Fiji

Currency

Exchange at a bank in Nadi rather than the airport or a resort desk, where the spread is wide. Resorts quote in Fijian dollars but often accept Australian ones at a rate that favours them. A 9% VAT and a service turnover tax are added at hotels and restaurants, so menu prices are not the final figure.

ATMs & cards

ANZ, BSP and Westpac machines in Nadi, Denarau and Suva are reliable. Island resorts have none — draw cash on the main island before any boat transfer, because village visits, handicrafts and boat tips are cash only.

Island resorts have no machines. Draw cash on Viti Levu before any boat transfer — village visits, handicrafts and boat crew tips are all cash.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Fiji is relaxed and violent crime against visitors is rare, though opportunistic theft happens in Nadi and Suva town centres. The genuine risks are water and weather: strong currents around reef passages, and cyclone season from November to April. Village etiquette matters — cover shoulders and knees, remove hats, and bring kava root rather than money if you are invited.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

• Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Rabies is not present in Fiji, so it is not needed

Getting treated

Adequate rather than good. Nadi, Lautoka and Suva have hospitals and private clinics that handle the everyday, and there is a recompression chamber in Suva for diving injuries. Anything major means evacuation to Australia or New Zealand, so evacuation cover is the part of the policy that matters. Island resorts have a nurse at best.

Dengue, zika and leptospirosis are all present, and typhoid outbreaks follow flooding. Do not drink untreated water outside the resorts. Divers should confirm their insurance covers the chamber in Suva.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Kokoda — raw fish cured in lime and coconut milk — is the dish to have, and a lovo feast cooked in an earth oven is worth timing your stay around. Roti shops in Nadi are excellent and cost a fraction of resort food.

Getting around

• Boat transfer from Denarau — the catamaran serving the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands, booked with your stay
• Domestic flights — Fiji Link and Northern Air to Taveuni, Savusavu and the outer islands
• Local bus — open-sided, cheap and slow, the way to see Viti Levu’s coast road
• Rental car — worth it for the main island, pointless if you are island-hopping
• Airport: Nadi (NAN) is the international gateway, 20 min from Denarau

Must-see

Things to do

• Island-hop the Yasawas by catamaran
• Dive or snorkel the Rainbow Reef
• Sit through a full kava ceremony without hurrying it
• Swim the Sabeto mud pools and hot springs
• Take the Sigatoka river safari inland

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Fijian

• HelloBulaBOO-la
• PleaseYalo vinakaya-lo vee-NA-ka
• Thank youVinakavee-NA-ka
• Thank you very muchVinaka vakalevuvee-NA-ka va-ka-LEH-voo
• Yes / NoIo / SegaEE-oh / SENG-ga
• Excuse meTuloutoo-LOH
• How much is it?E vica?eh VEE-tha
• GoodbyeMoceMO-theh

Bula is said constantly and means far more than hello — it is a greeting, a toast and a welcome at once. Answering it in kind changes every interaction you have.

Religion

Christian, with a large Hindu minority

Indigenous Fijians are overwhelmingly Methodist; the Indo-Fijian population is largely Hindu and Muslim. Sunday is genuinely observed in villages — expect things to stop.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Say bula to everyone, constantly; it is expected and it is meant
• Cover shoulders and knees in villages, and wear a sulu if you are offered one
• Take a gift of kava root, not money, if you are invited to a village
• Clap once before and three times after drinking kava, and accept the cup with both hands

Don't

• Do not wear a hat in a village or touch anyone on the head — both are serious breaches, as the head is sacred
• Do not wear swimwear away from the beach or resort grounds
• Do not point at people, and do not stand while others are seated in a formal gathering
• Do not touch someone else’s belongings or enter a home without being invited in