Viti Levu Travel Guide
and accommodation reviews
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Fiji Islands
Pacific Travel Guides
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Viti Levu Travel
Guide
use map to navigate
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Around Viti Levu
Nadi Airport, unfortunately, is hardly what you would expect being the centre of tourism in the South Pacific. Nadi sprawls about 5km inland from the coast from the airport to the main town centre, a distance of about 15 km. Between the two, along the busy road are the towns hotels, restaurants and sub division housing estates. Its a pretty bland place although the mountain views are nice.
more about Nadi
The largest concentration of beach resorts in Fiji is on the Coral Coast on the southern side of Viti Levu both sides of Sigatoka Town. Buses along this coast (the Queens Highway) are frequent, inexpensive (about F$10), and take between 1-2 hours from Nadi depending on which part you are going to. This is a great place to go if you have a few days to spare or are visiting Fiji for less than a week. The closest beach to Nadi is Natadola Beach an hour to the south of Nadi which has a fine white sand sweeping beach and sometimes adequate surf for body surfing. The Natadola Beach Resort is the only resort on this beach and is for couples only, being small and intimate. The large Fijian Resort is about 20 minutes further down the road before reaching Sigatoka Town.
Sigatoka Sandunes
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Coral Coast Beach
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Beyond Sigatoka Town there are about 10 resorts along a 20 km stretch of road around Korotogo which also has a few independent restaurants, and another five resorts over the next 20 km. Most of the resorts are alongside nice beaches and cater for family holidays. The Outrigger Hotel is the largest and newest resort along this stretch with over 300 rooms. The beaches are good and backed by tropical scenery. This is Fiji's premier large resort destination but you hardly notice them spread out along the coast and hidden by coconut plantations. The best backpacker resort is at The Beachouse, east of Korolevu, where you can explore the surrounding rainforest and waterfalls in the morning and relax on the regions best beach in the afternoon. There are several tours available into the rainforest to see waterfalls, caves and local villages. White water rafting (Class III rapids), motorized canoe cruises and traditional bilibili (bamboo raft) tours are all available on the Navua River further along the Coral Coast towards Suva. All tours pass through rich rainforest, river gorges and traditional riverside villages.
Tavuni Hill Fort
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Coral Coast Village
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Coral Coast Accommodation
Beyond the Coral Coast, 40-minutes by road from the capital of Suva, is Pacific Harbour. This ex-pat community has several resorts, independent restaurants and a championship golf course set at the foot of stunning rainforested mountains. The south eastern coast gets more rainfall being Leeward side of the island and consequently the rainforest is lush and vibrant. Pacific Harbour is a great centre for exploring with several river and village tours into the interior as well as a large cultural centre. There are several dive, surf and fishing operators to the excellent Beqa Reef.
Mountains of Viti Levu
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Interior of Viti Levu
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Suva, the capital, is a cosmopolitan city set alongside an attractive harbour. There are a few attractive buildings, an excellent museum, and some good shops but there is no beach and only a couple of resorts - most accommodation here is hotel-style for businessmen or hostels. The entire east coast beyond Suva has no attractions and most of the coast is mangrove forests.
more about Suva
The North Coast, sometimes referred to as the Sunshine Coast, is the driest area on the main island, and the least developed. Much of the area is dominated by sugar cane farms and the sugar towns of Rakiraki, Tavua and Ba are quiet trading towns with majority Indian population. The mountains beyond the sugar belt are steeped in traditional legends and here you'll find some very traditional Fijian villages and lovely mountain scenery. One of the highlights is visiting the traditional Navala Village inland from Ba Town with its 100 plus thatch houses. There are virtually no hotels along this coast, few beaches and few tourist attractions. However, the coast and mountains are very scenic and the lack of tourism brings more authenticity to your travels.
North Coast Scenery
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Nacala Village
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Nananu-i-Ra Island is a good spot to stop over for a few days to break the journey along the north coast. The small island lies just 10-minutes off the coast from Rakiraki (about 3-4 hour drive from Nadi Airport) and has a three budget / backpacker resorts and one small resort, Mokusiga's, which is set on a small hill overlooking the beach and bay. The beaches are some of the best around Viti Levu and there's excellent scuba diving . The grassy hills are good for exploring and offer great views and some archaeological sites. It is possible to walk around the entire island in a day.
Nananu-i-Ra Island Beach
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View on Nananu-i-Ra
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North Coast Accommodation
Flights to Viti Levu
International Airports at Nadi and Nausori Suva (25 minutes by road north of Suva City). All domestic flights depart from these two airports for the outer Fiji Islands. Hourly connections between Nadi and Nausori Suva (30mins)
Local Flights
Car Hire Companies
There are a number of car hire offices at Nadi Airport and several more in Nadi Town. All agents have offices in Suva. There is a drop off charge if returning to another office. Most companies have substantial excess charges in cases of accidents and will not cover for accidents / breakdowns on dirt roads which accounts for almost all roads away branching off the Queens / Kings Highway.
Local Car Hire Companies
Taxis and Buses on Viti Levu
Taxis are cheap and easy to find in the main towns are always on stand by at the airport and resorts. A taxi fare from Nadi to Suva, a three hour journey, costs about US$20. Public and tourist buses run frequently along the southern coast between Nadi and Suva. A few bus companies serve the northern coast. Buses are extremely cheap. The fare from Nadi to Suva, a four hour bus journey, costs only US$5.
Budget Accommodation in Fiji
Back to Fiji Travel Guide
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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