Fiji - 1 week plan

Hello everyone,

My Fiancée and I are heading to Fiji from the 27th Aug - 3rd Sep.
We haven't booked anything yet and were just wondering if anyone had recommendations on where to stay and how to get there.

Having trolled through many websites, somewhere on the Yasawas seems like the right place for us (mixture of relaxing, snorkling, trekking, caves etc and good balance between the real fiji and the commercial side). Unless someone thinks otherwise.... we are flexible and open to suggestion.

Priorites for resorts are price and quality. i.e. cheap and good quality. Difficulty is finding a resort that is both of these (hopefully someone can prove me wrong). The other issue i have is that the only method of transport from Nadi to the Yasawas is with Awesome Adventures. They appear to have monopolised the island transport (hence the prices they want to charge. £192 pp for 7 days island hopping! Ouch!). any recommendations for getting to the Yasawas cheaper and resorts/hostels will be greatly appreciated.

Other questions:
Is there anything worth seeing on Viti Levu (that you can't see or get from one of the islands?)
Do you benefit from staying on different islands on the same trip or are they much of a muchness?

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.

There are much cheaper, "local" boats to the Yasawas from Lautoka, but they don't really run to schedule - you'd have to go there and ask around.
Not really great if you are headed to pre-booked resorts.

LOTS to see in Viti Levu - any guidebook should tell you about it.

As for the Yasawas, of course there are differences among them but I'd rather combine just one of them with a few days on Viti Levu.
And I'd pick Waya - it is close to Nadi yet very scenic, and has a range of options from the cheapest digs (by Yasawas standards) right by a village to relatively nice/expensive, more isolated Octopus.

The Yasawas is certainly a great area for beaches & scenery. As for the Awesome Adventures boat - the Yasawa Flyer - it's not so much that they have monopolised the island transport as that no-one else wants to do it. They offer a good service - leave Nadi (Denarau Marina) every morning, turn around at Nacula Island and return to Denarau by around 6pm, stopping at all resorts on the way. The only resort I know of which has it's own boat service is Octopus on Waya Island - sorry don't know the current cost of that. For the Flyer - they don't say so on their website but you don't have to purchase the 7 day package, they will quote for single trips. I think last year we paid around FJ$110 one way per person to go to Octopus. If you are still interested email them (address on website) for a quote. They usually ask for a CC number to hold the booking but we always give ours and say we will pay on check-in - that way you pay in FJ$ and it usually works out cheaper than paying in your own currency on-line.
Depending on the timing of your flights in and out you will probably have to have your first and last nights in Nadi.
Both Octopus and their sister resort Blue Lagoon Beach Resort (which is further North in the Yasawas at the point the Flyer turns around) have very good dorms, and private rooms attached for couples which share dorm facilities. The only difficulty you would have there is that both are very popular and at this short notice you may not get a booking. At all resorts in the Yasawas you have to take the food package as there are no shops and resorts do not have self-catering facilities.
If you want to visit the Sawa-i-Lau caves then Blue Lagoon has day trips there, Octopus is too far away. Both have good snorkelling and lots of activities (including village visits) to join in or not as you wish.
For such a short stay - potentially only 5 nights in the islands for you, depending on your flight times, I'd recommend staying in one place. Viti Levu is vastly different from the island experience, but if you are imagining the "postcard Fiji" - white sands, palm trees, blue water - then the islands are the place to go.
Good luck!

Try Oarsmans Bay Lodge (Right next door to Blue Lagoon) On Nacula Island - a beautiful beach - If you are only stopping at 1 island it is a lot cheaper than multiple islands on the Yasawa flyer - I did not like Octopus - Have a great holiday - Kim