Abaca Lodges

This was a great experience and we highly recommend. We booked directly with Pau (pauliasikubu62@gmail.com) and purposely didn't go through a tour company - they take a high commission away from the village. It's hard to get through to Pau though, as no reception or data in the village means he must drive into Lautoka to answer emails. But a week before arriving, we got an answer and though no actual confirmation that they could in fact pick us up at the bus station in Lautoka at a specific time, lo and behold, Mark was there to pick us up. We stayed one night in Pau's home and the hospitality was lovely. The sleeping arrangements are very simple and humble, but it suited us fine and was worth the experience. When we arrived, the men who played 7's for the village were practicing in the field in front of the church. After they finished, they huddled for prayer and then broke out into a glorious a cappella hymn in 4 part harmony. It was incredible to witness this small slice of life under moonlit skies. That night we presented our kava root to the chief and shared kava together. My husband stayed and had great conversations about the world and life with Pau, the chief, and a few other men. Our dinner and breakfast was a big spread of food and wonderful. The next morning at 8am, Pau let us up to hike Mt. Batilamu. It was 10km round trip - 3 hours up and 2 hours down (closer to 6 hours total when you count the break for lunch up on the cliff). Our kids (6&8) were well able for the climb at this pace, but we do hike with them back in Vancouver for context. The way down was quite slippery at the top, so that portion did take longer than we had hoped. For a portion of that terrain Pau had our son on his shoulders, if you can believe it ;). We highly recommend doing village stays like this when in Fiji, to get off the beaten track and away from the curated resorts. The only way to really see the Fijian way of life is to stay over night and immerse yourself to do so. You must be open minded and okay with rustic accommodations and in return you will have an authentic and memorable experience.

I have always wanted to explore highlands in Fiji above Lautoka. Finally we were able to drive up to Abaca village in our own truck (not 4wheel drive) We had to pay $20 per head at the visitors centre. The scenery was spectacular as expected as well as the flora - beautiful views down to the ocean; lush vegetation especially in rain forest part. Unfortunately we only got to see waterfall from the distance due to poor marking and overgrown trails. We do hope very much to go there again once it has been cleared up more