NZ Herald writer Christopher Reive saw a different side of Fiji on an e-bike tour. Photo / Kristie O'Donnell
Active relaxers who want something more than poolside chilling can discover a unique experience just 35 minutes from Denerau Island, writes Christopher Reive.
“What’s with all the smoke on the hills?”
It’s a question I had been meaning to ask someone since boarding the Malolo Cat from Port Denarau to Musket Cove Island Resort on the first of my four days in Fiji. It wasn’t until my final day that I got an answer; a question that ultimately fell to Lorima, my guide from iBike Fiji.
It’s the sugar cane, he tells me. There are two types of sugar cane: the green harvest and the burnt. The smoke comes when the cane is being burnt for harvesting. The leaves and tops of the plants burn away, and only the cane stalk is left to be collected. That explains the sporadic plumes of smoke rising from the hills, and the occasional patch of charred grass we pass during our 16km ride.
Fiji has become a haven for tourists looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and soak up the sun at the beach or by the pool. But for active relaxers, a different experience awaits just a 35-minute drive from Denarau Island. Set up on a paddock in the village of Naboutini and operated by Land and Sea Tours, iBike Fiji offers guided e-bike tours in a rural part of Nadi. The tours are advertised as four hours long, with two hours spent riding and a maximum of eight people per tour.
Before the tour leaves, riders have time to practise on the equipment and get comfortable with the various settings. For those who haven’t spent any time on e-bikes, it’s a good opportunity to learn how much power each setting provides and just how much pressure the brakes will require. The tour caters to cyclists of all abilities; the joy of e-bikes is that you can get assistance from the machine should you need it.
There’s a short spiel about safety and how to respond to various hazards – shout if there’s a vehicle coming; ignore the barking dogs when they run to the edge of their properties – before we push out of the driveway under the sizzling sun about 1.30pm. It’s a clear day, though the breeze is a welcome companion as we get onto the road. Our ride is exclusively over gravel and dirt roads, and it isn’t long before your stability on the bike is tested by the loose rumble beneath the tyres.
We ride past fields of sugar cane, small schools and buildings of corrugated iron. Every passing car covers us in a wave of dust, usually accompanied by a friendly toot and a wave. They don’t see a lot of tourists out this way so, when they do, they’re happy, Lorima tells us.
He gives us a brief background of a cemetery early on our trip, which allows only cremated bodies because of a lack of space. We learn of the Sleeping Giant, a formation made by the hills in the distance. Legend has it that a giant fell asleep at the top of the Nausori highlands after eating too much. When we stop at our halfway point for a fresh coconut and some of the sweetest pineapple I’ve ever eaten, Lorima points out the formation: the head, the chest, and the big belly full of people.
On our way back, we see groups of men harvesting sugar cane among the ashes. Every time we pass such a group, they let out a hearty “Bula” and wave.
It’s a fun way to see a different side of Fiji, but next time I’d pack padded shorts to avoid a tender backside, and prepare better for the dry conditions. It’s not until I arrive back in Denarau that we see the full extent of the latter, leaving a lovely imprint of dirt on the nice white sheets at The Palms apartments before heading for a much-needed shower.
Fortunately, taking time for adventure doesn’t mean you lose an opportunity to put your feet up. Such is the way that Denarau is set up as a haven for tourists; my day goes from rural to relaxing, ending with dinner at the Sofitel Resort and Spa’s Waitui Beach Club. The Beach Club is strictly an adults-only experience, and you don’t have to be a Sofitel guest to book in.
For those wanting a holiday away from the noise of children, the Beach Club provides the perfect escape, with the adults-only pool well away from the resort’s more family-friendly areas. After 6pm, when the happy hour for guests ends, anyone can book a meal at the beachside restaurant, built out of an old chapel.
The delectable menu is heavy on meat and seafood, with vegetarian options too, and an extensive drinks list. It hums with quiet ambience; you’re aware of the other diners, but the noise doesn’t distract or detract from the dinner-time conversation.
It’s the perfect location for a final night on the island, watching the sun set and attacking a plate of snapper as the in-house musician plays an acoustic rendition of Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
FIJI
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Nadi with Fiji Airways
DETAILS
For more information on Land and Sea Tours’ iBike Fiji tour, visit landandseatours.com.fj.
New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtesy of Tourism Fiji.