Garden of the Sleeping Giant

We haven’t been online much recently as we’ve been travelling for birthday celebrations and holiday preparations. Also, we’ve had varying internet access, so we’ve been making most of our time unplugged.

For my birthday weekend, we took a road-trip around Viti Levu. We met up with family in the West and explored places that were new to both of us. One of the highlights of our time in the West was the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. It’s located just 4 miles north of Nadi International Airport on Wailoko Road.

The Garden is in a valley surrounded by the mountain feature called “the Sleeping Giant.” Upon entering, we were free to wander through the colorful orchids, a lilly pond, and native flowers and rainforest.

We took our time walking through the garden, as there was so much to see. We found it all to be very family friendly; our 1-year old niece and 2-year old nephew had a great time.

We went in the morning, and it was quite hot, so we wouldn’t recommend going in the afternoon this time of year. We reckon this would be a great place to take a book and read after an early morning stroll through the gardens; and it would also be a spectacular wedding venue!

In the visitor area, there are beautiful lithographs by French artist, Jean Chalot. This was exciting for us, as we have been planning a trip to a church where he’s painted a series of frescoes including a monumental Black Christ.

The entry fee is $16 FJD per adult; we found it to be worth it as the grounds are very well maintained. Read more about the garden and its history on Fiji’s tourism website.