Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Popular Beach in Fiji with 'beach bars'....not at a resort? Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Fiji
coolcool 09:21 UTC 04 Feb 2011 | Popular Beach in Fiji with 'beach bars'....not at a resort? Granted, I'm still studying Fiji. But what little I know, many of the beaches are resorts for tourists. Are there any beaches with beach bars, where tourists/travelers and locals all converge...that might have live music and some kind of social scene going on? If so, where? |
coolcool 09:56 UTC 05 Feb 2011 | I was just reading more about FIJI. Apparently people stay at HOSTELS that are also RESORTS....like large room hostels with tons of beds? Is that right? That's the impression I am getting, the more I am reading about Fiji. Can anyone confirm that one? | 1
hardnosethehighway 17:46 UTC 05 Feb 2011 | "Apparently people stay at HOSTELS that are also RESORTS....like large room hostels with tons of beds? Is that right? " Some people do-there are a few places like that that are popular with a certain demographic-Fiji has all kinds of options in terms of accommodation The scene you're looking for sounds more like Latin America than Fiji though-Fijians are generally quite poor and most take their food/drinks from home when they go to the beach IME-not to say it doesn't exist. | 2
becks 19:31 UTC 05 Feb 2011 | Some resorts are more open to locals than others. For example, Uprising Resort in Pacific Harbour is often busy with locals (Fijian and expats) living in Suva / Pac Harbour at the weekends. They sometimes have live music etc. and always a good atmosphere. Other resorts tend to go for a more 'exclusive' feel, and are not really open for locals dropping in for lunch. | 3
childchi 23:57 UTC 05 Feb 2011 | Uprising Resort in Pacific Harbour, sounds like what you are looking for. As for locals popping in for lunch at resorts, my family, & friends dont seem to have a problem, as long as we pay we are welcome. | 4
hardnosethehighway 00:37 UTC 06 Feb 2011 | Neither #3 or #4 have answered the question at all-in fact they are describing exactly what OP doesn't want. Popular Beach in Fiji with 'beach bars'.... not at a resort? Are there any beaches with beach bars, where tourists/travelers and locals all converge...that might have live music and some kind of social scene going on? | 5
coolcool 06:44 UTC 06 Feb 2011 | Actually I'm confused between 'hostels' and 'resorts', and everything else. The more I read about Fiji, the more I hear that you can't avoid resorts. Like they are just part of the landscape. Something about hostels also being kind of 'resort-like' where they have beach bars and such. Actually can someone clear all that up for me. I don't have access to a Lonely Planet guide, as I'm currently living in an Asian country in a small city, without access to a good English bookstore at the moment. Nontheless, from all that I'm gathering, 'resort' in FIJI, seems to have a completely different connotation than 'resort' anywhere else. My interpretation was 'gates, guards, highly expensive, exclusive' - which I don't like at all. However, from what I've read so far for Fiji, 'resort' seems to imply 'privately owned' but can also be very accessable, cheap, hostels dormitories are even found on them, etc. Can anyone clear up all of that? :) | 6
ozziegiraffe 11:28 UTC 06 Feb 2011 | yes to your last question. You can actually view and download the latest LP guide from the home page on the website. | 7
hardnosethehighway 19:27 UTC 06 Feb 2011 | "My interpretation was 'gates, guards, highly expensive, exclusive' - which I don't like at all. However, from what I've read so far for Fiji, 'resort' seems to imply 'privately owned' but can also be very accessable, cheap, hostels dormitories are even found on them, etc." No need for gates/guards since all land in Fiji is privately owned I mean every grain of sand including the seabed to the outside of the reef. That's why beaches with different little bars serving a day crowd are so rare. For more info http://www.southpacific.org/guide/fiji.html | 8
becks 21:45 UTC 06 Feb 2011 | Yes hardnosethehighway, and you've been so helpful! Rather than simply pointing out that what the OP is looking for doesn't exist and telling them to go to South America instead, I thought it might be useful to point out the closest to that which I have discovered in Fiji so far. Also, almost all resorts do have gates and guards, whether they're needed or not, and FYI sea tenure / ownership is a lot more complicated than that. OP to clarify, other than perhaps in Nadi itself, I'm not sure that there are any "hostels" as you might expect them from e.g. SE Asia. In Fiji, "resorts" can range from the 'gates, guards, highly expensive, exclusive' to much more budget friendly places with dorms and private rooms. As myself and childchi mentioned - Uprising is one that has a dorm and cheap rooms and many locals go there to eat and drink. It's still a "resort" though. Similarly, some of the "resorts" in the Yasawas have dorms, but aren't referred to as "hostels". You have exclusive luxury resorts and backpacker resorts. There are also a few homestay options around if you're looking for local interaction, although this is unlikely to coincide with a beach bar atmosphere... other than grog (kava) most villages don't drink alcohol. The local social scene, in Suva at least, is more bars and clubs in town. If people go to the beach, they take a picnic. Or, if relatively well-off, they go to Uprising or the like ;) | 9
smartyviv 05:22 UTC 10 Sep 2012 | its a bar, o a beach house? | 10