Money While Island Hopping

Afternoon guys and girls,

in my head this question seems quite simple but cant find the answer!

Myself and girlfriend are off on our RTW trip in April, and will be getting to Fiji early May for 21 days.

We have a Bula pass (boat pass ONLY for the duration) so transport is already paid as well as one night on the mainland before heading up the islands. (Yasawa Mainly)

the question is, as most of the resorts only take cash, and the few that do except cards charge 2-3.5% do people take that amount of cash out for the whole 21 days (as we wont be coming back to the mainland) as budget wise from what ive read else where is looking like roughly £25 - £45 per person per night for food and a bed (depending on if we do dorm rooms / private bures)

so £800 - £1500 including everything, drinks etc but funnily enough carrying that amount of cash around doesnt fill me with joy!

have thought about booking all hostels ect in advanced but then that leaves very little flexibility or "go with the flow" space.

any help?

/Essay / moan over!

Mat

Edited by: oecken

If worried about carrying cash, you can book and pay for your accommodation (with food) in advance through agents in Nadi.
Of course this means you give up at least some of your flexibility.

You've mentioned all the options. To reduce the amount of cash you have to carry you can pay in advance or pay the credit card fee in the places that accept credit cards.

I haven't heard of theft of large amounts of money, but it doesn't mean it won't happen. I would think that the close island community and reliance on tourism would prevent the locals from stealing - the biggest threat is probably from a dodgy fellow backpacker.

Cheers for the replies, i was just trying to see what other people have done. but i think you right about if anything is to go stolen who it may be ! i think i will just book a couple of places that i am 100% sure i want to stay at like the barefoot lodge and go from there, i believe i can just book it when i get into Nadi airport from what ive read...

thanks,

Mat

if you think a 3% cc fee is expensive wait till you lose or have your cash nicked, so take plenty cash but also use your card where needed and see the fee more as insurance on top. other travellers may be the obvious theif but ive been up to the Yasawas many times and heard a few (very few) of local boys/staff entering rooms and stuff wandering. I forget the island but the more casual it is the higher the risk (definitley I'm NOT thinking Beachcomber which I've always found good, can't remember the island actually but if prompted I could??). you can get your cash as soon as you exit the arrivals hall and can pay and book by cc on the Yellow boat (the Flyer) each time, but you may miss some places being at such short notice. enjoy, its all usually very very safe and 99.9% of locals and other travelers are always awesome.

Cheers Thurston! the islands / resorts we are probably going to stay on is Nanuya LaiLai - Kims place (very top of the chain iirc) Drawqa - Barefoot Lodge, again high up, Octopus (if we have the funds :) Oarsmans Bay, and maybe Bounty in the Mamanuca chain.

any suggestions as to resorts you stayed at?

I've now been to quite a few but am too knackered to think of them all at present, I'm in Brisbane and been flat out helping flood survivors here. We've been hit hard by recent massive floods if you haven't heard. I'll try to update you later. All are very basic/rustic accept a few which are very expensive but all enjoy the same relaxed enjoyable vibe.

Octopus has a dorm but its small so book early, oarsman bay must just about be on its last legs but quieter than the new resort now on the same beautiful beach: blue lagoon beach resort has the same Australian management as octopus, Bounty is on a island larger than Beachcomber but less developed and not as good in my opinion: they actually pinched the former Beachcomber manager so similar style but not there yet. I have;t yet been around to Kims but i think its very small if its still going. see tripadvisor for other recent reviews