mountain biking fiji© Pexels
mountain biking fiji

The Ultimate Guide to Mountain Biking in Fiji

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What You Need to Know About Mountain Biking in Fiji

Want to see the wild side of Fiji? Then mountain biking is one of the best ways to do it! With so much emphasis on water activities, many people forget to explore the rugged interiors of the Fiji islands. While mountain biking is not a huge sport in Fiji, a few resorts and tour companies are introducing bike hire and tours to their offerings, as it’s an amazing way to experience Fiji’s breathtaking landscape. Alternatively, hardcore mountain bikers can bring their own bike and get off the beaten track to discover the real Fiji. We’ll go through what are your options for mountain biking in Fiji, as well as a few tips, in this guide!

While dedicated downhill MTB parks might not be a huge thing in Fiji, it’s more about the cycle journey when it comes to mountain biking in Fiji. Mountain bikes make it easy to navigate the coastal trails or ride the gravel roads into Fiji’s interior passing villages, plantations and tropical forest along the way. For more adventure in Fiji, see 10 Best Adventure Activities in Fiji and 10 Best Adrenaline Tours in Fiji.

5 Tips for Biking in Fiji

  • Before setting out on your bike in a national heritage park check whether bikes are allowed on the trails, as sometimes it’s walkers only.
  • While cycling on gravel roads or dirt roads tends to be safe, be more cautious on sealed highways, as locals are not used to cyclists on the roads.
  • Make sure you stay well-hydrated, especially with the high temperatures. Pack more water than you would usually back home.
  • Leave the road cycle at home: the best roads for biking in Fiji are gravel roads and are best done with mountain bikes.
  • Try to plan your trip for the dry season (May-October) when the temperatures are also at their coolest.
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Best Places to Mountain Bike in Fiji

Trails for mountain biking in Fiji can be found on the mainland of Fiji, Viti Levu, as well as a few offshore islands.

Mountain Biking on Viti Levu

By far the easiest mountain biking trails to get to in Fiji, the dirt trails on the Sabeto foothills start just 5km/3miles north of Nadi International Airport. The dirt roads here lead to a wealth of attractions like the Garden of the Sleeping Giant (Wailoko Road), the Sebato Mud Pools (Wailoko Road), the Sleeping Giant Zipline (Holika Road), and Stoney Creek Resort. Here you’ll get a real taste of Fiji with the roads winding to Fijian villages and lush tropical forests.

Another option in the Nadi area and a real adventure is the Nausori Highlands. Either drive yourself or go with a local mountain biking tour along the Nadi Back Road and continue onto Mulomulo Road to walking tracks and 4×4 tracks that are suitable for mountain biking. You’ll get excellent views of the Sebato Valley, Nadi and the offshore islands.

Mountain Biking in Taveuni

Fiji’s third-largest island, Taveuni is often described as the “Garden Island” thanks to its lush forest interior. This also makes for enjoyable shaded biking in some of Fiji’s most stunning landscape. We recommend navigating the dirt roads of the Bouma National Heritage Park, where you’ll be surrounded by lush tropical forest and find short walks to various waterfalls along the way (not all walking tracks are suitable for bikes). The Bouma National Heritage Park can be accessed via road (follow the main coastal road past Vidawa until you see the signpost for the park), by resort shuttle or by taxi. Note that there is a small fee to enter the park.

Mountain Biking in the Mamanuca Islands

Thanks to readily available bike hire on Mana Island and at the Plantation Resort on Malolo Lailai Island, getting around these islands in the Mamanuca Islands is easy. The islands are flat and cruisey to ride on a mix of pathways and beaches (don’t worry, some of the bikes available to hire on the islands are made for riding on the sand). Cycle from resort to resort, experience the local restaurants, see all the stunning beaches and go on your own little adventure in the Mamanuca Islands.

© daveynin on Flickr

Mountain Biking Tours and Resorts in Fiji

One of the best ways to experience mountain biking in Fiji is with a resort that specialised in mountain biking or with a mountain biking tour operator.

Mountain Biking Tours on Vanua Levu

Fiji’s second-largest island hosts multiple resorts with excellent mountain biking opportunities. Koro Sun Resort in Savusavu has an amazing rainforest setting to mountain bike in. They offer complimentary bike and beach cruisers to their guests and a guided tour down the Hibiscus Highway, where you can choose from short seaside rides to longer excursions. Alternatively, Naveria Heights Lodge near Savusavu offers four bike rides from easy coastal rides to rides through villages and plantations to mountain biking in the hills.

Mountain Biking Tours on Viti Levu

On the mainland, bike tours are your best bet for getting to the best bike trails and hiring the right bike for the terrain. There are bike tours based in Nadi, or there are a number of hotels in Denarau that have bikes for hire. Note that many of the hotels don’t allow you to take the bikes outside of Denarau, so it’s only a good option to explore Denarau Island.

Find out more on Where to Rent a Bike in Fiji.

© XPinger (Chris Sutton) on Flickr

Bringing Your Own Bike to Fiji

Unless you are staying in Nadi, Denarau, selected resorts on Vanua Levu and the Mamanuca Islands where bike hire is readily available, you might want to bring your own bike to Fiji for full flexibility. And besides, nothing feels quite the same as your own bike.

Check Your Chosen Airline’s Regulations

Before considering bringing your own bike, you need to check what the regulations are for transporting bikes with the airline you plan on using. Most airlines require bikes to be packed in a bike box or bike bag. This means you will need to dismantle your bike to fit, there is no way around it. Check if there are any additional charges for checking in a bike, as some airlines charge around FJ$300 to check-in bikes. Finally, there may be a weight or size limit to your bike packaging so be sure to check that information too. (Usually, it’s around 2m/6.5ft long and 23kg/51lbs limit).

Packing Your Bike

As mentioned above, soft bike bags or cardboard bike boxes are the easiest packing option, as you can either fold up the bike bag to travel with once in Fiji. Bike bags or boxes are usually available at bike stores and bike boxes are sometimes sold at airports.

Insurance for Your Bike

Remember that you may want to add your bike as an extra personal item to your travel insurance, which is usually much cheaper than buying stand-alone insurance for it.

Read more about What to Pack for Fiji here.

Author

Laura S.

This article was reviewed and published by Laura, editor in chief and co-founder of Fiji Pocket Guide. Since arriving solo in the South Pacific over 10 years ago with nothing but a backpack and a background in journalism, her mission has been to show the world how easy (and awesome) it is to explore a paradise such as Fiji. She knows the islands inside-out and loves sharing tips on how best to experience Fiji’s must-dos and hidden gems. Laura is also editor of several other South Pacific travel guides.

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