Viti Levu

Viti Levu - aka “Big Fiji” - is the largest island of Fiji, is roughly half the size of Wales, and is home to: Suva (the capital), 75% of Fijians and the Sleeping Giant. (profile of the Sabeto Mountain Range)

Denarau Island is an exclusive area with multiple international resorts, spas, 18-hole golf course, waterpark, a gated community with elaborate homes and Port Denarau Marina - Fiji’s premier marina complex which includes a large restaurant & shopping center and is home base for many large tour boat companies. So happy we don’t have to be herded with all these tourists, we escape “Shangri-la” on various days to explore the real Fiji. Our dirt-mud-path-road-trip highlights:

• SIGATOKA DUNES NATIONAL PARK is Fiji’s first declared National Park. The dunes are thousands of years old and the park

serves as an archeological and UNESCO World Heritage site. There are several beach teepees - made of driftwood found along the beach - which help prevent shore erosion. Along the hike we encounter “tree huggers” sculpted from forest vines, symbolizing the need to protect the environment.

• We took a long drive along a rough back road through the mountains to the village of NAVALA known for its traditional thatched bures. Getting into the heart and soul of Fiji was awe inspiring with mountain ranges, rolling green hills, fertile valleys, bubbling streams, horses, cattle… After recent rains the dirt road full of potholes, wood plank bridges and deep mud puddles finally stopped us dead in our tracks. Gpa got knee deep in the mud trying to dig our car out with a piece of wood he found and finally, over ½ hour later, another car came along & helped push us out of their way. Ha! So THAT’s why they recommended a 4WD! Before long we arrived at the village. The ladies helped us clean the mud off our legs, feet & flip flops & showed us around their historic village. On their lunch break from school, we met several friendly kids and we taught them where we live - near Oshkosh WI. Vinaka vaka levu. We drove a better (tho not as awe inspiring) route back to Denarau.

• The mighty SIGATOKA RIVER is the longest and widest river in Fiji. We took a jet boat “Safari” tour thru the “salad bowl” agricultural river valley with its natural beauty and many small villages, waving “Bula” to many locals along the river, while our Captain Fini shared stories about the region’s culture and history, including its cannibal past – and last victim Rev. Thomas Baker (1867). We stop at the river village of Erau. Custom dictates, when visiting a village, you bring a gift of kava root to the village chief. Gpa was appointed Chief of our tour group since he was the oldest, making Gma “Mischief”. (How appropriate!) Everyone then sits in a circle for a SEVUSEVU ceremony as the root is pounded to a pulp, mixed with water and strained into a tanoa (large bowl for kava). The chief takes a drink and when it’s your turn you clap once, say Bula!, gulp it down, then clap 3 times. Once all have slurped this tongue-numbing (& intoxicating if you drink too much) beverage, you are welcomed with open arms to their community. We were then invited to the village hall for a traditional lunch where we all sit on the floor. It is then time for some singing and dancing - and the farewell song. A fast boat ride with some quick spins takes us back to our bus to return to the busy village of Sigatoka.

• Burton & Anne spent their last day seeing some inland Fiji with us. Hidden in the lush green tropical rainforest we hiked to the SLEEPING GIANT WATERFALLS where we took a quick refreshing dip at both falls. At SABETO HOT SPRINGS AND MUD POOL we got all mudded up, dried up and cleaned up in the natural therapeutic mud and hot pools followed by (for Anne and Ruth) a traditional Fijian massage. Oh. So. Nice. Plus we got to have a true Fijian lunch with some of the workers and their families and dogs.

• GARDEN OF THE SLEEPING GIANT is one of the world’s largest orchid collections - started in 1977 by actor Raymond Burr – in a beautiful tropical setting with another tree hugger.

• PLUS! More coastal towns and small rural villages, sugar cane fields, farmland, majestic cloud-clad mountains, horses, cattle, black and white sand beaches, resorts...
So much to see and do!
XO XO Gma & Gpa