Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Independent Travel in Fiji Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Fiji
Trail_blazer 20:12 UTC 25 Jul 2018 | Hi, How realistic is it to travel on local boats/ferries, stay in hostels (or wild camp) and explore Fiji without a package tour or staying in an expensive resort? Looking at spending 7-14 days there, on a budget, possibly with a bicycle. Also, would it be worth taking a pack raft to paddle some of the coast, or would this be unadvised? Tips, ideas and places to visit all appreciated! Thanks :) |
Laszlo 21:56 UTC 25 Jul 2018 | Camping wild is frowned upon as all land is privately owned and hostels are limited, but otherwise budget travel by public transport and staying in cheap hotels is perfectly possible and indeed Fiji is about the cheapest and one of the easiest countries in the South Pacific to do so. | 1
TeresiaLee 07:26 UTC 26 Jul 2018 | Buses are a good way to travel. The main ones are Sunbeam Transport, Sunset Express & Coral Sun Transport. There are bus stands at Nadi airport & town and Suva near the market. You must purchase a ticket before travelling. You need to know where you are staying whether it's by bus, bike or boat. All land is owned and it's not polite to just turn up. Please read up on cultural protocols too before you visit a town or village. Consider a home stay if you are looking for cheaper accommodation. You can book through homestay sites or booking.com for others. There are some reviews on Lonely Planet. Have a look at the Facebook Page for the Fiji Rucksack Club for some ideas for trips you can make. I like the east and north coast of Vitu Levi. Vanua Levi is also wonderful a but requires a booked boat trip from Suva to Savu Savu. I loved this trip, so if you can fit it in, go for it. | 2
TeresiaLee 05:19 UTC 30 Jul 2018 | Hi, Just a reminder, that's it's nice to acknowledge the response to your travel query. We put a bit of thought and effort into replying and it makes it worth the effort when our support is appreciated. Tracy | 3
Laszlo 07:54 UTC 30 Jul 2018 | @TeresiaLee , most OP don't bother with thanks. I am used to that, and only get annoyed when they simply repost the same Q later, without even hinting at already being given advice earlier. Most of the time we won't even know if they ever returned to read our replies. | 4
sebas_98_07350163 12:35 UTC 17 Aug 2018 | Buses are a good way to travel. The main ones are Sunbeam Transport, Sunset Express & Coral Sun Transport. There are bus stands at Nadi airport & town and Suva near the market. You must purchase a ticket before travelling. You need to know where you are staying whether it's by bus, bike or boat. All land is owned and it's not polite to just turn up. Please read up on cultural protocols too before you visit a town or village. Consider a home stay if you are looking for cheaper accommodation. You can book through homestay sites or booking.com for others. There are some reviews on Lonely Planet. Have a look at the Facebook Page for the Fiji Rucksack Club for some ideas for trips you can make. I like the east and north coast of Vitu Levi. Vanua Levi is also wonderful a but requires a booked boat trip from Suva to Savu Savu. I loved this trip, so if you can fit it in, go for it. Thanks for the information, I always wanted to travel to Fiji so this information is good for me to take note of and when I travel I can make use of this and get the best experience. And I have a doubt, are very rigorous with the cultural protocols? | 5
TeresiaLee 23:47 UTC 21 Aug 2018 | Hi, If you visit a village, you will need a guide as you cannot go uninvited. A tour operator such as Talanoa Trek (based Suva) offer great experiences at good prices. Other wise have a look online (eg Lonely Planet) at cultural practices to observe. | 6
Thorn Tree 01:00 UTC 22 Aug 2019 | This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you. | 7