Travel advice for Fiji
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Fiji
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Fiji is spread over a huge area of the southwest Pacific, covering almost 1.3 million square kilometres. On a map, the islands may look close enough together to hop between, but with limited infrastructure this can be a time-consuming process, often involving back-tracking to either Nadi or Suva. Viti Levu, the main island, is extremely well connected by public transport and easy to explore, as are the popular beach destinations of the Mamanucas and Yasawa Islands, connected by fast catamaran. Exploring further afield, though, requires patience and a sense of adventure, with cumbersome passenger ferries and cargo boats visiting the outer islands on a weekly or monthly basis and flights in small propeller planes landing on gravel and sometimes even grass airstrips.
Nadi, on the main island of Viti Levu, is the nation’s tourist hub, home to the international and main domestic airport and with sea access to the Mamanucas. Suva, 120km away on the opposite side of the mainland, is the transport hub for all outer-island shipping, as well as having air access to ten outer-island airstrips.
On the two largest islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, as well as on Taveuni, exceptionally cheap buses travel around the coast and countryside on a fairly regular basis and carrier vans or taxis can be hired for private tours. On all other islands, though, getting around usually involves a boat journey, often in a small, ten-passenger fibreglass boat with a 60HP single engine, and these, when chartered, are expensive. Hitching a ride with the locals is much cheaper but more often than not boats are filled to the brim, sometimes with as many as twenty large Fijians plus their luggage.
Northern Air (992 2449, northernair.com.fj) is based in Waila, Nausori and operates services to Gau, Koro, Levuka, Labasa, Moala and Savusavu.
There are also two seaplane companies operating in Fiji: Turtle Airways (672 1888, turtleairways.com) based at Wailoaloa Beach in Nadi, and Pacific Island Air (672 5644, fijiseaplanes.com) based at Nadi Airport. Turtle Airways (672 1888, turtleairways.com) offers a daily public flight to Turtle Island in the northern part of the Yasawas for US$280 one-way with a minimum of two passengers, but you must pre-arrange a boat to transfer you on to your intended destination – departure times vary and can only be advised the day before based on sea conditions. Island Hoppers (672 0410, helicopters.com.fj) shuttles guests to upmarket resorts by helicopter. Baggage allowance on seaplanes and helicopters is 15kg per person, with excess charges thereafter.
Cargo boats have been plying Fiji’s waters since the pioneering days of the late nineteenth century, bringing in trade, exporting copra and connecting the people with the outside world. It is still common practice for passengers to join cargo boats supplying the outer islands, usually sitting and sleeping on deck amidst barrels of oil, boxes of tinned meat and bunches of bananas. For those with a little time and a spirit of adventure, it’s a chance to rub shoulders with Fijians from all walks of life, and it’s cheap and cheerful, too: the route from Suva to Kadavu, for example, will set you back around F$50 one way.
Express buses run between major towns on Viti Levu. The five-hour journey between Nadi and Suva costs around F$20. Most buses are rather dated with hard cushioned seats and sliding windows but the tourist operator Coral Sun runs a modern air-conditioned soft-seated coach for double the price. You should also consider the air-conditioned tourist bus operator Feejee Experience which circumnavigates the main island on a four-day adventure journey. A very limited bus schedule operates on Ovalau and Taveuni, mostly for shuttling kids back and forth from school, but on all other islands buses are non-existent.
It’s a good idea to rent a 4WD, or, at the very least, a car with high clearance – most roads off the coastal highway are unsealed, of compacted dirt and often littered with crater-sized pot holes; with rain (and it often rains in the mountains) these roads become very slippery and sometimes impassable without a 4WD. Rental companies tend to void insurance for breakdowns or accidents on dirt roads so check in detail beforehand.
The same facts apply to Vanua Levu, but renting is not so straightforward, with only a couple of rental firms in Savusavu and Labasa, and these with only a few cars available, so pre-booking is advisable. The only other island where you can rent a car is Taveuni.
The most common hazards apart from the potholes are mindless pedestrians and stray animals. Driving is on the left, with the speed limit generally set at 40kmph through towns, 60kmph in the suburbs and 80kmph elsewhere. If you break down, call your car rental company which should provide you with a 24hr service number – but be warned there are few telephones along the roadside and mobile phone coverage is pretty sporadic in rural areas.
Avis US and Canada 1-800 331-1212, UK 0870 606 0100, Republic of Ireland 021 428 1111, Australia 13 63 33 or 02 9353 9000, New Zealand 09 526 2847 or 0800 655 111; avis.com.
Budget US 1-800 527-0700, Canada 1-800 268-8900, UK 0870 156 5656, Australia 1300 362 848, New Zealand 0800 283 438; budget.com.
Hertz US & Canada 1-800 654-3131, UK 020 7026 0077, Republic of Ireland 01 870 5777, New Zealand 0800 654 321; hertz.com.
Thrifty US and Canada 1-800 847-4389, UK 01494 751 500, Republic of Ireland 01 844 1950, Australia 1300 367 227, New Zealand 09 256 1405; thrifty.com.
Hiring a taxi for rural sightseeing or travel between towns is a good option if you don’t want to drive yourself, and works out as a cheap alternative if travelling with three or more people. Negotiate a rate beforehand and expect to pay around F$30 per hour depending on how far you want to travel.
Motor scooters are extremely rare except in Nadi, where they are something of a novelty. Travelling along the busy town roads is practical, though not particularly safe and you should certainly expect the unexpected with motorists who seem to be blind to anything on two wheels. Travel beyond the town area is not recommended.
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Fiji
written by Andy Turner
updated 26.04.2021
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