Lautoka excursion ideas?

[Bellies5]

 

Hi.
 

We are on the Dec 8 Majestic Princess cruise, stopping at Lautoka. Can you share tours or recommendations for this port please? I posted in the Ports of Call board but it seems pretty quiet there.  
 

Sara

[NSWP]

44 minutes ago, Bellies5 said:

 

 

Hi.
 

We are on the Dec 8 Majestic Princess cruise, stopping at Lautoka. Can you share tours or recommendations for this port please? I posted in the Ports of Call board but it seems pretty quiet there.  
 

Sara

Years ago we got off the ship at Lautoka, hired a car and drove across to Suva, rejoining the ship the next day. An adventure through the jungle that was, lol.

 

Perhaps that is still an option.

Edited October 4, 2022 by NSWP

[arxcards]

Tivua Island, if they make it available. It is operated via a Captain Cook cruises boat, and it could be otherwise engaged on the day. We had a thoroughly enjoyable day.

[MMDown Under]

53 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Years ago we got off the ship at Lautoka, hired a car and drove across to Suva, rejoining the ship the next day. An adventure through the jungle that was, lol.

 

Perhaps that is still an option.

That was a clever idea I haven't heard mentioned before.  How was the road and how long did it take?  I didn't like Lautoka, but heard of passengers organising a small boat trip to the islands.  When we stayed on the Coral Coast, we used to catch the local "bus" to Suva.  I like Fijians. 

[Aus Traveller]

A couple of times when we were in Lautoka, we got a local taxi to take us to the Orchid Garden. This was established by the actor, Raymond Burr. I don't know if it is still open. If the taxi driver is a Fijian, he night agree to take you to his village. This can be a special experience.

 

In the main street of Lautoka there is a spectacular Hindu temple.

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

A couple of times when we were in Lautoka, we got a local taxi to take us to the Orchid Garden. This was established by the actor, Raymond Burr. I don't know if it is still open. If the taxi driver is a Fijian, he night agree to take you to his village. This can be a special experience.

 

In the main street of Lautoka there is a spectacular Hindu temple.

I think it makes a difference if you spend awhile in a place, so you get a chance to know it better.  We had an experience in the market where a man handed you a wooden souvenir to look at, then wouldn't take it back.  A Fijian version of the Paris gold ring trick!  

[judithann423]

Isn't there some mud baths or something???  Vaguely remember the ship offering an all day excursion that offered these baths/pools and general sightseeing.

[Bellies5]

Thank you all. 

[Ozwoody]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

That was a clever idea I haven't heard mentioned before.  How was the road and how long did it take?  I didn't like Lautoka, but heard of passengers organising a small boat trip to the islands.  When we stayed on the Coral Coast, we used to catch the local "bus" to Suva.  I like Fijians. 

Yes I would like to hear more of the trip too.

[LincolnLegend]

We stopped at Lautoka in August. There were local tour operators on the dock, we had pre-booked a tour via a group discussion for our cruise but there were definitely more options. The government tourism council had reps there as well, to make sure only licenced operators were offering tours.

 

Lots of tours were to local islands, we went to Beachcomber Island which was great and had awesome snorkelling, there was a tour that left right from the dock on a old style double master and looked to be a lot of fun.

Edited October 4, 2022 by LincolnLegend
spelling

[NSWP]

12 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

That was a clever idea I haven't heard mentioned before.  How was the road and how long did it take?  I didn't like Lautoka, but heard of passengers organising a small boat trip to the islands.  When we stayed on the Coral Coast, we used to catch the local "bus" to Suva.  I like Fijians. 

It was in early 2005. on wait for it !! Ye olde P&O Pacific Sun.   Lautoka is a dump, well it was back then. So the car trip was half a day, about 200km, left in the morning, some roads ok, others not, passed through some villages enroute to Suva. So had a night in a Suva hotel whilst the ship sailed through the night. re boarded next afternoon. The Fijians outside the cities are good people, some dodgy ones in the cities.

Edited October 4, 2022 by NSWP

[Ozwoody]

45 minutes ago, NSWP said:

It was in early 2005. on wait for it !! Ye olde P&O Pacific Sun.   Lautoka is a dump, well it was back then. So the car trip was half a day, about 200km, left in the morning, some roads ok, others not, passed through some villages enroute to Suva. So had a night in a Suva hotel whilst the ship sailed through the night. re boarded next afternoon. The Fijians outside the cities are good people, some dodgy ones in the cities.

Which route did you take, northern, southern, or across the middle?

Was there any hairy bits, where did you stop for lunch.

Thanks Les

[NSWP]

4 minutes ago, Ozwoody said:

Which route did you take, northern, southern, or across the middle?

Was there any hairy bits, where did you stop for lunch.

Thanks Les

Southern route, stopped at some village, long time ago mate. Drive quite safe, just slow, no M1 motorway, lol.

Edited October 4, 2022 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

13 hours ago, judithann423 said:

Isn't there some mud baths or something???  Vaguely remember the ship offering an all day excursion that offered these baths/pools and general sightseeing.

We went to the mud baths on one visit to Lautoka. It is further along the road past the Orchid Garden. When we were there, these mud baths were quite charming. They were on private property with fairly basic facilities for changing/showering. In the 10 years or more since we were there, they could have been up-graded.

[Aus Traveller]

18 minutes ago, Ozwoody said:

Which route did you take, northern, southern, or across the middle?

Was there any hairy bits, where did you stop for lunch.

Thanks Les

Les would have driven anti-clockwise (if I can describe it as such). This is the Coral Coast where there are a few resorts that have take-away food shops.

[NSWP]

31 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Les would have driven anti-clockwise (if I can describe it as such). This is the Coral Coast where there are a few resorts that have take-away food shops.

Correct, down then across, quite commercial in some places, a pleasant drive from memory.

[Ozwoody]

4 hours ago, NSWP said:

Correct, down then across, quite commercial in some places, a pleasant drive from memory.

Thanks Les

Fiji's high on my wish list, and that idea is now locked into my to do there tips.

[cheznandy]

1 hour ago, Ozwoody said:

Thanks Les

Fiji's high on my wish list, and that idea is now locked into my to do there tips.

Ozwoody, we have hired a car a couple of times in Fiji, once from Suva for the day and drove to the Coral Coast and back the same way. Also hired from Nadi on a land holiday.

 

These hotsprings are a great day trip from Nadi,  Denaru or Lautoka. 

https://saikahotspringmudpool.com/

 

 

[Bellies5]

ThAnk you all for your input