Fiji By Bus - Sabeto

Interesting facts about the busses in Fiji.  The driver’s side (the right side) of the bus has a long bench which can seat three people, the other side has a smaller bench where you can squeeze two if you have to.  Also, they play music on some more then decent 6x9s mounted in the roof of the cab.  The music is sometimes a local radio station, but mostly driver’s choice loaded on a flash drive plugged into the stereo.

And there are three types of busses here in Fiji.

Firstly there’s the new buses, the M R Kahn’s.  These are nice, air conditioned rides sometimes so new the seats still have the plastic on them.  Top of the line air conditioned comfort.  I like these busses because they’re comfortable but these are only my second favorite. 

My least favorite by far are the mid range busses.  These busses do not have air conditioning, the seats are basically plywood wrapped in foam and vinyl, and the windows only open halfway so on the hour long ride from Lautoka to Martintar, this thing gets packed with commuters and feels like a war crime. 

Then there’s my favorite kind of bus: the old busses.  On the surface they have nothing more to offer than the mid rage busses, in fact, they have less.  These busses have tarps in the windows instead of glass, which are rolled up.  This puts nothing in between you and the fast moving outdoors.  At speed, the wind rushes through the cabin and with the gorgeous scenery outside it feels like a Disneyland Ride.  Simona and I are like shutter bugs in these busses, frequently switching seats to get a better shot. 

This is the first in the series, “Fiji By Bus”