Navua River Rafting & Kayaking
Explore Fiji’s Hidden Paradise
Slicing through stunning Fijian rainforest, the Upper Navua River cuts a narrow and dramatic path through Viti Levu’s highlands. The hidden waterway is home to some of the island nation’s most under-appreciated adventures. The narrow gorge offers a singular rafting experience with waterfalls and side canyons begging to be explored.
Protected under the Upper Navua Conservation Area, the wetland region is full of narrow canyons, dense jungle, and vast biodiversity. With its many recreational opportunities, the area provides locals with alternatives to traditional industries like logging and agriculture.
The Middle Navua River flows quietly past remote villages, where homes and farms dot the hillsides and children play along the banks. People may be fishing or pushing their bilibili (a traditional bamboo raft) loaded with fresh produce for the market in town. The slow, easy current allows for graceful, casual paddle strokes through a verdant rainforest. The calm kayaking and river boat ride is perfectly suited for those who’d like to experience a quieter and less-traveled side of Fiji.
Find Your Perfect Trip
NAVUA RIVER RAFTING ADVENTURES
Upper Navua Gorge: Fiji Whitewater Rafting
Location:
Fiji
Adventure Level:
Easier to Moderate
Minimum Age:
8
Middle Navua River Kayaking
Location:
Fiji
Adventure Level:
Easier to Moderate
Minimum Age:
8
A highlight of our trip to Fiji… a must do for adventurous travelers. Magnificent beauty and an educational cultural experience.
OARS Upper Navua River Rafting guest
What is the whitewater like on the Navua River?
The Upper Navua offers fun Class II-III whitewater that’s suitable for rafters as young as 8. Dodge big midriver boulders, splash through small holes, and bob through wave trains on this tropical rafting adventure.
What is the difference between trips on the Upper Navua and Middle Navua?
The Upper Navua adventure is a whitewater rafting trip, whereas the Middle Navua offers inflatable kayaking and a riverboat ride. Guests on the Upper Navua will paddle splashy Class II-III rapids through narrow fern-walled canyons and past cascading waterfalls. The Middle Navua gives visitors a chance to see Fiji’s beautiful inner island via beginner-friendly inflatable kayaking. Guests will paddle past local villages, hike to a waterfall, and boat through spectacular rainforest canyons.
What is the Upper Navua Conservation Area?
Our partner outfitter, Rivers Fiji, Ltd—along with the help of a number of indigenous landowning groups, a logging company, and the Native Land Trust Board—created the Upper Navua Conservation Area in the highlands of Viti Levu. The UNCA is a 17-km conservation corridor that protects the river and 200 meters to either side from future logging and gravel extraction. It maintains the pristine natural state of the Upper Navua River canyon and guarantees natural capital for the indigenous highland residents. We are proud to operate our Upper Navua River trips in the UNCA, and a percentage of your trip cost is paid in use fees to 9 land-owning families, 2 villages, and the Native Land Trust Board.
Why raft the Navua River with OARS?
We were the first company to set up low-impact commercial whitewater rafting trips in Fiji, and we helped create a conservation area that will save a segment of this incredible environment forever. To date, we are unaware of any other freshwater resource in the world being protected and conserved solely by the benefits of a sustainable whitewater tourism-based operation. This commitment by the mataqali (landowning clans), the Great Council of Chiefs, the Native Land Trust Board, and our company to protect and conserve this area has established one of the most unique conservation cooperatives anywhere in the world. On the Upper Navua River partner communities—including the nine mataqalis and 2 villages—receive FJD$3 per person who rafts with Rivers Fiji for a total of $33 per paddler.
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