Fiji

Fiji is an archipelago of more than 300 islands sitting in warm water on a lot of coral reef. Most trips here are a honeymoon, a diving trip or a family week, and most of them route through one airport on the main island. It is also a common stopover between Australasia and North America, which is why some people end up here almost by accident. The thing worth understanding before you book is that the islands are not interchangeable and the water between them costs money and time.

Choose the island group before the resort, and price the water as well as the room. Since April 2026 South Sea Cruises has charged a mandatory fuel surcharge on top of the transfer fare, 10 Fijian dollars per adult each way to the Mamanucas and 15 to the Yasawas as of 1 September 2026, and that is before the boat fare itself. The Mamanucas are the short transfer near Nadi, the Yasawas buy wilder scenery with a longer crossing, and Taveuni is a diving trip rather than a lie-on-the-sand one. Pick one or two and stay put: the archipelago punishes moving every night, in money as much as in time.

Fiji is not one beach you fly to. You pick an island group to match the trip: the Mamanucas 15 to 30 minutes out from Port Denarau, the Yasawas several hours further up the chain, the Coral Coast on the main island where you can drive yourself, or Taveuni in the north, which is a diving island. That choice sets your transfer costs, your dining options and how much of the week you spend on boats.

Fiji has a dry season from May to October and a wet season from November to April. For most visitors the dry season is the pick: warm days, lower humidity, less rain and the best underwater visibility. The wet season overlaps the South Pacific cyclone season, so it needs more flexibility and travel insurance.

• May to June: Early dry season: pleasant, green, good value before the peak.
• July to September: Peak dry season: warm, low rain, best diving visibility, busiest and priciest.
• October: Late dry season: still settled, quieter, warming up.
• November to April: Wet season and cyclone belt: hot and humid with tropical downpours; go flexible and insured.

Things worth knowing

• Bula Festival (Nadi, around July): a week of parades, Pacific dance and lovo food stalls.
• Hibiscus Festival (Suva, around August): one of the largest annual public festivals in the South Pacific.

Karolina Grabowska www.kaboompics.com · Pexels

Kokoda

Fiji’s signature dish: raw fish marinated in citrus and coconut cream, a South Pacific cousin of ceviche.

Jaejay77 · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Lovo

A feast of meat, fish and root vegetables slow-cooked in an earth oven; the celebration meal.

Neeta Lind · CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Palusami

Taro leaves baked in coconut cream, often with corned beef or fish; a rich island staple.

Vidal Balielo Jr. · Pexels

Rourou and cassava

Taro leaves and cassava root are everyday staples served alongside most Fijian meals.

Hsz282 · Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Kava (yaqona)

The earthy pepper-root drink at the centre of Fijian ceremony and social life; visitors are often welcomed with a bowl.

On the islands, most meals are at your resort. Village and kava visits follow etiquette: accept the bowl, clap once, say "Bula" and drink, and dress modestly in villages.

Where to eat

• Nadi International Airport (NAN) on the main island of Viti Levu is Fiji’s main international gateway, about 10 km from Nadi town.
• From Nadi and Port Denarau, catamarans and seaplanes reach the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands; Taveuni and other outer islands are served by domestic flights.

• Island transfers run by boat (the Yasawa Flyer and South Sea Cruises catamarans from Port Denarau) or by seaplane and helicopter; book ahead and time them with your flight.
• Budget the fuel surcharge separately from the fare. South Sea Cruises introduced a mandatory one in April 2026 and reset it on 1 September 2026: 10 Fijian dollars per adult and per child aged 2 to 15 for each one-way sector to the Mamanuca resorts, 15 per adult and 10 per child to the Yasawa resorts, and 10 or 15 between islands. The operator says Fiji diesel is about 46 percent above its pre-disruption price, that the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission resets fuel prices on the first of each month, and that the surcharge is next reviewed in early October 2026.
• Check in at the South Sea Cruises desk at Port Denarau Terminal 30 minutes before the vessel leaves, and note that most island resorts have no jetty: the catamaran stops offshore and a small tender takes you in.
• On the main island, a rental car works for the Nadi to Coral Coast to Suva coastal road, but not for reaching the outer islands.
• Buses and taxis operate around Nadi, Denarau and along the Coral Coast.