Choosing a meal plan
Fiji's board-basis mix is more polarised than either the Maldives or Tahiti: private islands (Turtle Island, Kokomo, Wakaya) mostly default to all-inclusive, while Coral Coast/Denarau chain hotels usually default to breakfast-only, with all-inclusive as a paid upgrade. Pick the wrong tier and you'll either overpay for perks you won't use on a remote private island, or rack up a painful à la carte tab at a chain resort. This page breaks down the common tiers and gives a rule of thumb for choosing.
BB · Bed & Breakfast
Includes: Breakfast (usually buffet)
Lunch and dinner are on you — the most common default at Denarau / Coral Coast chain hotels. Good if you want to plan your own meals or occasionally drive into Nadi or Suva to eat.
HB · Half Board
Includes: Breakfast · Dinner
Lunch is on you; dinner is usually à la carte or a set menu at one or two designated restaurants, with drinks extra. Good if you're out snorkelling/boating by day and just want dinner sorted.
FB · Full Board
Includes: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Usually still limited to designated restaurants and set times, drinks extra. Better value for families with kids or elders on a regular meal schedule.
AI · All Inclusive
Includes: All meals · Some snacks · Soft drinks and alcohol within a set range
The default norm at Fiji's private-island resorts (Mamanuca, Yasawa, Kadavu, Lomaiviti especially), some also bundling a group excursion or snorkel gear; chain resorts instead treat it as a pricey optional upgrade rather than the default. Note that "basic" AI often only serves the main restaurant at set times — eating at speciality restaurants usually needs a further upgrade.
- · Staying at a private island (Turtle Island, Kokomo, Wakaya, etc.) → it's almost certainly all-inclusive by default already — the real question is what's actually covered on drinks/excursions
- · Staying at a Coral Coast/Denarau chain hotel → check whether the default is BB first; with plenty of dining options off-property (Nadi/Suva), BB alone can work fine if you don't want daily à la carte
- · Travelling with kids or elders on a regular schedule → FB or AI, to cut the decision fatigue of ordering every meal
- · Out on excursions most of the day → BB or HB — AI is likely wasted
- · Don't drink → look for a tier without alcohol included, or just take HB — don't pay the alcohol premium
- · Rough price gaps at chain resorts: versus BB, HB is about +$60–100, FB about +$100–150, AI about +$150–250 per person per night; at private islands the AI premium is usually already baked into the room rate, not itemised separately
Mixing up the private-island default with the chain-hotel default
Some travellers assume Fiji is all-inclusive everywhere like a Maldives private island, then discover their Denarau chain hotel only includes breakfast; others book a private island without realising it's already all-inclusive and pay for an unnecessary upgrade package. Confirm which model a specific property actually uses before booking.
"All-inclusive" does not mean everything is free
Which drink brands, speciality restaurants, excursions and spa treatments are covered usually has limits on range or frequency — read the inclusions line by line before booking, rather than taking the label at face value.
Underestimating that a remote island has nowhere else to eat
Yasawa, Kadavu and Lomaiviti are essentially one-resort island groups, unlike Denarau where you can drive elsewhere to eat. Think through whether you'll be stuck inside the resort's dining system before picking a board basis.
Even on all-inclusive, excursions and diving are essentially never covered — go to Water sports & diving costs to see how much to budget for that.