THE GUIDE - Rough Guide to Fiji - page 161

ACTIVITIES: SIGATOKA SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK
Horseriding You can go horseriding along the beach with Sand Dune Horseriding ( 972
0386; daily 8am-5pm; F$25 per hour), based at Yadua village, 1km towards Nadi from the
visitor centre. It's run by Arthur Ratuva, a member of the Fijian 2007 Rugby World Cup team.
Surf board rental The Sand Dunes Inn rents surf boards (F$25 a day), body boards and sand
boards (both F$20 a day).
ACCOMMODATION
Sand Dunes Inn Queens Rd 627 9064; map . This budget hotel has direct access to the
dunes and is only a 10min walk along the beach from the surfing break. The owners from
adjacent Kulu Kulu Village offer four basic shared rooms in the main house, and a large
fourteen-bed dorm in a separate lodge; they will cook simple meals on request (around F$10).
The hotel is a little tricky to find. Coming from Nadi on the Queens Rd, turn right onto the
dirt road immediately after passing under the railway bridge beyond the Sand Dunes visitor
centre; keep right when the road divides after about 200m - the inn is 1.5km further on at the
end of the tr ack. Alternatively you can catch the Sunbeam bus from Sigatoka to Kulu Kulu.
Dorms F$29
Sigatoka River Valley
Early morning mists rising from the Sigatoka River fill the surrounding valley, giving it a
surreal atmosphere. Along the river's banks is some of the most fertile farming land in Fiji,
with plantations of fruit, vegetables and sugarcane. A dirt road travels either side of the river
from Sigatoka Town. The west side of the valley, known as the Valley Road, extends from
Sigatoka Town all the way to Bukuya Village; here the road branches off to Nadi, or contin-
ues across the centre of Viti Levu to Ba on the north coast. The east side of the valley is less
travelled and goes only as far as Mavua village.
The Valley Road
The Valley Road , on the west side of the river, makes an excellent walking track and passes
many villages and viewpoints along the way. The initial 6km from Sigatoka Town is sealed,
passing immediately through Sigatoka Village and hugging close to the river. After 2km, just
beyond Lawai, you'll come to the Butoni Wind Farm, with 37 wind turbines lined on the hill
ridge. A further kilometre leads to Nakabuta Village (tour by donation - approx F$5 - any-
time from 8am to 5pm; 650 0929), where a yaqona ceremony, pottery-making demon-
strations and Fijian dance are performed for impromptu arrivals.
Tavuni Hill Fort
Beside the village of Naroro, 5km from Sigatoka Town, accessed via the Kavanagasau Rd on the Suva side of
the Sigatoka bridge • Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-4pm • F$12, guide additional F$3
Five kilometres up the rough dirt road on the east side of the valley is Tavuni Hill Fort , a
fascinating example of Fiji's tribal past. In the eighteenth century, Tongan invaders began to