Lautoka Market
Lautoka Market
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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Popular mentions
4.0
119 reviews
Excellent
28
Very good
61
Average
19
Poor
8
Terrible
3
travelbob1
New Windsor, NY1,134 contributions
Jan 2023
A pleasure to visit with its rows of stalls displaying all sorts of produce, fruits, flowers and eggs. The color of all this is wonderful to experience as your eyes look over this huge market.
Take some time to chat with the merchants. they are friendly and welcome you with a pleasant "bula." Don't forget to share a "bula" back. It is a customary greeting.
Take some time to chat with the merchants. they are friendly and welcome you with a pleasant "bula." Don't forget to share a "bula" back. It is a customary greeting.
Written February 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WorldTravellerSoon
Canada375 contributions
Nov 2014 • Couples
We went to Fiji couple of months ago. We stayed at Nadi and we explored some cities and Lautoka is one of them. We took a local bus from Nadi to Lautoka. It was FJ$1.1 and 30 minutes away.
The market is one of the focal points in Lautoka. It is in the middle of the town (mind you, Lautoka town is very small). There are > 100 vendors selling fruit, vegetable and some other dry goods. The market is nice and clean and dry. It smells a little which is probably from the tropical weather. The fruit and veggies are cheap.
There is a washroom in the brown building next door (the town hall?). You have to pay a small fee (FJ$0.20) for the use.
When we strolled along the streets in Lautoka, we found that the town was nice and clean and quiet (better than Nadi). People were quite lay back and friendly. And no, we didn't see any beggar as the previous reviewer has described. The city/country may be poor, it doesn't mean that people will rob you. Most people there are nice citizen and we need to respect their culture and way of living.
The market is one of the focal points in Lautoka. It is in the middle of the town (mind you, Lautoka town is very small). There are > 100 vendors selling fruit, vegetable and some other dry goods. The market is nice and clean and dry. It smells a little which is probably from the tropical weather. The fruit and veggies are cheap.
There is a washroom in the brown building next door (the town hall?). You have to pay a small fee (FJ$0.20) for the use.
When we strolled along the streets in Lautoka, we found that the town was nice and clean and quiet (better than Nadi). People were quite lay back and friendly. And no, we didn't see any beggar as the previous reviewer has described. The city/country may be poor, it doesn't mean that people will rob you. Most people there are nice citizen and we need to respect their culture and way of living.
Written February 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MerianiK
Nadi, Western, Fiji20 contributions
Sep 2012 • Friends
Lautoka is slightly different from Nadi in that it isn't a tourist town.
Lautoka is a very big town, with many small little roads, and many shops.
The covered market at the end of the main street near the bus station is a must visit. The market is huge, and you have a variety and many options to chose from. The price range is very reasonable, and as it is a market banter and bartering can always be an option if need be, but as the prices are very good, its unlikely you would have to do that.
The range of fruit and vegetables is truly amazing. The stallholders very friendly and happy to help, and point us into the right direction of the different fruits and veg.
I would recommend anyone visiting Lautoka should take a slow walk through the market. It is truly amazing to see so many different kind of local produce on offer.
Lautoka is a very big town, with many small little roads, and many shops.
The covered market at the end of the main street near the bus station is a must visit. The market is huge, and you have a variety and many options to chose from. The price range is very reasonable, and as it is a market banter and bartering can always be an option if need be, but as the prices are very good, its unlikely you would have to do that.
The range of fruit and vegetables is truly amazing. The stallholders very friendly and happy to help, and point us into the right direction of the different fruits and veg.
I would recommend anyone visiting Lautoka should take a slow walk through the market. It is truly amazing to see so many different kind of local produce on offer.
Written July 14, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nzlilibet
New Zealand7,335 contributions
Aug 2012 • Couples
Lautoka is quite different from Nadi in that it isn't a tourist town. It's noisy, busy and full of locals going about their business.
The covered market at the end of the main street is a must visit in my view.
The range of fruit and vegetables is truly amazing and you'll see things you don't recognise. We found the stallholders very friendly and happy to identify things for us, even though they knew we were not going to buy.
But it was the range of spices, pulses and herbs that was mind-boggling. I think anyone would be able to find even the most unusual spices here - if they could recognise them.
I would recommend anyone visiting Lautoka should take a slow walk through the market. It is a feast for all the senses.
The covered market at the end of the main street is a must visit in my view.
The range of fruit and vegetables is truly amazing and you'll see things you don't recognise. We found the stallholders very friendly and happy to identify things for us, even though they knew we were not going to buy.
But it was the range of spices, pulses and herbs that was mind-boggling. I think anyone would be able to find even the most unusual spices here - if they could recognise them.
I would recommend anyone visiting Lautoka should take a slow walk through the market. It is a feast for all the senses.
Written August 15, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sola_ani
Rockhampton, Australia111 contributions
Sep 2012 • Couples
When I travel, I love going to local markets, and being the only white person in a place with hundreds of ethnic nationals can be an interesting experience. This market is by far the most laid back I have ever been too. There are hundreds of stallholders selling vegetables and fruit (most of which is locally grown and in season - when we went tomatoes, ginger, bananas were everywhere), but there were spice stalls, kava root stalls, and other selling vegetables I had never seen before. Its an assault on the senses, but in a good way. Watch out for soft drink/juice sellers. We saw someone washing a bottle in very ordinary water to refill again for resale. There is a grocery store just next door if you are desperate for a drink.
Written September 14, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cokerbud
Baytown, TX1,073 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
If this market is one of the top attractions of this area that alone should tell you mountains of information. After arriving by cruise ship with no real plan we took the transportation provided to the center of the city. First of all, this area from a distance is a whole lot more beautiful than up close. The market is just that, a market. If you want to see fruits,vegetables, fish, and filth this is the place. In fact, the town itself was probably the nastiest visited on the cruise so far. It was complete with beggars and the area as a whole made you hold on to your valuables. I am sure there is beauty somewhere in the area but my advise is if the best thing to see in the area is the market, stay on the ship. I would never walk in this town without being with others. I did not feel safe and certainly did not see the attraction.
Written February 2, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gunner do
Newcastle, Australia571 contributions
Jan 2015 • Couples
I write clean and comfortable because this was one of the cleanest dry markets I have ever been to. When I travelled Asia on business I always found the local market and have seen plenty. This lautoka market was both clean and fresh and obviously well organised. There were no offensive smells and certainly no agressive locals! Other reports of this market paint are very different to what I experienced.
My recommendation is go and enjoy the market and remember a smile goes a long way with these friendly Fijiians.
Lautoka town is a good place to shop and for men the "Bula" shirts are worth buying. If you need to catch a cab for a small tour, always get a few prices. They can vary in price enormously. Don't be afraid to compare prices and learn to decline politely!
Enjoy the sugar town of lautoka.
My recommendation is go and enjoy the market and remember a smile goes a long way with these friendly Fijiians.
Lautoka town is a good place to shop and for men the "Bula" shirts are worth buying. If you need to catch a cab for a small tour, always get a few prices. They can vary in price enormously. Don't be afraid to compare prices and learn to decline politely!
Enjoy the sugar town of lautoka.
Written January 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jamie L
Rotorua, New Zealand25 contributions
Jan 2014 • Family
This is your typical produce market. A great place to come to see how the locals who and to buy some fresh fruit to much on as you tour around. Very inexpensive and the people are super friendly. The handicrafts market is attached. It seemed to be more authentic than tourist stores.
Written January 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Desigal7
San Francisco, CA267 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
Spouse had hand on wallet in pocket when entered and then felt another hand sliding up his pocket trying to get his wallet. It was a 10-12 year old boy. Slapped hand away and yelled out loud. He thwarted the robbery but it left a bad taste regarding the market. Please be vigilant when shopping here. The handicrafts seemed of poor quality and not that special. Decided not to buy.
Written January 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
happyfive2015
Wamberal, Australia7 contributions
Nov 2016
We cruised to Lautoka with RCI on voyager and took a tour with Sailada tours for about three hours around the local sites finishing with a walk through the city and fresh food market which is right next to the port and really interesting to stroll through. It was a really nice day. The people who ran our tour were professional and friendly and we would highly recommended any of their tours in fiji. The local people we met were very friendly and welcoming. Despite only having one day there we felt we had a good look around and got a feel for the area.
Written November 24, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can I use the Australian dollar in Layton’s and Suva?
Written July 22, 2019
What fruits are in season Dec/Jan in Fiji? Is there any "local food" available and if so would you risk eating it?
Written December 10, 2016
mangoes are coming in season now and generally speaking we are heading to the fruit season as it gets warmer..mangoes now,avocado,bananas,pineapples ,mandarins oranges will follow.
cooler months are for leafy greens and with that that i must say please do not go away by the outside looks of our fruits as thy do not have any cosmetics like some other parts of the world were they look very attractive due to the chemical but fijian fruits still go through lot of traditional way of growing without use of modern chemicals....just ask the vendor.unfortunately we do not have litchis but you may get rambutan at time especially suva side.
Written October 2, 2018
Is there flowers for sale at this market?
Written April 1, 2016
flowers are mostly sold on saturdays ....for flowers you may want to visit Namaka market in Nadi were it available everyday...include setups etc
Written October 2, 2018
As far as I know it's open from Monday to Saturday :-)
Written March 14, 2016
Hi Miyoch, thanks for your post. did you know the Lautoka market opening hours. i'm going to fiji in a couple of days and i want to buy food there in my way to the our villa,
thanks
ignacio
Written June 2, 2015
Laoutoka market opens from 7am to 5pm monday to saturday and if comming through Nadi Airport than Namaka market in Nadi may be another option for you
Written October 2, 2018
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