A Complete Coral Coast Travel Guide

Fiji's most popular tourism area is the Coral Coast which offers both small and large beach resorts and lots of sightseeing tours, cultural centres and historical sites to keep you busy. The Coral Coast comprises two distinct halves - the dry coast between Nadi and Korotogo with perpetual sunshine and the tropical rainforest coast between Korotogo and Pacific Harbour which is more rugged with rainforested hills, more cloud cover and higher rainfall (mostly in the afternoons).

Heading south from Nadi, the Queens Highway travels a mile or so inland through rural sugar cane farms with sweeping views of the sun baked hills of the Nadi Highlands. Just 10-minutes drive south of Nadi Town is Sonaisali Island Resort which is popular as a package holiday market with Australians and New Zealanders. The resort is located on a small mangrove island 2-minutes by boat and offers a mediorcre beach with brackish water but does have splendid ocean views, easy boat access to great snorkelling reefs, game fishing and island trips, a huge swimming pool and lots of organized activities and water sports. Sonaisali is very popular with families.

Ten minutes further south and hidden in a delightful hilly setting overlooking the ocean and offshore Mamanuca Islands is the new Momi Bay Resort development. This stunnng 1,100 acre development will undoubtably be the finest in the South Pacific. Three hotels are planned including The Fiji Marriott Resort & Spa sheduled for opening in eary 2007 with a huge lagoonarium and overwater bungalows. There's a spectacular private Thomson Perrett designed USPGA standard golf course, several picturesque landscaped beach areas and a Sea World development is planned in the future.

Beyond Momi Bay, the highway travels for 10km through Pine Forests. Beyond these plantations is the turn off for Natadola Beach, one of the best beaches in Fiji with fine white sand and body surfing. The beach remains public access but another large resort development is taking place. The only place to stay at present is the small Natadola Beach Resort which sits across the road from the beach and offers eleven Mediterranean style villas for adults only.

Sigatoka Town is a typical small market town with Indian shops and restaurants and is set on the Sigatoka River. With such tourist influence, there are several large boutique shops offering tourist handicrafts and clothing. Two roads lead inland either side of the river, and each offer great sightseeing through valleys and rural farms with two points of particular interest. On the Sigatoka Town side of the river, about 2 miles inland, is the Nakabuta Pottery Village. The village makes traditional style pottery and demonstrations are displayed in the large Meeting House bure. On the other side of the river is the Tavuni Hill Fort National Historic Site (entrance fee is F$10). A trail leads up a steep hill, the top of which an ancient Tongan Fort remains. Highlights of this historic site include the killing stone, used in the times of Cannibalism, and sweeping views across the Sigatoka River Valley.