100.

• Kalevu South Pacific Cultural Cen-tre (the Coral Coast; & 652 0200;www.fijiculturalcentre.com): Oppo-site Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa,this cultural center exhibits handi-craft making, cooking, and skills ofFiji, Samoa, and other Pacific islands.See p. 153.

• Sigatoka Sand Dunes NationalPark (near Sigatoka, the Coral Coast;& 652 0243): Ancient Fijian burialgrounds and pieces of pottery dating

from 5 B.C. to A.D. 240 have beenfound among these dunes, whichstretch for several miles along VitiLevu’s southern coast. See p. 153.

• Tavuni Hill Fort (near Sigatoka, theCoral Coast; & 650 0818): This bestexample of a traditional Fijian fortstands atop a hill east of Sigatoka. Itrenders both a glimpse of what warwas like in the old days and a splen-did view over the Sigatoka River Val-ley. See p. 154.

• Kula Eco Park (Korotogo, the CoralCoast; & 650 0505; www.fijiwild.com): Opposite the Outrigger on theLagoon Fiji, this nature park exhibitsmost of Fiji’s endemic species ofbirds, reptiles, and mammals. Chil-dren are given a chance to handlesome of the creatures in a petting zoo.See p. 154.

• Waterfall and Cave Tours (the CoralCoast): On walking tours offered byAdventures in Paradise Fiji (& 6520833; www.adventuresinparadisefiji.com), you will be welcomed into aFijian village plus see a cave and oneof the country’s many waterfalls. Seep. 154.

6 The Best Cultural & Environmental Experiences

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• Arts Village Cultural Centre (PacificHarbour; & 345 0065; www.artsvillage.com): A reconstructed tradi-tional Fijian village built of thatchand other local materials is the cen-terpiece of this cultural center, whichhas fire-walking shows in addition todemonstrations of old-time Fijianskills. See p. 165.

• Rafting on the Navua River (PacificHarbour): The Navua River begins inthe highlands and ends on the south-ern coast of Viti Levu, on the waycutting two gorges, one of themdubbed the “Grand Canyon of Fiji.”Rafting on the river—either by inflat-able raft through the white-watergorge with Rivers Fiji (& 800/446-2411 in the U.S., or 345 0147; www.riversfiji.com) or while riding lashed-together bamboo poles (a bilibili raft)through the lazy lowlands with Dis-cover Fiji Tours (& 345 0180;www.discoverfijitours.com)—is oneof Fiji’s top outdoor experiences. Seep. 166.

• Fiji Museum (Thurston Park, Suva;& 331 5944; www.fijimuseum.org.fj): The small but very good FijiMuseum has a terrific collection ofwar clubs, cannibal forks, and otherancient artifacts, plus the rudder ofHMS Bounty. See p. 182.

• Suva Municipal Market (Usher St.at Rodwell Rd., Suva; no phone):

You’ll see an enormous amount oftropical produce for sale at Suva’smain supplier of food. The market isespecially active on Saturday morn-ing. See p. 182.

• Rainforest Walks (Savusavu): Nowires are in place to allow explorationof the canopy, but earthly gravel path-ways lead to a waterfall in WaisaliRainforest Reserve (no phone), a116-hectare (290-acre) national forestup in the central mountains of VanuaLevu. See p. 219.

• Adventure Cruises on the Tui Tai(Savusavu; & 885 3032; www.tuitai.com): Passengers on the small butluxurious sailing ship Tui Tai spendmuch of their time snorkeling, div-ing, and mountain biking, but theyalso get to visit Fijian villages onremote islands such as Kioa. See p. 220.

• Bouma Falls and Lavena CoastalWalk (Taveuni): Although Taveuni isbest known for world-class scuba div-ing, it’s also one of the best places inFiji to explore the mountainous inte-rior. Bouma Falls National HeritagePark (& 888 0390) has three water-falls, and the Lavena Coastal Walk(& 923 9080) leads along the island’snearly deserted east coast to yetanother falls—though you’ll need toswim to reach it. See p. 233.


Fiji is developing rapidly, with modern,fast-paced towns replacing what wereonce small villages and sleepy backwaterports. However, a few places still harkenback to the old South Sea days of coconutplanters, beach bums, and missionaries.

• Lautoka: Fiji’s second-largest city isstill small enough to walk around,and it’s genteel citizens normallywon’t hassle you to “come in, take a

look” at their shops. The town waslaid out by the British, with broadstreets, shady sidewalks, and pleasantparks. See “Lautoka,” in chapter 5.

• Sigatoka: The riverfront town ofSigatoka, on the Coral Coast, isn’t aspleasing to the eye as Lautoka, but itstill makes its living not from touristsbut from trading with the farmers inthe picturesque Sigatoka River Valley.

7 The Best of the Old South Seas

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It’s the only place in Fiji where I’veseen Muslim women wearing head-to-toe burkas. See chapter 7.

• Kadavu: The long, skinny island ofKadavu, some 100km (60 miles)south of Viti Levu, has a road on oneend, but you must take a boat toreach all its best spots. That’s one bitof evidence of how little Kadavu haschanged. Unlike Fiji’s other largeislands, it has no sugar-cane farms, nomongooses, no iguanas, no mynabirds, and few if any Fiji Indians. Theresult: It’s like the rest of Fiji used tobe. See chapter 9.

• Suva: The British are long gone, andSuva today is the largest, most vibrantcity in the South Pacific islands. Butamong its new high-rise office towersare grand colonial buildings, orderlyparks, and a mixed population thatdates back to the days of the Raj. Seechapter 10.

• Rakiraki: On the northern tip of VitiLevu, the Fijian village of Rakirakiand its surrounding countryside seemcaught in a time warp, provided youdon’t notice the few small real-estatedevelopments creeping into the hills(will we Westerners ever stop wantingto buy our own piece of paradise?).See chapter 11.

• Levuka (Ovalau Island): No othertown has remained the same after acentury as much as has Levuka, Fiji’sfirst European-style town and itsoriginal colonial capital in the 1870s.The dramatic cliffs of Ovalau Islandhemmed in the town and preventedgrowth, so the government moved toSuva in 1882. Levuka looks verymuch as it did then, with a row ofclapboard general stores along pictur-esque Beach Street. See chapter 12.

• Savusavu: You’re apt to see moreAmericans strolling the streets of pic-turesque Savusavu than anywhere elsein Fiji, since so many of them havepurchased land near there, but thetown still has the feel of the dayswhen schooners would pick up cargoat places like the Copra Shed. Seechapter 13.

• Taveuni: Fiji’s lush “Garden Island”has changed little since Europeansbought land holdings and startedcoconut plantations in the 19th cen-tury. You can stay with descendants ofone of those early planters at VatuwiriFarm Resort (& 888 0316; www.vatuwirifiji.com; p. 240). With a largepopulation of indigenous plants andanimals, Taveuni is a nature lover’sdelight and the best place to go hikingin Fiji. See chapter 14.

T H E B E S T D I N I N G E X P E R I E N C E S 11

You won’t be stuck eating only island-style food cooked in an earth oven (see“Eating & Drinking in Fiji,” in chapter2), nor will you be limited by NewZealanders’ and Australians’ traditionallybland tastes, which until recently pre-dominated at many restaurants in Fiji.The Indians brought curries to Fiji, andexciting new restaurants are offering cui-sine from around the world.

Here are some of my favorites.

• Indigo (Denarau Island; & 6750026): In the Port Denarau shopping

and dining complex, Indigo is thesecond-best Indian restaurant in Fiji,behind Saffron (see below), but it alsopulls from Southeast Asian culinarytradition with Thai-style crab andRendang curry. Most dining isalfresco. See p. 122.

• Bullacino (Nadi Town; & 672 8638):I’ve had terrific breakfasts and lunchesat this sophisticated coffee shopbeside the Nadi River. Unfortunately,it is not open for dinner. See p. 122.

8 The Best Dining Experiences

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• Chefs The Restaurant (Nadi Town;& 670 3131): Along with Indigo,this formal restaurant is the creationof Chef Eugene Gomes, who camehere from Goa, India. The service isattentive, and the international fare isvery good. See p. 123.

• Saffron (Nadi Town; & 670 1233):Another Eugene Gomes creation,Saffron consistently serves Fiji’s bestnorthern Indian cuisine, and it’s topsfor vegetarians, too. See p. 123.

• Nadina Authentic Fijian Restau-rant (Queen’s Rd., Martintar, Nadi;& 672 7313): While most resortsserve native food only on the buffetsat their nighttime island feasts, thislittle restaurant serves great Fijianfare—such as the luscious ota miti,the tender young shoots of the woodfern served with coconut milk—round-the-clock. See p. 124.

• The Outer Reef Seafood Café/Sandbar Restaurant (Queen’s Rd.,Martintar, Nadi; & 672 7201): Noother restaurant has as wide an arrayof seafood as this stylish outdoor cafe.Much of it is flown in fresh from Aus-tralia. See p. 124.

• Vilisite’s Seafood Restaurant (TheCoral Coast; & 653 0054): This sea-side restaurant, owned and operatedby a friendly Fijian woman namedVilisite, doesn’t look like much fromthe outside, but it offers a handful ofexcellent seafood meals to augment aterrific view along the Coral Coast.See p. 162.

• Hare Krishna Restaurant (16 PrattSt., Suva; & 331 4154): I alwayshave at least one lunch at this clean,casual vegetarian restaurant. Choos-ing is easy, since everything is pre-sented cafeteria-style. See p. 193.

• Maya Dhaba (281 Victoria Parade,Suva; & 331 0045): Although

inexpensive, Maya Dhaba is Suva’smost sophisticated restaurant, offer-ing authentic Indian cuisine atextraordinarily reasonable prices in ahip, urbane environment. Both meatand vegetarian dishes appear here.See p. 194.

• Old Mill Cottage (47–49 CarnavonSt., Suva; & 331 2134): Diplomatsand government workers pack thisold colonial cottage at breakfast andlunch for some of the region’s bestand least expensive local fare. Offer-ings range from English-style roastchicken with mashed potatoes andpeas to Fijian-style palusami (freshfish wrapped in taro leaves andsteamed in coconut milk). See p. 194.

• Surf ’n’ Turf (Copra Shed, Savusavu;& 881 0966): A veteran of Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort,Chef Vijendra Kumar is very goodwith tropical lobsters, and he oftenaccompanies them with ota miti, myfavorite Fijian vegetable. See p. 227.

• Coconut Grove Restaurant (Matei,Taveuni; & 888 0328): I love thefresh banana bread and the Thai fishat Ronna Goldstein’s little hotel onTaveuni. Adding to the enjoyment isthe view from her veranda of therocky islets off Taveuni. See p. 241.

• Tramontu Bar & Grill (Matei, Tave-uni; & 888 2224): The pizzas andother fare at this local restaurantaren’t that great, but it has a million-dollar view of the Somosomo Straitfrom its clifftop perch. See p. 242.

• Vunibokoi Restaurant (Matei, Tave-uni; & 888 0560): This plain restau-rant on the front porch of theinexpensive Tovu Tovu Resort hasone of the best Friday night buffets ofFijian lovo food (cooked in an under-ground oven). See p. 242.


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T H E B E S T D I V I N G & S N O R K E L I N G 13

Take some extra money along to spendon handicrafts, black pearls, and tropicalclothing. For the locations of the bestshops, see the shopping sections in chap-ters 5, 10, and 13.

• Black Pearls: Long the specialty ofFrench Polynesia and the CookIslands, black pearls are now beingproduced in Fiji, and they are reason-ably high-quality. The top farm is J. Hunter Pearls (& 885 0821; www.pearlsfiji.com; p. 221) in Savusavu.The peculiarities of the seawater inSavusavu Bay result in unique yellowpearls known as Fiji Gold. The farmshop is the best place to buy them,but they are available in some hotel boutiques and in the Tappoodepartment stores in Nadi Town andelsewhere.

• Handicrafts: Although many of theitems you will see in souvenir shopsare actually made in Asia, locally pro-duced handicrafts are some of Fiji’sbest souvenir buys. The most wide-spread are hats, mats, and basketswoven of pandanus or other fibers,usually by women who have main-tained this ancient art. Before theEuropean traders brought printed

cotton, Fijians used tapa, the beatenbark of the paper mulberry tree,known here as masi. The resultingcloth is painted with dyes made fromnatural substances, usually in geo-metric designs that have ancestriesdating back thousands of years. Tapais an excellent souvenir because it canbe folded and brought back in a suit-case. Woodcarvings are also popular.Spears, war clubs, knives made fromsharks’ teeth, canoe prows, and can-nibal forks are some examples. Manycarvings, however, tend to be pro-duced for the tourist trade and oftenlack the imagery of bygone days, andsome are now machine-produced.

• Tropical Clothing: Colorful hand-screened, hand-blocked, and hand-dyed fabrics are very popular in theislands for making dresses or thewraparound skirt known as a sulu inFiji. Heat-sensitive dyes are applied byhand to cotton, which is then laid inthe sun for several hours. Flowers,leaves, and other designs are placed onthe fabric, and, as the heat of the sundarkens and sets the dyes, the shadowsfrom these objects leave their imagesbehind on the finished product.

9 The Best Buys

With nutrient-rich waters welling upfrom the Tonga Trench offshore andbeing carried by strong currents funnel-ing through narrow passages, Fiji isfamous for some of the world’s most col-orful soft corals.

All the islands have excellent scuba div-ing and snorkeling, and all but a few ofthe resorts either have their own diveoperations or can easily make arrange-ments with a local company. Many diveoperators will take snorkelers along; that’smy favorite way to go snorkeling in Fiji.

The best areas to dive are listed here.See “Diving & Snorkeling” under “TheActive Traveler,” in chapter 3, for addi-tional advice and information.

• Shark Diving (Pacific Harbour): Thedive masters lure tiger, bull, and othersharks by feeding them in these excit-ing dives off southern Viti Levu. It’snot for novices. See chapter 8.

• Beqa Lagoon (off Beqa Island): BeqaLagoon has soft corals, especially atFrigate Passage, where they seem tofall over one another. See chapter 8.

10 The Best Diving & Snorkeling

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• Great Astrolabe Reef (off Kadavu):Skirting the eastern and southern sidesof Kadavu, the Great Astrolabe Reefhas lost much of its reef-top soft coralsbut still has plenty over the sides. Italso attracts Fiji’s largest concentrationof manta rays. See chapter 9.

• Namena Marine Protected Reserve(off Savusavu): This magnificent bar-rier reef that nearly surroundsMoody’s Namena resort (p. 227) is

now a protected marine reserve pop-ulated by both soft and hard corals.See chapter 13.

• Somosomo Strait (off Taveuni): Thenarrow passage between Vanua Levuand Taveuni is Fiji’s most famous sitefor soft corals, especially its GreatWhite Wall and Rainbow Reef. Thesnorkeling is very good here, too, butwatch out for strong currents andsharks. See chapter 14.


Some cynics might say that a visit to Fijiitself is an offbeat experience, but thesefive really are.

• Getting Asked to Dance (nation-wide): I’ve seen so many traditionalFijian meke dance shows that I nowstand by the rear door, ready to beat aquick escape before those lovelyyoung women can grab my hand andforce me to make a fool of myself byjoining them on stage. It’s part of thetourist experience at all resorts, andit’s all in good fun.

• Rise of the Balolo (nationwide):Dawn after the full moon in Octobersees thousands of Fijians out on thereefs with buckets to snare the wig-gling balolo, a coral worm that comesout to mate only then. Actually, therear ends of the worms break off andswim to the surface, spewing eggs andsperm in a reproductive frenzy lastingonly a few hours. Fijians consider theslimy balolo to be their caviar.

• Sliding Through a Jungle Canopy(Pacific Harbour): Those of you whohave been to Costa Rica or the Ama-zon may think it’s an ordinary thing

to do, but sliding along cables strungacross a rainforest canopy in Fijistrikes me as offbeat. You can do justthat with ZIP Fiji (& 930 0545;www.zip-fiji.com) in Pacific Harbour.See p. 166.

• Jet-Skiing to Your Hotel (Taveuni):You can get to your Fiji hotel by taxi,ferry, boat, plane, seaplane, helicopter,even on foot, but only at ParadiseTaveuni (&/fax 888 0125; www.paradiseinfiji.com) will you have theoption of riding a jet ski. See p. 235.

• Living on a Copra Plantation(Taveuni): The first successful indus-try in Fiji was extracting the meatfrom coconuts and drying it intocopra, from which the oil is extractedfor cooking, cosmetics, and otherproducts. In the 19th century, Euro-peans created large copra plantations,many of which are still operational.You can actually share one of themwith the descendants of the originalEnglish planter at Vatuwiri FarmResort (& 888 0316; www.vatuwirifiji.com). See p. 240.

11 The Best Offbeat Travel Experiences

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the best of fiji - wiley€¦ · the mamanuca islands. a rocky cen-tral mountain drops down to the...

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