Local transport

Hello!

We are staying in Fiji for 10 days next week and have booked half and half The Uprising and The Funky Fish as places to stay. We were wondering if it's feasible to take public transport from the airport to The Uprising, and from there to the harbour to catch the boat to Malolo Island. Not just to save money (although that always helps!) but we like to take public transport when we're in a country we're not familiar with, gives you a feel for the place quickly. Our flight gets in at 4pm and we do have backpacks, but aren't bothered about waiting around.

Time on net running out, sorry for brevity and lack of more details!

Cheers!

Edited by: lemonchicken

Hi Lemonchicken

Its very easy to catch local transport to Pacific Harbour.
There is a bus stop at the airport at the "Departure Terminal" that goes to Suva via the coral coast and Pacific Harbour.
If you check out the website for "The Beachhouse" you can get detailed information here on public transport and time arrivals to and from the area. www.fijibeachouse.com

On the way back to the Marina you have a few options

1.Catch the local bus to Nadi and find "Jacks" its sort of like a department store but more focused on souvenirs etc. They are a large store and in the main street. Stand out the front of Jacks on the main road and you will be able to catch a "Westbus" from here that goes to Denarau Island for 70 cents per person. Once on the island get off the bus at one of the resorts, walk to the entrance/foyer of the resort and wait there for the "Denarau Bula Bus" its a blue bus that transports guests around the island for free. It goes to "Port Denarau Marina". They come past every 20 minutes or so. Make sure its "TO" the marina and not "From" otherwise you will have to stay on till it comes all the way back and down to the Marina.

1. Once you get back to Nadi, stay on the main road and head back towards the airport, once you are over the bridge you will notice straight ahead there is a "Round about". The road heading left from the round about is the road to Denarau Island and the Marina. Stand on that road just away from the round about and un authorised taxis (locals with a tarago) will pick you up and drive you to the Marina. We paid 50 cents each person when we did this. Everyone hitchhikes in Fiji, its a part of their everyday life and I am a single mum with a 10 year old daughter, we did it and we felt perfectly safe. This round about is about a 5 - 10 minute walk from where "Jacks" is. Locals will be standing there looking for lifts as well.

2. Once in town negotiate a lift with one of the taxi drivers. Not sure what price you can expect to pay from town to the marina but a one way transfer to the resorts is $15.00

Hope that helps

Thanks, that's great info!

My advice is to make sure that if you catch a taxi you definitely negotiate a price before you get in, and look for a sticker on the windscreen as some taxi drivers aren't registered. The local cabbies (who are registered) seemed to be quite upset about the situation of unregistered cabbies taking their fares.