Orchids
Astonishing colours.
Radosław Botev — CC BY 3.0 pl · Radosław Botev — CC BY 3.0 pl · Radosław Botev — CC BY 3.0 pl · Radosław Botev — CC BY 3.0 pl
A tropical orchid garden at the foot of a mountain range whose skyline resembles a giant lying asleep, hence its name. A famous American actor began it in the 1970s to house his orchid collection, and it has become one of the loveliest gardens in the Pacific. The garden holds hundreds of Asian and local orchid varieties in astonishing colours and shapes, blooming among rainforest trees and ferns, linked by shaded wooden walkways and bridges over water-lily ponds, ending in a path that climbs a little into the forest to a view over the valley. It is calm and shady, away from the coastal heat, filled with the sound of birds and frogs, and visitors are offered a cool juice at the end. It is usually combined with a visit to Nadi town and its colourful Hindu temple. The ticket is about FJD 20 per adult, per visitor guides. It is hot and humid most of the year, so carry water and insect repellent. Fiji's cyclone season runs from November to April, so follow weather warnings, per UK travel advice.
Astonishing colours.
Over ponds.
The skyline.
Sabeto, at the foot of the Nausori Highlands, north of Nadi
Because the mountain skyline behind it looks like a giant lying asleep.