Coral Coast
(including Beqa and Vatulele)
Viti Levu's Coral Coast is a roughly 70 kilometer stretch of highway between Waidroka Bay i
n the East and Natadola Beach in the West. Historically this was one of the first areas in the country (along with the Mamanuca Islands) to undergo resort development and because of its proximity to Nadi, has always been one of the most popular tourist destinations. Dotting the coastline are a number of resorts ranging from large properties, such as the Shangri-La and Outrigger, to mid-sized and smaller properties such as the Hideaway and the Beachhouse. (The map above shows the Western half of the Coral Coast beginning just south of Momi Bay).
Nestled between the resorts and Fijian settlements are mangroves, beaches, rain forest bays and agricultural land thick with sugarcane. In the distance are sunburnt rolling hills most of which are denuded of vegetation. The beaches along the Coral Coast are not Fiji's Best. They tend to be rocky and strewn with dead coral which at low tide make them less 
useable and not as aesthetically pleasing as beaches other areas.
The latest tourism boom in Fiji has witnessed a number of new resorts of all stripes going up in the area including a boutique midrange property called the Wellesley Resort and Mango Bay, an upmarket backpacker haunt.
Sigatoka situated at the mouth of the Sigatoka River, 69 km from Nadi Airport, is the main community on the Coral Coast. It lies in close proximity to rich farmland and a number of hotels. With a population of just over 8000 the town is hardly a metropolis, but instead provides the visitor with a combination of tourist facilities and a genuine 'local' farm-town atmosphere. Sigatoka is a quiet community 
marked by a gorgeous mosque and a lengthy bridge that crosses the river. Duty-free stores are abundant here and it's much more pleasant to conduct business with Sigatoka's small-town merchants than with those in Nadi. Outside town there is the river valley road for motorists. Two km north of town are the Sigatoka Sand Dunes near Kulukulu village - a national park well worth visiting. Other points of interest in the area (see more details below) include the Tavuni Hill Fort, Sigatoka Valley Rd, the Momi Guns and Natadola Beach.
(If you're interested in making a reservation at any of the properties featured below, hit the "click here to book now" text links and visit Fijiguide's travel partner, Exotic Escapes.)
Rob's Favorite Coral Coast Accommodations
Bedarra Inn, is a modern boutique resort that looks to be a cross between a mansion and a tastefully done bordello. It's a two story affair constructed from concrete blocks with a cavernous common area which includes a bar and lobby. There is also an outside patio with a large dining area and a nice pool. Bedarra (pronounced ben- dahrah) is located about 100 meters east of the Vakaviti Motel no more than ten minutes drive from Sigatoka. There are 21 rooms--15 Deluxe Rooms - Each with a King size bed, en-suite bathroom and three with private cooking facilities; two Family Rooms - Both which have a King size bed plus two single beds and en-suite bathroom; one "Honeymooner" with King size bed, en-suite bathroom, large balcony and private cooking 
facilities; a traditional Bure (bungalow) with King size bed and two single beds plus en-suite bathroom and two Family Rooms - both of which have a King size bed plus two single beds and en-suite bathroom. The rooms are cozy, very comfortable and well appointed with clean bright bathrooms. This year the owners plan to
refurbish hotel rooms and add air to the five non-duluxe "fan rooms". The food is varied and quite good and there's a happy hour every night. Happy hour is a great time to meet the locals who dribble in from down the street but they do smoke a lot in the bar area. That's probably the only thing I didn't like about the place other than the bed which was a bit too soft. The owners do their best to make you feel at home and given the minuscule size, it's more like staying in someone's home than at a hotel. (The property has a pool as well.) There are some good beaches in the area but you'll need a car to get to them. Other nearby attractions include the Tavuni Hill Fort, the Sigatoka Sand Dunes and Sigatoka town nearby. They also have a daily wood carving demo which is worth checking out. Rooms with ceiling fans FJ$135 and air conditioned rooms $184. (www.bedarrafiji.com)
A good inexpensive backpacker refuge along the Coral Coast is the Beachhouse. Located about 35 km east of Sigatoka and and 43 km west of Pacific Harbour, it's a comfortable tradtional clapboard house with a good beach and very pleasant, shaded grounds. The Beachhouse is the creation of Andrew Brown, a "local European" as Fijians refer to locally born Causcasians and his wife Jessica, who took his family's old vacation home and created a Fiji budget institution. The house is a bar, sitting area, and dining room (The Coconut Cafe), which is known for its delicious vegetarian dishes. He has also constructed a two-story dorm that has all the comforts a budget traveler could want including ceiling fans and reading lights. There are also12 garden rooms in another building; with double beds. What's more, campers can pitch their own tents on a spacious lawn. Activities include village visits, hiking, kayaking, biking, snorkeling and boat trips. Prices begin at F$25 for dorms and range to Fiji$ 77.00 per couple for New Garden Rooms (double). (www.fijibeachouse.com).
I'm generally not crazy about large, sprawling hotels. There's generally little intimacy and they are usually owned by corporate entities, hence you don't get the service you might at a smaller property. Hideaway Resort located on the beach 20 km east of Sigatoka (about an hour drive from Nadi) is an exception. That's in large part because it's owned and operated by the Wade family, an entrepreneurial bunch that pays close attention to detail. It started out originally as a family vacation property and even had a dorm unit catering to backpackers. The dorm is gone and Hideaway has since morphed into a more upscale resort. Situated on a strip of land between the main road and the beach, it is definitely one of the better 
mid-range hotels on the Coral Coast. With 100 units it's big but the Wades are constantly upgrading things. In the last few years its 16 original, A-frame type units have been refurbished. The newest additions are the deluxe Villas which are spacious and well appointed with tile floors, pastel stucco walls, trim of local timber. They resemble as, Frommer's said "smaller and much less expensive versions of the bungalows at Vatulele Island Resort" and I agree. Hideaway's beach (like most Coral Coast resorts) is nothing special. However snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing and other water sports are available. There's also a 25 meter multi purpose swimming pool, gymnasium and a 5 Palm Padi Dive School. Surfing, is decent, and the break a right hander called "Hideaways" which is located in front of the resort is easily accessible and can really pump if the wind is right. Prices start at F$320 for the Frangipani bure, $F350 for the Ocean View units, $430 for the Beachfront Villas and F$510.00 for the two-bedroom units.
Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji, once the site of the rundown Reef Resort, has 
been reincarnated by the Outrigger folks from Honolulu into one of the largest (254 units), more attractive resorts in Fiji. There are two basic varieties of rooms here. There's a conventional, five-story structure with 207 air-conditioned rooms and 47 bures closer to the seaside dispersed in a 40 acres of lush gardens. Everything is brand new (the hotel opened up in 2005) and spotless. I'd opt for the bungalows which have nice touches such as tapa cloth lining on the ceilings. The bures also offer both aircon and conventional fans for those (like me) who prefer the latter. All of the conventional rooms are well appointed with nice touches such as Internet access and balconies--some of which offer terrific seascapes. Unlike many of the more exclusive properties this is a child friendly place with child-care available 24 hours. There's a large complement of the usual water sports and largest pool in the South Pacific. The main downside with the Outrigger is that the beach (like most of those on the Coral Coast) is strewn with coral and hence not terribly well suited for swimming. If that's not a huge issue there's little to quibble about this property. Rates start at around F$500 for the least expensive room up to F$1000 for a beach front bungalow
Vatulele is a resort on a jewel-like island of the same name. Located 32 km off of Viti Levu's Coral Coast (see above map courtesy of Fiji Gov't), it has 19 luxury bures fronting 700 meters of white sand beach. Access to the island is via plane. The US$6 million property is on 60 acres and was developed by Henry Crawford, an Australian film maker whose projects have included the TV miniseries `A Town Like Alice'. The architecture has been described as a blend of Santa Fe and traditional Fijian styles - thick, whitewashed masonry walls and wooden shutters topped by a high Fijian thatched roof. The result is an airy, sun-washed effect. Food is reportedly terrific and one friend described Vatulele as an "epicurean summer camp for adults." A typical lunch might be scallops with curry lentils and fetuccini with Parmesan.
It's gotten kudos from the travel press and in past years was voted one of the 'Top 25 Small Hotels in the World' by readers of Travel & Leisure. It has, among other 
amenities, a five star PADI diving facility which is unusual for such a small property. Dining is communal dining so you'll definitely have a chance to meet fellow travelers. For those who want privacy anyone can have private dining options for all meals. One thing that really appeals to me about Vatulele (in addition to the fact that guests can drink unlimited Veuve Clicquot champagne) is that the resort is located on an island where there's the possibility of real interaction with Fijians. Other very posh resorts, often located on private islands, tend to be rather sterile. However, with Vatulele you're on an island that still is a living, breathing Fijian community. Prices start at US$1521 per couple per night, which includes private villa, meals, alcohol and all activities other than scuba diving.
The Beqa Lagoon Resort (formally Marlin Bay Resort) is located on a gorgeous spot on on Beqa Lagoon and has recieved excellent reviews from readers (particularly surfers and divers). The island is only fifteen square kilometers, and has no roads, no towns and only a few isolated villages scattered around the perimeter. Beqa (pronounced Benga) is surrounded by one of the largest barrier reefs in the world and lies 8 km South off Viti Levu (see above map) about 130 km from Nadi. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and just behind the resort the land slopes into a tropical forest where you can visit a waterfall. The bures have oceans views and overlook a koi pond. They are large, air conditioned with marble baths, lovely 4-poster king beds and out front have an outside hammock and chaise lounges. The water from the tap is drinkable and comes from a nearby spring.
The Chef is excellent. He features an appetizer and two main course choices for dinner. The menu changes daily with fish every dinner and chicken and other “turf” options rotating. All are prepared with flair from fresh ingredients. Desserts were wonderful and varied. The workers, mostly people from the neighboring villages of Ravi Ravi and Rakua are friendly and accommodating. The beach at Beqa was small, with a lot of coral rubble with few areas of nice sand. There are a couple of other nearby beaches accessible by walking or kayaking, but aren't much better. There s great live local music at dinner every night and there are occasional "meke" (traditional dance) as well as firewalking. (In case you didn't know Beqa is the home of Fijian fire walking). No TV at the resort, which is nice. Phone and Internet connection are available at the office--not at the rooms. Activities include excellent surfing, diving and fishing. (At various times of the year you can bag big pelagics such as yellow fin tuna, Black Marlin, Barracuda,Blue Marlin, Wahoo and Spanish Mackerel). Prices begin at around US$300.00 per night for Garden View or Koi Pond Villa and go up to US$400 Honeymoon Villa. Gourmet Meal Plan (Adult; 3 meals daily) is $60.00
Owned and operated by Clint and Jayne Carlson since 2002, Lalati Resort is yet another boutique, ocean side property. It has five ocean front and two hillside bures. Each deluxe ocean front unit has 2 large bedrooms (that can accommodate four persons) with a king size bed in the main bedroom a second bedroom with a queen. There is a comfortable sitting area, with tiled bath and shower, and a large, covered veranda (with hammock) on the veranda. The bungalow is just a few feet meters way from the water’s 
edge. The two hillside units are set back from the beach among a well tended garden. These bures have one very comfortable bedroom as well as a cozy sitting area and veranda. The grounds are immaculately maintained and designed so that water drains back into the ocean during the many periods of rain. (There's a reason why everything is so green around here.) Breakfast is a buffet of cereal, fruit, toast, juices, and coffee. There are also two choices for a hot entree. Lunch and dinner have just one main entree, but those with special dietary requests are accommodated. Since they purchased the property Clint and Jayne have slowly made improvements including a small pool, a hot tub, an exercise room, media room with videos and DVDs, and a spa. One guest reported to Undercurrent that he was thoroughly impressed with the service. "During our stay, there was a group of about 10 surfers who were taken out every day with lunches and boards to Frigate Pass to spend the entire day surfing. This area is at the opposite end of the lagoon and the boat stayed with them the entire time. They also continued to take 3 or 5 of us diving…My camera case arrived late and they sent a boat to Pacific Harbor to retrieve it. There were also guests who were neither divers nor surfers, but were kept busy visiting other islands, kayaking, or being dropped off in Suva to go shopping." Rates are US$385.00 per person per night (single) or $260.00 (double) which entails accommodation, 3 meals, kayaking and other non-motorized resort activities, including snorkeling, hot tub, pool, exercise center and media room.
Attractions
Sigatoga Sand Dunes
The sand dunes, near Kulukulu village, rank as among the most beautiful sights in Fiji. Looking like something out of the Arabian nights, the undulating dunes hug the coastline for several km, their soft sand as fine as flour. The tops of these 30 to 45-meter sand hillocks afford a beautiful vista of green mountains to the east and the ocean to the west. Some of them have been planted with vegetation to resist erosion, while others near the roadside are being stripped of their sand for building materials. Occasionally you may see shards of ancient pottery poking through the sand. If you happen to find some, do not remove them -- they are protected by law. There are no real trails or tracks on the dunes and it's difficult to hike up but worth the effort. If you get too hot (and it can be exceedingly hot) the beach is quite near. Bring water with you. To find the dunes look for the turn off which is marked by a visitors center (about two km west of Sigatoka town).
Tavuni Hill Fort
Situated on a bluff overlooking overlooking the Sigatoka River, the Tavuni Hill Fort is a National Archeological Site, which once was the site of a fortified village. Long abandoned, the area has been extensively landscaped and cleared so that ruins are easily viewed. Prior to entering the park, there is a small museum worth seeing. One of the displays is a lovo (underground oven) where humans were once cooked. (When the land was reclaimed and made ready for a park, human bones were found in the oven). You can also hire a guide for a fee who will explain the nuances of the fort remains. It's money well spent. The guide points out the remnants of 56 structures such as home foundations, a lookout tower, fortress walls, the chief's bure, and the temple. It takes about one half hour to hike the old hill fort but you can easily spend several hours wandering through the labyrinth of trails. Tavuni can be found 4 km west of Sigatoka on the inland side of the road and is clearly marked by a sign.
Exploring the Sigatoka Valley
This valley, the 'salad bowl' of Fiji, ranks with the Nausori Highlands as among some of the most magnificent scenery on the island. Follow the main road into Sigatoka town, then turn left and follow the river valley road for about 20 km. The Sigatoka River is second in size and importance among the rivers of Viti Levu. It rises near Nadarivatu in the Nausori Highlands and flows some 136 km to the coast.
The Sigatoka River divides the rich valley into two distinct agricultural areas. The government stipulates that half the valley must be used for growing dalo (taro root), tavioka (cassava), corn, tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers, tobacco, cabbage, passion fruit and other vegetable or fruit crops. At harvest time the crops are transported down the river on handmade bilibili, on small boats or carried by truck to Sigatoka, where they are sent to other markets around the country. The eastern side of the valley is utilized for sugar cane. The government's reasoning is that, if left to the farmers, all the rich valley land would be used to grow cane exclusively, or whatever crop fetches the highest price. Fiji would thus be without other important produce because of the whims of supply and demand. Farmers are restricted to growing no more than six hectares of cane to make sure that no-one crop monopolizes the land.
Sigatoka marks the end of the cane-growing region. From here onwards precipitation begins to increase and the foliage becomes greener and denser.
Traveling along the valley road, you should first stop at the agricultural station (about seven km from town) and the nearby pottery village of Nakabuta. Continuing for another five km or so, the road takes a turn to the east at Raiwaqa and heads towards the Yalavou Beef Scheme, a cattle ranch which makes for an interesting detour. About four km along this route is an accessible bat cave. Ask around for directions. Back on the main road there are several other options. You can follow the valley road another 35 km up to a northern junction (a left-hand turn) a few km past the village of Tuvu. This will take you to the major junction at Bukuya village. At this point, you can continue north to Ba or west to the Nausori Highlands and back to Nadi. Give yourself a comfortable five to six hours to travel from Sigatoka to Nadi. Both rides are magnificent. The northern route is a bit rougher and would be better negotiated with a 4WD.
The second option is to continue along the Sigatoka Valley Rd (sticking to your right) to the bridge beyond the village of Keiyasi. Past the bridge are two interesting points. The first (and much closer to the bridge) is a cave about an hour's hike from the village of Natuatuacoko. Ask around and the villagers will probably be happy to show you this cave, which was used as a fortress by local tribes during the Colo Wars of 1876. If they take the time to show you around, you should offer them a suitable gift of money or groceries. The second point of interest is reached by taking the road to the end of the line, beyond the village of Korolevu. From there you walk to Namoli - an old-style, thatched-roof community. When visiting the area you should not just barge into the village, but should wait until you're invited and come with suitable gifts. At this point you can simply turn back to Sigatoka or double back to the junction described earlier and continue along the interior.
Momi Guns
The turn-off for this WW II battery is 24 km from the airport, and should be clearly marked. Follow the signs about 10 km along the dirt road (bearing to the right) to the Momi Guns site which is maintained by the Fiji National Trust. The road to the battery is part of the original Queens Rd. There is a small museum cleverly created inside an old bunker. The walls are filled with historic photos showing Fijian soldiers in WW II battle dress and others illustrating the restoration of the Momi Guns site from decrepitude to its full camouflaged glory.
The six-inch cannon were originally British Naval guns manufactured at the turn of the century and reputedly used in the Boer War and in the relief of Mafeking during WW I. The guns were brought to Fiji with the idea of protecting the capital and were installed in the Suva Battery of Bilo. When Bilo was updated in 1944 the cannon were brought to their current location to protect the strategic Navula pass in Momi Bay. The guns were fired only in practice. The only occasion they were discharged for 'protection' was when a shot was fired off the bow of an unidentified ship which subsequently gave a sharp about turn and identified itself as a New Zealand vessel. The guns had a range of about 19 km.
As one might expect, the Momi Guns are placed on a hill and have a glorious view worthy of a picnic lunch. (Note that in the hills, cane land is beginning to be replaced by pine.) The park is open six days a week and admission is 20 cents. There are toilets, drinking water and plenty of parking space. Unfortunately the site is seldom visited.
Natadola Beach
This is the best beach on Viti Levu, isolated from any resorts and thus seldom visited by tourists. (This will change in the near future--several major resorts are planned.) There is some surfing here and, the beach is sometimes used surreptitiously by campers. Swimmers should be advised that large waves break on 
the beach, which is great for body surfing but dangerous if you're not a strong swimmer. Hunting for shells and snorkeling here is excellent. In theory you can camp, but there have been problems with thefts by unruly locals and even a recorded instance of rape. I definitely do not recommend that you camp here - better to picnic instead and even picnickers should not turn their back on their belongings while frolicking in the surf. Lock away all valuables.
The beach is accessible by public transport from Nadi or Sigatoka; however, from the bus stop on the Queens Rd to the beach is a three-km hike. If you have your own transport, take the Queens Rd until you reach the large Maro Mosque on the left (45 km from the airport). About 200 meters past the mosque, take the next right (Maro Rd) and follow it to the end (eight km); you'll pass Tuva Indian School and cross two narrow bridges along the way. Turn left at the 'T' junction and follow the road for another 1-1/2 km.
Thanks to Paddy Ryan for the village shot on this page.