Lautoka

About Lautoka

Lautoka is Fiji's second city and primary cruise port, on the northwest coast of Viti Levu. Ships dock at King's Wharf, with downtown's produce market, the Hare Krishna temple, and the Botanical Gardens walkable from the berth. Most passengers head out on excursions — the Sabeto Hot Springs and mud pools, the Sleeping Giant Garden of Orchids, or a boat transfer to the Mamanuca Islands for a beach day.

• Lautoka is nicknamed the 'Sugar City' because it sits at the heart of Fiji's sugar cane belt; its main Lautoka Sugar Mill, founded in 1903 and built by workers from India and the Solomon Islands, is still the city's largest employer.
• The city's name comes from two Fijian words meaning 'spear hit', reputedly from a battle cry shouted during a duel between two chiefs — 'Lau-toka!' translating roughly as 'Bull's eye!'
• Captain William Bligh was the first known European to sight Lautoka on 7 May 1789, while making his epic open-boat voyage to Timor after the mutiny on the Bounty.
• During World War II, the US Navy built a naval base at Lautoka as part of its Pacific strategy, making it a significant Allied logistics hub.
• Lautoka is the only city in Fiji's Western Division and is the industrial hub of the nation, containing more than 50% of Fiji's population within its broader region.