Bula pass + accomodation or not??

Hi,

Just wondering what peoples experience was with travelling/staying through Yasawas with bula passes. We've got just over 3 week as part of rtw ticket. Few questions?

Buy pass in uk or when get there?
(I've heard that buy one before you go is expensive better done when you get there, but is it best to get just the pass or the accomodation one too.) - which islands take credit card??

Just boat transfer ticket or accomodation combo one?
(Heard cheaper to do accomodation as you go along but need to carry a lot of money plus my husband and I will want to stay in double rooms so will be bit more expensive and also understand you have to upgrade a lot for better islands?)

Which islands are nicer?

Worth exploring mainland - things to do/how to get around?

Will we manged all this on £1600 for us both for 3 weeks 3 days???

Thanks!!!
Claire

It works out a little cheaper to buy the pass once you arrive in Fiji.

Most places will take a credit card, but charge an additional 5-10% to do so, and it's slow. Cash is definitely preferred.

Better to just buy the Bula Pass and then book accommodation on your own. That way you're cutting out a middle man and getting to go where you want, when you want.

All of the islands are nice, but different. Depends what you are looking for.

With 3 weeks you should spend a few days checking out the mainland. Public bus is a cheap and efficient way to get around. The beaches and snorkelling are far better in the islands than they are on the mainland.

For 2 people, that's not a lot of money for 3 weeks. You'll have to limit your time in the Yasawas or at least stay at the cheaper spots, as they're the most expensive part of Fiji. To save some money, consider visiting a less common place.

Research where you'd like to stay and for how long. If you intend on moving often, the pass for travel could be good. If you intend to stay put for longer periods, it may be more economical to buy the transfers between each resort. South Sea cruises (Awesome Adventures) will give you the costings between resorts.
Make sure you research the resorts carefully. Some are very "rustic" (limited hours electricity, food, accommodation, cold showers etc) some are more "party" places, some people don't like communal dining offered by some places. Some places are more "splashpacker" in standards (and price) but they may be too "big" or "not Fijian" enough. It all depends on what you want. Many like Octopus, Blue Lagoon, Botaira have a range of dorms to upmarket accommodation. Some, like Nanuya are upmarket more couples oriented. If you have firm dates you can book/pay direct with the resorts, may avoid missing out on the bula pass if accommodation is full.
Most places have websites (with costs, levels of accom, activities and availability), look at reviews on Travel Advisor, post or pm if needing clarification. Good luck!

We had a 7 day Bula pass and payed for the accommodation separately. With the Bula pass you can also stay at a couple of the islands/resorts in the Mamanuca group. We stayed 4 nights at the Octopus which was excellent, 1 night at Bounty (definitely more of a backpacker place, a small coral island) and 1 night on Mana (which caters to the wedding market - a very large resort, snorkelling on both the north and south beaches was excellent though). We should probably have stayed an extra 2 nights further up in the Yasawa group, but it is difficult to get accommodation at the resorts sometimes if you don't book ahead.
BTW, for the first day of travel you have to at least book the day ahead (we did - others had to wait for a later ferry as the morning ferry was completely booked out).
We liked staying at the Stoney Creek Resort, not far from the airport but at the foot of the mountains. Absolutely beautiful.
We also stayed at Sigatoka, but the beaches and weather wasn't as good as the Islands. The river safari and village visit, Taveuni hill fort and the market were great.