Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Gifts when visiting a village Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Fiji
richandlea 18:33 UTC 16 May 2007 | Hi, We have hired a car and plan to do some driving inland on veti levu. We have read that a gift is recommended/required if we stop in or near a village to explore, take photos, or visit a nearby place of interest (cave, waterfall, lookout, etc). We have also read that we should ask to meet the village chief when we see someone from the village. Is this correct? And is it true for all over veti levu, or just certain remote villages? Can someone provide some ideas of what a suitable gift is? Thanks. |
watsoff 23:12 UTC 16 May 2007 | Kava (yaqona or grog), preferably the roots, is the gift of choice. | 1
Laszlo 01:35 UTC 17 May 2007 | If you simply pass through a village on the way to a recognized tourist attraction, there's no need for gifts. The latter could be needed if you want to linger in the village itself, or do things most tourists wouldn't: like staying overnight in a village home, taking lots of pictures of villagers, hire guides for hiking, etc. | 2
richandlea 17:24 UTC 17 May 2007 | Thanks for the info. We will stock up on a bit of Kava before we head inland just incase we need it. Thanks. | 3