Fiji Cultural & Highlands: Villages, Rivers & Suva

A day exploring the rich multicultural heritage of the Nadi area. You visit the colourful Sri Siva Subramaniya Hindu temple, one of the largest in the southern hemisphere, its intricate carvings and bright colours reflecting the heritage of the Indo-Fijians whose ancestors came as labourers in the colonial era. You browse the bustling Nadi market, overflowing with tropical produce, spices, kava and crafts, and perhaps bathe in the warm, mineral-rich Sabeto mud pools or explore the exotic orchids of the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. A visit to a traditional Fijian village adds a kava ceremony and a warm welcome, revealing the indigenous side of Fijian culture alongside the Indo-Fijian. This blend of cultures, temples, markets and villages gives a fascinating first taste of Fiji's remarkable diversity. As the sun sets, enjoy a delicious Indo-Fijian curry or Fijian dinner, and reflect on the rich, warm and diverse society you have begun to discover.

Today you travel along the scenic Coral Coast, where lush green hills meet a fringing reef, immersing yourself in traditional Fijian culture. You visit a village on the coast or up the Sigatoka River, dressed respectfully in a sulu sarong, and are welcomed by the community with a kava ceremony, sitting cross-legged on a woven mat and clapping and calling 'bula' as the bowl is passed. You tour the village and are treated to a spirited meke, a dance and song that tells stories of Fijian legend. A jet-boat or riverboat safari up the wide, winding Sigatoka River, the 'salad bowl of Fiji', reveals fertile market gardens, plantations and rural village life. These genuine encounters, and the warmth of the villagers, reveal the true heart of Fijian culture. Settle into your Coral Coast accommodation, and enjoy a lovo feast, food slow-cooked in an underground earth oven, this evening.

A day exploring the natural and cultural highlights of the Coral Coast. You visit the dramatic Sigatoka Sand Dunes, Fiji's first national park, with its ancient windblown dunes rich in archaeological treasures and sweeping ocean views, a striking and atmospheric landscape. You might also explore the biodiverse Kula Eco Park to see native birds, iguanas and turtles, or visit a spectacular tropical garden. The fringing reef offers excellent snorkelling straight from the shore, over coral gardens alive with rainbow fish and giant clams, a chance to enjoy Fiji's famous underwater world. The Coral Coast's blend of dunes, reef, gardens and culture reveals the wonderful variety of mainland Fiji. As the sun sets over the reef, enjoy a relaxed dinner and rest ahead of tomorrow's journey into the dramatic highland interior, to the remarkable thatched village of Navala, one of the most beautiful and authentic places in all of Fiji.

Today you travel into the rugged, beautiful interior of Viti Levu to Navala, one of the most extraordinary places in Fiji. A scenic drive climbs into the highlands through soaring green ridges and deep river valleys, and arriving at Navala feels like stepping back into old Fiji. This is one of the very last villages where all the homes are traditional thatched 'bure', and the sight of over two hundred of these beautiful dwellings clustered in a green mountain valley beside a winding river is breathtaking and utterly timeless. Welcomed by the community with the customary presentation of kava, you tour the village, learn about its traditional way of life and architecture, and experience the warmth and dignity of highland Fijian culture. You stay nearby in the highlands, immersed in this remarkable setting. Navala offers a genuine, moving glimpse of a way of life all but vanished elsewhere, and for many it is the most memorable experience of their entire time in Fiji.

A day exploring the dramatic scenery and culture of the highlands. You might hike to a waterfall in the rainforest, swimming in a cool freshwater pool beneath the palms, take in sweeping views over the mountain ridges and river valleys, and visit another highland village or spend more time absorbing the timeless beauty of Navala. The rugged interior, a world away from the coastal resorts, reveals the wild, green and beautiful heart of Fiji, and the highland communities offer some of the most genuine and moving cultural encounters in the country. The pace is unhurried, and the warmth of the highland Fijians, who share their homes, food and traditions with open hearts, leaves a deep impression. This immersion in the dramatic scenery and authentic culture of the interior is a highlight of the journey. As evening falls, enjoy a simple, hearty meal and the profound peace of the Fijian highlands, far from the modern world.

Today you travel to Suva, Fiji's lively, historic and multicultural capital, the largest city in the South Pacific islands. A guided tour reveals its rich colonial heritage, grand colonial-era buildings, the Government House, the Grand Pacific Hotel and Thurston Gardens, and its cosmopolitan buzz. You visit the excellent Fiji Museum, home to remarkable artefacts of Fijian history and culture, including ancient canoes, war clubs and relics of the past, and browse the vibrant municipal market and handicraft stalls. Suva's multicultural energy, with its mix of Fijian, Indo-Fijian, Chinese and other communities, is evident in its markets, temples, mosques, churches and superb, diverse food scene. This modern, urban, cosmopolitan face of Fiji provides a fascinating contrast to the traditional villages and highland scenery of the journey so far. As the sun sets over the harbour, enjoy a farewell dinner celebrating the many faces of Fiji you have discovered.

After a final morning in Suva, perhaps a last visit to the market or a stroll along the harbour, you are transferred to the airport for your onward international departure (or a connection to Nadi). You leave with a rare and precious experience, not the beaches of the resort brochures, but the genuine, everyday Fiji of villages, kava ceremonies, dramatic highlands, timeless Navala and the multicultural capital. The warmth, dignity and generosity of the Fijian and Indo-Fijian people you have met stay with you long after you return home, and you depart with a far deeper understanding of these remarkable islands and their diverse, welcoming culture, already treasuring the memory of the real Fiji beyond the resorts.