Port guide: Lautoka, Fiji

Lautoka is a modest town with a big heart, and sits amid the gorgeous surrounds of main island Viti Levu’s west coast.

Who goes there

Fiji is a popular cruise destination from Australia, and Lautoka also a commonly visited port on trans-Pacific cruises. Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, P&O Australia, Princess and Royal Caribbean are among visiting lines, but smaller ships from upmarket companies such as Ponant, Oceania and Silversea call in too. Captain Cook Cruises Fiji operates local cruises to outlying islands.

Fiji kava ceremony.

Sail on in

You can’t complain about the view of Fiji arriving on the horizon in an eruption of vivid green mountains and skirts of sparkling water, nor about the voluptuous bay and scattering of islands that protects Lautoka from the open ocean. Nearer at hand you arrive at an industrial wharf where the view is only of shipping containers, cranes and a looming grey sugar factory, but the working port beats a dull cruise terminal for interest as you tuck into breakfast on the open deck.

Berth rites

Although Lautoka Wharf has a ramshackle metal shed, all the action is on the quay where shore-excursion buses congregate, and local operators set up their tents and spruik tours at half the price (or more, if you bargain) of official shore excursions. There isn’t much infrastructure, but the process is well-organised, and the beaming Fijian welcome as delightful as always.

Going ashore

Consider a shore excursion in this destination, as you won’t find much in Lautoka itself. Still, the town is only a kilometre from port, so you can walk into the centre, or use the complimentary shuttle offered by some cruise lines. There isn’t a lot to see – don’t be tempted to seek out the “botanic garden” – but Fiji’s second-largest town is lively and friendly, with a huge undercover fresh-food market, a small shopping mall, and plenty of enticing Fijian and Indian snack foods.

Don’t miss

Encounters with Fijians are always fun, so take in a cultural experience. Sabeto Village, 23 kilometres south, gives you a peek into a chief’s bure (house) and the chance to enjoy traditional song and dance performances. Viseisei Village is closer (12 kilometres) and is Fiji’s oldest settlement: another place to meet the locals and indulge in a kava ceremony. Kava, a mildly sedative drink prepared from the roots of a pepper plant, has a long ritual and social history in Fiji.

View of verdant Lautoka in the distance.Credit: Getty Images

Get active

Adventure activities in the surroundings include cave tours, rainforest walks, river rafting and catamaran or boat tours that take you swimming and snorkelling. Tau Cave is popular for its abseiling and zip-line course, which has 16 zip lines (the longest is 235 metres) above a lush valley with great views of mountains and ocean. If you fancy a wallow in mud, head to Sabeto Hot Springs, which happily have no sulphur stink.

Retail therapy

You’ll find handmade souvenirs in Lautoka’s market, such as carved masks, kava bowls and Fijian drums, but check them for insect holes and the type of wood to avoid confiscation by Australian quarantine. Small stores run by Indian Fijians are a treasure trove of silk and other textiles, colourful clothes, bangles, and gold and silver jewellery. Pacific Islands Arts is a unique store that sells hand-printed clothing.

Further afield

Garden of the Sleeping Giant has tremendous orchid displays, ponds afloat in lilies and landscaped tropical lawns, but visit well-armed with mosquito repellent. Some excursions alternatively take you to South Sea Orchid Garden, a lovely colonial-era estate whose grounds burst with elegant orchids. Koroyanitu National Park, an hour’s drive inland, features rugged hills, waterfalls and abundant bird life.