Fiji

BULA !

Today, I am reminiscing about the good times I had in Fiji…

It was in 2014 !!!

Let’s go back to that today. Hopefully this will warm us up a little.

Quick and easy!

Fiji is a great destination if you are coming from Australia and have just 1 week / 10 days off.

It has a lot to offer : turquoise waters, white sand beaches, jungles, good food (mostly seafood as you can guess),… And is a beautiful destination that can satisfy the adventurous as well as the lazy ones…

Best season:

We went in June… Just before the peak season started.
The island was quiet, the weather was good, we didn’t book much in advance and were able to find accommodation every single step of the way at very affordable prices. (except from the accommodation on the Yasawa Island – see further)

Find more infos here about the best time to visit Fiji.

Our programme:

The idea was to spend 6days on the main Island and then to take a ferry to one of the Yasawa Islands for 4days.

The main island VITI LEVU is often overlooked but is – in my opinion- worth the visit. You can easily discover the whole Island in about 5 or 6 days.

– The Mamanuca Islands of Fiji are a volcanic archipelago lying to the west of Nadi and to the south of the Yasawa Islands. The group, a popular tourist destination, consists of about 20 islands, but about seven of these are covered by the Pacific Ocean at high tide-

– The Yasawa Group is an archipelago of about 20 volcanic islands in the Western Division of Fiji, with an approximate total area of 135 square kilometres –

Our trip:

DAY 1.

We flew from Brisbane to Nadi with Fiji Airways: a 3h50 flight.
I think we paid around 400€ / each round trip.

We’d booked the first hotel in advance on booking.com so to spend the first night in a cheap hotel close to Denarau.

AND SO, THE HOLIDAYS STARTED !

DAY 2

We rented a car to discover the island ‘freestyle’…

Know that there is only one ‘highway’ there. It runs the whole circumference of the Island and changes name from the South to the North: Queens Road (the Southern part) –> Kings Road (the Northern part).
The other ‘ways’ are all pretty much ‘dirt’ roads… BUMPY and MESSY but pretty doable most of the time, don’t worry!
Of course, rental car agents always request to ‘stick to the main highway’. But if you wanna see the landscape, You have to be a rebel – Just don’t tell them…

My advice to you:
Make sure you get insured, avoid driving at night and don’t hesitate to take hitchhikers along the way… Most of them being lovely locals and be prepared for socialising! it sometimes ends up with an invite to a barbecue or an unexpected party.

With the car, we drove anti clockwise and started discovering the Island.

First stop: the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Hindu temple in Nadi.

This riotously bright Hindu temple is one of the few places outside India where you can see traditional Dravidian architecture; the wooden carvings of deities travelled here from India, as did the artists who dressed the temple in its colourful coat and impressive ceiling frescos. Dress modestly and remove your shoes at the entrance; photos are okay in the grounds, but not the temple. The inner sanctum is reserved for devotees bringing offerings. The on-site temple custodian can help you make sense of it all. – The Lonely Planet

Next Stop: Sigatoka, where we walked on sand dunes

From there, we went to grab a bite 😉 Don’t ask me where… I don’t remember !

In search for a place to sleep, We found this quirky little ‘villa’ called Waitaci Village. Cheap and funky 😉

DAY 3:

We drove around in search for nature

We drove through Pacific Harbour (also known for its zip-line and other various activities ).

Then we stopped in Suva (the capital) and decided to book a room for the night. The nightlife was pretty disappointing. But we slept like babies 😉

DAY 4

On the road again, in direction to Raki Raki.

We loved Raki Raki and stayed 2 nights at the VoliVoli beach resort. It was simply too beautiful to speed up. We went snorkelling, relaxed by the pool and enjoyed the beach.

DAY 6

Our last stop was in Lautoka, where we soaked for hours in hot springs and mud pools.

What a fun day!

Then we drove back to Denarau, dropped the car and slept.

Day 7

The next day, we took a ferry for 6 hours in direction to Nacula island, in the Yasawa archipelago.

A word about ferries: they are expensive (for our 6h trip it was about 95AU$ each) they and can be quickly booked out. So make sure to buy your ticket in advance.
We booked our trip upon arrival on the island, at Denarau ferry’s office.
You can also book it online here.

ps: Better not to be sea sick !

We stayed 4 nights in a bure (little cabin) at Nabua Lodge. Back then it was a family owned business, with good services, clean rooms & night shows.

It was a very lovely experience that I definitely recommend !

I hope you enjoyed this article and that it made you ‘dream travel’ a little.

Take care,

x

Axelle

Photo credits: Laure Delcorde, Axelle Raad