March 19, 2024
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Levuka Accommodations & Dining

Home » Destination Fiji » Levuka, Fiji’s First Capital » Levuka Accommodations & Dining

Most Levuka Accommodations are budget to midrange with one catering to backpackers. This is a small market that doesn’t get a lot of traffic. That means it’s not overrun with tourists. Don’t let the term “midrange” dissuade you from visiting. The bed and breakfast properties here are excellent.

Those interested in 5-Star amenities can stay at Wakaya or other Lomaiviti area properties and still visit the Old Capital.

New Mavida

New Mavida Guest House a comfortable place to crash
Frontage of New Mavida Guest House (Rob Kay photo)

The New Mavida (pronounced Mah-vinda) was built on the site of the old Mavida Guest house, a past favorite of old Levuka hands.

Situated a few meters away from the War Memorial, it’s a large, expansive edifice, with nine generously sized rooms (single or twin) of various bed configurations:

2 Deluxe Rooms: Large upstairs room with a king-size and single bed. Air Conditioned & Ceiling Fan, Hot & Cold Shower, Tea and Coffee Making Facilities.
F$165 per room/per night includes breakfast

6 Oceanview Rooms: Downstairs room with double bed, single bed optional. Air Conditioned & Ceiling Fan, Hot & Cold Shower, and Tea and Coffee Making Facilities.
F$125 per room/per night includes breakfast

3 Garden view Rooms: Downstairs room with double bed, single bed optional. Air Conditioned & Ceiling Fan, Hot & Cold Shower, and Tea and Coffee Making Facilities.
F$115 per room/per night includes breakfast

3 Cottage Rooms: Separate wooden building with Air Conditioning & Ceiling Fan, Hot & Cold Shower, and Tea and Coffee Making Facilities.
F$95 per room/per night, includes breakfast

The dormitory
8 single beds, Hot & Cold Shower Facilities
F$40 per bed/per night includes breakfast

Comfy rooms at the New Mavida
Very comfortable digs at the New Mavida (Rob Kay photo)

All tariffs include breakfast which entails eggs, sausage and toast and of course tea or coffee. Those who prefer can have cereals with fresh fruit in season and fresh juice. Lunches and dinners include roast or curried chicken, fish and chips or taro or fish simmered in coconut milk etc. There’s also hot water. 

Hold onto your hats, there’s free internet. (Just don’t abuse it, says management).

The Royal Hotel

The Royal Hotel Sign in Levuka, Fiji
Yes, it really is the oldest operating hotel in Fiji. It’s seen better times. (Rob Kay photo)

The Royal Hotel is a classic accommodation—it’s the oldest operating hotel in the South Pacific.  Constructed in the 1850s, it has been managed by the Ashley family, a local part-European clan. 

The bad news is that the main body of the 14 room hotel which includes the sitting and dining room area, resplendent with 19th century atmosphere, is closed to guests. 

What a shame.  

There are four fairly modern cottages built in 1998. Reports I’ve heard have not been good lately but hopefully they will improve. You can contact them by clicking here for more information. 

Heritage Guest House

 Heritage Guest House Levuka Fiji
The Heritage Guest House in Levuka was constructed in the 1950s

Heritage Guest House is a recently opened boutique B&B located a hundred meters inland from Beach Street, near the Marist Convent School, Levuka Public School, Town Hall, Courts, and the Police Station.  From all reports it’s terrific addition to the Levuka scene.

On the Heritage Guest House website the owners, Vikash and Arti Dutt, state that their property “is ideal for visitors, business people, civil servants, NGO’s, and contractors who need to be close to Government Offices, Schools, and business houses in Levuka Town, or just want to be close to the Historic sites of Levuka Town.”   

Heritage Guest House bedroom--one of the best Levuka Accommodations
The Heritage Guest House has excellent amenities (courtesy Heritage Guest House)

Room Facilities

  • Private bathrooms with hot water shower
  • Air-Conditioning or Ceiling Fans
  • Wall mounted LCD Television
  • Fridge, Microwave, Electric Fry Pan, Rice Cooker
  • Tea and Coffee Making Facilities for Budget Rooms
  • Iron and Ironing Board
  • Towels
  • Daily House-Keeping

Services

  • Taxi shuttle services can be arranged on request, Registered Licensed Vehicle for Transfers and Tours of Levuka Town and Surrounds
  • Continental Breakfast as optional extra
  • Tour of local World Heritage Sites, or Hiking to the Peak, Lovoni Island Hike, Swimming at Levuka Baths, Tours of Baba Melanesian Settlement, or Kayaking can be arranged on request
  • In House discount on selected items at Dutts Convenience Store on ground level
  • Photocopying/printing services – determine your needs and request a quotation
  • Driving School on Premises
  • Tailor and Barber adjacent to Heritage Guest House

Two or three bedroom Premium Apartment, and two bedroom Standard Apartment available.  Apartments are Self-Contained with kitchens and private hot water bathrooms, ironing facilities, and access to outdoor areas. 

Room Rates from $220 FJD for Premium Rooms (top floor), from $120 for Standard Rooms (ground floor), and from $75 FJD for Budget Rooms (ground floor). 

Old Capital Inn

Old Capital Inn a reincarnation of one of the first backpacker Leuvka accommodations
Old Capital Inn is a good option for backpackers. (Courtesy Old Capital Inn)

The Old Capital Inn, formerly known as Clara’s Holiday Lodge, is a rambling home located right on Beach Street a two minute walk from the heart of town. It’s the largest budget hostel in town and can accommodate up to 40 people.

In a sense this is the “new” Old Capital Inn. The original, located in a different part of town, was founded in 1977 by Emosi Yee Show arguably the father of backpacker tourism to Levuka (in the 1970s and 1980s).  Sadly Emosi passed away in 2021 but now his daughter, Suzie, runs this newest incarnation. 

It’s clean, well maintained and rooms have ceiling fans. As with most budget accommodations, washing, shower and toilets are separate facilities. (Cold water showers only).

Room rates are F$38 for a dorm room, F$65 for a single, F$90 for twin and $120 per night for a room that can accommodate three people.  Quad rooms go for $152 and a family room (sleeps 6) is $242.

The OCI is a budget Levuka Accommodation that offers meals to guests
Good things from the OCI kitchen (courtesy Old Capital Inn)

A one-bedroom self-contained cottage with a large kitchen/dining area (sleeps up to 7) is available for $120 (single/double) plus $40 for each additional person. Unlike the other accommodations at this property the cottage offers a hot water shower.

Breakfast is included in the tariff which includes eggs, toast, sausage, oats and fruit for all accommodations. 

Homecooked lunch or dinner is F$15 for a standard meal. Seafood is a bit pricier (depending on availability). 

OCI Tours

Feel like snorkeling or some exercise? Kayak hire from the OCI is $10 per hour (single), $18 (double) or $10 per hour for a canoe. 

Island Tours (by cab) depart at 9.30 am and return at 1 pm. Kayak, lunch and drinks provided. Rates start at $180 for one person up to $320 for four. (Add another $80 per person after that). A guided, 2 hour hike to the peak overlooking town is $15  per person.

OCI also offers a private island stay at Nukulevu a tiny island in the Lomaiviti Group for a minimum of three nights (and four people) are $155 per person per day. This includes three meals, accommodations (bungalow or tent) and (non motorized) watersports.  Transport to and from Nukulevu (via Natovi Landing on Ovalau) is also provided but you’ll have to make your own way to the Natovi jetty via ferry from Levuka or bus/taxi from Suva for approximately $20 and $5/$70, respectively.

Contact Suzie at 9592864 or7417032 or sailevukaga@yahoo.co.nz 

Levuka Homestay

Lounge at Levuka Homestay one of the top ranked Levuka accommodations
Lounge at Levuka Homestay (Rob Kay photo)

I’ve been getting positive reports about Fijiguide readers about Levuka Homestay, and finally had a chance to visit. There’s no question that if you are interested in a bed & breakfast accommodation in Levuka this is the place to go. (It was rated No. 1 Bargain Hotel in Fiji for 2014, 2015 and again in 2019 by (Trip Advisor) as well as the No. 2 Bargain Hotel in the South Pacific for 2019. It’s certainly where I plan to stay the next time I visit.

Operated by Australians John and Marilyn Milesi, the couple came to Levuka looking for a lifestyle change rather than seeking fame and fortune.

What they have created are clearly the most comfortable digs in town. Although it’s a relatively new building by Levuka standards, it’s designed in the colonial style, in keeping with the historical architecture of the old capital. It blends in with the hillside environs, affording excellent views through a lush garden.

Levuka Homestay is comfy and one of the top Levuka accommodations
Levuka Homestay is one of the better Levuka accommodations. (Rob Kay photo)

The interior is decorated with Fijian artifacts and memorabilia. There are four spacious rooms – three are air-conditioned with queen size beds, and one room has a double bed and single bed. The rooms sport louvered windows, polished wooden floors, fluffy towels, ceiling fan, air-con, fresh flowers, refrigerator, and hot showers, The food is excellent.

Breakfast (which is included) is freshly made fruit juice, local fruit, meusli, a cooked breakfast, tea or coffee. Prices are F$167.00 for a single room, F$188.00 for a double room and F$32.00 for an extra person in a room.

Sailors Home, a mainstay of Levuka Accommodations
Fully self-contained, the Sailors Home has been recently renovated (courtesy Sailors Home)

Sailors Home

Over the years I’ve heard great things about the Sailors Home, a classic (140 year old!) Levuka structure located near the hospital.  It’s undergone a renovation recently and comes highly recommended. 

Located on a bluff a five minute walk from “central” Levuka, it has panoramic views of town and the surrounding hills.

There are two large bed rooms with queen and single beds on each side of the house. Each of the units have a private bath and a private verandah.  There’s a shared kitchen and lounge area. A family can rent the entire home if needed. 

Amenities include fully equipped kitchen, hot water and fans. There’s also an attendant (24 hours) who provides cleaning and washing. 

The cost is $150 per night for half the house you can rent the entire home for $270 per night. Minimum 2 night stay.

The owners do not recommend children under 12 due to the steep road grade. 

They can be contacted at +679 8038789  or +679 9007985 — Mailing Address: PO.BOX 112 LEVUKA/OVALAU/FIJI ISLANDS

Outside-of-Levuka Accommodations

The accommodations in this section are outside the town limits and you’ll need transport to get there and, to get to town for shopping, sightseeing, etc. The advantages are more solitude, privacy and (on Saturdays nights) quietude. 

Ovalau Holiday Resort

Ovalau Holiday Resort
Ovalau Holiday Resort is a good option if you’re interested in a more rural setting. (Courtesy Ovalau Holiday Resort)

Ovalau Holiday Resort is located on the ocean side, three kilometers outside of Levuka nestled between the verdant hills and the sea. It’s a small property (as you’d expect to find in Levuka) It consists of two bedroom garden bungalows. They are self-contained with a double bed in each bedroom and one single bed in each unit. Each bungalow has ceiling and stand-alone fans and an outside deck. 

It was damaged after Cyclone Winston but has been renovated since then.

The kitchenettes have a gas stove, refrigerator and are well fitted out with glassware, cutlery, plates and cooking utensils. There is a restaurant on the premises and probably the only swimming pool in town. There’s also a 4-bed dorm. Activities including trekking, scuba diving, kayaking, village visits. Rates are F$35/66/86 (single, double, triple) and $F12 for the dorm.

The Baystay

Baystay is situated directly on Rukuruku Bay
The Baystay is situated directly on Rukuruku Bay. (Rob Kay photo)

The Baystay is located on Rukuruku Bay, the northwest side of Ovalau about 15 km (about a 30 minute taxi ride) from Levuka. The property, which is tucked between the shore and the rain forest, is spread over an acre of lush vegetation and vegetable gardens. It offers spectacular water frontage, with Rukuruku Bay at your feet.

There are two-self-contained bungalows on site, which are ideal for a couple. Amenities include fans, daily maid service and hot water.  A BBQ area is near the water’s edge which makes for a great picnic area.

BayStay accommodations in Levuka, Fiji
Baystay rooms are tidy and comfortable.

If you don’t feel like cooking, your hosts Arnold and Julia (who have resided in the area for decades) will provide meals. There’s wonderful snorkeling nearby on the bay and hikes, led by local villagers, to Lovoni Crater, a waterfall or nearby Tomuna peak. There’s also kayaking and fishing in the bay.

Price is $150 per night each bure The Baystay or $300 per night whole compound. Minimum 2 night stay. You can contact them at +679 929 5820 or at lizaditrich@hotmail.com. (The family also owns the The Sailor’s Home, a budget property in Levuka which is highly regarded).

Kim’s Paak Kum Loong restaurant in Levuka
Kim’s Paak Kum Loong is always a solid choice (courtesy Noby from Levukafiji.com)

Levuka Dining

Levuka may be the old Capitol but it’s not the culinary capital of Fiji. That said, you can get decent, wholesome meals.

One of the better option is Kinman’s Uptown Restaurant (Kim’s Paak Kum Loong) is located upstairs in the Westpac Bank building. They offer a variety of tasty, Chinese fare including chow mein, stir fry, and fried rice. They will prepare vegetarian dishes or if you’re omnivorous,  you can choose from chicken, prawns or pork. The author sampled the Kinman’s Special friend rice (with chicken, prawns and pork in the same dish) and an excellent prawn curry while a rugby game between France and Wales played on the television.

The Horizon Restaurant with its green roof on the edge of town, perhaps 50 yards past Morris Hedstrom’s, is hard to miss. It’s a large rambling structure and serves both Chinese and Indian dishes. Attached to it is the Koromakawa, a bar that is quite popular with locals. On the weekends it’s going to be noisy and smoke-filled but you’ll get a taste for local entertainment.

Levuka Nightlife

If you really want to meet the locals on their own turf, there’s nothing like socializing over a few Fiji Bitters. Other than the Koromakawa bar (mentioned above) at the Horizon, the Levuka Club, on the opposite side of town, recently re-opened as a nightclub (Thursday through Saturday). It evidently can get raucous as well. As Alice Tamani, a long time resident told me, If one wants to get acquainted “with the real locals, Saturday night at the club is the place to meet.” She noted that there’s outdoor seating outside in a “lovely grassy area” where you can drink your Fiji Bitter, in the shadow of the coconut palms. 

The classic Ovalau Club a local institution which dates back to the colonial era, was damaged during Cyclone Winston a few years ago, is in the process of being renovated and hopefully will be restored to its past glory. I’m told it will re-open officially on New Year’s Eve 2023.  Stay tuned.

For a more extensive look at Ovalau accommodations visit the Official Guide to Levuka and Ovalau Island.

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