Hello!
What are the best-value accommodation places in Taveuni and Kadavu? The best rate so far I've found for Kadavu is about 25 EUR/day for a double with meals.
I haven't looked into Taveuni accommodation much yet but would assume the lodge in the park on the east side of the island is the cheapest one?
Is there any good budget places to eat on Taveuni? Kadavu probably won't have any.
-J
I don't know the most recent prices of everything. The lodge at Lavena was one of the cheapest places, but the price just covered the accommodation. The place had a kitchen you could use. No store in the settlement - except out of a closet in some woman's house where you could get noodle soup, tinned meat, eggs, biscuits (hard as rock, the sort people would bring on polar expeditions). Otherwise you could order an evening meal separate, and one of the village women would prepare something for you.
Lisi's guesthouse in Matei was about the same price ( a bit cheaper according to my records). evening meals also ordered separate, around FJ$10. I thought these to be better than anything I could get in a restaurant at similar prices
The difficulty with places to eat is that you'll rarely find them anywhere outside of a moderately sized town. The 'settlements' rarely have any sort of public infrastructure. Outside a town it will be the resort meal plan -- or something cooked to order in the lodge/guesthouse of a settlement you're staying at. So, for example, there are one or two moderately priced restaurants in Matei (on Taveuni) and a couple of places in Nqara (west side of Taveuni).
Thanks for the replies!
oldpro: Even if you're probably a carnivore, would you be able to elaborate on how a vegetarian would be catered for in these restaurants?
harrychorpita: I may look into that, but we should stay in a dorm to keep in budget..
Are there local markets in the local towns in Kadavu or Taveuni that I could go to pick up groceries / readymade meals?
-J
Score yourself a copy of David Stanley's 'Moon Handbooks - Fiji'. This guy does his homework.
I'm an omnivore, which I find useful. All I ever do is examine the menu - and stay away from certain items. It's also my impression that people are open to some improvisation if you have special requests. It doesn't quite work as in many western countries where you get a fixed meal from the menu and that's it. Some of these places the cook might be the person serving, small places, so you can talk with them.
There are small grocery stores in Matei anf Nqara on Taveuni - not a lot of choice. Basic tinned stuff, some fresh vegetables. Nothing in the way of readymade meals (except packets of instant noodles), that's too 'advanced'.
Yeah by "readymade meals" I meant local food, readymade, packaged somehow, not big commercial stuff. Although this year in Australia has taught me that on this side of the world they don't really know about ready-made meals at all, there is NOTHING in the shops whatsoever - compared to back home at least.
Anyhow, I already have the SPacific from Moon HB, I figure I will stick with it. Don't have time to order anything, actually, THE DATE is closing in faster than ever before... 5 days..
Good to know that the places are adaptable. I figure they will be more flexible than some places in the Mongolian countryside at least, so if we survived that, we will be alright there.
Thanks for all information provided, Transendance and oldpro!
-J
there is NOTHING in the shops whatsoever - compared to back home at least
You're right about the comparisons with back home (western Europe in general).
The only 'ready made' on Fiji will be take-away meals from restaurants, which is always possible -- but then you'll have to be in a town big enough to have restaurants.
