camping in fiji

Hi all

I am travelling to Fiji (Nadi) for business in early December and have decided to stay on afterwards for a few days to see a little of Fiji and to kick back and relax before the Christmas rush at home (UK).
I am a keen camper and was wondering about two things...
1:- are there any dedicated campsites where I could pitch my own tent near Nadi, but far enough from the airport to not be disturbed by aircraft noise?
2:- is the weather at that time of year conducive with living from a tent?

Thanks in advance for any insight that you may be able to offer...

Fynnzo

I have never seen anyone "camp" in Fiji. Almost all land is private, so permission would be required.
December is the wet season.
At best that means heavy rain most afternoons and evenings, at worst a cyclone.

Cheers,
Peter

I have seen only one dedicated campground on Fiji (Matei, Taveuni). The occasional resort might have a safari-style tent or two set up as cheaper alternative to bure, and some allow a person to set up his/her own tent.

But any form of camping is rare. You won't have much, if anything, to choose from - which makes the distance from Nadi airport irrelevant. Anyway, the airport's not that busy.

If you had your own tent, then in addition to inner-outer tent you'd need an additional rain cover over the entire tent. Otherwise there's a good chance of being washed out after a heavy rain -- the experience of one poor camper I saw.

Hi Fynnzo,

we just came back from an island hopping trip along the Yasawa island group (just west of Nadi). You can get there with the Fiji Awesome Adventure Catamaran. There are lots of simple but very nice & friendly resorts of which some also offer camping. Look out for family run resorts with only one (!) coconut - that's their star system. They are far more friendly and authentic than the bigger 2 or 3 coconut ones. You can book them directly via email to save them and you the commission for the Australian owned Fiji Awesome company.

We stayed at Naqalia Lodge, and they used to be a camping ground. Now they offer both, camping as well as dorm or bure (traditional huts). They also pick you up from the mainland, North of Nadi from Lautoka. We had in October hardly any rain and did not rain for 4 months. Another great resort is Long Beach Resort - I am sure you can camp there as well.

Unfortunately we didn't bring our tent, it must be lovely as it always has fresh winds so it shouldn't get too hot in the tent.

Enjoy,

Ina

As mentioned there are a number of places in the Yasawas that will allow you to camp, but very few people do it. The hassle of bringing a tent and other camping stuff from the UK for just a few days of use is hardly worth it. Much more practical to just stay in a dorm, bure, or whatever.

Also, if you're going to tack on some extra days, make sure it's enough so that you're not stuck around Nadi. So much nicer if you head out to one of the nearby islands in the Yasawas or Mamanucas.

good advise tch7, thank you.

I think i've gone off the idea of trying to camp. from the advise i've had and what i have researched, there are plenty of "at one with nature" accomodation to choose from. And as you say, travelling from the UK with even a small amount of camping gear will be a hassle that i don't need.

Cheers
Fynnzo