Inland is the rugged rural interior of Viti Levu. Around an hour’s drive from Nadi, these larger resorts offer good value all-inclusive packages and a great choice of sightseeing tours.
Extending north of the Mamanucas are the Yasawa Islands, a string of larger, volcanic islands home to a mixture of budget beach resorts and upmarket boutique accommodation.Īlmost as popular as the Mamanucas and Yasawa Islands, especially with families, are the beach resorts of the Coral Coast along the south coast of Viti Levu. Here you’ll find sublime beaches and tiny coral cays with suitably exotic names such as “Bounty” or “Treasure Island”. The most popular destination in Fiji lies visible off Nadi’s coastline – a gorgeous collection of islands known as the Mamanucas. Most stay around the suburban tourist hub of Nadi for a day or two to organize travels to other parts of the country, or use it as a convenient base for exploring the surrounding countryside and offshore islands. The vast majority of travellers arrive at Nadi International Airport on Viti Levu, the biggest island in the archipelago. It’s best to leave your inner control freak at home – you never know, you may come back a calmer person. Away from the highly organized upmarket resorts, life runs at a different pace bus and ferry timetables serve more as guidelines and a simple meeting in a village can last for days. This is the essence of Fiji Time – an attitude that can be both inspiring and infuriating. However long you spend in the country you’ll notice an unhurried, good-humoured lifestyle. While Fiji is not renowned for its towns or cities, three are definitely worth taking the time to explore: quaint, colonial-era Levuka, yachting hotspot Savusavu, and Suva, the lively capital city and the best place to party in the South Pacific. Fiji is also home to a large Indian community and their influence is seen in the delicious Indian food served in almost every town, Bollywood films showing in the cinema and vibrant Hindu festivals celebrated throughout the year. Staying a night or two at a village homestay will give you an authentic insight into ethnic Fijian culture as well as the chance to sample yaqona or kava, the national drink. Here you’ll find fantastically hospitable Fijians living a similar lifestyle to their tribal ancestors. Nature lovers are also spoilt for choice, both underwater and on dry land, and wildlife-spotting opportunities are plentiful, whether you’re seeking turtles, exotic birds or 3m-long tiger sharks.Īway from the resorts is another Fiji waiting to be discovered: a land of stunning mountains, rainforests and remote villages. In addition, at the exposed edges of the reefs are some of the world’s finest and most consistent surfing breaks. Within a ten-minute boat ride of most resorts you can find yourself snorkelling with dolphins and manta rays or scuba diving at pristine coral reefs. While it can be tempting to spend your whole time in Fiji sunbathing and sipping cocktails from coconuts, there are plenty of activities to lure you away from the beach. Of the northern hemisphere travellers who arrive, many are backpackers from Europe or surfers and scuba divers from North America. As the hub of South Pacific tourism, the country attracts over half a million visitors a year, mostly from Australia and New Zealand, its largest “neighbours” lying over 2000km southeast. With a reliable tropical climate, a good tourist infrastructure, English as its main language and no jabs or pills to worry about, travelling in Fiji is as easy as it gets.
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