Navala Village

Navala sits in a valley in the highlands inland from Ba, and it is the only village left in Fiji where every house is a traditional bure: timber frame, thatched roof and walls, laid out in ordered rows on a grid running down to the river, with the chief's bure above. The village decided to keep building this way and enforces it. Visitors are received formally, with a sevusevu presented to the elders, and a guide from the village shows you round.

What you actually see

• The thatched bure - every house in the village built in the traditional form.
• The village layout - ordered rows on a grid running down towards the river.
• The chief's bure - the largest building, above the others.
• The valley setting - grassland hills and the river below the village.

When to go

May to October is the drier season and the best for the road, which is rough. The wet season makes the track difficult and river crossings uncertain. Sunday is church day and visits are not appropriate then.

Honest expectations

This is a living village, not an open-air museum: the fee and sevusevu are required, photography needs asking, and modest dress covering shoulders and knees is expected. The road in needs a four-wheel drive. Visiting without a guide from the village is not acceptable.

Nearby

Ba is on the coast, and the Nausori Highlands run south.