Suva & Latouka, Fiji: Getting Out of Town

Hi all

I've done a search of Cruise Critic but there's not much to find on this topic. In early March 2015, we're visiting Suva and Latouka for the first time. From what I'm reading, the best idea is to get out of the towns, especially in the case of Latouka. General recommendations are to go inland or go to outlying islands.

We want to experience the local areas and see how people live, so we're not interested in sitting in luxury in some upmarket resort – we're already enjoying luxury on the ship. Cultural shows would be interesting, but also low-medium energy drive/walk tours inland.

To save money, we'd also like to avoid pre-booking ship tours but find our own transport once on land.

Could anyone be specific in suggesting where to go, what to do and the best forms of transport to accomplish those things? I know people mean well, but so many responses to other peoples' questions are vague, saying things like "[such and such] is worth a go". (Not greatly helpful).

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated!

Mark.

Hi, we were in Fiji last october and used a great tour comapany called, great sights fiji, they have many great suggestions on their website with ideas of what to do. We have only been to Suva, and as we had our two kids with us we wanted an educational component to our trip so we checked out the museum of natural history, which was quite interesting, particularly info on the early settlement of Fiji. The market was also great value, I swear they had the sweetest pineapple I have ever tried, and my teenage daughter and MIL tried Kava. Other than that i would suggest look at the tours they organise for outside the city

Any questions feel free to ask.

Cheers maree

Thanks for the tips!

Mark.

I did a cruise last year with a stop in Fiji.

We booked a trip with "Discover Fiji". We took the "Jewels of Fiji" trip and it was brilliant. You are taken by bus to a village, about an hour or so out of town. In the village you are welcomed, see the Kava ceremony and have a meal cooked using hot stones in an earth pit - delicious!

The village is not the same one as visited by the cruise organised trips, it is a bit smaller and I believe, from comments from other pax, friendlier.

After lunch you board a canoe. Flotation jackets provided, about 10 people per canoe and it has an engine! You zip up river seeing waterfalls and lovely scenery then you disembark for a walk to a watwerfall where you can swim below the falls. Very refreshing. Wear your swimming gear under your clothes and take a pool towel from the ship.

Walk back to canoe, take an optional trip on a bamboo raft - hilarious, especially good fun for kids, then back on the canoe and down river back to the bus for the ride back to the ship.

Can't remember what it cost, but we thought it was well worth the money.

Hope that is useful!

Sarna, please post all your ideas and suggestions on this board. It is great information for all of us looking at things to do in Fiji, if we are staying near Nadi.

Hi Sarna

Thanks for your willingness to share ideas but I don't share my email address. It would be great if you could post your ideas on the forum.

Thanks.

hmm....I noticed Sarna has posted to a lot of cruisecritic posts for Fiji....with exactly the same reply about contacting her/him through email. I'm thinking that this is a ploy to self promote a business.

Hi, I'm the original poster for this thread two years ago. We never did get to Fiji due to the cyclones that ended up hitting Vanuatu. Instead, we were diverted to Tasmania after visiting Noumea.

A few weeks ago, we did get to Fiji: Suva, Port Denarau and Dravuni Island . . . still not Latouka. But, in February 2017, we are booked to get there, along with other Fijian ports. So, I've re-read the suggestions on this thread. But, in addition, would appreciate any suggestions for Latouka. Thanks very much.

Definitely suggest you get Paul Theroux's book Happy Isles Of Oceania: Paddling The Pacific. It was written about 20 years ago but I think you'll find that what he did and what you are doing, are quite similar however his motivation and mode are likely different.

Theroux is an experienced and delightful travel writer - I bought this book while I was IN New Zealand (or Sydney - not sure) and wished I had found it prior to my Fiji visit. I'd have known I was better off heading to the Cook Islands - not to knock Fiji, it just would have worked out better on this trip for me to go to the Cooks. I love, loved the book.

Theroux essentially kayaked to/through 51 islands in French Polynesia, Micronesia, and beyond. When he couldn't kayak, he folded it up and boarded a small plane or freighter (the Aranui!) and he always visited the local people, participated in ceremonies and traditions etc. His stories were incredible, fascinating and he even used phrases in the local verbiage when it added "flavor" to the storytelling. I felt like I was on the journey the entire time.

The guide book I had bought, a traditional one, did not help me as much as this book did in preparing me for my visit to Fiji which I ended up cutting short because I didn't feel safe (I was traveling alone) and it takes A LOT for me not to feel safe - I'm pretty bold.

There's enough time until your cruise for you to find this book at your library - usually you can order it for you if they don't have it - and read it. I think based on the travel you do, you'd love this travel "memoir" set in the Pacific Islands. Let us know if you pick it up!

Thankyou. I'll see what I can fine.

Definitely suggest you get Paul Theroux's book Happy Isles Of Oceania: Paddling The Pacific. It was written about 20 years ago but I think you'll find that what he did and what you are doing, are quite similar however his motivation and mode are likely different.

 

Theroux is an experienced and delightful travel writer - I bought this book while I was IN New Zealand (or Sydney - not sure) and wished I had found it prior to my Fiji visit. I'd have known I was better off heading to the Cook Islands - not to knock Fiji, it just would have worked out better on this trip for me to go to the Cooks. I love, loved the book.

 

Theroux essentially kayaked to/through 51 islands in French Polynesia, Micronesia, and beyond. When he couldn't kayak, he folded it up and boarded a small plane or freighter (the Aranui!) and he always visited the local people, participated in ceremonies and traditions etc. His stories were incredible, fascinating and he even used phrases in the local verbiage when it added "flavor" to the storytelling. I felt like I was on the journey the entire time.

 

The guide book I had bought, a traditional one, did not help me as much as this book did in preparing me for my visit to Fiji which I ended up cutting short because I didn't feel safe (I was traveling alone) and it takes A LOT for me not to feel safe - I'm pretty bold.

 

There's enough time until your cruise for you to find this book at your library - usually you can order it for you if they don't have it - and read it. I think based on the travel you do, you'd love this travel "memoir" set in the Pacific Islands. Let us know if you pick it up!

My husband & I will be visiting several islands in the area mid 2017. This book sounds perfect. Thanks.