Fiji: Complete Tourist Guide

Fiji is one of the cheapest destinations in the South Pacific. Tipping is not encouraged and contrary to local culture. Most credit cards and travellers cheques are readily accepted and there are ATM machines at Westpac and ANZ banks in all major towns. Currency is the Fiji dollar.

Fiji's climate is hot and sunny all year round (day/night average temperature is Jan 24/30; July 20/27) with higher rainfall and more mosquitoes from Dec to April. The are several peaks in the tourist season, notably from July to September when the package holidays are popular with Australians and New Zealanders escaping their winter. However, hotel rates remain the same throughout the year. Internal flights to the outer islands are often more difficult to get during Christmas when locals return home for their holidays.

Most international flights to Fiji arrive at Nadi Airport on the west coast of Viti Levu. Fiji is served by several international airlines, the major airlines being Air New Zealand and Air Pacific (code share with Qantas)
Some flights (mostly from neighbouring Pacific Islands and some Australian and New Zealand flights) arrive in Nausori Airport about 20 minutes drive to the north of the capital Suva - the choice usually for business visitors. It is possible to arrive by sea at one of four immigration ports - Suva, Lautoka, Levuka or Savusavu - either by private yacht or aboard large passenger cruises.

Fiji is a collection of over 300 islands in the tropical south west pacific. The island group is mostly compact, with most islands visible from its neighbours, and getting from island to island is generally very easy.

Travel Insurance is advisable for any visit to Fiji. Local private doctors are very good but hospitals are generally short staffed and under-funded and can handle basic emergencies only. Mercy flights to Australia or New Zealand are provided in extreme cases.

English is widely spoken although there are numerous Fijian dialects with the Indians speaking a localised form of Urdu.

Crime is unfortunately soaring with bank robberies, rape and even murders hitting the news on a weekly basis. Such is the problem that Tourist Police have been established to help protect the tourist industry.
Electricity is 240 volts.

Travellers with Disabilities
Fiji has poor facilities for wheelchair access - the streets in towns are uneven with no ramps on the pavements for crossings and there are public buildings such as cinemas, libraries, and toilets have no provisions for wheelchairs. Public buses will also cause a problem for those unable to walk. There are several resorts that offer rooms designed for those with wheelchairs and easily accessible restaurants.

Media and Books
There are three local daily newspapers, two in English. Overseas newspapers are available from some shops, mostly from New Zealand and Australia but also English editions. There are a few free tourist publications and maps in distribution mostly selling tours, restaurants and attractions.

There are several travel guide books dedicated to Fiji. The best of these is undoubtedly Fiji Handbook published by Moon Travel Handbooks (6th ed., 2001). It is very informative with an in-depth travel guide for the independent traveller, good maps, sketches and b/w pictures. Fiji - Lonely Planet (5th ed., 2002) offers lots in the way of accommodation but is a rather bland and unimaginative account.

Fiji: Useful Holiday Facts

Fiji Quick Facts:

Number of Islands: 330 (Viti Levu = main island)
Capital: Suva ; International Airport: Nadi
Population: 800,000
Time: 12 hours behind GMT
Currency: F dollar
Languages: Fijian, English and Hindustani

The Republic of the Fiji is the official name of the islands. Fiji lies south of the equator in the south west pacific ocean, west of Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands and east of Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

Fiji Health Issues
Mosquitoes are present in most parts of Fiji but are really only an annoyance during the wet season between December and April, and in this period only after heavy rains. Some areas can be particularly bad, especially those near the still waters of the mangrove forests. Affected resorts tend to spray the undergrowth to kill the mosquitoes and some resorts provide mosquito nets. The smaller offshore island resorts are mostly free from mosquitoes due to a constant sea breeze.

The country is free from malaria, yellow fever and most other diseases endemic in tropical countries. The exception is the occasional outbreak of dengue fever which is spread by mosquitoes as well as the disfiguring disease of Leprosotisis. Dengue outbreaks occur when the wet season is very wet, and are usually restricted to the populated towns. When an outbreak does occur, spraying is the one thing Fiji does quickly.

Water is safe to drink and few tourists suffer from stomach upsets. The only real threat is the Sun - sunstroke, prickly heat and other skin irritations are quite common, the latter especially so in the more humid season between December and April. Take light, airy clothes. Local private doctors and pharmacies are good although hospitals can provide only basic accident and emergency operations.

HIV Aids is becoming a problem in Fiji, particularly in the towns where prostitution is high. Homosexuality is illegal whether in privacy or in public display

Fiji Electricity
Electricity is 240 AC voltage (same as UK, Australia and New Zealand) but if you come from the US you will probably need a convertor. Sockets are three pronged, the upper two prongs being angled and flat, the lower prong being circular.

Fiji Communication
The international calling code for Fiji is (679). Telephone lines are reliable and most resorts have e-mail connection. A few resorts have public Internet access and there are several Internet Cafes springing up around Nadi, Lautoka and Suva. Postcards are sold in all resort boutiques and at most of the tourist shops in Nadi and Suva. The quality of postcards has recently improved quite significantly. Sending cards and letters abroad is exceptionally cheap and handling is efficient.