Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Clothes to bring in July/Aug Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Fiji
dreamer19 17:38 UTC 25 Jun 2011 | Hello, What are temperatures going to be like in July/August? Is it cool enough that I should pack any pants, or a sweater for evening? Thank you. |
h2ooh 18:53 UTC 25 Jun 2011 | You didn't mention where you are going. But I'd recommend at least a light sweater or fleece to wear during the flight to your destination. | 1
dreamer19 19:37 UTC 25 Jun 2011 | I'm spending all my time in the Yasawas and Mamanucas. | 2
lilau 06:51 UTC 26 Jun 2011 | Days and nights are warm, or even hot. A/C and/or a fan in the room are a must. I was there last August/September and didn't use my fleece at all, not even on the Yasawa Flyer. However, bring something to cover shoulders and knees in case you're doing a village visit. | 3
ozziegiraffe 11:14 UTC 26 Jun 2011 | If you are female, don't wear trousers on a village visit. | 4
childchi 05:31 UTC 27 Jun 2011 | 20 degrees here at the moment in Pacific Harbour on the Coral Coast. Coldest it has ever been. Hubby and I are wearing socks. Not to worry this is strange weather pattern and for sure July and August will be right up in the 30's again. | 5
peter_n_margaret 04:40 UTC 30 Jun 2011 | Custom requires females to cover their shoulders and also to below the knees with a skirt. No hats or sunglasses in villages. Cheers, Peter | 6
ozziegiraffe 11:27 UTC 30 Jun 2011 | I can never understand the sunglasses ban - what would I do as my glasses have transition lenses, and darken in sunlight? | 7
peter_n_margaret 21:14 UTC 30 Jun 2011 | Sunglasses stop others from seeing your eyes. They would understand transition lenses, I am sure, and tourists are excused many transgressions. I might be inclined to remove them briefly if speaking directly to someone. A significant part of the speach that happens (in Fijian) prior to a Karva ceremony is appologising for the way some tourists in the group are dressed. Many ignore direct requests to dress conservitively before village visits. No one will challenge them or point out their rudeness. It simply reflects on them as people. Cheers, Peter | 8
h2ooh 23:01 UTC 30 Jun 2011 | Thanks for the tip on the sunglasses thing Peter. Another common social faux pas committed by tourists in the SP has to do with greetings. In most SP cultures anything other than an uplifted chin, raised eyebrows and a smile is akin to a scowl. Dipping your head or lowering your eyebrows usually has a negative or disapproving connotation. | 9
ozziegiraffe 11:07 UTC 01 Jul 2011 | Interesting. H2ooh, I never saw that in the Solomons, though much communication is non-verbal - I had to learn quickly that my students answered questions by a quickly raised eyebrow, for instance. I never saw the sunglasses thing or the covered shoulders for women either. In fact, sunnglasses are seen as cool. I often gave a pair to the person who drove the outboard, as they both lessened glare and protected their eyes from pterygiums. | 10
h2ooh 13:46 UTC 01 Jul 2011 | I think the event probably has something to do with it. A visit to a village by tourists may be considered a formal event and a reason to not wear casual clothing. In the Cook Islands local women wear pants a lot but you seldom if ever see them worn by women at formal events or church. | 11
peter_n_margaret 20:35 UTC 01 Jul 2011 | Yes, what is common practice in town or at a resort is different from what is acceptable in a village context. The raised eyebrow "yes" is common in Fiji too, and they will avoid saying "No", even when that is the appropriate answer. Cheers, Peter | 12