Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Minivans and carrier vans
Also running in urban centres and speeding along the main roads are ten-seater minivans ,
which stop by the roadside to pick up waiting passengers for the same fare as a bus. Many
operate illegally and drive carelessly but if your only consideration is to get from A to B
quickly and cheaply, they're a good option. More basic carrier vans , with an open back usu-
ally covered by tarpaulin and with a wooden bench along each side, travel along the rural dirt
roads carrying people and their produce between the villages and town markets.
By car
On the main island of Viti Levu a car is without doubt the best way to explore the coun-
tryside. Although buses and carrier vans travel to most regions, the freedom to stop at will
for photos, to chat with locals along the way and simply to travel at your own convenience is
both pleasurable and time saving. Renting a car is straightforward using your home licence,
but you must be aged 21 or older. Rates are relatively cheap, starting at F$65 per day includ-
ing insurance (twenty percent more on Vanua Levu and Taveuni due to less competition and
poor road conditions), but the relatively high cost of fuel makes longer trips quite expensive.
Prices are fixed by the government.
It's a good idea to rent a 4WD , or, at the very least, a car with high clearance - most roads
off the coastal highway are unsealed, of compacted dirt and often littered with crater-sized
pot holes; with rain (and it often rains in the mountains) these roads become very slippery and
sometimes impassable without a 4WD. Rental companies tend to void insurance for break-
downs or accidents on dirt roads so check in detail beforehand.
The same facts apply to Vanua Levu, but renting is not so straightforward, with only a
couple of rental firms in Savusavu and Labasa, and these with only a few cars available, so
pre-booking is advisable. The only other island where you can rent a car is Taveuni.
Driving tips
Driving between towns along the sealed coastal road of Viti Levu is very straightforward, but
turning off this road can be intimidating, with absolutely no signposts and roads splitting and
veering in every direction. Keep an eye open for the tiny white roadside markers which indic-
ate distance from set points, usually from major towns or turn-offs and the main connecting
roads. There are no decent maps available to help navigation in the countryside - the only
option is to ask for directions along the way.
The most common hazards apart from the potholes are mindless pedestrians and stray an-
imals. Driving is on the left, with the speed limit generally set at 40kmph through towns,
60kmph in the suburbs and 80kmph elsewhere. If you break down , call your car rental com-
pany which should provide you with a 24hr service number - but be warned there are few
telephones along the roadside and mobile phone coverage is pretty sporadic in rural areas.
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