12 Days in Fiji
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In October 2022, we took a short break to see some of Fiji's islands. We aren't really "all inclusive" type people, so we wanted to explore a bit before relaxing on a beach for the last couple days. Our flight was direct to Nadi (pronounced Nandi), so we started with a few days there. Nadi is the main transportation hub in Fiji. From here, you can hop on a boat to a small island paradise or take a smaller plane to an island a bit further away. We stayed at a backpackers near Wailoaloa Beach and spent our first night at the Beach Club Wailoaloa Beach. The crowd was mostly locals and there was live music, cheap drinks, a few stray dogs and a lovely sunset. |
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We visited the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, which gets it's name from the nearby mountain that resembles a sleeping man. Local legend says that there once was a man, Bitu Wawa, living on top of the mountains. The villagers believed the man to be the keeper of the spirit world. The gatekeeper formed himself into the mountain which is now known as the Sleeping Giant. The Garden itself is only about a 10 minute drive north of Nadi. It holds over 30 varieties of orchids and a wide assortment of other plants. It is a great place to explore and hide from the hot sun. If you are feeling a bit more active, there is a small hike to an outlook point overlooking the island and water. |
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After walking through the garden, we headed a few minutes down the road to the Sabeto Hot Spring and Mud Pool. Sabeto is locally owned and the mud pool is natural. You are given a bucket of mud to cover yourself with, then let it dry before hopping in the first hot spring to rinse clean. You then move through a series of hot spring pools, at varying temperatures. We visited at the same time as a group of local women who sang songs in each hot spring pool. Their voices were beautiful and they were having the best time together, which made our visit even more enjoyable. We headed into Nadi town centre and visited the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple, the largest Hindu temple in the Pacific. This new temple was built in 1986, but the original temple dated back to 1926. The design of the temple is beautiful and it reminded us a lot of our trip to India. |
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After exploring Nadi for a few days, we wanted to leave the main island of Viti Levu to see the lush greenery of Taveuni, the third largest island in Fiji. We travelled in a small Fiji Airways plane to Matei airport. The flight itself was a sightseeing adventure. The clear, blue water, reefs and small islands below made it hard to look away from the windows. The Matei airport is very small- basically a few benches under cover, a couple shops and a check in counter. The arrival makes you feel like you are really off the grid. |
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Taveuni is small, but there is a lot to do. We stayed at Maravu Taveuni Lodge, which was a great, budget friendly option. Just be prepared that the power is turned off for most the day, since they are not connected to power lines. They had some adorable kittens living on site and also helped provide information about how to get around to see all the places we wanted on the island.
Our first afternoon we explored the local beach and walked up to the Suncity grocery store. The is a chest freezer full of frozen fish, not packaged or wrapped, just loose fish, which makes you think they must be fresh. I became slightly addicted to Kool Shake- a frozen chocolate milk treat from the ice cream freezer.
On day two, we organized a local driver to take us to the north of the island. We stood in both today and tomorrow at the 180th meridian (International Dateline) and visited the Wairiki Catholic Mission. This church was built in 1907 and is one of the oldest churches in Fiji. The highlight of the north coast of Taveuni was the Waitavala Water Slides. The location would be a bit tricky to find without a local showing you, but once you walk through the forest and find the water, you can climb to different sections of the rock formation and slide down the naturally formed slides. Be a bit careful though, they are quick and you find yourself thrown into the small pools at the bottom of the slides. We were then completely shown up by a group of young, local kids who rode the slides while standing on their feet.
Our first afternoon we explored the local beach and walked up to the Suncity grocery store. The is a chest freezer full of frozen fish, not packaged or wrapped, just loose fish, which makes you think they must be fresh. I became slightly addicted to Kool Shake- a frozen chocolate milk treat from the ice cream freezer.
On day two, we organized a local driver to take us to the north of the island. We stood in both today and tomorrow at the 180th meridian (International Dateline) and visited the Wairiki Catholic Mission. This church was built in 1907 and is one of the oldest churches in Fiji. The highlight of the north coast of Taveuni was the Waitavala Water Slides. The location would be a bit tricky to find without a local showing you, but once you walk through the forest and find the water, you can climb to different sections of the rock formation and slide down the naturally formed slides. Be a bit careful though, they are quick and you find yourself thrown into the small pools at the bottom of the slides. We were then completely shown up by a group of young, local kids who rode the slides while standing on their feet.
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On our third day on Taveuni, we walked across the road to Salt Diver and booked a snorkeling tour to Rainbow Reef. The Rainbow Reef is a reef in the Somosomo Strait between the Fijian islands of Taveuni and Vanua Levu. It is one of the most famous dive sites in the South Pacific. The Great White Wall is a popular scuba diving site. We headed out to the reef and did two different snorkel locations. Dives are also available, but the current was quite strong so they were mostly drift dives. Even the snorkeling, while beautiful, was quite intense, not a relaxing float but more of a swim to keep yourself orientated.
For lunch we went next door to The Dive Cafe to another little dive shop. The lady there serves food but there is no menu and she makes whatever she has available that day. She made us a fish curry that was one of the best meals we had in Fiji.
During our stay, the Dive Cafe offered a lovo (underground oven) dinner and music experience on one of the nights. They brought in a local singing group to perform, but we always find these types of shows a little awkward. Our favourite part was actually after the dinner, when the musicians gathered on the back deck area drinking cava and playing music for themselves.
We happened to be in Fiji on Fiji Day, so we went to Tramonto restaurant for dinner. The restaurant is elevated above the water with a beach and ocean view. The sunset was amazing and we got to try some more local cuisine. Fiji Day is a national day that falls on October 10th and celebrates Fiji gaining its independence.
For lunch we went next door to The Dive Cafe to another little dive shop. The lady there serves food but there is no menu and she makes whatever she has available that day. She made us a fish curry that was one of the best meals we had in Fiji.
During our stay, the Dive Cafe offered a lovo (underground oven) dinner and music experience on one of the nights. They brought in a local singing group to perform, but we always find these types of shows a little awkward. Our favourite part was actually after the dinner, when the musicians gathered on the back deck area drinking cava and playing music for themselves.
We happened to be in Fiji on Fiji Day, so we went to Tramonto restaurant for dinner. The restaurant is elevated above the water with a beach and ocean view. The sunset was amazing and we got to try some more local cuisine. Fiji Day is a national day that falls on October 10th and celebrates Fiji gaining its independence.
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On our last day on Taveuni, we rented a car and drove south to do the Lavena coastal walk. This walk is a must do if visiting Taveuni, and even Fiji. The walk starts in the small town of Lavena, where you sign in at the tourist office. From there, follow the trail along the coast until you head slightly inland toward Wainibau Falls. The walk itself is fairly easy, but the scenery is spectacular. The best part is, it ends at a beautiful waterfall where you can swim and cool off from the heat. We picked up a doggy tour guide at the village and he followed us the entire way there and back.
While on the southeast side of the island, we also stopped to hike the Tavoro waterfalls route. There are three different waterfalls you can access via a loop track. The first waterfall is an easy and short walk, then it gets progressively harder. The hike up to the second waterfall is the steepest, but still on a relatively solid path. The hike to the third waterfall is trickier and quite muddy if wet. All three waterfalls are worth seeing if you have the time.
While on the southeast side of the island, we also stopped to hike the Tavoro waterfalls route. There are three different waterfalls you can access via a loop track. The first waterfall is an easy and short walk, then it gets progressively harder. The hike up to the second waterfall is the steepest, but still on a relatively solid path. The hike to the third waterfall is trickier and quite muddy if wet. All three waterfalls are worth seeing if you have the time.
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We flew back to Nadi from Taveuni and started exploring more of the smaller islands, accessible from Nadi's Port Denarau Marina. We did a South Sea Island & Mamanuca Islands Day Trip combo cruise, which is a great way to check out which islands you are interested in visiting. It was a bit more touristy than we normally like, but the islands aren't easy to get to without taking one of these boats. We spent the morning on South Sea Island, swimming and enjoying the open bar. There is also a glass bottom boat ride you can go on to see the coral and fish without snorkeling or diving. After lunch, we boarded a catamaran and travelled through the Mamanuca Island group. We found a few other islands we would love to visit it we are ever back in Fiji.
For our last three days in Fiji, we stayed at Octopus Resort on the west side of Waya Island, in the Yasawa Islands group. The island is a bit further out, but it is beautiful and the resort offers a variety of activities, including a pool side movie night, visits to the nearby local village, crab racing and hikes to the island's peaks. Octopus is a small resort, so it never felt overrun with tourists. The food was really nice, especially the dinners, and we actually enjoyed lazing by the pool and ocean for a couple days.
Overall Fiji was a pleasant surprise. We found a great balance between exploring local or lesser known areas and doing nothing on the beach. Taveuni was a highlight, and definitely worth visiting for anyone who wants to see a different side of Fiji.
For our last three days in Fiji, we stayed at Octopus Resort on the west side of Waya Island, in the Yasawa Islands group. The island is a bit further out, but it is beautiful and the resort offers a variety of activities, including a pool side movie night, visits to the nearby local village, crab racing and hikes to the island's peaks. Octopus is a small resort, so it never felt overrun with tourists. The food was really nice, especially the dinners, and we actually enjoyed lazing by the pool and ocean for a couple days.
Overall Fiji was a pleasant surprise. We found a great balance between exploring local or lesser known areas and doing nothing on the beach. Taveuni was a highlight, and definitely worth visiting for anyone who wants to see a different side of Fiji.
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Questions about travelling in Fiji? Email us and we will be happy to help!