Archives: Destinations

There are a number of villages along the Coral Coast where you can buy exotic artifacts. These will make perfect souvenirs of your Fiji trip and they also make for some excellent gifts. Kula Eco Park is Fiji’s only wildlife park. It is close proximately to the Coral Coast and you can definitely ask your hotel’s help desk to arrange a visit.

The Arts Village in Pacific Harbour is also an excellent place to shop. The prices are quite affordable and there is a good range of products. The Arts Village is also famous for its Fijian cultural shows. If you stay until nightfall, you will be able to witness a fire walk.

There are many restaurants in the Coral Coast area to experience. IVI Restaurant, Ocean Terrace Restaurant, Eco Cafe and Beach Bar ‘n’Grill are some of the well-known hotels on the Coral Coast.

Don’t forget to try the famous Fijian delicacies such as Kokoda (sliced fish, topped with tomatoes, carrots, onions, dunked in lemon juice), Duruka (a vegetable similar to asparagus cooked in coconut) and Taro (a potato-like vegetable cooked in various ways).

You can also experience a lovo feast. Meat such as lamb, pork, and chicken are packed in banana leaves and placed on sizzling hot rocks. On top of the package, tubers like cassava and wild yam are placed. The whole package is then covered with earth and allowed to cook for two to three hours. Fijian curries are also very tasty especially chicken and fish curries.

Another food item you must try is fried breadfruit. Each of the breadfruits is dipped in batter and deep fried till they are golden yellow. There is also a local brew called kava. It has a small alcohol content, so be careful.

If you want to experience rustic Fijian culture, head over to a Fijian village. There are many close to the Coral Coast and are famous for their handicrafts. The Coral Coast is also famous for watersports. Beqa Lagoon is nearby (pronounced as benga). Often called ‘the Mecca of Pacific Diving, Beqa Lagoon is known for shark sightings. Other interesting places to visit here are the Sigatoka Sand Dunes, Namosi Highlands, Sigatoka Valley, Tavuni Hill Fort and Pacific Harbour.

The Sigatoka Valley (river) Safari is a well-known tourist magnet. The Sigatoka river is perfect for idyllic boat rides. When you go up the river, the boat will cross villages like Nakabuta and Lawai and you can get down and visit them if you want. The Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park is a nice place to visit too. Remains of human settlements dating back to 3000 years have been discovered here.

Pacific Harbour is called the adventure capital of Fiji. You can catch a fishing charter from here and go fishing in the ocean. Pacific Harbour’s Art Village offers an interesting peek into Fijian culture. There are also some waterfalls in the area where you can go trekking.

As an island destination, Denarau has a lot to offer tourists and visitors in terms of activities. One of those activities includes water sports, diving, and snorkeling. There are plenty of operators on the island who provide these activities as part of packages or individually. One of the biggest operators for such activities is Adrenalin Watersports. Visitors can also go island hopping through the Mamanuca and Yasawas archipelagos.

But one of the most popular activities here is Golf, since the island is home to an extremely popular 18 hole Golf Course. The course is designed to cater to all kinds of golfers, irrespective of skill level. Combined with a magnificent view of the ocean and the mountains, this Golf Course has one of the most scenic locations on the island.

As for shopping, the Port Denarau Retail and Commercial center is the place to be. From top of the line stores to spas, visitors can find anything here. The center also houses fine dining spots and offers various activities for all age groups.

Cafes and restaurants are not at all hard to come by at Denarau, as they are a standard part of Fijian culture. Apart from Fijian cuisine, visitors can also find plenty of restaurants that specialize in Japanese, Korean, and Indian cuisine as well. Another interesting aspect of local dining is that the freshness of food is given high priority here, which means most of the places are very safe to eat at.

Fijian cuisine, not surprisingly, includes plenty of seafood. However, pork, chicken, and lamb aren’t uncommon either. Popular local dishes include Paulsami, which consists of baked taro leaves that are marinated in coconut milk and lemon juice and combined with meat/fish, garlic, and onion. The island is also known for its wide range of tropical fruits, which can be purchased or sampled at any farmer’s market.

Starch-based foods are also a common aspect of Fijian cuisine, which means potatoes, yam, taro etc. are part of the staple menu.

There are plenty of locations to explore in and around Denarau. For instance, visitors can visit the Garden of the Sleeping Giant located in the nearby city of Nadi. The garden, which once belonged to popular actor Raymond Burr, is a plant lovers delight. It occupies an area of 20 hectares and is home to several exotic varieties of flora, especially the native Fijian orchid, which is one of the major attractions here. The garden is open to visitors from 9 AM to 5 PM and entry is around $10.

Visitors can also hop over to the neighboring islands of Mamanuca and Yasawa, which are famous for their beaches and coral reefs.

Another interesting location, for adults and children alike, is the Fiji Museum. Visitors curious about Fiji’s history will find their curiosity satiated at the museum, as it houses several historical artifacts and exhibits that highlight various aspects of Fiji’s culture and tradition.

Tourists can find several interesting activities to do in the Mamanuca Islands including swimming, sailing, snorkeling, coral viewing (semi-submersible), kayaking, swimming next to reef sharks, hiking, windsurfing, mini-golf, village tours and exploring isolated beaches.

In addition to these activities, there are some brilliant dive sites on the Mamanuca Islands, particularly the Supermarket and Gotham City. Surfers can find several decent breaks close to the southern islands.

Lazing under the sun can be an ideal way to relax and enjoy the island’s beauty and calm. There are plenty of secluded islands such as the Monuriki (featured in Cast Away) and Bounty Island for this kind of peaceful relaxation. If you’re looking for good walks, head to the Navini and Tokoriki islands. You can indulge in some brilliant native bird-watching as well game fishing.

You can also find several tours taking place on the Mamanuca Islands which help offer you an escape from the huge crowd.

Quite naturally, seafood is a staple on the Fiji Islands. There is amazing cuisine offered on the Mamanuca Islands, particularly its seafood. A very surprising fact about the cuisine on this island is that the food is quite strongly influenced by the Indian cuisine. It was the Indian laborers who introduced several interesting dishes in the 1800’s and 1900’s.

If you’re visiting the Mamanuca Islands, you must try the rourou soup, kokoda as well as some refreshing tropical fruit.

Kokoda is known to be a popular Fijian delicacy and tastes like ceviche (Hawaiian poke). It is made with raw fish pieces marinated using coconut milk and lemon juice and is typically accompanied by onion, tomato, and pepper.

A Lovo is famous as a classic feat meal. It is prepared by cooking inside the earth and tastes similar to barbecue. It considered as an efficient mean to prepare large food quantities.

It is quite easy to access the Mamanuca Islands via light plane that takes about fifteen minutes from Nadi. The islands are also accessible by catamarans and boats travelling between the islands and Nadi. Tourists can find several tours taking place all across the island which allow you to escape from the chaos.

At a distance of merely thirty minutes from Denarau, the South Sea Island can be a fun day trip for the family. It has many activities to offer such as a swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, coral viewing, etc.

You can explore Mamanuca’s beautiful lagoons, beaches and clear waters onboard ‘Seaspray’ which is an old sailing schooner, and takes you to the secluded island of Modriki and other places on the island.

Get lessons in Fijian craft, do coral viewing and have delicious cocktails at a brilliant bar. You simply cannot miss scuba and snorkeling when visiting Beachcomber Island.

From the air you can see that the Mamanucas group is two clusters known as Mamanuca-i-ra and Mamanucai- cake. Within the Mamanucas is the Malolo group, five kilometres inside the barrier reef, extending in a curve for 120 kilometres. A number of resort islands are scattered throughout the Malolo group, each offering bure accommodation, a relaxing holiday atmosphere and a range of water activities. There are boat excursions, fishing trips and water sports including waterskiing, windsurfing, snorkelling, diving, sailing, speed-boat rides and coral viewing. Malololailai is the centre for most tourism to and from the Mamanucas. It has safe anchorage, a cosmopolitan community and an airstrip serviced regularly from Nadi.

Twenty kilometres north of Nadi Airport is the city of Lautoka, which is a major commercial and administrative centre. It is an important seaport and home of Fiji’s Sugar Corporation, the largest sugar mill and the South Pacific’s largest distilleries.

From Nadi you can visit the Momi guns, bunkers and gun emplacements installed to repel a World War II invasion by the Japanese which never eventuated, or take a trip to Mt Victoria, Fiji’s highest peak with three native reserves and breathe the clean, still air which is found only above sea level. There are day cruises to both island and jungle locations and cruise boats will pick you up from Port Denarau Marina and take you down the Nadi River and on to the Mamanucas Islands.

If scuba diving is one of your hobbies, why not join one of the schooners departing from the Denarau Marina at 9.30 am daily. You can choose between one or two-day dive programs. Non-divers are catered for with snorkelling equipment.

Nadi has one of two international standard 18-hole golf courses in Fiji. It lies within easy reach of the town’s hotel belt.