This morning we had a wonderful sail into Lautoka, Fiji past some uninhabited islands that belong to Fiji. Fiji we later found out is made up of about 333 islands, of which approximately 110 are inhabited, with Viti Levu (where we are) and Vanua Levu (Savusavu) being the biggest islands and where the majority of the population lives today.
Originally, we were supposed to stop at Dravuni Island, Fiji today, which is a fairly small island inhabited by about 200 people. It has no services however a wonderful beach and you can walk around it and up the sloping summit to get a panoramic view of the area. Also it is said that the swimming in the turquoise waters is awesome! Anyways, unfortunately a storm damaged the wharf for the island, so that the tenders from the cruise ship could no longer use it so then we were notified about a month prior to sailing that we would be spending 2 nights in Lautoka instead. At that time, I quickly signed up for an excursion – there were not many left as the email had gone out over night and those on the East Coast had gotten a jump on what was available. It was interesting to see that the tours being offered for today, Saturday, than tomorrow, our originally planned day in Lautoka, Sunday, November 2nd. The tour that sold out the fastest was the one to the Hilton Resort on a nearby island for a day of relaxation! However I much preferred going to see the Orchid Farm and Village! On the bus we found out why the tour offerings were so different – the Fijians do not work on Sundays – that is their day to go to church and spend time with their family. So the majority of the tours that were available on Saturday like the one we were taking, were not offered on Sundays. Makes sense!
So onto a bus we were sent and had a nice drive past the sugar factory and other industrial areas of Lautoka to the Orchid Farm. We were greeted by the grandmother, daughter and son that run the farm and taken into the main house which houses a bunch of historical antiques from when the family immigrated to Fiji from Scotland.
As there were about 24 stairs to get up to the house above, the family had suggested that I walk up the driveway around to the back of the house and go into it via the garage where there were only 2 steps. I did so with haste, as the rest of the tour was already in the house. It was a beautiful display! The grandson talked about being in Fiji and highlighted the different pieces around the room and then we were free to examine them ourselves. The man speaking above is the 6th generation of the family to live in Fiji. Coming back down I took some time on my secret path to take some pictures of their garden and of the house behind it on my way to the open air lunch area where they were serving us tea and sandwiches.
Now in the lunch area which is used for guests, workers and for fairs, we all sat down and had some lunch, which to my surprise, I was presented with a fruit platter instead of the sandwiches and banana bread! Impressed that Holland America got it right this time as it was an included meal. As to what the fruit I was eating? Well pineapple for sure, however not quite positive on the other two – one seemed like guava or mango but not quite and the other was like a sour apple! Then the “grandmother” of the gentleman who spoke to us in the house told us about the Orchid Farm and how it supports ladies on the west side of the island who are single parents, with micro loans to grow flowers which the Orchid Farm then sells to select vendors. Those vendors DO NOT include hotels and restaurants though as they do not pay on time! I thought that was interesting – it seems it was basically a cash business. Lovely lady who obviously cares for her community and has nurtured a great business along over the years. Next we moved onto a tour of the orchid business itself!
As you can see above, we could not see a “sea” of orchids in bloom as it was just the beginning of November and just at the end of their 3 month dormant time. You could see the plants putting up their tips and roots for new growth! Interesting enough though, in all the tables that we saw, Andrew did find one that had just started blooming! Most of the orchids that this company grows are the type that bloom 9 months of the year and then are dormant for 3 months. The ones that I saw in the garden are a different type of orchid which blooms year round. I was not aware that there were these two distinct types!
Next we got back on the bus, as we were now headed to a local village to visit, have a Kava ceremony, watch some dancing! During the bus ride the guide talked about Fiji and there are 4 administrative Divisions in Fiji – Central, Eastern, Northern and Western. In each of those Divisions there are Provinces – a total of 14 spread through the Divisions – Central has 5 and the rest have 3 each. Fiji uses the Parliamentary system, like Canada and each province has its own Provincial Council, which I would equate to our Provincial Government. Each Division has a Commissioner appointed by the Fijian government, which is based in Suva (we will be there in 2 days). From the Provincial level, there are districts and then villages. Within there is their own government of chiefs and councils. I cannot remember what the guide said with regards to the number of districts and villages in Fiji, however I did find online an estimate of about 195 districts and 1,193 villages. However one recent change in Fiji is for the cities – such as Lautoka, Suva and some towns – as they are more modern and house businesses – they now elect local government positions which are 3-4 year terms – similar to how cities work in Canada.
When it comes to the Fijian government and parliament, Fiji separated from the United Kingdom on 10 October 1970, where the colonial government was disbanded and they moved to Parliamentary rule. There have been a couple of coup’s in the Fijian Parliament over the years and changes to how it has been run, with some military involvement to keep things moving forward. Currently, the Parliament of Fiji consists of 55 members (plus a speaker) and is led by the Prime Minister, who, like in Canada, is the elected leader of the largest party of government, who hold 26 seats. It happens though to be a coalition government in power, which is a combination of 3 parties and they have been in power since 2022.
We have now gotten to the village we are going to visit! We see they are expecting us as all the ladies have their goods out for sale on tables in front of the community hall, where we are quickly ushered into. This Kava ceremony was a bit more relaxed you might say, however they only wanted male volunteers this time! I did not bother filming it as it was a very simple ceremony and the Kava was already prepared. The MC lady then introduced the choir master and the show began!
After the Kava Ceremony and singing we were then let loose for about 15 minutes to take pictures of the Village prior to boarding the bus into Nadi where we were to have a shopping stop. Here are my pictures of the village!
After exploring the village, we were then back on the bus back to the ship. On the way, we got a view of the island where the TV show Survivor is filmed along with I was able to take some pictures of the industry in Lautoka – a truck laden down with sugar cane on its way to the factory and the wood chip piles waiting to be processed and sent to Asia.
Now we got back to the ship, there were lots of vendors set out selling their wares! I was able to resist purchasing from most of them except I did get one t-shirt which of course was my favourite colour and then we got onto the ship to relax!
Tomorrow we have our original excursion planned to the city of Nadi along with some other interesting things to do along the way!