Coral Coast Holidays, Fiji Islands

In This Article  —   by Ian Osborn
Coral Coast Holidays —  Sigatoka & Valley  —  Korolevu & Rainforest  —  Pacific Harbour  —  Beqa Lagoon & Shark Dive  —  Namosi Highlands

The Coral Coast is popular as a family holiday destination and it's easy to see why. The region is quick to reach from Nadi Airport so there's no hanging around for a boat or plane - just hop in a taxi or coach and you're there in an hour or so no matter what time of day you arrive. But the other great appeal is that there is plenty to see and do along the beautiful coastline from great golf courses to river rafting and waterfall treks.The beaches aren't the best though - they are pretty enough to loook at but usually of coarse sand and the lagoon in places can be too shallow for swimming.

With a dozen or so large resorts offering great value all inclusive holiday packages, and a handful of small motel style accommodations, the Coral Coast is an affordavle holiday option compared to the offshore "island resorts" which sell at a premium.

Coral Coast Holidays Overview

The Coral Coast meanders for around 50 kilometres starting off as dry rolling hills around Sigatoka and gradually turning to a more rugged landscape of tropical mountains covered in dense rainforest. The beaches here are pretty but with only narrow and often shallow lagoons for swimming and snorkelling.

Sigatoka, a small market town beside the river, is a 1-hour drive from Nadi Town and is the market centre for the Coral Coast villages. The town has a lively outdoor market where fresh produce is brought down from the fertile Sigatoka River Valley by truck or boat. There is excellent sightseeing in this region, both up the valley and along the coast with the Sigatoka Sandunes National Park a highlight. Nearby Natadola Golf Course is the best in Fiji

Further east towards Suva the rainforest kicks in making it a great spot for adventure, especially around Pacific Harbour. Here there are shard dives, white water river rafting and zip lines through the rainforest. Pacific Harbour is a 2hr 30min journey from Nadi Airport and just 40-minutes from Suva City.

One of the most scenic drives in Fiji meanders along the Coral Coast darting in and out of sleepy roadside villages and crossing numerous creeks descending from the mountains. There are few specific attractions on the Coral Coast apart from its scenery, but situated mid way between the sites of Sigatoka and the activities of Pacific Harbour, and with plenty of accommodation, it makes a good holiday base to enjoy the two.

Sigatoka Town & River Valley

Sigatoka marks the start of the Coral Coast although two of Fiji's largest resorts lie just before the town: The Shangri-La Fijian Resort is located on rocky Yanuca Island connected to the Queens Highway by bridge and there's a small cultural centre opposite with a reconstructed ancient Fijian village. You can also catch a beautified colonial sugar train to Natadola Beach which lies 10-minutes up the coast towards Nadi. Natadola is the best beach on the mainland and has good body surfing and a couple of reasonable beach breaks good for beginners. It's a popular spot on weekends with locals.

Just before reaching the market town of Sigatoka is the Sandunes National Trust Site. Fijian guides can be provided from the information centre and there are well maintained tracks leading through coastal forest to the sand dunes which help preserve and protect this fragile ecosystem. Pottery sherds dating to 3000 years ago are scattered in the sand, evidence of settlement by the early Lapita people. The sand dunes reach heights of up to 50 metres and the wild beach with crashing waves makes an exceptional place to walk and surf.

Two scenic dirt roads lead inland from Sigatoka Town running either side of the the Sigatoka River and each offers great sightseeing through valleys and rural farms with two points of notable interest. On the Sigatoka Town side of the river, about two kilometres inland, is the Nakabuta Pottery Village. The village makes traditional style pottery and demonstrations are displayed in the large Meeting House bure. On the Suva side of the river is the Tavuni Hill Fort National Historic Site. A trail leads up a steep hill, the top of which an ancient Tongan Fort remains. Highlights of this historic site include the killing stone, used in the times of Cannibalism, and sweeping views across the Sigatoka River Valley.

There are several small beach motels and restaurants in the beach suburb of Korotogo known as the Sunset Strip as well as the large Outrigger Lagoon Resort perched on a hill overlooking the ocean and with a beautiful spa centre. Opposite the resort is the interesting Kula Eco Park which has many of Fiji's endemic species of wildlife.

East of Sigatoka Town, the scenery begins to change from rolling grassy hills to a more rugged coastline doused in denser forest. There is also a distinct change in climate - here begins the wet tropical side of Viti Levu. For many, this vibrant scenery with swathes of emerald green are refreshing. Here too begins a parade of traditional fishing villages along the coastal highway.

Fiji Hideaway Resort, Coral Coast

F$ 335 - 585 per couple

Fiji Hideaway Resort is located alongside the Queens Highway on a small sandy beach with shallow lagoon and surfing passage. This is a lively resort with organised events throughout the day and night, ideal for young couples or families. Duplex bungalows are set in a garden setting.

Korolevu & The Rainforest

Heading east from Korolevu towards Pacific Harbour and Suva, there are several tours available into the rainforest to see waterfalls, caves and local villages. As the hills become more rugged, the coastal highway detours inland. Set in secluded bays off the highway are several lovely small resorts, Mango Bay for young budget travellers. All are on picturesque beaches and have access to great snorkelling, game fishing and shark diving off Beqa Island.

Pacific Harbour

Pacific Harbour is the adventure tourism centre about an hour drive east from most Coral Coast hotels and just 40-minutes from Suva City. Pacific Harbour is primarily a residential area with a couple of hotels set alongside a decent beach and a couple of independent restaurants. It's two biggest attractions are the Arts Village / Cultural Centre, and the fantastic Pacific Harbour Golf Course, but unfortunately both are mostly overlooked by tourists and seem to have passed their best years. What is keeping the area alive today is its deep sea fishing and scuba diving appeal most notably the shark dives around Beqa Lagoon (40-minutes by boat).

Beqa Lagoon

The main reason people visit Pacific Harbour is for game fishing and scuba diving around Beqa Lagoon. Although the famous Beqa shark dives are purely commercial with sharks being lured in by bait almost on a daily basis for the past ten years, it doesn’t negate the excitement of coming face to face with these ancient predators. On a good day you may see over a hundred sharks in the two dives, which range from 15 to 30 metres in depth, and will include Reef Sharks, Silver-tip Sharks, Tawny Nurse Sharks, Sicklefin Lemon Sharks, Bull Sharks and the occasional Tiger Shark as well as schools of other large fish taking advantage of the free feed. Both operators offer PADI dive courses as well as regular daily dives to explore the soft corals and wrecks around Beqa Lagoon. The shark dives are available through Beqa Adventure Divers or Aqua Trek Beqa.

Navua River & Namosi Rainforest

The stunning interior of Viti Levu is often veiled in clouds and its roads sometimes inaccessible. Some of the richest rainforests are found inland from Pacific harbour, notably the Sovi Basin and the Namosi Highlands. Fijian villages are found throughout this interior, many of which are far from roads and electricity. Here lies the most remote and conservative village environments, and the most hospitable of Fijians. The region is steeped in history and tradition, has some breathtaking mountain scenes, river gorges, caves, waterfalls indigenous flora, bird life and scenic lookouts. The area is excellent to explore but there is nowhere to stay, buses are infrequent and few tour companies offer these off the beaten track itineraries. To get close to this mystical environment tale an organised boat trips up the Navua River and or a 4WD drive adventure into the Namosi Highlands to explore walking tracks through the rainforest leading to waterfalls. There's even Grade 4 white water river rafting on the Lua River (from November to April only).