Lautoka
Fiji's second city and its sugar port, built around a mill, with a Hindu temple and a market that few visitors reach.
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Lautoka is the second city of Fiji and the centre of the sugar industry, with a mill in the middle of town and cane trains running through the streets in season. It is more Indo-Fijian than Nadi, with the Sri Krishna Kaliya temple, the mosque and a busy market reflecting that, and it sees very few tourists despite being half an hour from the airport. The name means spear hit, from a story about a duel between two chiefs.
What you actually see
- The sugar mill - the plant at the centre of town, with cane trains serving it.
- The Sri Krishna Kaliya temple - a Hindu temple in the town centre.
- The market - a large working produce and kava market.
- The waterfront - the port and the view out to the Mamanucas.
When to go
May to October is the drier season. The cane crushing season, roughly June to November, is when the mill and the trains are working. Saturday is the big market day.
Honest expectations
Lautoka is a working port and industrial town, not a scenic one, and there is little laid on for visitors. The mill is not open to the public. Most travellers pass through on the way to the Yasawas.
Nearby
Nadi is south, and the Yasawa boats leave from Lautoka wharf.
What to pack for Lautoka
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
