Ride the road less travelled with your guide who will share their knowledge and stories about the nearby villages and what life in the village is like. Enjoy the off road safari to the caves.
Along the way you are able to see locals going about their daily lives. The scenery on this side of the island is unrivalled and from this particular point, you feel like you are on top of the world looking down on nature in all its beauty!
Many photo opportunities exist and this is just one of the many amazing locations as you travel through jaw dropping hills and green so rich, that you will begin to feel that you are indeed far away from the rest of the world. Then after some 35 minutes on the road less travelled, you will arrive at the bete’s or high priest’s residence/home/house. The priest and his family will warmly welcome you for visiting their part of the world and our female guests are then asked to wear their complimentary safari sulus, provided to them. The priests’ family is made up of four brothers and their families and are from nearby Sautabu village. They have been the traditional keepers of the Naihehe Cave for centuries. Legend has it that no one can go inside the cave without seeking their blessings or true to the meaning of Naihehe, one will get lost if they venture into the cave by themselves.
The sevusevu or traditional offering of yaqona, otherwise known as kava is presented to the priest seeking his blessing and guidance. Your guide will be on hand to explain or answer any questions you may have on Fijian traditions and customs. After the kava ceremony, the priest along with your Off Road Cave Safari guide will lead you to the entrance of the Naihehe Cave, a mere 5 minute stroll away.
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Upon reaching the entrance, take note of the vines hanging on the exterior and as you venture into Fiji’s largest cave, with only flashlights and lanterns to light up the cave, you will be left in awe as you realize that you are about to explore one of Fiji’s greatest treasures. The cave is more than 170 meters long and as you go through the initial small opening and into a small cavern, you will soon find yourself in a larger part of the cave. There is another low passage that is also known as the “pregnancy gap”, legend has it that if a woman were to hide her pregnancy, she would not be able to pass through the passage way. The “pregnancy gap” passage way allows little more than head height above the waterline to squeeze through into the main cave chamber.
Naihehe Cave was once a fortress for a cannibal tribe and still contains a cannibal oven, a ritual platform, the sacred priest chamber and other reminders of its cannibal history. Notable for their massive size and unusual natural characteristics, the caves also feature escape routes high up on the cave ceiling. Warriors used these openings to gather food and other essentials from the outside as the enemies waited at the cave entrance. Over the years, these escape routes have been sealed by natural causes. With other hidden chambers and tales of underwater caves within the Naihehe Cave, you will be left to wonder of the rich history of these once cannibal caves.
After exploring and learning all about the Naihehe Cave, you will proceed to the priest house where a mouth watering barbeque lunch complete with fresh fruit and juice awaits you.
Bring along a change of clothes as you are bound to take a swim in the nearby fresh water swimming hole as you enjoy the company of your new friends.
And before you know it, it’s time to head back in your guided ATVs…waving goodbye to your new friends… and as the fresh Sigatoka Valley breeze cools you down, you can’t help but appreciate the lushness of the region, and feel at ease knowing that you’ve travelled the road less travelled in FIJI!
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