The Sigatoka Sand Dunes are quite a sight unlike anywhere else. Located in the southern half of the Nadronga Navosa district in Fiji, these sand dunes have gained fame for both being a national park and a training ground for the Fijian Rugby team.

My team and I (21 people) entered the national park from the visitors center, which is located near Queens Road. Following the 1 hour trail, the first part of the trail is a short hike through the woods.

A short hike (~10-15 minutes) along the trail leads to a small plateau, where we were greeted with a sight reminiscent of the Scottish highlands.

Further down the same plateau, one can catch a glimpse of what the area is known for.

Continuing down from the plateau, we enter another small patch of trees, with flowers and all. Gradually the greenery gives way to more open terrain and with it, sand. A gentle slope leads upwards to the first of many dunes, akin to being plucked out of the woods and placed straight in the Sahara (minus the searing temperatures).

 

 

 

 

A quick jump down one of these dunes almost always guarantees a cardio-worthy scramble up the dunes. That’s Fijian rugby training for you right there.

 

Granted, I jumped down these dunes a lot, purely for the sheer fun of it.

 

 

 

Anyway, a walk further along these dunes gives way to the coast, and the Pacific beyond.

Our lunch stop was us sitting by the beach, eating our lovingly packed lunches from our Fijian foster families (will be written about in a later post :)) With our bellies filled, we trekked from the coast back to the visitors’ center through the woods, where we spotted a colony of fruit bats chilling in a tree.

Given more time, we would have taken the 2 hour route, where on the other end of the beach lie remnants of ancient Fijian culture (e.g: ancient wooden huts built right by the seaside). Even so, the one hour trek was quite the unforgettable experience; wonder being my word to describe our little hike.

In my travels, never have I seen any place containing 3 different landscapes, each one transitioning into the other seamlessly, nor have I ever had that much fun jumping down a sand dune before. Have you been to anywhere of similar beauty or landscape? Let me know in the comments, thank you for reading and have a nice day!!