Experiencing a traditional Fijian lovo feast

Day 5 of a 7-day Fiji Island cruise (part 2)

After a busy daytime (see part 1), we returned to Taveuni in the evening to experience a lovo feast.

Once again, each guest was presented with a lei. This time mine was a full garland, rather than a single cluster.

Most cruises notify passengers of the expected dress code. We were told that, other than the first evening at the captain's dinner, people would be dressed casually. However, Fijians are modest in their dress. To respect Fijian traditions, and as a courtesy to our hosts when at events, we were asked to dress appropriately with our shoulders and knees covered, and not wear hats or sunglasses. We were also to go barefoot. Sometimes I struggled with the no hats or sunglasses concept, given the sun exposure, but it wasn't an issue at night.

Tonight was to be our most elaborate ceremonial affair. We were to enjoy a meal of typical Fijian food, cooked in a traditional 'lovo feast' style. You can find a detailed explanation of the traditions behind this celebration in this Captain Cook Cruises blog post.

The evening started with the ceremonial 'sevusevu', where the gift of kava is brought to the chief. This ceremony was longer and more complex than others we'd seen.

There were some rituals to be followed in making the kava, and then higher members of the tribe and the captain of the cruise, in turn, participated in drinking kava.

In this photo, which was taken after the event, you'll see some of the cruise passengers at the back, sitting on benches provided for guests. Traditionally, everyone sits cross-legged on the floor, but they made allowances for us, and I was grateful.

We were then entertained by members of the community. They played musical instruments, and sang,

and danced,

and danced,

and danced.

My apologies for the fuzziness of some of the photos, but they were constantly moving rapidly and it was difficult to get good photos.

In this photo you can see some cruise passengers wending their way through the Fijians. You will also see that each one is either wearing a sarong (women) or a sulu (men). Many of our cruise passengers adopted the Fijian style of dress at events. The cruise passengers are holding a bolt of Fijian fabric. Each time we went to an event, the cruise not only gave kava as a gift, but also brought bolts of fabric as a present for the tribal community. It was our way of showing thanks for being invited into their community.

The children sat quietly throughout the initial ceremonies, and then participated in the singing. They were remarkably well-behaved.

Afterwards, they were delighted by one of our older passengers who danced and played with them (not the lady to the right, but someone standing in front of them).

After the entertainment, the meal was served. Cooking the food started hours in advance, where a fire was created in a large pit in the ground outdoors. Then the fire is opened up and the foil-wrapped food is laid in the fire. The food is then covered with banana leaves. Here you can see them moving back the top layer to expose the banana leaves.

The food is underneath these banana leaves. We enjoyed fresh local seafood, meat, and fruit.

It was a great evening, and an educational experience. We returned to the ship for a dessert buffet. Some then circled at the kava bowl to share more social time, and others enjoyed live music and dancing. It was a long day, but an enjoyable one.