Fiji

About Fiji

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Fiji is a rich cultural surprise, where the friendly Fijian people will captivate your heart. Where you’ll come as a guest and leave as a friend. Where the Fijians say Bula, meaning Hello, welcome and enter my heart for my paradise is yours. Where you will visit tranquil villages as honored guests. Where you can lie in your hammock and laze the day away. Where you can participate in wonderful celebrations of dancing and singing and retreat to your private bure for champagne and sunsets. This is Fiji.

The Fijian archipelago has a population of less than one million. With over 330 islands, only about 100 are inhabited, and the rest are nature reserves. The depth of Fiji’s history surprises many visitors who come mostly to bask on the beaches or explore the magnificent coral reefs, for Fiji is far more than just a tropical island: it’s a complex culture with influences from Melanesia, Polynesia, India and Europe. Tranquil villages where an unbroken oral history has been maintained for generations nestle in out of the way places, just waiting for you to discover. Rituals such as the kava ceremony are enacted as they have been for centuries.

You’ll come to Fiji for the tropical beauty, but it is the gentle friendliness of the people and the rich culture that will make you long to return.

Viti Levu
Fiji’s main island, where Nadi airport is located, is Viti Levu. Denerau Island is home to many international standard resorts, most have several dining options, pools and an activities board that will keep you busy from sun up to sun down. From here you can drive south along the coastline to the Coral Coast, with some fabulous resorts. To the west of Viti Levu are the outer islands of the Mamanucas, with their golden beaches and diving, these are best when combined with a mainland stay. Further around past Coral Coast is the area known as Pacific Harbour, with its internationally designed golf course, Cultural Centre it also offers a plethora of great underwater sites. Royal Davui is located off the coast of Pacific Harbour and is a luxurious escape. To the northwest, the islands of the Yasawa group offer cave dives, friendly villages and white secluded beaches.

Vanua Levu
In the North, and only under an hour from Nadi is the second largest island, Vanua Levu. Savusavu is the main town and it reminds people of Oahu, Hawaii… 50 years ago. Here you’ll find stunning mountainous terrain, clifftops sweeping into oceans and adventure activities galore! Taveuni, also in the North is an adventurous playground and you will delight in the boutique resorts you’ll find.

Familes
Fijians revere children and Fiji is an excellent choice for family travel. Loving nannies and fun Kids Clubs are widely available at a reasonable rate, and ensure that parents get to dine deux or participate in water sports with complete peace of mind that their little ones are being doted upon and entertained in a manner to which they’ll quickly become accustomed.

Size
Fiji consists of 332 islands in a compact area of the southwest Pacific Ocean about 1,960 miles from Sydney, Australia. Fiji’s population is about 950,000 people.

Melanesian History
According to Fijian legend, the great chief Lutunasobasoba led his people across the seas to the new land of Fiji about 3,500 years ago. Most authorities agree that people came into the Pacific from Southeast Asia via the Malay Peninsula. Here the Melanesians and the Polynesians mixed to create a highly developed society long before the arrival of the Europeans.

European Settlement
Fiji was explored by the Dutch and the British in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1874, an offer of cession by the Fijian chiefs was accepted, and Fiji was proclaimed a possession and dependency of the British Crown. In the 1880s large-scale cultivation of sugarcane began. Over the next 40 years, more than 60,000 indentured laborers from India were brought to the island to work the plantations. Fiji became independent on Oct. 10, 1970.

Climate
Fiji enjoys a tropical climate. Summer begins early in December and lasts until April. During this time it is hot and humid (94F) with bright sunny mornings and predictable late afternoon downpours on the larger islands. This wet season is a good time to come to experience the lush vibrancy of the rainforest; rivers are full, waterfalls gushing and the hills of the larger islands become refreshingly green.

By the end of April, Fiji experiences a more moderate climate. Temperatures are comfortably warm by day (84F) and pleasantly cool at night (68F), when a light sweater may be necessary. By midwinter (July), many parts of the country welcome rain; the hills around Nadi turn brown and water shortages occur on the smaller islands. However, on the eastern sides of the larger islands, notably Suva, Savusavu and Taveuni, rainfall is never far away keeping the air clear and scenery green year round.

Geography
About 110 of the 332 islands of Fiji are inhabited. The two largest are Viti Levu (4,109 square miles) and Vanua Levu (2,242 square miles). Fiji’s most impressive geographical asset is actually underwater - its hugely diverse range of soft coral; over 5000 varieties.

Time Zones
Fiji lies on both sides of the dateline! The most popularly visited islands are on the far side. Fiji is all in one time zone however.

Currency
The Fijian dollar.