Garden of the Sleeping Giant

Was pouring rain for most of our time there but the staff was lovely and gave us umbrellas. The garden was beautiful, lots of pretty orchids, and overall a nice time spent for an affordable price. Would recommend:) Road is rough going in but this is to be expected when the road is dirt and it rains so much!

What a beautiful morning at the garden, followed by they give you literally the best juice I’ve ever had (seriously). You walk around at your leisure and I’m sure there’s areas I didn’t get to explore. They offer to let you leave your bag behind the desk which I should have done. Hiking with it was a bit heavy. There are picnic tables throughout the area so lots of areas to rest but bring your own water. Everyone was lovely.

We had a super visit and tour guide. We saw some new birds as well as enjoying all the fauna. We got there early before it was too hot and walked all the trails. It was lovely to be greeted back at the reception with an icy cold juice.

Sorry to disappoint readers, orchid lovers, and even the garden owner, but I felt this place did not offer good value for money. The number of orchid varieties was quite limited, and there was very little additional flora or fauna to see. The garden itself is relatively small and not extensive enough for a proper walk or hike. Visitors are directed along a single, poorly maintained loop path. There appeared to be a longer trail, but it was blocked by barricades with a sign that seemed to indicate it was closed. Another drawback was the lack of informational signage throughout the garden. There was no displayed information about the plants or flowers, aside from what the guide explained. That said, the guide’s effort and enthusiasm in introducing and explaining the orchids was truly admirable and one of the more positive aspects of the visit. At the end of the tour, a drink was served, but it tasted more like an overly sweet cordial and lacked a natural flavor. Considering Fiji’s abundance of fresh local fruits, it was disappointing that something more authentic and refreshing was not offered instead. Overall, while the guide did a commendable job, the experience as a whole fell short of expectations.

Nice garden with a lot of beautiful flowers. A quick and easy hike to the lookout point and a free tropical juice when you get down. Spent about 45mn / 1 h at a very leisurely pace.

What a breathe taking experience. So stunning & the staff were just beyond nice. It’s really gorgeous to take in the different orchids, durian (which I’ve never seen actually on the tree) and tropical plants that grow. Cute little kitties to pat (so bring some cat food if you can). Definitely a worthy visit even if it’s hot!

This fell short if my expectations as I've visited lots of gardens. I do not feel it was worth the entry fee and travelling time to get here. Could have easily given this one a miss. The road leading to this garden is a dirt road and very bumpy. Our taxi driver went so slow similar to a walking pace and was getting overtaken by vans and other cars. There were times I thought the gravel and rocks would damage the car but luckily this didn't happen. This might be worthwhile if you are a fan of orchids. The website states there are 2,000 different types of orchids. They are located at the start of the walk. If I had known this I would've slowed down and attempted to take them in. I'm from Brisbane so for me excluding the orchids this felt like a rainforest walk. I was familiar with a lot of the trees and plants growing here. It was hot on the day we visited and we also had our 10 month old with us. If you are bringing your little one don't bother with a pram as you'll have to leave it at just after the orchids section/ toilet block (at the beginning) unless you want to carry it up lots of stairs. The stairs are not equally spaced apart so you really need to pay attention where you are stepping. If you are after a view follow the signs to the lookout. It's quite steep so it may not suit all ability levels and there are only two spots with shade. While there was a nice view at the top it wasn't spectacular. We didn't spend much time up there. It didn't take us much time to walk through the garden and return to the entrance. The driving time to and from Nadi was more than the amount of time we spent in the garden. At the end of the walk you get a sweet drink and you can sit down in shade. Disclaimer: the last photo I've included is of the 'Sleeping Giant' but I took this from Port Danarau and not on the way to this garden.

Nice garden to spend an hour or two. Has a lookout up a hill with a good view. Boardwalk to take you around the jungle atmosphere. Plenty of benches and toilets also there too. No cafe or water refill.