Kayaking & Whitewater Rafting

Types of Kayaking and Whitewater Rafting

Fiji River Kayaking | Day Tours

Paddle your way peacefully down the 3 km-long tidal Qaloqalo River, an untouched region on the northern island of Vanua Levu, past dense mangrove forests (the wetlands of the tropical climate). The Mangroves provide a home to abundant avian and marine species, protected from the ocean’s tidal currents.  You will arrive at the island’s largest pristine ‘Salt Lake’, covering 100 acres of tranquil beauty, where exploration is compulsory.

Koro Sun Resort – Further details

Savasi Island Resort –  Further Details

Immersion Fiji 1/2 Day Salt Lake Kayak Adventure

Fiji Journal Top Tip #1: If you follow the tides, you’ll never have to fight the current, letting the ocean currents guide you to Salt Lake. As the tide turns, simply do the reverse, heading downriver toward home.  Venues providing guided tours

River Fiji – Middle Navua River Kayaking – Raft or paddle your inflatable kayak in the fun, Class II whitewater of the Middle Navua River, hike a magnificent waterfall, and swim in the spectacular pools with Rivers Fiji. More information on the Navuva River is below in the White Water Rafting section.

Dedicated Sea Kayaking Holidays

There are two companies that offer sea kayaking holidays in the Fiji Islands: Southern Sea Ventures and Tamarillo Active Travel. Each company has over 25 years of experience in the field. Southern Sea Ventures kayaks around the beautiful Yasawa islands, while the Tamarillo Active Travel company kayaks around the untouchable paradise of Kadavu. You really cannot go wrong by choosing either of these professional companies; all you have to do is choose companions to join you on an adventure of a lifetime, the travel dates, and the destination of your choice, the Yasawa Islands or Kadavu. We have provided you with a brief outline of the companies below, along with links to their respective websites.

Southern Sea Ventures

The founder and fellow adventurer of Southern Sea Ventures, Al Bakker, first came to Fiji, more specifically the Yasawa Islands, in the late 1980s. Your adventure begins with a boat transfer from Port Denarau to their home base in the Blue Lagoon. The journey of discovery incorporates the four northernmost islands in the Yasawa chain. As you navigate between the islands, you will be camping on isolated beaches and staying in small native villages so you can experience the Fijian culture and customs.  Website

Tamarillo Active Travel

Anthony Norris knew immediately upon his first visit to Kadavu in 1995 that he’d found a sea-kayaking paradise. The Great Astrolabe Reef, surrounding the Kadavu archipelago, protects the lagoons and islands from the ocean swell and creates an ideal environment for sea kayaking, with overnight stays at small, close-to-nature resorts and sometimes village homestays. The team guides include indigenous Kadavu Islanders, each with a lifetime of local environmental and cultural knowledge.

You simply choose the start date, trips are available year-round. You decide who to invite; the trip will be private for your group. You’ll have your own guides and travel at your own pace. The minimum group size required is just 2 people; the maximum is 14.  Book your next Group Event Now for an experience of a lifetime

White Water Rafting and River Tubing on the Upper Navua River

Discover Fiji’s Grand Canyon, a gorge that slices through the volcanic heartland of Viti Levu. As soon as you step into this awe-inspiring environment, time will simply stand still. You will be shrouded in lush rainforest, with cascading waterfalls hugging the canyon walls and shallow, fast-flowing rapids navigating their way to the ocean.

The Upper Navua represents one of the most unique conservation cooperatives in the world, which prevents logging, mining or roads within 200 meters of the river’s lapping waters. Created in 2000, with the help of a small rafting company and nine local land-owning families, two villages, a logging company, and a government entity, it is one of the only protected rivers in the South Pacific.

Classified as  Il-Ill whitewater

• Class II Rapids: Novice – are considered novice level with straightforward rapids that have wide, clear channels evident without scouting. While occasional maneuvering may be required, rocks and medium-sized waves are easily missed by trained rafters.
• Class III: Intermediate – Rapids have moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid and can swamp an open canoe. Complex maneuvers in fast currents and good boat control in tight passages or around ledges are often required. Large waves or strainers may be present but can be easily avoided. Strong eddies and powerful current effects can be found, particularly on larger-volume rivers.

(Courtesy of American Whitewater Organisation)

River Tubing Fiji

River Tubing Fiji is a locally owned family business providing an authentic experience with greater insights into the locals’ way of life, with its roots firmly established in the rich history and culture of the Namosi Highlands.

River tubing is an outdoor sport in which people ride inner tubes down the Navua River. Depending on the conditions at the river, tubing can be a relaxing way to spend an afternoon, or it can be an invigorating adventure. On a gentle river, this sport is suitable for people of a wide range of ages and physical abilities, and it can be a great vacation activity for people traveling with children.

River Rafting 

Since 1998, Rivers Fiji has been offering whitewater rafting and sea kayaking excursions for adventurous travelers of all ages and abilities. With 1-day highland river adventures on the Upper Navua and the ‘Luva River, as well as a selection of 1-day coastal sea kayaking tours, Rivers Fiji sets the standard for ecotourism in Fiji.

Further Reading

Read the amazing article called *Rafting up Navua” By Aimee Jane Photos by Iva Rokovesa, originally posted in the Fiji Airways inflight magazine.  The article details her own personal adventure of this geological goliath.

Video Documentary – Join filmmaker Pete McBride, a National Geographic Freshwater Hero, on a journey into the Fijian Highlands to discover why the locals said “no” to easy money from resource extraction, and how they turned to tourism to fund a conservation area that protects one of the most beautiful rivers on Earth.