Gifts when visiting a village

Hi,

We have hired a car and plan to do some driving inland on veti levu. We have read that a gift is recommended/required if we stop in or near a village to explore, take photos, or visit a nearby place of interest (cave, waterfall, lookout, etc). We have also read that we should ask to meet the village chief when we see someone from the village. Is this correct? And is it true for all over veti levu, or just certain remote villages? Can someone provide some ideas of what a suitable gift is? Thanks.

Kava (yaqona or grog), preferably the roots, is the gift of choice.

If you simply pass through a village on the way to a recognized tourist attraction, there's no need for gifts.

The latter could be needed if you want to linger in the village itself, or do things most tourists wouldn't: like staying overnight in a village home, taking lots of pictures of villagers, hire guides for hiking, etc.

Thanks for the info. We will stock up on a bit of Kava before we head inland just incase we need it. Thanks.