Lautoka Friday Foto Flashback

I’m doing a Friday Foto Flashback today and taking you to the beautiful island of Fiji and the port of Lautoka. We visited this island paradise in 2019 and were captivated by its blue skies, tropical breezes, and friendly people. 

Goodbye Sydney, Hello Lautoka

We left the bustling port of Sydney on April 21. During our time there, it felt like we were surrounded by thousands of people wherever we went. But five days and nearly 2,000 miles later, the MS Noordam docked at the port of Lautoka. The port is Fiji’s second largest, and its main focus is sugar cane exports, not tourism. Still, the locals have figured out how to make both work and we soon found ourselves on another shore excursion.

We boarded a modern passenger van that drove us to our first stop, a community hall. A group of locals met us and treated to a show. The women wore colorful dresses, and the men were decked out in grass skirts and some pretty cool neckwear. (It beats the suit and tie I wore to work for all those years!)

Jewelry, anyone?

Our next stop on our excursion was a small village. There, the chief greeted us, then turned the eager tourists loose on the Lautoka version of a craft fair. I probably disappointed the woman whose jewelry I photographed. She got bragging rights because one of the tourists took photos of her stuff. Unfortunately, she didn’t make a sale. I get it, lady. I’ve worked my share of tradeshow booths over the years, and it’s a tough business. They also gave us the opportunity to wander. Check out the cool pews in the church shown above.

Some of the photos in this Lautoka flashback post appeared in my original post, Lautoka dancers and singers perform at community center. Click here to view more Friday Morning Post entries, or you can follow me on Instagram.