Lautoka

Introduction

Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji.

Sights and Activities

• Botanical Gardens. The gardens have a large variety of tropical plants most of them labelled with the botanic and common names. If you visit around midday on a working day you may see the horticulturist Shri on site who has a wealth of information on the plants. The park opposite the gardens is a favourite playground for children and has toilet facilities.
• The Hare Krishna temple is a friendly place. If you happen to be there on a Sunday, then pop in and they may invite you to stay for lunch.

Events and Festivals

• The Sugar Festival is Lautoka's festival, similar in principal to the Hibiscus Festival (September).
• Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day is celebrated every year on the last Monday of May. It commemorates Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, a hero in the First World War, who was honored with France’s highest military award. He is considered the father of modern Fiji.
• Christmas in the tropics is an experience in itself. Visit one of the Christmas Eve carol services to enjoy some fine Fijian singing.
• Honoring the Founder of Modern Fiji Festival - The last Monday in May is a commemoration to the Father of Modern Fiji, Ratu Sir Lala Sakuna. The festivities last for an entire week, with many different towns and cities celebrating in their own way. The event concludes with a presidential speech relating to Fijian unity, and the statue of Ratu Sir Lala Sakuna is polished by locals.
• Diwali Festival - Due to Fiji’s large Indian population, the Diwali Festival is one of the main events held on the islands. Celebrated in the month of October, Diwali (which is also known as the Festival of Lights) is characterized by fantastic light shows, traditional firecracker displays, and plenty of night-time fun. It isn’t just the Indian population that gets into the swing of things, as all cultures love any excuse to party.

Weather

Lautoka enjoys a mild tropical climate with year-round temperatures around 25 °C with a generally high humidity. Average highs range from around 26 °C in July and August to around 30 °C from December to April. Lows are between 20 °C and 23 °C. May to October is Fiji's dry season, also known as the "Fiji Winter". The weather is slightly cooler and less rainfall and humidity make it a good time of the year to visit. From December to April, the city gets a lot of rain!

Getting There

By Boat

Patterson Brothers Shipping travels on the Lautoka - Ellington Wharf - Nabouwalu - Labasa route twice a week ($60). It starts with a bus ride (3.5 hours) from Lautoka, then a trip on the Ashika ferry (almost 4 hours) and a trip on another bus to Labasa (4 hours). Buses depart from outside the Lautoka office at 4:00am on Friday and Monday, and from Labasa at 6:00am on Sunday and Wednesday.

Eat

• Blue Ginger Café & Deli, Elizabeth Square, Narara Parade (opposite the ANZ bank), ☎ +679 907 6553. A favourite for breakfast and coffee amongst the locals and visitors.

Sleep

• Anchorage Beach Resort, Vuda Point, ☎ +679 666 2099, fax: +679 666 5571, e-mail: anchorage@connect.com.fj. Check-in: Noon, check-out: 11AM. From $175.
• First Landing Beach Resort & Villas, Nalamu Beach, Vuda Point, ☎ +679 666 6171, fax: +679 666 8882, e-mail: reservations@firstlanding.com.fj. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. The resort is so named because according to Fijian legend, it was here where the first Fijian people landed 3500 years ago. The views of the white sand beach, tropical trees and ocean are spectacular. From $325.
• Tanoa Waterfront Hotel, ☎ +679 666 4777, e-mail: waterfront@tanoahotels.com.fj. It is a 25-minute drive from Nadi Airport.
• Lautoka Hotel, 12 Naviti Street, ☎ +679 6660388. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: 10AM. $35, $60 & $80.
• Cathay Hotel, Tavewa Avenue (opposite the Northern Club), ☎ +679 666 0566, e-mail: cathay@fiji4less.com. Air-conditioned and fan-cooled rooms, swimming pool, car parking, and garden view. $100.
• Saweni Beach Apartment Hotel, Saweni Beach near Lautoka, ☎ +679 666 1777, e-mail: saweni@fiji4less.com. Self-contained beach apartments either with air conditioning or fans. About 10 minutes drive from the heart of Lautoka, they have a barbecue area and swimming pool. Dormitory accommodation also available. From $120.

You can use the form below to search for availability (Travellerspoint receives a commission for bookings made through the form)

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafes are available in cities and towns and popular tourist areas and more and more places have (free) wifi nowadays. Sometimes you need to pay a fee or usage is for a limited amount of time or customers only.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The international phone code for Fiji is 679. Emergency numbers include 917 for the police and 911 for ambulance and fire department.

You will find payphones in all post office branches as well as in the booths situated on streets throughout the country. They only accept Fiji Telecom phone cards which can be purchased in post offices and many shops and come in denominations up to F$50. A digital display will tell you how much money you have left on your card at all times. You can also use a TeleCard which is a pre-paid calling card that can be used from any telephone in Fiji, not just pay phones.

Calling is done by calling the card's issue center, entering the code (found on the card) and entering the destination number. To call outside Fiji, dial 05 first, then the country code and phone number. Foreign calls start at about F$0.50 a minute, but are usually around F$1 or more for European destinations for example.

Avoid high roamaing charges with your phone and turn your data services for outside your home country off at all times. Instead buy a local SIM card (you have to have an unlocked phone of course). There are a few mobile phone companies operating on the island (Vodafone, Digicel). A sim-card is inexpensive, but you need to register your sim to keep it active and to get access to data. Buying a sim-card gives access to cheap data-packages for easy internet access using your phone as a hot-spot.

Post

Post Fiji offers services in the country and to other countries. It's fairly reliable, not expensive, but it can take a while for letters or postcards to arrive at your destination. All major towns have post offices which are operated by Fiji Post. There is also a branch at Nadj International Airport. Connections are pretty quick, particularly with North America, but if you use surface mail, your letter could take over two months to reach its destination. Post offices are open between 8.00and 4.00pm from Monday to Friday. For sending packages overseas, you might better use international courier companies like DHL, TNT, UPS or FedEx, as they offer fast, competitively priced and reliable services.

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