Journey Three / Chapter 10

Viti Levu Fiji

December 2018

Join us as we ditch the idea of being crammed with other tourists in Fijian resorts, and instead venture inland of the largest Fiji island Viti Levu to get a taste of real Fiji.

Fiji is another unexpected destination. When looking for options how to get from Vanuatu to Indonesia to continue in our trip, an unexpected option came up - to have a brief stop in yet another pacific nation of Fiji for few days. We instantly grabbed the opportunity and some time later we find ourselves on a Port Vila to Nadi flight. Fiji is much more known internationally then neighbouring Vanuatu - mainly for its great number of luxurious resort islands, even larger number of less luxurious hotels all around the main islands and filming location for all those movies about castaways. But we were not interested in spending few rare rays we had on Fiji crammed on some boring beach with hundreds of other tourists. So we took the opportunity and decided to stay on the main island Viti Levu and venture inland - to get a taste of real Fijian culture, that only few visitors bother to do.

So next day after we arrived we hopped on a local bus and went on. To Lautoka, the capital of the country's primary agricultural industry - the sugar cane. And onward to small sleepy city of Ba. And then yet further up the unpaved bumpy ride to the last village on the road in the mountains - the Navala.

Navala is the only village left in the country that builds their houses in traditional way and that is keeping most of its original tribal social system. Just as we get off the bus we were introduced to the villiage welcoming party and invited to the house of the chieftain. Chieftain's grand-daughter showed us all around the village, its curious sugar cane and bamboo houses, its friendly inhabitants, and its school, church and library built by missionaries. Join us as we explore the remote village of Navala and get a taste of real Fiji!