 Fiji Travel Vision
Fiji Backpacking Guide Overview Mosdt extensive backpacker travel network One of the cheapest destination in South Pacific Over 30 islands to visit with budget accommodation Adventure travel, beach resorts and village environments Hospitable and entertaining hosts budget resorts backpackers accommodation Backpackers will find the Fiji Islands to be a fantastic destination to explore. Fiji is easy to get to, being the main stopover between North America and Australia / New Zealand on the 'around the world' ticket. Fiji is cheap for travelling, safe and easy to get around. The people are extremely warm and friendly and most speak excellent English. The beaches are exquisite and the snorkelling is usually excellent right off the coast. For the adventurous, the rainforest offers numerous trails to vistas and refreshing waterfalls. And the weather, though tropical, is rarely too hot and humid (exception from Dec - Feb). What's more, there are plenty of idyllic budget resorts set amongst coconut groves with simple thatch bures for sleeping and shade for camping. The Fijian people are on the whole excellent and very proud hosts. Most have an enormous reserve of energy and encourage backpackers to explore the region and join in with village activities. At night, they sit around the grog bowl drinking Yaqona and playing music which they excel at. Backpackers are commonly invited to visit the local village to experience the traditional Fijian lifestyle of yaqona drinking and mekes. For some, invitations are extended to stay for a few nights. This is what sets Fiji apart from other destinations - the friendliness of the people and the unquestioning acceptance of visitors. In Fiji, visitors are treated with respect - please reciprocate this genuine charm. There are eight distinct regions in Fiji. Viti Levu is the largest and most populated island and where all tourists arrive (Nadi Airport). Viti Levu has four separate regions: Nadi Area; Coral Coast; Suva Area; North Coast. All regions are reviewed below for backpack travel:
Suggested Itineraries fiji travel vision has provided a simple suggestion of where you can go depending on time available. For more information about the suggested destinations go to the Where to Go section in the options above. 1-3 days beaches - Mamanuca or Coral Coast diving / snorkelling - Mamanuca exploring / hiking - Nadi Area culture - Nadi Area 3-10 days beaches / islands - Yasawa or Nananu-i-Ra (Sunshine Coast) diving - Yasawa, Taveuni or Kadavu exploring / hiking - Nadi Area, Suva Area or Lomaiviti culture - Lomaiviti 10-21 days islands / beaches - Yasawa and Lomaiviti exploring / hiking - Taveuni and Vanua Levu or Kadavu diving - Combination of Yasawa, Taveuni and Kadavu culture - Beqa (Southern Is) or Ovalau (Lomaiviti) and Rabi or Kioa (Northern Is) 21+ days remote travel - Rotuma or Lau Group remote exploring - Koro or Gau in Lomaiviti Getting Around Getting around the main island of Viti Levu is fun and easy. Local and tourist buses are extremely cheap and run frequently between Nadi and Suva along the Coral Coast. Local buses also serve the North Coast and most rural areas including the mountainous interior. There is a more limited bus service on the islands of Vanua Levu, Taveuni and Ovalau. Regular ferries connect Suva with Kadavu (Southern Islands), Ovalau (Lomaiviti), Savusavu and Taveuni (Northern Islands). Less frequent services go to the Lau Group and Rotuma. Fast Catamarans run most days to Mamanuca and Yasawa groups from Denarau Marina in Nadi. There are two domestic airlines flying to 15 islands in the country and fares are quite reasonable (most destinations between US$30 to US$100 one way). Awesome Adventures offers fast ferry transfers to the Yasawa Group of islands taking between 2 and 4 hours. Distances between most islands is not far (most flights are under an hour, Rotuma takes almost 3 hours) and the birds-eye view of the islands is really spectacular. Flights from Nadi and Suva go to following islands: Mamanuca (Malololailai and Mana); Northern Islands (Savusavu, Labasa and Taveuni); Lomaiviti (Ovalau, Koro and Gau); Southern Islands (Kadavu); Lau Group (Vanua Belavu and Lakeba); and Rotuma  Local Airlines in Fiji Being an island nation, cargo boats and local fishing vessels regularly go to and fro between the islands and it's easy to get passage. Local fishing boats are very buoyant wooden crafts but many are without sufficient lifejackets and can be dangerously overcrowded. When the seas are rough and even during the height of a storm, these boats insist on making the journey to get backpackers to and from the mainland. Make sure boats have more than one engine as there have been several calamities in the past. Most backpacker resorts on the smaller islands offer boat transfers from either Nadi (for Mamanuca), Lautoka (for Yasawa), Rakiraki (for Nananu-i-Ra), Navua (for Beqa) or Suva (for Lomaiviti). Several large passenger ferries have twice weekly services from Suva to Savusavu and Taveuni (Northern Islands) and Ono and Kadavu (Southern Islands) as well as a daily service from Suva to Ovalau (Lomaiviti). Some cargo boats offer cabin or deck passage to the outlying islands in the Lau Group and Rotuma but journeys can take several days or more. Car hire is quite expensive and its not much of an advantage having a car except for comfort as buses do go almost everywhere. Car Hire Companies in Fiji
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