Practical info
Once the island is picked and booked, these are the pre-trip questions asked most: whether you need a visa, how to carry money, what is easy to leave out of the bag.
Visa & entry
Fiji has one of the most open visa policies in the South Pacific — nearly all nationalities get the same visa-free entry for tourism, up to 4 months, without arranging anything in advance. Rules do change, so confirm the current allowance with Fiji Immigration or the tourism board before you go.
- · Check Fiji Immigration or Tourism Fiji's official site directly for the current visa-free entitlement and length of stay — don't assume last year's rules still apply
- · Be ready to show a return ticket, hotel confirmation and proof of sufficient funds on arrival
- · Get travel insurance that covers overseas medical care and evacuation — inter-island transfers rely on seaplanes/small aircraft, which makes this more worth having
- · Your passport should have at least 6 months of validity beyond your departure date
Currency & payments
The local currency is the Fijian Dollar (FJD), a free-floating currency (unlike Tahiti's Pacific Franc, which is pegged to the euro). Resorts commonly quote in USD or AUD and cards are widely accepted; shops around Nadi and Denarau also take cards.
- · Resort bills are almost always payable by card (Visa/Mastercard most common); small island shops and markets run mostly on cash (FJD)
- · Currency exchange is available at Nadi airport and city banks/exchange counters — change a modest amount of FJD on arrival
- · Check your final bill for VAT (usually already built into quoted prices) and service charges, to avoid being double-charged
Inter-island transfers
Nadi International Airport is the gateway for almost everyone. The Coral Coast and Denarau are reachable directly by road; Mamanuca and Yasawa need a catamaran or seaplane; the more remote groups — Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Kadavu — need a domestic flight.
- · A late-night international arrival at Nadi usually means missing the last catamaran/seaplane of the day — book a night near the airport as a buffer
- · The catamaran (Yasawa Flyer) runs on a fixed schedule like a "sea bus," not on demand — check the timetable ahead
- · Seaplane and small domestic aircraft baggage limits usually run 15–20 kg, with pricey excess fees — weigh your bags before you pack them full
- · Multi-island trips (e.g. Denarau + Mamanuca + Yasawa) are common — factor each transfer's waiting time into your itinerary
Connectivity, power & water
Chain resorts around Nadi and Denarau have reliable connectivity; outer-island resorts (especially northern Yasawa, Kadavu, Vanua Levu) drop off noticeably in speed and reliability. Tourist SIMs/eSIMs from local carriers (Vodafone Fiji, Digicel Fiji) are sold at the airport.
- · Local-carrier counters at the Nadi airport arrivals hall sell tourist SIMs/eSIMs, or set one up before you leave home
- · Resort Wi-Fi is mostly free, but remote private islands (Kadavu, Lomaiviti) can be slow or time-limited
- · Power is 240V with Australian-style Type I (angled three-pin) sockets — bring a plug adapter if your country doesn't already use this type
- · Tap water is usually purified/desalinated and fine for brushing teeth; resorts typically provide bottled drinking water daily
- · Air conditioning tends to run cold at night — pack a light layer
Health & safety
Fiji is malaria-free, so no special vaccinations are needed for routine travel. What actually matters is sunburn, dehydration, coral cuts, dengue and other mosquito-borne illness, and the post-dive flight window.
- · Tropical UV is intense — reapply SPF50 every 2 hours and stay in the shade around midday
- · Wear water shoes/reef socks when snorkelling and avoid stepping on coral or rocks, where stonefish and sea urchins tend to hide in shallow water
- · Don't fly (including inter-island seaplane/small-aircraft legs) within 18–24 hours of diving — most itineraries skip diving on the last day
- · Dengue is the mosquito-borne illness to watch most closely, with somewhat higher risk in the wet season (Nov–Apr) — pack repellent and cover up
- · Occasional ciguatera poisoning cases occur from contaminated reef fish — stick to established restaurants and seek care promptly if you feel unwell
How tipping works
Traditional Fijian culture has no tipping expectation — the "Bula spirit" of hospitality is framed as unconditional — and most locally run resorts don't expect it, though discretionary tipping has become more common at international chains and high-end private islands.
- · Many resorts explicitly state a "no tipping" policy — ask the front desk if you're unsure
- · At high-end private islands (Turtle Island, Wakaya, Kokomo), tipping your butler/guide in cash if the service impressed you is common practice but not obligatory
- · A little extra for a dive/boat guide who went above and beyond is fine — water-sports centres often have a communal tip jar
- · Carry some small-denomination cash (FJD or USD) just in case, but there's no need to stock up like a destination with a mandatory service culture
Culture & etiquette
Fiji's indigenous iTaukei culture places a high value on community and tradition. Resorts themselves are largely westernised and casual, but visiting a village or joining a cultural activity comes with a few things worth knowing.
- · Village visits usually involve a "sevusevu" ceremony (presenting kava root to the village chief and being formally welcomed) — most resort-run village tours handle this for you
- · Cover shoulders and knees when visiting a village, especially for women avoiding shorts/short skirts; wearing a hat or sunglasses indoors is considered disrespectful, so take them off
- · Touching someone's head is considered offensive in Fijian culture, even with children — best avoided
- · At a kava ceremony you'll be passed a murky traditional drink in a coconut-shell cup — the etiquette is a single clap before accepting, drink it in one go, then clap again and say "bula" or "vinaka"; it's also fine to politely decline
- · Swimwear and bikinis are fine within resort grounds, but dress more modestly in or near a village
- · Fijian, Hindi and English are all widely spoken; resorts generally communicate fine in English, and a simple "Bula" (hello) or "Vinaka" (thank you) goes a long way
Travelling with kids or elders
Before booking, confirm with the resort: minimum child age (many private-island or honeymoon-focused resorts are adults-only), whether there's a kids club, and whether the inter-island transfer is manageable for elders.
- · Some adults-only resorts (like Likuliku Lagoon Resort) enforce a strict minimum age — confirm before booking; the quiz tool automatically filters these out based on your kids' ages
- · Coral Coast/Denarau chain resorts usually have the most mature family facilities (kids clubs, shallow pools) — Castaway Island Fiji in Mamanuca is also a classic family pick
- · For elders, favour itineraries with fewer transfer legs — Coral Coast/Denarau are drivable direct — and avoid long catamaran or seaplane transfers where possible
- · Boat trips, snorkelling and watersports often have age/height minimums for kids — check with the resort's activity centre before booking
Packing checklist
The destination is hot and humid year-round; most items are standard for any overseas trip — the ones with a reason noted are specific to this destination and easy to forget.
- Passport (valid 6+ months beyond departure)
- A photocopy/photo of your passport info page, kept separate from the passport
- Round-trip flight itinerary and hotel confirmations
- Travel insurance policy (ideally covering water activities/medical evacuation)
- An international credit card + small-denomination FJD/USD cash
- Phone charger + power bank
- Australian-style Type I plug adapter
- A waterproof phone pouch (for snorkelling photos)
- An underwater camera (optional)
- 2 swimsuits, so one can dry while you wear the other
- Long-sleeve sun/rash guard
- Sun hat, sunglasses
- Flip-flops / beach shoes
- A light layer — planes and rooms run the AC cold
- Modest, longer clothing for village visits (below-knee, shoulders covered)
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- After-sun gel / aloe vera
- Lip balm, ideally with SPF
- Basic toiletries — resorts mostly provide them, bring what you prefer
- Insect repellent (dengue is the main local mosquito-borne risk)
- Motion-sickness tablets — you may need them on catamaran/seaplane transfers
- Stomach medicine, cold medicine, plasters
- Regular prescription medication, enough for the whole trip — not just a few emergency doses
Entry and payment rules can change; check the latest official rules before you go. For a specific resort’s dining / occasion fit, go to Browse resorts