With so much more to offer than just its stunning beaches and the Ocean beyond, Fiji also boasts of a treasure chest of adventures and activities inland.

For an island country comprising over 300 islands in the South Pacific, Fiji is best known for its pristine, paradisiacal beaches. But Fiji is much more than the beaches. Exciting activities and sites abound here, ranging from rustic caves to expansive orchid gardens, sky-high sand dunes and from a thriving culture and art to pearl farming.

To truly experience the vibrant Fijian culture in the sunsoaked island, head inland to explore equally beautiful rainforests, waterfalls and rugged peaks.

Fiji’s best kept secret

Situated on the Wailoko Road, just minutes from Nadi Airport, it is said that the ‘Garden of the Sleeping Giants’ could easily be one of the best kept secrets. Well, the garden is a wonderland, no less, and arguably one of Fiji’s most serene and understated experiences.

With a charming view of the ‘Sleeping Giants’, the nearby mountain range that is visible from here, this garden offers a large colourful bouquet of over 2,000 varieties of magnificent Asian orchids and Cattleya hybrids, tiny and large ones all popping out of the verdant canopycovered boardwalks, lush green lawns, peaceful lily ponds, fountains and dense rainforest.

Eco-tours are popular here as beyond the flora, the garden also has an assortment of birds and wildlife, making it an ideal spot for outdoor activities such as nature walks, picnicking, photography as well as meditation and yoga.

Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park

Spread over 650 hectares, the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park on the Fijian island of Viti Levu is a melange of native and introduced species of plants and one of Fiji’s earliest settlement sites. Take a less than 10-minute drive from Sigatoka town to witness sand dunes reaching as high as 60 m. Called an archaeological hotbed in the Pacific, the park is home to over 22 species of birds along with lizards, geckos and fruit bats.

Eight species of birds in this diverse ecosystem are endemic to Fiji, including the Fiji Bush Warbler, Fiji Goshawk and Orange-breasted Mycenaean and offer an exciting day out for bird-watchers. The park offers a number of hiking paths for those interested in exploring nature and the surrounding sand dunes and coastal woodland. Sandboarding and sledding and sunset views are other top attractions here.

Basking in the Sabeto Mud Pools

Viti Levu has much more to offer and a visit to the sand dunes can be clubbed with another equally amazing experience of an entirely different kind. Well known for its rich minerals and therapeutic properties, a natural thermal spring experience amidst the tall palm trees and clear blue skies at the Sabeto thermal mud pool is extremely popular, with locals as much as tourists.

Fijians place a lot of cultural value on this location, and visiting the mud pools offers an opportunity to learn about and participate in Fijian customs. Additionally, visitors can engage with the welcoming residents and discover the historical applications of the mud. An immersive experience in the warm mud they say, once rinsed off, unveils a fun and relaxing spa-like experience in its lush natural setting.

The cultural heart of Fiji

At the heart of Vou Hub Fiji is the island nation’s nerve centre for arts, culture and activities. Nestled in the Denarau Island, Vou Hub can be called Fiji’s cultural cauldron of traditional experiences to family-friendly extravaganzas. The most widely toured dance company from the Pacific, Vou Dance Fiji, provides performers for Vou Hub.

In fact, Vou Hub is the only place in Fiji where visitors can see conventional Fijian ideas and narratives presented in contemporary, creative ways. Telling the tales, age-old myths and legends of the mythical Fijian underworld of ancient times is the Broadway-style Fiji Untold Show that immerses guests in a composition of the traditional and contemporary song and dance. And in Cannibal Chase, Fiji’s first-ever horror-themed bush maze features interactive, spine-chilling experience based on tales and half-whispered ancestral stories of Fijian cannibals, ghosts and ghouls.

Pearls everywhere!

Ocean blue, slate black or ash mauve, pearls of all shades and hues are dug out from the deepest depths of the endless ocean. Living and working in Savusavu, Fiji, Justin Hunter’s job is barely anything out of the ordinary.

Hunter who is a pearl farmer, spends much of his time managing a business that entails breeding and growing black-lip oysters in order to collect their beautifully hued dark pearls years later. The pearl farm is situated at just a five-minute boat ride from the thriving small-town hamlet of Savusavu in the little bay town of Vanua Levu, Fiji’s largest northern island. Known around the world for their exquisite colours, visitors can head here to discover the complex process of pearl culturing and the surrounding marine environment in an interactive and educational journey around the charming Fijian landscapes.

Exploring the Coral Coast on railroads

Electric bicycle carriages mounted on the old sugar cane railway, also known as a ‘Velocipede’ take guests around changing sceneries of verdant river crossings, mangroves, rain forest, big rock cuttings, open coastline, villages and not to forget the ‘Tunnel of Love’. This eco-trax journey in Fiji is not only a unique mode of transport to explore but also environment-friendly.

The tropical island paradise, as Fiji is also better known, has taken the baton in sustainable tourism practices and what better way to explore the beautiful coral coast really! On a road journey through Fiji, visitors can see communities with perfect gardens, waterfall trails, roadside markets selling heaps of tropical fruits and floral arrangements, sandy beaches, and snorkel and dive areas with unspoiled corals.

Chasing thrills in the Navua River

Cruising past traditional Fijian villages and cascading waterfalls, Fijian cliffs, the Navua white water rafting is a journey of deeper insight into Fiji’s natural beauty and way of life. It allows for travellers to connect with the welcoming local residents, local culture and learn more about Fijian traditions along the way with its many experiential activities.

Participating in white water rafting tours also enables visitors to contribute to the sustainable tourism practices implemented to preserve the natural habitat as the river along with its surrounding areas are protected and recognised for its environmental significance.

Adventure knows no limits

The ‘Soft Coral Capital of the World’ is also hotspot for adventure activities, from sky-diving to zip-lining as well as quad-lining. A quick ride up Nadi’s back road and visitors can explore muddy tracks on a quad bike or zip through the seemingly unending forest canopies. The bustling town of Nadi offers many of these off-road adventure activities and with tailored sight-seeing tours to soak up on the expansive views.

The Sleeping Giant Zipline is a great sky-high adventure option, just 20 minutes from Nadi by car or embark on a jet ski jaunt from Port Denarau or the hotels along the Coral Coast to explore the unbelievably beautiful Viti Levu interiors.

On the stairway to rainforest trails

Apart from the famous surfing and snorkelling opportunities, hiking through uncharted paths in the archipelago might often lead one to secret waterfalls as can going skydiving thrill with seriously jaw dropping views. In Fiji, hiking trails are typically well-travelled and a treasure chest of sceneries. The Garden of the Sleeping Giant and the Sabeto hiking route are both wonderful places to spend some time, whether a floral fanatic or just in search of a leisurely stroll. The peak of Suva’s tallest mountain, Mount Korobaba makes up for a steep climb indeed but not without some of the most stunning views. Not to miss is also the Taveuni spot brimming with spectacular waterfalls, but Tavoro Falls’ triple cascades are possibly its most iconic.

Cave tours around the archipelago

Inside the Sawa-i-Lau limestone caves that involve swimming through a small entrance, is a world within another world with breathtaking underground chambers, crystal-clear pools, and beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Dominated by a jagged shoreline and a single high mountain, it stands out as the only limestone island in a chain of volcanic ones that Fiji mainly comprises.

Naihehe Cave is another attraction here, noted for its connection to local mythology as it served as a fortress for the local tribes in the ancient eras, remnants of the same still intact.