The King's Road In Nothern Viti Levu
The only way to get to northern Viti Levu is via the King's Road, which runs for 290km (180 miles) from Nadi Airport around the island's northern side to Suva -- 93km (58 miles) longer than the Queen's Road to the south. The King's Road is paved all the way to Viti Levu Bay on the island's north side, but the unpaved portion through the central mountains can be treacherous. I would not drive through the mountains during the rainy season from November through April, when bridges can wash out.
Scheduled local and express buses run the entire length of the King's Road, as do unscheduled share taxis. From the Nadi side, the buses depart from the Lautoka Market. The hotels and backpackers' resorts provide their guests with transportation from Nadi.
The King's Road officially begins at Lautoka. To reach it by car from Nadi, follow the Queen's Road north and take the second exits off of both traffic circles in Lautoka.
From Lautoka, the King's Road first crosses a fertile plain and then ascends into hills dotted with cattle ranches before dropping to the coast and entering the gorgeous Ba Valley, Fiji's most productive sugar-growing area. Populated mostly by Indo-Fijians, this valley of steep hills is second only to Suva in both population and economic importance. Many of the country's most successful businesses are headquartered in the town of Ba, a prosperous farming community on the banks of the muddy Ba River. Indeed, the commercial center of Ba is a mirror image of many towns in India. From Ba, the King's Road continues to Tavua, another predominately Indo-Fijian sugar town backed by its own much smaller valley that reaches up to the mountains.
900 Men for Dinner -- Just before you reach the well-marked junction of the King's Road and the Vaileka cut-off, look on the right for the Grave of Udre Udre. Legend says the stones at the base of the tombstone represent every one of the 900 men this renowned cannibal chief had for dinner.
