Navua River Tubing

Into Fiji's Jungle Interior

Most Fiji visitors stay on the coast or the islands. The Navua River Tubing tour goes somewhere completely different: deep into the Fijian highlands, where the landscape is dramatic gorges, cascading waterfalls, dense jungle canopy, and traditional villages that see relatively few visitors. It is one of the most distinctive experiences available in Fiji — and one of the most frequently praised by visitors who do it.

River Tubing Fiji is a local, family-owned business. It was operating long before Viator listed it and has accumulated over 900 reviews on that platform alone, the vast majority extremely positive. The operators know the river, the village, and the land intimately. This is not a corporate tour product — it is a genuinely local operation.

How the Day Works

The tour begins with a hotel pickup and a drive to the Navua River landing. From there, you board a traditional longboat for the scenic journey upriver — past farmland, dense jungle, and the first waterfalls. The longboat ride alone is worth the trip: the gorge narrows as you travel upstream, limestone walls rising on both sides, waterfalls appearing around every bend.

At the village, you participate in a traditional kava ceremony and receive a cultural welcome. Your guide explains the village's history and connection to the river. Then the tubing begins: each person sits in an inner tube and floats downstream with the current, through the gorge, past the waterfalls you arrived by. Guides accompany the group throughout. The bamboo raft section — riding on a traditional raft through the slower lower river — adds another dimension to the experience.

The riverside lovo lunch is the centrepiece: earth-cooked chicken, fish, root vegetables, and tropical fruit, eaten on the riverbank with the sound of the river and jungle around you. It is not sophisticated food, but it is extraordinary food in an extraordinary setting.

Is It Good for Families?

This is one of Fiji's best family tours for children over 5. The tubing is gentle — there are no rapids or dangerous sections — and children typically love the river, the village, and the bamboo raft. The kava ceremony is adapted for children (they observe rather than participate in the drinking). The lovo lunch appeals to all ages. The guides are patient and experienced with mixed-age groups.

Tips for River Tubing

• Wear a swimsuit under your clothes and bring a dry change of clothes for the return journey.
• Reef shoes or secure sandals are essential — you will be walking on river rocks.
• Bring waterproof storage for your phone and valuables. The longboat and tubing sections involve some splashing.
• Apply insect repellent before the tour — the jungle environment has mosquitoes.
• The tour runs rain or shine. Light rain actually enhances the waterfall experience and the river scenery.