Fiji Holiday First Time - Any Tips?

sammyla on 26/12/2023 - 18:43
Last edited 27/12/2023 - 15:53 by 1 other user

Hi guys, travelling to Fiji for 5 Days in January, first time, staying at Sheraton Fiji Golf resort, side by side activities are included in the package would be great if you can give some tips and ideas.

Do I need to carry Fiji Dollars?
Has anyone done Day Cruises, we got 2 kids aged 2 and 7?
What to explore?
How do you get around in Fiji, what sort of transport options do I have?
Should I carry a foldable stroller for the 2 year old?

We would be eating at the hotel but looking at going to Marina as well.

Travel Fiji Oceania

Comments

  • 87percent on 26/12/2023 - 19:12
    +1

    Was there a couple of months ago, albeit it with older kids.

    We were there for a week, and only took $500 cash with us and from what I noticed, Fiji was not very stroller friendly

    • sammyla on 26/12/2023 - 20:25

      Thanks for the tips

    • jace88 on 26/12/2023 - 20:48

      When you say not stroller friendly, do you mean within resorts/tourist areas, or outside of that? Just curious if it's worthwhile us carrying the Yoyo pram or not for our 1.5 year old.

  • Muzeeb on 26/12/2023 - 19:15
    +6

    Over 5 days I would just stay on Denarau Island. Nadi is pretty shit and only really worth it if you are desperate to explore a new city.

    There is plenty of activities to do within the resort to fill in 5 days using the "Fiji time" method.

    Weather will be humid and likely stormy around that time of year just plan to just chill around the pools and drink cocktails or Fiji gold.

    Take advantage of a local baby sitter and have a romantic dinner for 2 at Ports O Call.

    There are no natural white sand beaches at the Sheraton resort but there is a boat over to a nearby island with a nicer beach.

    Unlikely to need local currency but it's doesn't hurt to have some. I like to tip the local workers.

    • sammyla on 26/12/2023 - 20:25
      +1

      Thank you for the tips

    • HeWhoKnows on 27/12/2023 - 08:52

      Summed it up perfectly boss!

    • H4nd0 on 27/12/2023 - 09:28
      +3

      Please don't tip. It's just bad and sets a poor precedent. Not customary and not required. Please don't. Nasty. American. Habit. Kerekere is a better option.

      • Muzeeb on 27/12/2023 - 09:31

        Definitely not customary in Fiji but I like to go above and beyond to workers who genuinely go above and beyond. I don't just walk around the resort handing out dollar bills to every random employee.

        • H4nd0 on 28/12/2023 - 08:41
          +4

          @Muzeeb - I appreciate your generosity. But to re-iterate what you are describing is exactly why you don't do this. It's targeted. It's inequitable. Why should the person at the front of house be getting the tips. Yet the admin working the back office doesn't. Further tip jars are another excuse for the owners to just harvest all the cash. I was at Smugglers the other night being hounded for tips. Every drink. Every interaction. They see the "tourist" and go "there's the walking wallet" I wonder how we can plunder that. It's a cash extraction exercise. Further, the money you are giving them is not used for anything productive. Typically gets spent on booze, drugs, or grog. We ran a spa chain for a decade out of Nadi across a dozen resorts on the mainland, Mamanucas and Yasawas. 100+ staff. They got tips. Then the fights started. Then the drugged-up no-shows. Then the drunk drive/car accidents. Then the stealing. Then they are locked up. Then the corruption and fraud. Then we lost a contract at a resort. Then we banned tipping and started an internal profit share scheme. You might think you are doing the right thing. You might think you are rewarding the individual. You are not. Targeting tipping is inequitable. Individuals going home with a pile of cash in their pockets leads to a raft of social issues. As mentioned, kerekere. Offer that individual something else (e.g. buy them groceries, top up their phone, buy them a meal etc.). Or contribute to a local charity. Or just don't do it. And FYI local salaries are much better post-COVID.

          Vinaka vaka levu.

          • Muzeeb on 28/12/2023 - 08:49
            +2

            @H4nd0: That makes sense. Cheers

  • donga100 on 26/12/2023 - 20:13
    +1

    Yes, you should exchange Fiji dollars or withdraw them from an ATM when you arrive.

    If you intend to stay just on Denarau Island there is a free shuttle bus running constantly between the resorts and the marina. I prefer renting a car though because the restaurants at the marina and in the hotels are very pricey and not great quality. Nadi is much better for dining and only 10-15 minutes drive from Denarau. You can also then see some of the sights outside of the resort district such as the hot springs and mud pools.

    Day trip cruises are great and reasonably priced. I visited South Sea Island which is one of the closest to Denarau and was happy with the beach and snorkeling there.

    • sammyla on 26/12/2023 - 20:25

      Thanks for the tips!

    • samcro on 27/12/2023 - 20:21

      Disagree. Nadi is crap. Try Bonefish at the Marina. great food and very reasonably priced. Also the Bula bus is not free.

  • jace88 on 26/12/2023 - 20:47

    I'm in same boat as OP so this thread saved me some effort! (sorry for hijacking your thread a little but I figure we're probably both looking for similar info)

    I'm using a Macquarie transaction account which has no fees for withdrawing cash at overseas ATMs however we may get charged by the local ATM. From my limited Googling it sounds like there's alot of ANZ and Westpac ATMs… are either of these better than the other in terms of the ATM fee?

    My understanding is also that the FX rate is based on the Mastercard FX rate so that shouldn't make a difference which brand of ATM I use in Fiji right?

    Also, staying for five nights at Radisson with 2 young kids (1.5 and 4). Realistically are we going to need much FJD as I imagine we'll be in the resort for most of the time.

    • elgrande on 26/12/2023 - 21:21
      +3

      Thanks for the tips?

      • Muzeeb on 26/12/2023 - 21:53

        Is that you Arnie?

  • WreckTangle on 26/12/2023 - 22:30

    Is Fiji boring for kids? There’s no theme parks right?

    • donga100 on 26/12/2023 - 23:00
      +2

      There are heaps of activities for kids. Most resorts have a "kids club" that organises games and other activities each day too.

    • H4nd0 on 27/12/2023 - 09:19
      -2

      You are joking right?

  • Godric on 26/12/2023 - 22:34
    +2

    Bad news there is no KFC in Fiji

    • H4nd0 on 27/12/2023 - 09:20
      +1

      Burger King. McDonalds. Heaps of fried chicken places such as Lales if you want a chicken fix.

  • CatGrandma on 27/12/2023 - 08:17
    +1

    If you are mostly hanging around the resort you aren't going to need much cash. The shuttle bus between the resorts and marina is no longer free so you might want cash for that, otherwise everywhere in Denarau takes a card. There isn't much point hiring a car, the shuttle bus takes <10 mins to get from the resorts to the marina. You can also walk if you feel like it, there are decent footpaths the whole way and it's flat. I didn't bother going in to Nadi last time I went, but there is a public bus or some of the resorts do tours to Nadi.

    The day cruises are fun, though be prepared for them to not be particularly luxurious. Pretty much everything needs to be transported to whatever island you are visiting, so expect eco friendly toilets and buffet food. Some of the boats aren't the most gorgeous either. I definitely heard a few unprepared tourists having a whinge last time I went. If your kids are little a half day cruise might be better than a full day since there isn't much for them to do on the islands once they get sick of swimming and snorkeling.

  • H4nd0 on 27/12/2023 - 09:16
    +5
    • Yes, carry cash. If you are buying roti rolls at the Marina from families working out of their cars then you will need cash. Small notes. Most places take CC but sometimes you run into places that are M-PAiSA only. There is usually a surcharge for all CC transactions. I usually buy FJD notes in AU. If you use a CC make sure it's a zero-fee international style
    • Day cruises are fine for small children. Be prepared for everything (sun cream, mosquito repellant, water, etc.) and pack accordingly. Check with the travel desk at the Sheraton and the travel desks at the Marina to see what boats are running. See https://southseacruisesfiji.com/ for South Sea Island and Malamala
    • Heaps to explore. But with kids, you may be hotel-bound unless you are willing to leave them with the kids' club. Denarau is OK. You could go down to Newtown Beach, Nadi Town (go to the market or temple), Martintar, Vuda Marina (good for a Sunday lunch with the kids + a live band), or further afield to the Likuri (fire dance show), Sleeping Giant Volcanic Mud Pools, Lautoka, Ba, Rakiraki, Volivoli, or Natandola. Start very early as it generally gets really hot and humid at this time of year
    • Transport: shuttle bus in Denarau, bus, taxi (make sure the driver isn't too hammered on grog), hire car, helicopter (pickup from airport, Marina pontoon, or Golf Course), seaplane (pickup from airport, can pickup hotel beach if permitted). Rent a car if you want to get out of Denarau. It's the easiest. Ask for a booster seat. Driving in Fiji is abysmal. Roads are bad. Avoid driving at night (horses, cows, drunk/drugged/grogged drivers)
    • Eat out wherever you can. Wipe or rinse your cutlery before use. Avoid the hotel restaurants unless they are throwing in breakfast. Plenty of better options at Port and outside of Denarau
    • Plenty of footpaths in Denarau. Outside of Denarau, you might find it a mission. The baby carrier might be a better option.

    ==> Buy top-of-the-line travel insurance. Emergency repatriation is no fun and $$$$$ <==
    ==> Zen's Medical at Denarau, Namaka, Nadi Town <==
    ==> Carry everything for your kid's health/well-being. There's no guarantee you can buy it locally <==
    ==> Sunscreen and hats. Hot and humid this time of year <==
    ==> Mosquito repellant. Dengue is no fun <==

    Nuitaka ni o na marautaka. Vinaka.

    • sammyla on 27/12/2023 - 11:20

      Wow thanks for this! very helpful.

  • bluyu2 on 27/12/2023 - 13:16
    +2

    I highly recommend the Revolut card (https://www.revolut.com/en-AU/) for travel, as it has great exchange rates, free ATM withdrawals (to a limit), and single use virtual cards (for security), airport lounge use if your flight is delayed (eg over an hour). There are several plans, including free. I have used it in Fiji (and elsewhere).

  • Socialsuicide01 on 27/12/2023 - 15:43

    Get a e-sim for convenience, download airalo, it's a great quality of life app. No need to wait at the airport lining up on arrival for a sim.

  • Sensiekatie on 27/12/2023 - 16:12
    +2

    Haven't had kids there but neighbours did. They loved the water park which is not attached to any of the resorts.

    Our first visit, you could use the facilities of any of the resorts on Denerau which was great. It was limited on last visit. COVID changed everything

    The BULA bus is the best way to get around Denerau. Last visit, some taxi were using meters. . There were still some where it was important to negotiate a price before using them. We even had it arranged before we arrived and they be met us at the airport. Each time there have been happy to make multiple stops to pick up supplies or whatever. One driver even took us into the markets and helped with the shopping. We've always had full kitchens and long stays, so we prefer to shop at the markets in NADI as opposed to the Denerau markets which charge a lot. We shop where the locals do. Resort staff and taxi drivers have helped find these originally. We've also hired taxis for 1/2 and full days at negotiated prices which were always reasonable. More may have metres and changed this now. Car hire is expensive and the roads aren't great.

    • sammyla on 27/12/2023 - 16:35

      Thanks!

  • donga100 on 27/12/2023 - 16:50

    Car hire is expensive and the roads aren't great.

    You can rent a car under $50 AUD per day in Nadi/Denarau.

  • jace88 on 28/12/2023 - 01:20

    Sorry for what sounds like a silly question but…

    How is the quality and availability of fresh milk compared to Australia? I’m debating if we need to bring box milk for our two kids (don’t want to get caught by surprise) or if I’ll find it readily available and similar taste/quality to what we get here at any Coles/Woolies.

    • sammyla on 28/12/2023 - 10:50
      +1

      is this because your younger child relies on cows milk? or just that they like to drink milk daily? i wouldn't go to the trouble of currying a box of milk but i have been told by some to carry some snacks and juices (like poptops) as they can be quite expensive in supermarkets over there.

      • jace88 on 29/12/2023 - 08:26

        I think it's somewhere between "relies on" and "likes" because I don't think she technically needs it, but without it, her routine/sleep/etc is all disrupted since she drinks it when she wakes up, eats with cereal, drinks before lunch nap, drinks before evening sleep and usually sometime in the middle of the night. With the various pop tops, snacks, etc… we're thinking of checking in a box of items (eg milk) just to save us the trouble of looking for it in case we can't get to a supermarket.

        • sammyla on 29/12/2023 - 14:09
          +1

          fair enough, you need to keep the kids happy so you can enjoy the trip.

    • H4nd0 on 29/12/2023 - 08:12
      +1

      You sometimes and extremely rarely find Rewa fresh milk at Jetpoint and other supermarkets. Otherwise, UHT milk and milk powder (typically imported from NZ) are readily available in supermarkets.

  • sammyla on 28/12/2023 - 08:51

    Oh i forgot to ask, silly question but how is the phone reception over there? just in case i had to use the phone(if someone wanted to contact me while im out and about, say on a day cruise or inland). obviously for 5 days im not getting a local sim card for internet while ill be using hotel wifi.

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