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Nadi Rural Travel Guide
Viti Levu, Fiji
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First Landing Resort
Anchorage Beach Resort
Sonaisali Island Resort,
The immediate vicinity around Nadi has little to inspire a visit, although ambling along the dirt roads off the
Queens Highway
and venturing into sugar cane farmland offers a glimpse at the hard reality of rural life. In the dry season from June to November you’ll come across gangs of sugar cane cutters harvesting the fields by hand in the exposed sun or bullocks dragging drums of water from the river bed to the farmsteads. To the south of Nadi are the serene hills of Uciwai beyond which is
Momi
Bay
with access to the surfing reefs of the Malolo Barrier Reef. Inland, the flats of the
Nadi
River
eventually yield to the Nausori Highlands, an alpine environment with stunning views and walks and the fabulous setting of Heaven’s Edge high above the
Sabeto
River
Valley
. North of Nadi International Airport, Vuda Point juts out forming the greater part of Nadi Bay with a small marina and two boutique resorts, and a few kilometres further is the busy industrial port of Lautoka City a good place to shop away from the tourist bustle of Nadi. In the distance, the shapely
Koronayitu
National Park
beckons through the haze.
Vuda Point
Ten kilometres north of Nadi airport, the chiefly
village
of
Viseisei
is set along a serene coastal road turning left just after the
Vuda
River
. On the brow of the hill past Viseisei Village is a scenic three kilometre road leading to Vuda Point with two small boutique beach resorts, Anchorage Beach Resort, with fabulous sweeping views from here looking out over the offshore islands, along the coast to Viseisei Village and inland to the Koronayitu National Park, and First Landing Resort alongside a white sandy beach but without swimming or snorkeling lagoon and beside the Vuda Marina.
Inland to the Nausori Highlands A stunning drive into the Nausori Highlands starts from half way along the
Nadi Back Road
via the
Nausori Highlands Road
, also known as Mulomulo. Fourteen kilometres inland, at the top of a bluff after a steep switch- back, keep an eye out for a walking track on the left side - fifty metres beyond on the right is a roadside clearing where you can park your car. The twenty- minute track heads uphill, past a triangular survey marker to the bluff’s edge for a superb sweeping view over the serrated valleys of Sabeto and out over Nadi to the offshore islands.
The road continues climbing through pine forests to
Nausori
Village
and on to
Bukuya
Village
in the very heart of
Viti Levu
and almost two hours drive from Nadi. From the Bukuya crossroads turn right through the village for the Valley Road all the way to Sigatoka Town on the south coast (3hrs), or turn left, up the hill and through the sparse alpine wilderness to Navala Village with its beautiful traditional thatch bures, and on to Ba Town on the north coast (2hrs 45mins). Both tracks are remote and bumpy, best suited to 4WD vehicles with high clearance.
Sabeto
River
Valley
The Sabeto River Valley, four kilometres north of the airport towards Lautoka, is Nadi’s fertile sugar cane farming area, accessed along a five kilometres long tar sealed road which thereafter turns to dirt for another thirty kilometres. The valley is flanked on its north side by the distinct outline of the Sleeping Giant with its pointy nose facing the sky is most prominent whilst the flat ridge of the Nausori Highlands sits to the south. The dirt road continues up the valley bearing right at two forks along the way and winds its way up the steep Sabeto Hills past sugar cane fields and rural Indian farm settlements to the utterly remote Vaturu Dam. Surrounding and feeding the dam are verdant tropical valleys which can be explored on horse or by foot to visit caves, waterfalls or for birding or pig hunting.
Next Stop - Coral Coast
Tour Companies
Several tour companies offer organized day tours along the Coral Coast. Rosie Holidays and Coral Sun offer tours in large 40-seater air conditioned coaches.
Local Tour Companies
Taxis and Buses on Viti Levu
Buses along the Coral Coast (the Queens Highway) depart Nadi about once every hour between 7am and 6pm and take about 2-3 hours depending on which part of the Coast you are going to. Buses also head into the interior from Sigatoka Town although timings are erratic and infrequent. The best way to get around is to hire a car, taxi or take an organized tour.
search for ... Viti Levu Accommodation
find ... Fiji Tour Companies
Readers may also be interested in the following destinations:
Cook Islands Travel Guide
Samoa Travel Guide
Tonga Travel Guide
Tahiti Travel Guide
Hawaii Travel Guide
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