fiji travel hotel guide

Rotuma Travel Guide

Rotuma Island lies to the far north of Fiji, some 500km from Nadi. The Polynesian island has its own unique identity and only became part of Melanesian Fiji due to a marriage of convenience in 1881 when the islands chiefs ceded itself to Britain by way of Fiji.


Tourism on Rotuma is virtually non-existent and there are no hotels here - just a budget backpacker lodge. To get to Rotuma, you must fork out almost F$800 for the weekly 3 hour flight with Air Fiji from Nadi via Suva (often full well in advance and sometimes does not actually fly as the grass runway is waterlogged), or bear 2 days and nights at sea aboard the monthly cargo boat.


Rotuma is blessed with beautiful scenery, gorgeous beaches and some interesting archaeological sites including the huge kine'he'he platform and the grave of the kings at Sisilo. The island is volcanic in nature with hilly rainforested interior which are dotted with family plantations. The island has walking tracks meandering throughout the interior and a sand coastal road that takes a full day to circumnavigate. Villages are spread out along the road, divided into seven districts. The best beaches are along the south coast at Motusa, Juju, Noatau and Oinafa.

If you want to meet the local people and experience life and culture on a small South Pacific island, then Rotuma's the place to go. The Polynesian lifestyle on Rotuma is very different from the Melanesian culture throughout Fiji. Here, life is so laid back that you probably won't want to leave. Be warned that provisions are basic and sometimes run out, there is no official accommodation and infrequent shipping services can be full at Christmas or cancelled at the last minute.