March 19, 2024
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Seven reasons to go hiking in Fiji

Hiking In Fiji

7 Reasons to go Hiking in Fiji was originally posted by of Talanoa Treks, an organization that specializes in Fiji trekking excursions.

Visitors don’t generally think of Fiji as a place to go trekking but it’s time to disabuse ourselves of that thought. Fiji is most definitely a great place to trek.

With rugged mountains, verdant rainforests, cascading streams, tumbling waterfalls, sauvage coastlines and resplendent grasslands and traditional Fijian villages there is no shortage of diversity.

Matt Capper has come up with seven great reasons to trek in Fiji.

1. Breathe in the views

The dramatic Naloto range is visible on many of our hikes - Hiking
The dramatic Naloto range is visible on many of our hikes (courtesy Talanoa Treks)

Fiji’s islands are not all delicious white-fringed specks in the ocean. Many of Fiji’s islands were formed through volcanic processes and have rugged, mountainous interiors with a mix of tropical forest and grassy slopes. A good hike will get you in amongst this and afford you fantastic views across this amazing landscape.

2. Take a plunge

Crossing the Ba river on the Cross Highland Hike
Crossing the Ba river on the Cross Highland Hike (courtesy Talanoa Treks)

In the tropics, one of the great pleasures is cooling off in a river on a hot day. Elsewhere you spend so much time avoiding getting wet, as getting wet means getting cold. On a hike in Fiji, jumping in the river at a lunch stop or cooling your feet on a river crossing is part of the pleasure of it all. Once you’re wet you dry off pretty quickly as you start walking.

3. No need to worry about dangerous wildlife

A noisy cicada, near Nubutautau village
A noisy cicada, near Nubutautau village (courtesy Talanoa Treks)

Whether you’re trekking through tall grass, swimming in the rivers, or scrambling up a hillside, you don’t need to worry about anything dangerous lurking out of sight. Fiji doesn’t have poisonous snakes or spiders, or crocs in the rivers, or anything to worry about too much. We do have pesky mosquitoes (but no malaria), but they’re not as voracious as the sand flies our friends in New Zealand enjoy! What Fiji does have as an isolated island group is some unique flora and fauna that can be hard to spot, but that you can’t see anywhere else in the world.

4. Experience the culture

Mixing kava in Nubutautau village (Photo: Rob Rickman)
Mixing kava in Nubutautau village (Photo: Rob Rickman)

If you’re a hiker, you know that great walks get you to places you would otherwise never see. In Fiji, longer hikes can give the opportunity to open a little window onto life in remote rural areas, whether that’s by chatting to a guide as you walk, seeing people farm, hunt and fish, or visiting villages way off the tourist track to experience their natural hospitality, and at the end of the day sit on the woven pandanus mats, share a bowl of kava, eat the food grown in their gardens and ask all the questions you can think of until your heart is content and your belly full!

5. Take on a challenge

Fiji's highest mountain, Mt Tomaniivi (Mt Victoria), 1324m
Fiji’s highest mountain, Mt Tomaniivi (Mt Victoria), 1324m (courtesy Talanoa Treks)

The best hikes are never the easiest. Part of the pleasure a good walk is the reward and satisfaction you feel at the end of the day having achieved something… whether that’s a long distance covered or a peak summited. Fiji’s natural terrain, tropical weather and the fact that most routes are not purpose built hiking tracks, but old pathways that were used to connect villages before roads were built, mean that even the fittest hikers can feel a sense of satisfaction while enjoying the beach after their hike.

6. Disconnect and reconnect

Traditional bures and the installation seat for the chief of Navatusila (Photo: Rob Rickman)
Traditional bures and the installation seat for the chief of Navatusila (Photo: Rob Rickman)

Fiji’s mobile network is pretty good, but once you get in amongst the hills and valleys of the interior, you’ll not find much of a signal. It’s a great opportunity to disconnect, let your phone be just a camera, and to reconnect with nature, the people around you, and of course yourself! Listen to the experts and enjoy the benefits of not being dictated to by your device for a few days.

7. Escape the crowds

Views across the grasslands on the Cross Highland Hike and Full Monty
Views across the grasslands on the Cross Highland Hike and Full Monty (courtesy Talanoa Treks)

As hiking becomes more popular around the world, it gets harder and harder to escape the crowds. We have that in Fiji at coastal hotspots, but you can go on a 4-day hike into the interior and not see another tourist. It can really feel like a different world.

If you have any questions about a hiking in Fiji, please don’t hesitate to email our partners directly on info@talanoa-treks-fiji.comWebsite

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