Two weeks - just Fiji or Samoa and Fiji?

Hello everyone,

I'm planning a trip to South Pacific for two weeks in end of May. I have booked a ticket from Europe to Singapore and now I can not decide between:
a) 13 days of Fiji
b) 7 days of Samoa and 6 days of Fiji

My main focus is landscape photography and observing cultural specifics. I'm mostly looking for the variety of it - beaches, sunsets, lush forests, waterfalls, local cultural quirks, etc. Because of my curiosity, wishing to see a little bit of everything and checking the sunrise/sunset times I too often run around like crazy. In the end I do see a lot, have great photos but also return home super tired and not really "soaking in" favourite spots.
This time I'd like to get to know the culture, spend few nights at the same place and see few different settings.

If I had chosen option A, I thought of:
- 6 days cruising the Mamanucas and Yasawa islands (2-3 islands, i.e. Waya and Blue Lagoon)
- 1 day Beqa
- 2 days Ovalau
- 4 days road tripping Viti Levu
An opition is to squeeze in two days of Kadavu on the account of a day in Viti Levu and Beqa

If I had chosen option B, it would go like this:
- 4 days of Upolu (south beaches, waterfalls...)
- 3 days of road trip on Savai'i
- 6 days in Mamanucas/Yasawa or 4 days in M/Y and 2 days of Viti Levu road trip

I'm pretty bound to my work so I usually need to carry my laptop with me. Lack of internet, good snorkeling and supposed theft issue in Samoa sounds a bit off putting... also, as I see, all the "green" of Samoa can be found in Fiji as well (logistics wise I'd choose Ovalau over Taveuni). Financially it would be the same because of additional activites like skydiving/snorkeling on Fiji. Carrying the backpack all the time is also an annoying issue (laptop should really stay at home...).
Also, how important is to book the accomodation in advance? I prefer my own room (camera, laptop) but don't mind the dorm... Samoan fala sounds perfect but there are no lockers...

Any comment would be highly appriciated. Thank you in advance!
George

you can certainly spend the whole time in Fiji, you could spend a little less time cruising the mamanucas and yasawa's,
you can get a bus around Viti Levu, and while Beqa is good you may like Leleuvia, and then on to Ovalau, and I would look at Taveuni, great waterfalls Kadavu as well, both you would need to fly to as your time is limited.

You might also squeeze in a trip to Vanua Levu, quite different to Viti Levu.

If you want variety, there are more than enough islands to visit in Fiji. Not only natural but also cultural differences. Ovalau (Levuka) is a good for colonial history. Vanua Levu is much more Indo-Fijian. Taveuni is good for natural features (rain forest, waterfalls). And Viti Levu has a bit of everything. Personally, I'd not bother with Mamanucas. Waya is a scenic Yasawa island.

I wouldn't make a plan that involved squeezing in anything. If it's a squeeze, then it's an unnecessary compromise.

I only reserved a room 2-3 days in advance if I had my eye on a specific accommodation. In fact, it usually wasn't necessary even when I did (August.Sept). It depends a bit on where you go. Some places have little choice. I also had a laptop with me. I didn't advertise it, took a couple of safety precautions, but never felt unsafe.

I would recommend that you chill out at the Pacific Harbour on the main island of Fiji. Kadavu does not have much in the way of internet at all.

Hey, - what a great choice to have.

I hav not been to Fiji, but to speak for Samoa, we were there for 2 weeks a year ago. It is amazingly beautiful and diverse, for photos you will have many opportunites. I would suggest more time on Savai'i. The churches in particular are so photogenic at certain times of day, as are the busses. Fiji has a reputation for being more "tourist business" whereas Samoa is more natural. We stayed some time with a very hard working entrepreneur Dennis in Samo - see http://www.campsamoa.com - I recommend him to you if you would like to access the "real Samoa". He enabled us to spend time in a remote village and it remains one of the most authentic travel experiences we've ever had. Engage him with confidence. best, Adrian

I would stay as far from Dennis Smith as possible. He is not well liked by the locals and is using them for his personal gain. In fact, he is in a lawsuit with a major businessman over some dealing right now.

I would chill out at Leleuvia in preference for Pacific Harbour. and you can continue on from there to Ovalau. Nice sand and easy to snorkel

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