🇫🇯 South Pacific · Melanesia
18 Islands · 5 Months · One Second Home
Fiji Bula!
We spent five months living across Fiji — from the manta-ray corridors of the Yasawas to the soft-coral capital of Taveuni, the hidden waterfalls of Vanua Levu, and the kava ceremonies of Viti Levu. This is everything we did, where we slept, and why Fiji gave us far more than a holiday.
🤿 World-class Diving
🏝️ 333 Islands
🌺 Bula Spirit
🦈 Reef Sharks
🌊 Crystal Lagoons
5
Months · Our Longest Stay
Scroll to explore
Islands Visited
18+
Time There
5 Months
Gateway
Nadi (NAN)
Currency
FJD
Best Season
May – Oct
Greeting
Bula!
Our Story · 5 Months in the South Pacific
Why Fiji Captured Us
We planned three weeks in Fiji. We stayed five months. That's the short version — and it tells you everything you need to know about this place. What starts as a holiday becomes something harder to leave: a rhythm, a warmth, a way of engaging with the world that you simply don't find anywhere else.
We island-hopped from the Mamanuca atolls to the remote northern Yasawas by helicopter, boat, and the legendary Yasawa Flyer. We dove the Soft Coral Capital of the World in Taveuni's Somosomo Strait. We hiked through Bouma National Heritage Park to hidden waterfalls, jet-skied the Sigatoka River, swam with manta rays off Drawaqa Island, and entered limestone caves sacred to Fijian legend.
We also did the slower things: attended a traditional lovo feast, a Fijian wedding, a Sunday church service in a village where the choir made us cry. We drank kava with chiefs. We watched local rugby under a tropical downpour. We learned the difference between 'Bula' (hello) and 'Vinaka vakalevu' (thank you very much) and discovered that both words open every door in Fiji.
"Fiji gave us so much more than travel. It gave us a second home — and the 'Bula Spirit' is real. The smiles here aren't for tourists. They're just how Fijians are."— Davana World Tour, After 5 Months in Fiji
Island by Island
The Islands
Fiji has 333 islands — you won't see them all. These are the ones we explored over five months, listed in order of how remote they get. Start on Viti Levu to find your feet; finish in the northern Yasawas or Taveuni if you want to truly disappear.
Island 1 · Gateway
Viti Levu — The Main Island
Most people start here and never leave — but Viti Levu has more than enough to keep you busy. Nadi has the Sabeto Hot Springs, iBike cycling tours, and the Sleeping Giant orchid garden. The Coral Coast offers the Sigatoka River Safari and kava ceremonies in traditional villages. The north coast road to Rakiraki hides the Naiserelagi Black Christ church and Fiji's most macabre history. Don't just transit Nadi — stay at least three to five days.
Island 2 · Day Trip from Nadi
Mamanuca Islands — Monuriki & Mana
The Mamanucas are Fiji's postcard — easily reached by boat from Port Denarau in Nadi. Monuriki is where Tom Hanks filmed Cast Away: completely uninhabited, surrounded by electric-blue reef, and looking exactly like the movie. Mana Island's sandbar is where we swam alongside a three-metre reef shark in water so clear you could count the individual scales. The BULA Bus (boat shuttle) makes island-hopping straightforward and inexpensive.
Islands 3–6 · Yasawa Archipelago
Yasawa Islands — Remote Paradise
The Yasawa chain stretches 90km north of Nadi and feels like the edge of the world. We arrived by helicopter to Blue Lagoon Beach Resort on Nacula Island — the aerial views of volcanic peaks and lagoons are extraordinary. Nacula Village welcomed us in for a tour of the church, the boarding school, and the chief's house. Drawaqa Island (Barefoot Manta Resort) sits in a protected reef corridor where manta rays migrate May–October. The northern tip of the chain holds the Sawa-i-Lau sacred limestone caves — swim through an underwater passage to the inner cavern.
Island 4 · Vanua Levu
Savusavu — Fiji's Hidden Paradise
Savusavu on Vanua Levu is Fiji's best-kept secret. Hot springs bubble through the town waterfront itself. The Muanivatu Waterfalls (Vuadomo) are pristine and almost entirely unvisited. The diving around the bay is world-class. And the pace of life — slow, warm, genuinely unhurried — makes the rest of the world feel very far away. We hiked through the Nakawaqa Rainforest to a 50-foot waterfall, two secret caves, and stumbled onto a local Fijian rugby match on the way back. The real Fiji, entirely intact.
Island 5 · Taveuni
Taveuni — Garden Island & Dive Capital
Taveuni is Fiji's most biodiverse island and, for divers, the most important. The Somosomo Strait — known as the Soft Coral Capital of the World — hosts some of the planet's densest marine life. The legendary Cabbage Patch reef is extraordinary. On land: the Lavena Coastal Walk is a 10km round-trip through Bouma National Heritage Park to a secluded waterfall accessible only on foot. And Taveuni is where you can stand on the 180th meridian — one foot in yesterday, one foot in today.
Experiences Across the Islands
What To Do
Fiji is not one experience — it's dozens. Every island reveals a different side: sacred limestone caves and manta ray corridors in the Yasawas, the soft-coral capital of the world off Taveuni, hidden waterfalls and local rugby in Savusavu, cultural ceremonies and volcanic hot springs on Viti Levu. These are the moments that define a Fiji trip done properly.
🌋 Viti Levu — The Main Island
♨️ Nadi · Natural Geothermal Spa
Sabeto Hot Springs & Mud Pool
Just 20 minutes from Nadi Airport at the foot of the Sleeping Giant mountain range — natural volcanic hot springs and silica mud pools that make for the best natural spa treatment in Fiji. Rub the grey volcanic mud all over your skin, bake in the sun, then rinse in the hot spring. We also stumbled into a traditional Fijian wedding ceremony here. The combination is quintessentially Fiji: nature, warmth, and total unexpectedness.
🛥️ Coral Coast · Cultural Experience
Jet Ski River Safari & Kava Ceremony
The Sigatoka River is the longest river on Viti Levu, and the jet ski river safari is one of Fiji's most unexpected adventures — carving through mangroves and jungle-lined banks deep into the Fijian interior. The trip ends with a traditional kava ceremony at Tuvu Village and a home-cooked Fijian lunch as a guest of the community. Kava (yaqona) is Fiji's ceremonial drink — earthy, slightly numbing — and the ritual of being welcomed to drink it with the village is one of the most genuine cultural experiences in the South Pacific.
🍽️ Viti Levu · Fijian Cuisine
Cook & Eat a Traditional Lovo Feast
Lovo is Fiji's most sacred traditional cooking method — meat, fish, and root vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked underground in a pit lined with white-hot river stones for three to four hours. We helped prepare an entire lovo from scratch: lighting the stones, wrapping the food, sealing the pit with earth, then unearthing it when ready. The result — smoky, tender, impossibly flavourful — is a taste that belongs only to Fiji. Finding a family or community who will share a proper lovo with you is the single greatest food experience in the islands.
🎬 Mamanuca Islands — Cast Away & Reef Sharks
🎬 Monuriki Island · Film Location
Monuriki — The Real Cast Away Island
In 2000, Tom Hanks stood on this beach and said "Wilson!" — and Monuriki Island in the Mamanucas has been quietly iconic ever since. It remains completely uninhabited. The jungle comes right to the sand. The reef surrounding it glows technicolour. Arriving by boat and stepping onto the same beach where Cast Away was filmed is a genuinely surreal experience — half movie nostalgia, half pure tropical perfection. Book through the BULA Bus from Port Denarau in Nadi. There is Wilson memorabilia at the landing point, which is either charming or terrible depending on your tolerance.
🦈 Mana Sandbar · Wildlife
Swim with Reef Sharks at Mana Sandbar
The Mana Island sandbar is a turquoise arc of shallow water where we found ourselves swimming alongside a three-metre blacktip reef shark in water so clear we could see every detail. Fiji is home to more than 30 shark species; reef sharks are common around the Mamanucas and are entirely harmless to snorkellers — they are simply unbothered. The sandbar itself is one of those perfect Pacific scenes: blinding white sand, electric-blue water, no buildings in any direction. Completely unremarkable except for the apex predator sharing your swim lane.
🚁 Yasawa Islands · Epic Arrival
Arrive by Helicopter to the Yasawas
The standard way to reach the Yasawas is the Yasawa Flyer — a ferry that takes several hours. The extraordinary way is Island Hoppers helicopter, which takes 20 minutes over an aerial landscape that redefines the idea of beautiful: volcanic peaks rising from nothing, lagoons in six shades of blue, reefs you can see in stunning clarity from 500 feet. We flew from Nadi to Blue Lagoon Beach Resort on Nacula Island and the approach from above was one of the most jaw-dropping moments of our entire world tour. Worth every cent for the arrival alone.
🌊 Yasawa Islands — Remote Archipelago
🚴♀️ Nadi · Viti Levu
iBike Fiji — Cycle the Fijian Countryside
iBike Fiji is an absolute must-do and one of the most fun days of our entire time in the islands — cycling through the Fijian countryside into villages, past rice fields, and up to breathtaking viewpoints with nothing but birdsong and the occasional "Bula!" from locals along the way. It's the complete opposite of the typical resort beach day, and it shows you a side of Viti Levu most visitors never see. The guides are brilliant, the bikes are solid, and the food stop in a local village is worth the trip alone.
🗿 Sawa-i-Lau · Sacred Site
Swim Through the Sacred Limestone Caves
Sawa-i-Lau is one of the most extraordinary places in the entire Pacific. Ancient limestone caverns rise from the sea on a remote island at the northern tip of the Yasawa chain — 1,000 feet of pale rock containing two interconnected chambers steeped in spiritual significance. To reach the inner cave, you must swim through an underwater passage holding your breath — a threshold that separates the ordinary world from something that feels genuinely other. Locals call this place the heart of Fiji; the island's mana (spiritual power) is said to live here. We believe them.
🌺 Nacula Village · Culture
Visit a Real Fijian Village
Nacula Village is the largest settlement on Nacula Island — a genuine working community of several hundred people, not a tourist reconstruction. We were shown the church (built in the colonial era, still in daily use), the chief's house, the boarding school where students come from across the Yasawas, and the home of Laisani, a beloved Fijian celebrity whose story the entire village tells with obvious pride. The welcome — formal, warm, completely sincere — is the Bula Spirit made real. Bring tabua (whale tooth) or kava as a gift.
🌿 Taveuni — Garden Island & Soft Coral Capital
🤿 Somosomo Strait · World-Class Diving
Dive the Soft Coral Capital of the World
The Somosomo Strait between Taveuni and Vanua Levu is classified as one of the most biodiverse marine environments on Earth. The legendary Rainbow Reef and the Cabbage Patch — a wall of massive plate corals so large they look planted — are among the most celebrated dive sites in the Pacific. The density and colour of soft coral here is unlike anywhere else: every surface is alive, every wall carpeted in creatures. Taveuni Ocean Sports is the best operator on the island. Minimum two days for diving; ideally five or more.
🌊 Bouma National Heritage Park · Hiking
Lavena Coastal Walk — Secret Waterfall
The Lavena Coastal Walk is a 10km round-trip through Bouma National Heritage Park on Taveuni's eastern coast — past Lavena Beach, which uniquely has both white sand and black volcanic sand depending on where you stand, through coastal forest and mangroves, and eventually to a secluded waterfall that can only be reached by climbing up the river itself. The falls are accessible exclusively on foot — no boats, no roads. Swim in the pool at the base, rinse in the falls, then walk back along the coast as the sun drops. One of the best hikes in Fiji.
🌏 180th Meridian · Unique Experience
Stand on Two Days at Once
The 180th meridian — the International Date Line — passes directly through Taveuni, and there is a marker on the island where you can stand with one foot in "today" and one foot in "yesterday." It is, technically, the most playful time-travel experience on the planet. The marker is at the end of a short drive from Matei, near the airport. Locals find tourists' delight in this mildly entertaining. The surrounding landscape — deep green hills, the strait below, the Yasawas visible in the distance — is worth the trip regardless of the date-line theatrics.
💙 Blue Lagoon — Nacula Island, Yasawas
🏝️ Nacula Island · Iconic Lagoon
Blue Lagoon Beach Resort
The Blue Lagoon is one of those rare places that actually lives up to its name. Framed by volcanic hills and emerald reef outcrops, the water cycles through four distinct shades of turquoise before meeting a white-sand beach that feels entirely untouched. We arrived by helicopter — the aerial approach alone is worth making the trip — and stayed at Blue Lagoon Beach Resort, which sits directly on the lagoon's edge. Snorkel the coral garden just offshore, kayak between the outcrops at sunrise, or simply stand waist-deep in that water and do nothing at all. The lagoon is best at low tide when the sandbars emerge and the colour intensifies. This is the version of Fiji people picture when they close their eyes.
📺 Davana World Tour on YouTube
Watch the Fiji Videos
We filmed every island, every experience, every unforgettable moment across five months in Fiji. From first impressions in Nadi to our final goodbye — 18 episodes capturing the full story of life in the South Pacific.
Nadi, Fiji
Nadi, Fiji
We Finally Made It to Fiji 🇫🇯 First Impressions — BULA!
First impressions of Fiji — the warmth, the smiles, the Bula spirit.
Monuriki Island
Monuriki Island
Monuriki Island — Where Cast Away Was Filmed 🎬🌴
Completely uninhabited, surrounded by technicolour reef. The real Cast Away island.
Mana Sandbar
Mana Sandbar
Swimming with Reef Sharks at Mana Sandbar 🦈🌊
3-metre reef shark. Crystal-clear shallow water. Completely unbothered by us.
Yasawa Islands
Yasawa Islands
Helicopter to the Yasawas — Fiji's Most Epic Arrival 🚁🏝️
Volcanic peaks, crystal lagoons — the most dramatic approach to any island resort.
Drawaqa Island
Drawaqa Island
Drawaqa Island & Manta Ray Corridor 🐟🪸
Protected Taboo Zone reef. Manta rays migrate May–October.
Sawa-i-Lau Caves
Sawa-i-Lau Caves
Sawa-i-Lau — Fiji's Sacred Limestone Caverns 🗿🌊
Swim through an underwater passage to the sacred inner cave.
Nacula Village
Nacula Village
Nacula Village — Real Fijian Culture 🌺🇫🇯
Church, chief's house, boarding school. Fijian welcome at its most genuine.
Taveuni — Somosomo Strait
Taveuni — Somosomo Strait
Soft Coral Capital of the World — Diving Taveuni 🤿🌿
The legendary Cabbage Patch and Rainbow Reef. The world's most biodiverse diving.
Taveuni Island
Taveuni Island
Lavena Coastal Walk — Taveuni's Secret Waterfall 🌊
10km round-trip through Bouma National Heritage Park. Best hike in Fiji.
Taveuni — 180° Meridian
Taveuni — 180° Meridian
Standing on Two Days at Once 🌏⏰
One foot in yesterday, one foot in today. The Date Line passes through Taveuni.
Savusavu, Vanua Levu
Savusavu, Vanua Levu
Savusavu — Fiji's Hidden Paradise 🌺🇫🇯
Hot springs on the waterfront. World-class diving. The real Fiji.
Savusavu
Savusavu
Nakawaqa Waterfall & Fijian Rugby 🌊🏉
Hidden waterfall, secret caves, then a local rugby match. The Fiji nobody shows you.
Sigatoka River
Sigatoka River
Jet Ski River Safari + Kava Ceremony 🛥️🌴
Jet ski safari then kava ceremony and home-cooked lunch at Tuvu Village.
Viti Levu
Viti Levu
Fijian Lovo — Traditional Underground Feast 🔥🍽️
Underground pit cooking. Banana leaves. White-hot river rocks. The taste? Indescribable.
Sabeto, Nadi
Sabeto, Nadi
Sabeto Hot Springs & Mud Pool ♨️🇫🇯
Natural volcanic spa just 20 minutes from Nadi Airport. Plus: a Fijian wedding!
Nadi, Viti Levu
Nadi, Viti Levu
Cycling Through Nadi 🚴♀️ The Best Adventure You've Never Considered
iBike Fiji through villages and rice fields. Nothing like the typical beach holiday.
Rakiraki, North Viti Levu
Rakiraki, North Viti Levu
Rakiraki & the Cannibal Chief's Tomb 💀🌴
Fiji's most notorious cannibal chief's tomb + the Black Christ church mural.
Fiji
Fiji
Goodbye Fiji 🌺 After 5 Months — The Honest Truth
Vinaka vakalevu — Fiji gave us so much more than travel. It gave us a second home.
Accommodation
Where To Stay
Our actual stays across Fiji — from the boutique beachfront bures of Taveuni to the remote private-island resorts of the Yasawa archipelago.
5 properties
🌊 Denarau Island — Nadi Gateway
⭐ Luxury
Radisson Blu Resort Fiji
📍 Denarau Island, Nadi
🏖️ Private Beach🏊 4 Lagoon Pools💆 Harmony Spa⭐ 4.5 / 5
🌿 Taveuni — Garden Island of Fiji
🌿 Boutique
Aroha Taveuni Beachfront Bures
📍 Taveuni, Fiji
🏖️ Beachfront Bures🌺 Garden of Fiji🤿 Rainbow Reef
⭐ Luxury
Taveuni Island Resort & Spa
📍 Taveuni, Fiji
🤿 Rainbow Reef💆 Spa🌿 Lush Jungle⭐ Boutique Luxury
🌊 Yasawa Islands — Remote Archipelago
🏨 Mid-range
Barefoot Manta Island Resort
📍 Drawaqa Island, Yasawas
🐟 Manta Rays🏝️ Private Island🤿 Dive Centre
🏨 Mid-range
Blue Lagoon Beach Resort
📍 Nacula Island, Yasawas
🏖️ Blue Lagoon🤿 Snorkelling🌊 Remote Island
Practical Information
Fiji Essentials
Everything you need to know before you go — visas, money, transport, and the practical realities of travelling Fiji's islands.
Getting There
Nadi Airport (NAN)
The main international gateway. Fiji Airways, Jetstar, and Air New Zealand serve Nadi from Sydney, Auckland, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. Most flights from Australia take 3.5–4 hours.
Visa
Free — 4 Months
Most passport holders receive a free 4-month tourist visa on arrival. Extendable at the Immigration office in Suva or Lautoka. No visa required for stays under 120 days.
Currency
Fijian Dollar (FJD)
1 USD ≈ 2.25 FJD. ATMs are plentiful in Nadi, Suva, and Savusavu. Remote islands (Yasawas, outer Taveuni) are cash-only — stock up before you depart the main islands.
Island Transport
Yasawa Flyer + Seaplanes
The Yasawa Flyer ferry connects Port Denarau (Nadi) to the full Yasawa chain daily. Island Hoppers seaplane and helicopter give dramatic aerial alternatives. Taveuni and Vanua Levu have domestic flights from Nadi.
Best Time to Visit
May – October
The dry season. Lower humidity, less rain, clearer visibility for diving, and calmer seas for island-hopping. November–April is wet season — cheaper but cyclone risk is real. Manta ray season: May–October (Yasawas).
Connectivity
Vodafone FJ SIM
A Vodafone Fiji SIM from the airport gives the best coverage across Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and Taveuni. The outer Yasawa Islands have minimal to no mobile signal — embrace it. Wi-Fi exists at most resorts.
Culture & Dress
Dress Modestly Inland
Swimwear is for beaches only. In villages, towns, and churches, cover shoulders and knees — a sulu (sarong) is ideal and can be bought everywhere for a few dollars. Always remove shoes before entering a bure (traditional house).
Diving
Taveuni Ocean Sports
For Taveuni: Taveuni Ocean Sports is the best operator — well-maintained equipment, excellent guides, and deep knowledge of the Somosomo Strait. Book ahead in peak season (Jul–Sep). PADI courses available if you want to learn.
333
Islands in Fiji
18+
Islands We Visited
18
YouTube Episodes
5
Months Called It Home
Insider Knowledge
Tips for Fiji
Five months of living across Fiji's islands taught us what no guidebook mentions. These are the things we wish someone had told us before we arrived.
01
Go Further Than Nadi
Most tourists stay within 30 minutes of Nadi Airport and leave thinking they've seen Fiji. They haven't. The real Fiji — the Yasawas, Savusavu, Taveuni, and the village culture that defines these islands — begins the moment you get on a boat or a plane and head away from the resort strip. Budget at least two weeks; plan for a month.
02
Cash Is King in the Islands
ATMs do not exist beyond Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and Taveuni town. The Yasawa Islands, outer resorts, and any village-based activity require Fijian dollars in cash. Carry more than you think you'll need — there is no fallback option on a remote island. Withdraw at Nadi Airport or Port Denarau before you depart.
03
Respect the Sevusevu
Sevusevu is the traditional protocol for entering a Fijian village — you present a bundle of yaqona (kava root) to the chief, who formally welcomes you. Without it, you are an uninvited guest. With it, you are a welcomed one. Every market in Fiji sells dried yaqona bundles for about $10 FJD. Carry some always. The warmth it unlocks is immeasurable.
04
Dive Taveuni, Not Viti Levu
Viti Levu has decent snorkelling but its reefs have suffered from runoff and tourism pressure. If you are a diver or serious snorkeller, go straight to Taveuni. The Somosomo Strait is in a different league — pristine, biodiverse, and protected. Minimum two days for diving Taveuni; ideally five. Combine with the Lavena walk for a perfect island week.
05
Book Manta Season Early
Manta rays move through the Yasawa Islands between May and October — specifically through the channel at Barefoot Manta Resort on Drawaqa Island. This is one of the most reliable manta encounters in the Pacific, and the resort fills up fast during peak season (July–September). Book at least three months ahead if you want to guarantee the experience.
06
Say Yes to the Kava
Kava (yaqona) is Fiji's social glue and its ceremonial drink. It is earthy, slightly numbing, and tastes like muddy water — but accepting it is an act of trust and belonging that no amount of money can buy. When a Fijian offers you a bilo (kava cup), clap once before accepting it, drink it in one go, then clap three times and say 'Bula!' It is, genuinely, one of the best social experiences in the South Pacific.