anyone done fiji experience?

hey guys,

my boyfriend and i are off to fiji next month for 2 weeks..
we are planning on doing "fiji experience" for about a week and going around viti levu.. it sounds great, it seems as though you get to see quite a bit of the island and go sand boarding, white water rafting, go to a local school and do a highlands trek.. has anyone does this? would love some comments and feedback...

after this we are thinking of doing an awesome adventures trip around the yasawa islands.. basically takes you to islands over the week and provides you with the meals and accom...once again, any comments or feedback would be great..

i havnt actually done any group travel before...but this seems as though you can get time to your self, especially with the fiji experience becase you get to choose where you eat and sleep every day...

anyway guys, would love to hear some stories of your time in fiji!!

safe travels..
em

The difference between buying an Awesome Adventures package and doing it yourself is that in buying the package the choices of where you stay are limited to the package plan - tending to be the cheaper places. Similarly, buying the 7 day Yasawa Flyer (boat) "bula pass" limits your island travel to 7 days. For example, I spent the same $ as the cost of the bula pass, but spread my Yasawas stay over 10 days on 3 islands - including as far north as the boat goes (i.e. more $). You can get on the Flyer from any location and buy the ticket on board - no reservation needed - it's like a bus on water. If you haven't already made your next reservation when you get on, the on-board staff will call ahead for you (during the boat trip).

There are plenty of places to stay - all with cheap dorm beds. A day ahead will work for all but the most popular spots, like Octopus or Oarsman's. If you want a particular place or a double vs. dorm, then it is best to make that reservation a couple of days ahead - all accomodations places will help you call ahead to your next stop to make that reservation. Once you are there, you'll talk to other travelers and hear their recommendations. I did hear of some not so nice places - like dumpy, bad food, etc. 3 meal a day is compulsory in most places - there are no grocery stores or shops anywhere.

You know best how you like to travel, all reserved or just going with the flow. I just returned from Fiji 2 weeks ago - we arrived there without a single reservation (last stop on a longer trip), and I'm a 50-something traveling with college age daughter - we winged it all the way and had a fabulous stay in Fiji. We planned ahead just a day or two the whole time. We had planned to go around Viti Levu, but were seduced by the islands ... so can't help on that part of your plan. The place is crawling with young people, if that's you, you will have a great time.

i havent done it and i wouldnt do it, but i meet quite a few people that have been on feejjee experience. half of them would not do it again. it is mainly a get pissed tour around the main island for budget turists that want to spend their fiji time with turists.
what they charge per ticket is enough to to the same trip with a taxi....

Don't do it! Local buses are really cheap and hitchhiking is okay too. But you pay so much to do the fiji experience, there is really no point. It is more of a drinking thing and you get to meet lots of people, but if you want value for money then do it alone. I found that doing it alone i met more Fijians. They would talk to me on the bus, and in the hotel they would come up and natter. You can do everything the tour offers on your own. When we went to the rope swing in Colo i Suva rainforest park on our own and it was empty, we could do it over and over again, in a group you'd only get 1 or 2 shots at it.