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Fiji backpackers arrive at Nadi Airport on the west coast of Viti Levu, the main island in Fiji. The following guide provides a basic understanding of what each region offers and what accommodation options there are.
Nadi and around
Nadi is a rather nondescript suburban sprawl set slightly inland from a mangrove coastline. There is a pleasant beach area at Nadi Bay (Wailoaloa Beach) and little commercial development except a handful of backpacker hostels where most budget travellers base themselves. The ocean here is too murky for snorkelling but the views looking out to the offshore islands and along the coast towards majestic mountains that surround Nadi. If you need shopping, Nadi Town has an excellent selection of Internet cafes, boutique shops, lots of department stores offering cheap clothes and several great restaurants. Bars and nightclubs are hard to find and can be on the rough side - the exception being Ed's Bar in Martintar. If you like exploring, Nadi makes a good base and offers the most affordable rooms and dorm beds in Fiji.
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Nadi Bay Resort, Nadi Airport
F$ 89 - 170 per couple / F$ 33 dorm
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Nadi Bay Hotel is a popular and lively backpacker hostel with two swimming pools, mini theatre and games room, five houses with dorms and an excellent restaurant. Walking distance to Nadi's best bars and clubs, this is a good choice for those wanting to sample Fiji's nightlife before exploring the islands.
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Smugglers Cove Resort, Nadi Bay
F$ 115 - 185 per couple
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Smugglers Cove Beach Resort is a full service small beach resort popular with both backpackers and holidaymakers looking for an affordable base in Nadi. Ideally located overlooking Nadi Beach and only ten minutes drive from Nadi Town, Smugglers offers modern rooms with a boutique guesthouse atmosphere.
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Aquarius Beach Resort, Nadi Bay
F$ 115 - 125 per couple / F$ 28 dorm
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Aquarius Fiji is a converted beach house offering budget travellers a friendly and intimate place to stay beside Nadi's best beachfront location overlooking the offshore islands. Aquarius has just a handful of double rooms with private bathrooms plus dorm rooms, a communal lounge, small restaurant and swimming pool.
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Travellers Beach Resort, Nadi Bay
F$ 60 - 90 per couple / F$21 dorm
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Travellers Beach Resort fronts Wailoaloa Beach with a restaurant, small swimming pool and pool table and offers rather tired but very affordable rooms in the main building and dorm beds across the road. This is a good choice for those looking for a quiet "no thrills" beachfront property.
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Horizon Backpackers, Nadi Bay
F$ 55 - 85 per couple / F$15 dorm
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Horizon Backpackers is the cheapest backpacker accommodation in Nadi Beach. Long established, less than a minute walk to the ocean, this small hostel has affordable rooms, internet room and baggage storage. The hostel is adjacent to Smugglers Resort with its lively bar.
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Around Viti Levu (the main island)
You can explore the offshore islands of day and sailing cruises or venture into the interior on 4WD tours or along the Coral Coast on historical and sightseeing tours. There is also excellent rainforest along this coast which you can explore on rafting trips or on hiking trails.
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Robinson Crusoe Island, Nadi Rural
F$ 220 - 330 per couple / $ 93 dorm - includes meals
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Robinson Crusoe island is a lively backpacker party island on a small private island about a ten minute boat ride off Natadola Beach. With theme evenings. large dorm rooms and plenty of activities centred around its white sand beachfront, this is a good choice for those looking to have fun and meet other party-minded travellers.
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Beachouse, Coral Coast
F$ 110 per couple / F$ 40 dorm
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The Beach House is a small friendly family run backpacker hang-out attracting travellers of all ages. With a pretty beach side location, tall coconut trees and mature landscaped gardens, the Beachouse is a long-established stopover on the route between Nadi and Suva, or a great base for chilling.
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The Mamanuca & Yasawa Islands
Fiji's most popular beach destination is the Mamanuca Islands and Yasawa Islands off the west coast of Nadi Airport. These islands enjoy Fiji's sunniest weather but the islands lack dense tropical vegetation and have instead rolling grassy hills. They are easy to get around and explore and are blessed with gorgeous white sandy beaches sandwiched by swaying coconut trees and turquoise lagoons. This is the stuff of dreams.
The Mamanuca Islands, being closest to Nadi, are a lot more commercialized and most islands have up market beach resorts. However, there are a couple of small islands with lively budget beach resorts which appeal to the party style backpacker market. The closest of the Mamanuca Islands takes just 30 minutes by fast catamaran ferry.
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Beachcomber Island, Mamanucas
F$ 365 - 529 per couple / F$ 119 dorm - includes meals
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Beachcomber Island Resort is an all night party style island aimed at backpackers and the young at heart. The island is tiny taking just 5 minutes to walk around but with plenty of water sports and beach activities to keep guests occupied during the day. Large dorm rooms plus private ensuite rooms.
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Bounty Island Resort, Mamanucas
F$ 314 - 360 per couple / F$ 110 dorm - includes meals
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Bounty Island is a small intimate coral island resort aimed at budget travellers and backpackers. The island offers 48-acres of untouched light forest surrounded by golden sandy beaches and a lagoon that provides good snorkelling. There's a lively bar and swimming pool, with accommodation in air-conditioned huts or dormitories.
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Ratu Kini Backpackers, Mamanucas
F$ 153 - 165 per couple / F$ 55 dorm
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Ratu Kini's is a budget backpackers on the beautiful whiter sandy south beach of Mana Island. With easy access from the backpacker hostels along Wailoaloa Beach in Nadi, this is a beach lovers paradise where there's little more to do than lounge in the sun and swim or snorkel in the lagoon. Ideal for those not wanting to travel far.
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Yasawa Islands
Extending north is a chain of 15 islands with budget beach resorts aimed at the backpacker market. Most of these resorts are owned and operated by locals and are built on customary village land. Some are very basic with poor standards of hygiene and sewerage systems whilst others are well managed and offer activities and day trips. Accommodation typically consists of one or two thatch bungalows (bures) with ensuite bathrooms, a handful of private bungalows with shared bathrooms and a couple of mixed dormitories sleeping around 8 people. Electricity is powered by diesel run generators and water is cold and usually drinkable. Meals are served as a set menu and are included in the price. Standards of quality and the services provided differ from one place to another and tend to change over short periods. The Yasawa Travel Pass enables transfers along the chain including accommodation stops at our recommended resorts at the time of travel. Snorkelling is generally excellent in both the Yasawa and Mamanuca islands, although sometimes the best spots are on outer reefs reached by short boat trips. There are hiking trails throughout the hills offering fine coastal views over the lagoons.
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Yasawa Travel Pass, Yasawas
F$ 1,742 for 6 Nights / F$ 811 dorm - includes meals
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This flexible pass enables travellers to visit any one of ten islands along the beautiful Yasawa chain of islands and stay at any of the 16 accredited budget beach bures along the way. This is the best region in Fiji for meeting fellow travellers, for relaxing on gorgeous beaches and dabbling in a little snorkelling.
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Long Beach Resort, Yasawas
F$ 180 - 250 per couple / F$ 70 dorm - includes meals
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Long Beach is a small friendly backpacker resort set on the point of a glorious white sandy beach overlooking a turquoise lagoon towards the rolling hills of neighbouring islands. This is a great place to settle down with a book, take in the tranquillity and perhaps engage in a few light activities like snorkelling or walking to a nearby village.
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Oarsman's Bay Resort, Yasawas
F$ 200 - 318 per couple / F$ 30 dorm
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Oarsman's Bay is a small budget style resort with a long established reputation. Whist retaining its dormitory style accommodation above the restaurant (single beds only), the focus here is on a relaxing beach experience for couples and families. Good snorkelling offshore, hill walks and no motorised sports.
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Wayalailai Beach Resort, Yasawas
F$ 160 - 200 per couple / F$ 65 dorm - includes meals
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Waya Lailai is one of the best backpacker resorts in the Yasawas with a lively atmosphere, lots of accommodation styles, a good selection of activities including scuba diving and some excellent mountain trails for exploring. The resort sits alongside a white sandy beach with reasonable snorkelling offshore.
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Manta Ray Island Resort, Yasawas
F$ 257 - 346 per couple / F$ 110 dorm - includes meals
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Manta Ray is a modern, Australian owned backpacker resort with basic yet comfortable accommodation and lots of organized activities. Set alongside a gorgeous turquoise lagoon, close to the Manta Ray lagoon (May-Oct), the focus here is on keeping guests active and happy.
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The Outer Islands
For adventurers and diving enthusiasts, the Northern Islands is the best destination, particularly Taveuni. This rain forest clad island has some fantastic walking trails in national Parks with waterfalls and lush rain forest. This is also Fiji's finest dive destination with the fantastic soft corals of the Rainbow Reef a major attraction. Flights connect Nadi and Taveuni twice a day and take 1 hour 10 minutes. Alternatively, Kadavu in the south offers off the beaten track adventures or the Ovalau Region offers great beaches and snorkeling lagoon and is less commercial than the popular backpacker trail of the Yasawa Islands.
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Caqalai Island, Ovalau Region
F$ 120 per couple / $ 50 dorm
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Caqalai Island Resort is a small coral island off Ovalau surrounded by a beautiful lagoon with fantastic snorkelling. The beachfront is sandy and backed by coconut palms making this an exceptional place for budget travellers to experience the South Seas experience away from the more commercial Yasawa Islands.
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Waisalima Dive Resort, Kadavu
F$ 150 - 200 per couple - includes meals
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Waisalima is located on a tidal beach at the eastern tip of Kadavu an hour and thirty minute boat ride from the local airstrip and overlooking the Great Astrolabe Reef and its exceptional diving reefs. With budget accommodation and a truly secluded atmosphere, this is a good spot for diving enthusiasts on a budget.
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Bibi Hideaway, Taveuni
F$ 63 - 116 per couple
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Bibi's Hideaway is a family run plantation with six budget self contained cottages on the gentle slopes of Taveuni's north west coast, five minutes from the airport. This spacious property has lovely ocean views which lead down to the coastal road across which is a beautiful white sand beach with excellent snorkelling.
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