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Pacific Harbour Travel Guide
Viti Levu, Fiji
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coral coast pictures map |
The Pearl South Pacific
Navua River Resort
The adventure hub of
Fiji
is quite rightly crowned to
Pacific
Harbour
. The suburban settlement is not especially exciting but the surrounding environment is something quite special. The
Navua
River
, some ten kilometres to the east, has stunning waterfall hikes and long boat excursions whilst further inland, the high mountains of the mysterious Namosi Highlands offers fantastic 4WD roads, white water rafting and remote village treks. Offshore is the phenomenal Beqa lagoon with world class scuba diving including the raved about bull shark dives and serious game fishing.
The grey sand beachfront at
Pacific
Harbour
is on the pretty side of wild and stretches for several kilometres but surprisingly has little accommodation along its shores. Apart from the boat harbour and offshore activities, it’s main attraction is the Arts Village, an atmospheric shopping centre with thirty boutique shops and restaurants and the blatantly fun Cultural Centre with theatrical firewalking and other re- enacted cultural displays. You’ll get to see a dozen demonstration bures on the boat tour depicting mock- traditional Fijian life and can explore the replica bure kalou, or scared temple to hear about ancient customs and legends.
The other star attraction of
Pacific
Harbour
is the underutilized golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr. The 18- hole mostly flat championship course has stunning views but the canal borders, bunkers and greens lack the necessary manicure for its supposed status.
Namosi Highlands
Inland from
Pacific
Harbour
is the mountainous rainforest of the
Namosi
Highlands
and the
Navua
River
. You can explore the lower
Navua
River
and several fantastic waterfalls along its banks with Discover Fiji Tours an enterprising local Fijian operator with a base just before the market stalls in Navua. Tours also include excellent 4WD excursions into the highlands visiting villages and plantations and they also have accommodation beside the river at Koro Makawa Homestay, an old village site now deserted, four kilometres north of Navua and accessible by dirt road. The three beautifully crafted thatch bures with private hot water showers overlook the river banks. It makes a peaceful base for exploring the region although every day around lunchtime the old village turns into a hive of tourist activity as day trippers arrive for a lovo lunch, meke and shell market display before heading upriver.
White water rafting on the
Upper
Navua
River
, north of Namuamua, is offered by Rivers Fiji . This remote region fronts the massive
Sovi
Basin
, an amphitheatre of lowland rainforest surrounded by mountain ridges with an abundance of endemic birdlife - this is
Fiji
’s largest and most important protected nature reserve.
In the heart of Namosi is the picturesque
Namosi
Village
sitting beneath the 950- metre sheer cliff peak of
Mt.
Voma
.
Next Stop - Suva City
Coral Coast Accommodation
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.
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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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