Highlands to Islands: Ultimate Fiji Explorer
Multisport in Fiji with O.A.R.S
Highlights
- Visit the charming riverside village of Nakavika
- Snorkel in Beqa Lagoon
- Zip-line through a forest canopy
Full Description
O.A.R.S. Fiji adventure features Fijian culture, traditions and hospitality and kayaking through rainforests, playing under sparkling waterfalls, a zip line canopy tour, snorkeling with multi-colored tropical fish and sea kayaking through the turquoise waters of the South Pacific.
Paradise from every angle! Our new Highlands-to-Islands Fiji adventure takes us to the top of rolling rainforest highlands, down two hidden Fijian rivers with narrow canyon walls and dozens of cascading waterfalls and through azure oceans and kaleidoscopic reefs. Fiji's culture and tradition are also critical components of our 11 day Fiji adventure vacation, all topped off with luxurious beachfront accommodations and ultra-friendly Fijian hospitality.
This O.A.R.S. trip of a lifetime features Class II-III whitewater rafting on the Upper Navua River, as well as inflatable kayaking on the Class II ‘luva River with a visit to the charming riverside village of Nakavika, Fiji where friendly locals enthusiastically welcome visitors. Enjoy sea kayaking in Fiji on Beqa Lagoon and feel the rush as you soar high through the forest on a thrilling zip line canopy tour. The conclusion of our adventure takes us to the pristine white sand beaches of Fiji's Yasawa Islands for two days of snorkeling, diving or simply relaxing.
Includes:
- Skilled professional guide service
- All meals as outlined in itinerary
- All activities and equipment as outlined in the itinerary
- All land transfers as outlined in the itinerary
Excludes:
- Flights to/from Nadi
- Meals not covered in the itinerary
- Additional activities such as island visits in the Yasawa Islands, scuba diving and massage services
- Round trip flights between Nadi and the Yasawa Islands
- International airport departure tax
- Excess baggage charges
- Visas
- Insurance of any kind, including travel and mandatory medical and evacuation insurance
- Alcohol and beverages at restaurants and hotels
- Items of personal nature
- Gratuities
Day by Day Itinerary
Days 1-2
Board your plane bound for Fiji at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) at approximately 10:30 PM. Relax, sleep and hydrate on the +/-10 ½ hour flight. En route, you'll cross the International Date Line and lose a calendar day. But don't worry, you'll get the day back on the flight home!
Day 3
You will arrive at the Nadi (pronounced Nan-Dee) International Airport early in the morning. After clearing customs, you'll be met by a Rivers Fiji representative and transferred to the luxurious Taunovo Bay Resort & Spa overlooking white sand beaches and Beqa Lagoon.
En route we'll stop at one of Fiji's most beautiful beaches to stretch our legs and have breakfast. We'll have a chance to freshen up and relax on arrival at Taunovo Bay prior to an afternoon check-in time. We sea-kayak along the coast this afternoon. Tide dependent, we will paddle through tunnels in mangrove forests that thrive in this coastal area, keeping our eyes open for resident mud lobsters, herons, harrier hawks, kingfishers and fruit bats. We'll chart our course for open water, where we'll snorkel at coral heads and swim with the myriad of tropical fish that make these waters home. The final leg of our paddle will take us back to the white sand beach not far from the resort. Shower and settle in to your room and then join us for a welcome dinner at the beach restaurant. (B,L,D)
Day 4
After breakfast, we begin the day with a breathtaking overland journey by 4x4 mini-bus along a winding mountain track. After ascending through dense jungle to a ridge with incredible views of the ocean and nearby islands, we'll drop into the stunning Namosi Valley. Here, we are suddenly surrounded by sheer, neck-craning cliffs that soar towards the sky, forming a valley that some call a tropical Yosemite. As we continue, we'll pass a number of picturesque villages stopping at Nakavika for a traditional Kava ceremony with a village chief.
We continue on to the Wainikoroiluva (or simply ‘Luva) River. After a thorough safety talk and paddling instruction, we'll launch our inflatable kayaks on the rain-fed waters of the ‘Luva. You will quickly gain confidence and comfort with paddling your own boat through the fun Class II whitewater, and our local Fijian guides are there to help if you get stuck. There are plenty of rapids - wave trains, rock mazes, and swift chutes - interspersed with large, glassy pools that offer just the right blend of excitement and relaxation. After a delicious lunch alongside the river, we take a short hike to a spectacular 80-ft waterfall before continuing our kayaking to the village of Namuamua.
We wrap up our river trip with a motorized longboat ride to the village of Nakavu. En route we encounter additional breathtaking scenery including another canyon brimming with waterfalls, exotic birds and giant fruit bats.
Return this afternoon to our luxury accommodations at Taunova Bay where we enjoy dinner this evening and spend the night. (B, L, D)
About The Operator:
O.A.R.S
Headquarters:
Angels Camp, CA
O.A.R.S. was the first exclusively oar-powered rafting company permitted to operate trips on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Through our four decades in the adventure travel industry, we have become the largest and most diverse family of river-based adventure travel companies in North America, operating on over 1230 miles of rivers in the continental U.S. In addition to our signature Grand Canyon trips, we offer adventure vacations in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, as well as in British Columbia, Chile, Galapagos, Fiji, Baja and Peru. The heart and soul of O.A.R.S.-from president and founder George Wente to the more than 300 dedicated guides and employees on our team-is that we are all genuinely invested in every passenger, every trip and every lifetime memory.
Our Staff
We consider our O.A.R.S. outdoor adventure guides to be among the best in the industry! Some began their river-guiding careers more than 30 years ago; others were born into it. They are entertainers, historians, geologists, botanists, chefs, medics, anthropologists, event planners, authors, photographers, wilderness pathfinders, and they are the single most complimented component of our organization. Our guides are also professional, playful and ever mindful of your wants and needs, and their enthusiasm for the natural world is contagious. Learn about our guides through reading their detailed biographies, experience and interests.
Our Adventure Consultants and our year-round office staff who provide you with all the trip-specific tips, trip planning assistance and adventure travel trip logistical support have more than 100 years of combined experience in the adventure travel industry, as well as close to 1000 river trips between them.
Your O.A.R.S. Adventure Vacation
You concentrate on fun. We brew the coffee, cook the meals, pump the boats, provide the gear, plan the day, find the best camp spot, and we strive to fill each day with excitement, discovery and the attention to detail you deserve. O.A.R.S. provides the best average guide-to-guest ratio in the adventure travel business (1:4).
You do only what you feel like doing. Want to paddle a ‘ducky' or admire the view from the bow of a boat; go on a day hike or stay in camp and read; save room for dessert or have two pieces of seared salmon? Every day is yours to do with as you please.
Camaraderie
Is there any other experience more conducive to creating new, lasting friendships and deepening family bonds than an O.A.R.S. adventure? Our outdoor trips are wonderful equalizers, bringing together like-minded people from diverse backgrounds. Time and again we hear from guests about their joy of having met kindred spirits and new traveling companions. Parents bask in their child's newly-gained confidence in the natural world. Gone are electronic distractions, commutes and deadlines, leaving guests with uninterrupted time to relax, snuggle under the stars, savor a sunset and swap tales around the campfire.
When you join an O.A.R.S. adventure travel trip, you're not just a customer-you are a friend, a member of the crew and an extension of our family-owned and operated company. We'll answer your questions, feed you well, show you a good time and share with you our passion for the world's waterways.
Our Pledge
Outdoor adventure vacations are our specialty, and we work hard to provide our guests with the best travel experience of their lives. If part of your trip under our control wasn't everything you expected, we will work with you to make it right.
Responsible Travel
Environmental stewardship is nothing new to O.A.R.S. We've been at it for four decades. In partnership with our guests, we have contributed more than $3 million in donations and fees toward the preservation of the environment and to environmental and wildlife conservation initiatives. For a detailed account of our environmentally responsible practices, check out our Responsible Travel page.
Don't Just Take Our Word for It
O.A.R.S. has been routinely recognized by adventure industry experts, media and our guests for our commitment to excellence and innovation in travel. In both 2008 and 2009, National Geographic Adventure magazine selected O.A.R.S. as "The Best River & Sea Outfitter on Earth" based on their criteria including education, sustainability, quality of service, spirit of adventure and references. Since 2007, Condé Nast Traveler's Wendy Perrin has recognized our Reservations Manager, Mindy Gleason, as the "Top Travel Specialist" in the River Rafting category for her unique ability to offer O.A.R.S. travelers "the best blend of expertise, access, and good value." Additionally, year after year magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Outside, Men's Journal and Sunset along with NBC, CNBC, Forbes Traveler and SmarterTravel.com have all recognized O.A.R.S. for serving up some of the "Best Trips on the Planet."