Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Stopover In Fiji Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Fiji
skrk 03:55 UTC 20 Jun 2012 | I'm headed back to the US from Australia and I have 4 days in FIji before I fly to the states. I'll be arriving and departing from Nadi. I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice for places to stay /things to do/places to go within this short time frame? I'm really keen on taking in as much sunshine as possible. I love to just lay in the sun, but not all day. I really would like to surf, dive, or dig into some culture while I'm there. Any suggestions? As for places to stay, should I stay around Nadi, or is there a possibility of staying on Manmuca islands or Yasawa Islands? What is transportation like to and from the airport? I'm a young female travelling solo, but that doesnt usually hinder me too much. Cheers! |
doberino 06:08 UTC 20 Jun 2012 | Depends what time you arrive & depart. There is the yassawa flyer which is an express boat that travels to the yassawa islands But only does 1 round trip a day. http://www.awesomefiji.com/FerryTimetable.aspx I liked octopus resort http://octopusresort.com/, but not sure you will have enough time to get there & back in time to catch your flight. | 1
kenko 22:46 UTC 20 Jun 2012 | By all means, get to one of the offshore islands in the Manamanucas or beyond to the Yasawas if you want to have a memorable experience on a South Pacific island. Viti Levu is not the paradise most people are loooking for. | 2
thurstonhowell4th 12:09 UTC 24 Jun 2012 | boats to the mamanucas (and elsewehre) all leave about 8.30am and return about 6pm from/to denaru harbour, others departure times through the day for closer islands so definitiely get off the mainland | 3
skrk 06:18 UTC 26 Jun 2012 | thanks thats really helpful! It seems like most of the more affordable places on the islands are really geared toward backpackers. I'm not looking for anywhere with a crazy backpacker party scene. Can anyone suggest a place thats a bit more relaxed than some of those big backpacker resorts? | 4
thurstonhowell4th 07:20 UTC 26 Jun 2012 | No, most resorts (Ive stayed at about 10 or so places over the years) aren't total backpacker havens, most have chalets and also a dorm to suit solo budget travellers (even Beachcomber is as much chalets/bures as dorm and what conservative Fiji calls a big party usually just means a live band), search mamanuca islands or yasawa islands on tripadvisor for pics and feedback. I actually like the more rustic places as usually the tables at mealtimes are multishare so being solo i always meet folks, whereas nice places like Mana or Plantation or elsewhere will seat you solo at a 4 seat table so you feel a bit isolated and miss the opp to engage with others. All up the island life in Fiji isn't really elcheapo backpacker pricing for a range of reasons probably mostly because of the ongoing impact of the government/military coup still badly effecting business. Anyways, I'm sure you'll love where ever you go, just get off the mainland. Cheers, C. | 5
kenko 23:01 UTC 26 Jun 2012 | You said you'd like some Fijian culture, diving and awesome beaches without the crazy backpacker party scene.... soooo check out the Wayalailai Eco Resort on the Yasawa Island of the same name. It is owned and operated by the Fijians of the island and does have dorms along with bures. Great beaches, snorkelling, scuba diving and you can do a village visit and see a traditional Fijian meke (dance) and partake of a Kava ceremony. Food is really basic here, but the cultural immersion is very real. I loved it here but for demanding tastes, you'd be better off at the next island up- Waya Island and the dorms at the Octopus Resort. This place made Forbes Magazine "Top Ten Beaches in the World"--Likuliku Beach. The reef is great here and there is hiking to one of the the three Fijian villages on Waya. You can also hike to the top of the Yalobi Hills (1500 feet elevation) from where you can see the entire Yasawa Island chain. www.octopusresort.com www.wayalailairesort.com | 6