Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
push further into Fijian territory and established a base on this fantastically steep hill over-
looking the Sigatoka River. They waged wars on the surrounding settlements until 1876 when
they were subdued by native troops under British control. What remains is a well excavated
and easily accessible hill fort with stone foundations, rock barricades, ceremonial grounds
and the chilling
vatu-ni-bokola
, or killing stone, where victims' heads were smashed with a
war club. The
views
from the hilltop are worth the visit alone.
GETTING AROUND: SIGATOKA RIVER VALLEY
By bus
Valley Buses ( 650 0168) from Sigatoka Town travel up the Valley Rd for two hours
to Draiba (5 daily; F$4.50), before turning back around.
Tours
Sigatoka River Safari ( 650 1721,
sigatokariver.com
)
offers entertaining jet-boat
tours (F$239) of the Sigatoka River Valley, including village visits with
kava
, Fijian food and
dance.
ACCOMMODATION
basic and seldom-used guest bures beside the village
. Ra
te (per person) includes breakfast
and Fijian meals can be purchased from the villagers.
F$40
Korotogo Beach and Sunset Strip
Eight kilometres beyond Sigatoka Town, past the final stretch of sugarcane fields, is
Koro-
togo Beach
. The beach itself is ordinary and not great for swimming but the pleasant 2km-
long road towards it, known as the
Sunset Strip
, has a few restaurants, budget motels and
holiday homes and makes a convenient base for exploring the sights around Sigatoka.
Kula Eco Park
Just across the Queens Rd from the Sunset Strip • Daily 10am-4pm • F$30 • 650 0505,
www.fijiwild.com
The absorbing
Kula Eco Park
holds Fiji's largest collection of native wildlife, and is nicely
situated in a temperate forest with self-guided boardwalks meandering through aviary cages,
reptile enclosures and a reef fish aquarium. Large
crested iguanas
are its highlight: endemic
to Fiji, they are rarely seen and limited to only a couple of islands off Vanua Levu and Yas-
awa.
ACCOMMODATION: KOROTOGO BEACH AND SUNSET STRIP
Bedarra Inn
Sunset Strip 650 0476,
bedarrafiji.com
;
map
.
Twenty spacious en-suite
rooms in a two-storey block, with views overlooking the pool and gardens, plus a bar, excel-
lent resta
urant
and tour desk. Overall, great value for money, and guests get a complimentary
foot spa.
F$184
Crow's Nest
Sunset Strip 650 0230,
crowsnestresortfiji.com
;
map
.
Attractive individual
wooden villas set into the steep grassy terrace facing the sea. The nautical theme permeates
