Fiji for 5 nights. What do I do? - please help!

Hi there,

I am a single backpacker and arrive in nadi in 3 weeks time on a Monday morning.

Basically, from what I've read, nadi isnt a great place to be, so I'm only planning to stay there for my first and last night. However, for the three nights in-between, I am stuck as to what to do.

I would like to see a nice beach, do some sort of activities ( maybe snorkeling)' and meet some people. I'm leaning towards the manumaca and/or yasawa islands to spend some time. ( please excuse the spelling).

However, I am unsure how I would go about getting there as I am aware that I would need to get to the denrau port from nadi. In my research I am struggling to understand how I would get to the port.

Likewise, it seems that 3 days isn't enough tme to do scheduled tours, so does anyone know if there are frequent ferries to and from these islands? If so, do they need to be booked in advance.... And how much are they?

Lastly, if anyone has any other tips to suggest, I'd very much appreciate it.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

Bula!
You have it right that you do not want to hang out in Nadi. It's just a base town for moving onward and seeing the real Fiji.

Here's a couple ideas. The Yasawa Flyer basically is the way most get offshore to the Mamanuca or
Yasawa Islands ( website is awesomefiji.com) You can buy a 5-day island-hopping pass for around F$225
( about US $125) which will get you as far as the Flyer goes. Return fare to nearby Waya Island, for example. is less. Shared dorms cost about F$30 at some resorts. Most have required meal plans which can cost more than the room, so check out what meal plan costs are.
If you have in mind swimming in turquoise waters and snorkelling healthy coral reefs-- the Yasawa or
Mamanuca Islands is where you will want to be. The beaches around Nadi are not like this, and you will need to go elsewhere to see what is most people's ideal of a memorable South Pacific beach. There are dozens of resort options, such as the Beachcomber or the Octopus or the Wayalailai Resort-- check out TripAdvisor.com for some of them.
If your budget is super tight and the costs of the Yasawa Flyer is too prohibitive, look into the Volivoli Resort offshore from the northern Viti Levu town of Rakiraki. It's about a 2.5 hour bus ride from Lautoka, the
main town about 40 minutes from Nadi's International Airport.
The least expensive way into Nadi or Lautoka from the airport is to catch a "Carrier"- a shared van or
truck- by walking 500 feet or so out to the main road outside the airport. You wave them down as you would a taxi and it costs just a few dollars. Denarau marina is only about 3.5 miles from Nadi Town-- it's walkable
but there are a few buses each day for about $1 from Nadi to Denarau.
Keep in mind that english is spoken everywhere, so travel in Fiji is just a matter of asking questions wherever you happen to be. And the beauty of the islands is surpassed by the friendliness of the Fijian people. Have a great holiday!

Here are websites of a few Mamanuca and Yasawa Island Resorts which have dorm accomodations. Pay special attention to the costs of the meal plans as they can run as high as US$50 per day at some of them.
beachcomberfiji.com wayalailairesort.com manalagoonbackpackers.com octopusresort.com
mantarayisland.com bluelagoonbeachresort.com and volivoli.com for the Volivoli Resort.

I can recommend Octopus Resort on Waya Island. Check their website for costs and tripadvisor for reviews. If you stay in a dorm (no bunks) it wouldn't break the bank. There are two kinds of dorms, I prefer the modern one, because it has bed side tables with individual reading light. The compulsory meal plan is also excellent value: the meals are very good and are served at communal tables, you'll meet an interesting array of people that way. There are daily activities to choose from (some free, some you have to pay for) and you can snorkel on the beautiful house reef (access from the beach).

There are two ways to get there: the Yasawa Flyer or the resort boat. Both do pick ups and drop offs from/to your accommodation in Nadi. The Flyer has a set time table, it leaves Denarau early in the morning, I think it was 8.30 and arrives back there 6ish in the afternoon. The resort boat (which is faster and leaves from another port) might have a more flexible time table, depending on the number of passengers. If you have a convenient flight out you might not even have to stay your last night in Nadi but head straight to the airport.

You can email them to book a bed (they tend to fill up fast) and transport. You do have to pay for your stay, meal plan and pre arranged transport (either Flyer or resort boat) beforehand.

Hope this helps.

just stay on the main island, go to the Coral Coast (Thebachouse, Mango Bay) and welcome to ECOCAFE' for any assistance, fresh food or truly Fijian experience!