Fiji

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When did you travel to Fiji?

We first visited Fiji at the beginning of the year in 2016, and ended up staying there for two and a half years.

Which areas of Fiji did you visit?

We initially visited Taveuni and Rakiraki as tourists. Our original job post was on the Coral Coast, on the main island of Viti Levu. From there we would take frequent trips to the capital city of Suva. Our second job post was on Mana Island, in the Mamanuca group. From there, we would take frequent trips to Nadi, Beachcomber Island, Tokoriki, Musket Cove on Malolo Lailai, and Monoriki, better known as “Castaway Island” (where the movie was filmed).

Why did you go to Fiji?

After getting stuck on Palau for a year (I know, I know, there’s way worse places to be stuck), Fletch and I were ready to travel around some, so we sent out emails to all of our diving friends to see whom we could go visit. A friend of Fletch’s was working in Fiji at the time, and invited us over. We only meant to spend our initial month there, but ended up getting an offer to run a dive shop and committing to a six month work contract. Another dive job opened up after that, which we ended up falling in love with and devoting three, consecutive, six-month contracts to.

How did you get to your final destination from the US?

We would fly domestically to SFO. From SFO, we flew Korean Air to Incheon International Airport (ICN) (12h), and then from ICN to Nadi International Airport (NAN) (10h). This is a very out-of-the-way itinerary to travel. We preferred it though as Korean Air is a wonderful airline, and they allow you to build up loyalty points quickly, which benefitted us as we were flying back and forth between Fiji and the US every six months. An additional perk, is that during the layover in South Korea, if there is not another flight onwards for you until the following day, they will put you up at the Grand Hyatt Incheon with free meal vouchers for no charge. If you don’t want to spend 24+ hours traveling, SFO and LAX both offer direct flights to NAN through Fiji Airways (11h).

To get anywhere on Viti Levu, the easiest, and cheapest method is by bus. There is one main road running around the entire island, so you just choose the bus heading in the correct direction. Fijians are some of the friendliest people in the world, so if you look like a tourist and are standing at a bus stop, you will automatically have half a dozen people helping you figure out which bus to get on.

If you are heading to the Mamanuca or Yasawa group of islands, have a cab from the airport bring you to the Port Denarau marina. From there you can view schedules for ferries running in loops around all the different islands.

What advice do you have for someone visiting Fiji?

→ Be prepared to meet some of the friendliest and most genuinely open-hearted people in the world. Spend a few minutes talking to a local and you will likely get an invitation home for dinner. They will go out of their way to help you in whatever way they can. The only time this isn’t the case is in the main shopping areas of Nadi and Suva. Only in these areas, if someone offers you and handshake and asks where you’re from, they are about to try to lure you into their cousin’s souvenir shop. Just say “set” and keep walking.

→ Understand that Fiji Time is a very real thing. There is Island Time, and then there is Fiji time. Don’t ever expect anyone to be on time for anything, and in return, don’t stress about promptness. Relax, and enjoy forgetting that time was ever something that mattered.

→ A lot of travelers who have gone island hopping around South East Asia show up and think that the Fijian islands should be approached in a similar manner. In two and a half years there, I never saw a reason to waste time traveling from island to island, to try and jam as many destinations into as short a time as possible. For one, Fiji Time. You’re not going to get to the next spot as quickly as you might expect. And secondly, these aren’t party islands with dozens of different activities that vary depending on which one you are on. Most of them are simple, gorgeous sand islands with a resort or two, that all offer the same kava ceremonies and basket weaving demos. Do your research ahead of time, decide if you want a luxury resort or a simple backpackers accommodation or something in between, and just relax and forget the world is turning for a week.

→ Going off of the previous suggestion of not trying to fit a dozen places into one trip, there is really no reason to spend any time in Nadi, unless there isn’t a ferry to your island until the following day. If you want to experience the local culture, try a homestay.

→ For my fellow foodies out there, I must warn you that the food served at Fijian resorts is, for the most part, nothing more than bland interpretations of what they think Westerners want to eat. Don’t get your hopes up too much for the resort food (and we visited quite a few). Most resorts will, however, put on a Fijian night, or lovo night (lovo = earth oven). This is your opportunity to try some really amazing local cuisine. Restaurants offering local food are few and far between. There just isn’t much of a market for people eating out, between tourists being fed at their resorts and the local Fijians staying in their villages. The Indian population, however, is more business oriented, so there is some really good Indian food to be found. Some of my favorite restaurants included:

→Tu’s Place in Nadi – This is probably the only place where you will find local Fijian food, along with really good food from other cultures. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu here.

→ Eco Cafe on the Coral Coast – This is a humble little place on the beach where they cook the pizza in the traditional lovo ovens, and I swear it’s some of the best pizza you ever had. Be sure to check their website before making the trip though, because unfortunately they are only open a few evenings a week.

→ Daikoku in Suva – If you are craving Japanese food, this is a local favorite. The location in Suva is worth recommending, but beware the location in Nadi is usually out of stock on half of their menu items.

→ Bulacinno in Namaka, Nadi – One of the only places in Fiji where you can find a Westernized breakfast menu including favorites such as eggs benedict. Bonus: they serve breakfast all day! They also have a wonderful selection of fresh fruit juices and “viti bowls” (smoothie bowls). They have numerous locations across Viti Levu, but I can’t say for certain if all of them offer the full restaurant.

→ Go Kools Hot Snack (or Gokuls Vegetarian Takeaway on Google Maps) in Sigatoka – This little hole-in-the-wall offers wonderful, vegetarian, Indian food. Try a curry plate with a side of samosas.

→ Alcohol taxes are expensive in Fiji, so if you like to buy your own to have in the room, it is worth picking up your allowance of duty free bottles at the airport, as they are about half the price they are once you leave the airport. Also, beware the Bounty Fiji Rum. Instead of your normal 80 proof rum, it is 116 proof, meaning it will light you on fire, both literally and figuratively. Fletch highly recommends it. My favorite was the Fiji Rum Co. Golden Honey Rum (only 75 proof).

→ Yes, Fiji Water does actually come from Fiji. That said, consider reducing your plastic consumption and just drinking the tap water if you are staying on the main island, Viti Levu, which has some of the best tap water in the world. If you are heading to the islands though, many of them do not have drinkable tap water, and buying bottles at the resorts can get pricy. Upon arrival, consider swinging by a supermarket to buy a crate of waters to bring with you. None of the resorts will mind this.

→ If you would like to swing by a supermarket on your way from the airport to your resort, NewWorld, just a couple blocks down from the airport, offers the most westernized selection of packaged food items. Otherwise, if you just need a cheap place to buy water, RB Patel Jetpoint offers the best prices with the biggest selection.

Basic Information:

→ Capital: Suva

→ Population: 912,241

→ Area: 7,056 square miles (18,274 square kilometers)

→ Currency: Fijian dollar

→ Time Zone: UTC +12 (Fiji Time)

→ Official Languages: Fijian, Fiji Hindi, English

→ Religions: Christianity (64.4%), Hinduism (27.9%), other (7.7%)