Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Beer / Wine - Liquor Store Question

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Fiji

Hi

I am taking my first trip to Fiji in June with my family. Staying at the Warwick which is half way between somewhere and nowhere.

My issue is that my wife and I enjoy a drink at the end of a long day sitting by the pool and do not fancy paying resort prices for wine and beer.

Can anyone suggest options for buying alcohol in and around the Coral Coast.

thanks
Andrew

Simplest option is to either

1.stock up in Nadi after leaving airplane or better
2. after settling in at hotel, empty out hotel bar fridge, take taxi to Sigatoka (town 10 mins away by cab and stock up[ there.

1

Hi Rebcam

As Mandja suggested get all your drinks at duty free stores at the airport....

I use to bring those reuseable cooler shopping bags that zip up... I bought alcohol at the airport and got ice from the resort and sat my butt by the pool... cheapest way by far

Taking a taxi from the Warwick to sigatoka is closer to 25 mins and its around $20 - $30 FJD dollars if you negotiate,, best you get it all at the airport and only use Sigatoka option if you run out or are doing a trip there etc.

Have fun :-)

2

Fiji has a fairly generous duty free allowance so just take some in your suitcase.
We can always pack enough to last us our stay.
Funny though that the wine never tastes as good in Fiji even though it is the same as we drink at home.
Last time we just took a couple of bottles of Kalua and bought the milk at the resort.

3

Totally understand where your coming from, recently stayed at the Warwick - great resort, great food but yes the drinks are expensive. Bring your duty free allowance with you then take a trip to Singatoka on your first day and stock up on mixers, beer and munchies - its worth the taxi fare or better still take a local bus there and a taxi back to the resort. enjoy!!

4

Forgot to mention there are NO liquor sales on Sunday in Fiji

5

I dont think that is right. Ive bought drinks (liquor) at resorts in Fiji on Sundays.

6

It's cheaper to stock up at the duty-free in the Nadi airport on arrival (before you go through customs and immigration) than to bring it in from your own duty-free departure point.

7

Watsoff, thats not always right, is it? I think duty free in Australia is likely to be cheaper than that in Nadi

8

Sorry mandja, I don't know prices in Australia, I should have been more specific, I guess. Don't know where the OP is located. The prices on landing in Nadi were - and presumably still are - considerably lower than here in Canada even at duty free. Obviously better for local rum, vodka and beer that is, not sure of brand name products. Cigarettes were a joy to buy on landing (unfortunately?? I've quit smoking, so that no longer is a big deal). I've never bought anything duty free in Australia so I have no basis for comparison. Apologies if I handed out incorrect info ... and I wish it was me going back to Fiji right now.

9

I guess it depends on what your poison is?

I prefer wine and have found that its cheaper to buy it in Australia duty free on sale, but now with the devaluation of the dollar, it will be pretty much the same.

I still think its alot more convenient to buy it when you land rather than carry it on and off planes but I travel with a child.

10

Need to clarify my last post.

Yes you can buy alcohol at resorts, bars & duty free on Sundays, but you can't buy it from a liquor store on Sunday if you were thinking of stocking up on your own supplies.

11

I've always found liquor stores hard to come by in Fiji. In Suva a couple of the supermarkets have small bottle stores but that's all I've seen. Perhaps I haven't looked hard enough.

12

Liquor stores are in Sigatoka and Nadi,,, the selections are limited but there is alcohol available in the local village stores,, you need to ask but its very limited there... Pretty much just beer and occassionally certain popular spirits

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