The Coral Coast is where the reef comes close to the road and the villages sit just behind it. This day is built around people rather than viewpoints.

You visit Lawai, where pottery is still shaped and fired the way it has been for generations, sit for a kava ceremony, and watch a meke performed by the community that owns it. Between visits you cruise along Sigatoka Valley Road — Fiji's salad bowl — to the river town, where there is time to walk the market, shop around town and have lunch.

The day finishes at Natadola, a wide beach with real surf and almost no development, which is the right way to end it. Swim, or try one of the massages or a horse ride on the sand — those are at your own expense.

Best for

Couples and families who want the cultural day rather than the resort day.

Pace

Steady. Village visits, short walks, a beach stop.