Fun when you get there.
It is a fun trip on the jet boat and the village experience felt authentic. The boat trip was a bit short, especially for the drive we did to get to it. I would have rated it much higher if I had been closer to the venue. You sit down on the ground to eat with the villagers, who put on a lovely spread of food to be eaten by hand. The singing and ceremny of having us all as visitors was well done and quite a happy affair. Things to keep in mind include: We were at Denarau and were lead to believe it was about 30 minutes to the safari. When I booked, I was thinking it must be a trip on the river closer to our end of it, however, we had a 2 hour drive down to Sigatoka before the 30 minute trip mentioned on the safari started. That was quite a surprise for all of us on the minibus. It's a long and bumpy trip down, and back. On the up side, you get to see a fair bit of the real Fiji away from the resorts. Be up front about the length of the excursion, the travel time was longer than the experience!
It would also have been nice to let me know that a tribute for the village would be needed. I understand "accept but not expect", but a hint would be good.
Response from the operator · JayWhyte
Bula Vinaka,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re pleased that you enjoyed the jet boat ride and, most importantly, found the village experience authentic. We do appreciate all feedback, as it helps us continually review how we communicate and deliver the experience, and there are a couple of points we would like to clarify for future travellers reading your review.
We’re sorry to hear that you were under the impression the Safari was only around 30 minutes from Denarau. Denarau is over 66km from Sigatoka, the town from which Sigatoka River Safari derives its name. Under normal conditions, even without traffic, road delays or additional passenger pickups, the journey is approximately 1 hour 5 minutes at minimum. We’re therefore unsure where the 30-minute expectation originated, as this is not a travel time we would provide for Denarau to Sigatoka.
Our Denarau pickups commence from approximately 7:00am, depending on the resort, with guests typically arriving at our Sigatoka Town headquarters before 8:30am. The Safari then departs Sigatoka at 8:45am.
The approximately 30-minute journey from Sigatoka Town into the Sigatoka Valley is actually part of the Safari experience, rather than simply another transfer. Along the way, our guides share information about Fiji, the valley, its people and village life, while pointing out places of interest before reaching our jet boat departure point.
Naturally, guests staying in Denarau will have a considerably longer journey to and from Sigatoka than those staying on the Coral Coast, simply due to the distance involved. We welcome all feedback as an opportunity to identify and refine any perceived weaknesses in the guest experience. In this instance, however, the distance between Denarau and Sigatoka is ultimately a geographical one and therefore something we obviously cannot change. What we can continue to do is ensure the location and transfer arrangements are communicated as clearly as possible.
We would also like to clarify your reference to a “tribute” for the village. There is absolutely no requirement or expectation for guests to bring a gift or make a donation. During our briefing, we explain that some guests choose to bring gifts, and if they have done so, they should let their captain know so they can assist with the appropriate traditional presentation. The choice to give is left entirely to the individual. Simply by joining the Sigatoka River Safari, you are already contributing to our longstanding partnerships with the village communities.
We are genuinely sorry that your initial assumption about our proximity to Denarau affected your expectations of the day. At the same time, we greatly appreciate that once you were on Safari, you enjoyed the jet boating, traditional ceremony, food and singing, and particularly the time spent with your new friends in the village.
That genuine connection with the people of the Sigatoka Valley is ultimately what we hope our guests remember long after the journey home.
Vinaka Vakalevu,
Jay Whyte
Owner/operator
Sigatoka River Safari
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