Talanoa Treks

Born from friendships with remote communities, Talanoa Treks is Fiji’s only multi-day hiking company. Their hikes take you off the beaten track and into the highlands of Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu.


Highland Escape

Talanoa Treks is a social enterprise that offers multi-day guided hikes, treks, and tramping trips in partnership with four rural iTaukei communities. These treks will take you away from the beaches and into Fiji’s interior, immerse you in nature, and open a window to life in and the hospitality of Fijian villages.

Whilst Talanoa Treks looks after all logistics including 4×4 transport, safety management and trip leading, they work in partnership with their partner communities supporting them to provide community-style accommodation, mostly homegrown buffet style meals and trained community guides.



Schedule

Talanoa Treks works on a scheduled departure itinerary with a maximum of 12 guests per trip, and usually closer to eight. They also offer private tailored trips for groups or educational institutions, and if you can organise a group of eight they will reserve a scheduled trip just for you and your family or friends.

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the core of Talanoa Treks and they work hard to ensure they are preserving the environment, culture and are economically viable for all partners involved. Your hike provides a supplementary source of income to these agricultural and largely subsistence communities.



Tracks

Talanoa Treks’ hiking routes follow pathways between villages, often used for pig-hunting, plantation access and farming, some for many generations. They work with the communities to keep the tracks clear, but they can at times be rough and muddy as there are no ‘national park’ built or maintained walking tracks. A good level of fitness and a healthy spirit of adventure are musts!



Accommodation, washing facilities and food

Walkers are hosted overnight by the communities in the village community hall. With traditional woven mat floors, mattresses, pillows, sheets, and blankets are provided by Talanoa Treks to provide a bit of comfort. Each village has several well kept flushing toilets and have built cold-water showers to freshen up after a hot hike.

Each village uses mostly homegrown produce to treat guests to Fijian buffet style meals each evening and morning. A packed lunch is carried by the guides and shared with guests during the hike.


Talanoa Treks has deep friendships with their partner communities

Culture

Talanoa Treks has deep friendships with their partner communities and works to ensure cultural protocols are always abided by, and their guides will gently remind you to remove your hat or put on a sulu (sarong) as needed.

As a symbol of this, in each new village, your guides will lead you in a “i-sevusevu”, a traditional ceremony where they will present the root of the yaqona plant (kava) to the village elders asking for permission to be in the village and protection as you cross their land. This ensures that every guest can enjoy their hike knowing they have the blessing of the traditional landowners.

‘Talanoa’ in Fijian means to share stories and is how information is passed between generations. Guests are encouraged to talanoa with their hosts as you never know what might be hidden in plain sight; medicinal plants, old village sites, fishing grounds along the river, ancient battlefields and legends of the area.




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