Shore Excursion-Nadi Mudpools, Sleeping Giants Gardens, Markets, Temple & Shopping

Our wonderful driver Richard was waiting for us early, and we had a fantastic day seeing all the fascinating sights. Mud pools were so much better than I expected, a totally fun and memorable experience -- bring flip flops! We added on the massages, which were superb. The orchid gardens were beautiful -- lots of mountain trails, some moist, bring sturdy boots! We saw an extra Hindu temple in Nadi (for a few additional dollars) that was very worthwhile. Also went to the markets, saw beautiful views of the island, learned about sugar plantations, and so much more. Great tour! NOTE: Be sure to pay attention to texts on the morning of the tour. We had registered for 10am, got first text confirming that time, but then an hour beforehand we learned that van was there early with other waiting passengers so we rushed out to join them. Sorry to make others wait!

The gardens and lush trails around the sleeping Giant was spectacular. The mud pools was so much fun and rejuvenating. Our driver did a poor job in time management. He did not give timeframes at each stop and when we arrived at the temple, we could not go in because it closed at 1:00pm and he arrived there after 1:00.

The large van was newer, very clean, air conditioned and there was only the 2 of us for the tour. After a rough start when we realized it was not the Nadi Hindu Temple that this tour would go to, we negotiated with Mohammad and the tour company to add it to our tour for an additional $40 Fiji dollars. This was after waiting for 20 minutes inside the gate by the ship, while Mohammad waited for an hour for us outside the gate on the wharf. Lack of clear communication, so clear instructions would have been helpful. Having said all that, the day was great. Mohammad took us first to the temple as it is the furthest away from the port and happily there were no tour buses, so we got great photos. Then we visited Jack's department store which had expensive but nice souvenirs, and the local flower and fruit market. Mohammad pointed out all the different fruit that were new to us and we tasted Kava and pineapple. Bring small bills or change for the tastings. The Garden of the Sleeping Giant was next. It was an enjoyable 1/2 hour walk but not as many orchids / flowers in bloom as I expected. I'm a retired Landscape Designer so my garden experience was coloured by this. The papaya drink after the walk was delicious and much appreciated to cool down. Finally the Mudpools. This was a highlight of the day. Our tour guide was a young local Fijian man who showed us the 75C degree hot spring source. He did an excellent job showing us the different pools and taking many photos of us pre and after mud. The mud pools were fun to wash off in and our face and skin really did feel softer. Mohammed gave us an excellent overview of Fiji and life in Fiji which we appreciated, especially since he went to places in an order that avoided the mass of ship cruise tour vans coming. Even with the rough start it was a 5 star day.

I walk with a cane and cannot stand up in ocean with waves because my balance is bad. I was happy to be able to utilize the mud pool and thermal pools which were fun and relaxing. Lunch at Boat Shed restaurant overlooking a marina was delicious and relaxing. Stop at Hare Krishna temple was quick and market stop was interesting but I arrived on a cruise ship so I wasn’t able to purchase vegetables (though fresh and low priced), so 30 min at market was a waste of time for me. Driver was nice but never provided an exact time to return to the van after the stop. Each stop we (8 passengers) were either looking for him or waiting for him so we could get into van. Van was air conditioned with comfortable seats—highly recommend this tour company.

This tour was fun. Avi was a joy and shared a lot. Although the Indian history and temple visit was nice to learn and see, we would have preferred a better balance of history of the islands and the Fijian people in addition to the Indian history. The Garden of the Sleeping Giant was beautiful and the mud pools were a lot of fun. Our van was all ladies from our cruise and it turned out, we were all from California so we had a lot to chat about making the experience even more enjoyable.

The tour gave us a great look at Lautoka. We had an informative experience at the temple and enjoyed the market and gardens. The mud baths and warm springs were an amazing and fun experience. Even though the weather was rainy our guide Avi made sure we had an unforgettable experience.

Our tour guide Mohamed was wonderful offered lots of information very personable would recommend to everyone

I enjoyed everything we did, but the most memorable had to be the mud baths and the massage afterward. The entire experience was unforgettable. Our tour guide Jason was most informative. He gave us the history of the island and answered every question we had. We couldn’t have asked for a better, Tour Guide.

The mud bath was amazing. Friendly staff that were super helpful. However the sleeping giant was a let down. No guidance on what to do or where to go. All in all I think that this trip was over priced. The cost of enter to the sleeping giant was around fj$64 per person. Mid bath was around fj$40 per person we paid close todj$500

So glad we booked this excursion. Better than we hoped. Our guide was brilliant, lots of interesting knowledge and good humour made for a great day out. The markets were interesting, the temple was beautiful and our guide informed us about the Hindu religion which was truly interesting. The sleeping giant mountain and the orchid gardens were so beautiful, we took too many photos. The walk through the gardens to the top of the hill was so humid we look liked we'd been swimming, but soooo worth it. The mudbaths and thermal pools were the perfect way to finish off. Glad we were taken to the ones run by locals. If you're wondering whether its worth it, I can assure you that you willl not be disappointed!. But, you may be a bit hungry at the end. Maybe take some cash and buy some local fruit at the market to keep you going