Travel in Fiji

Travel in Fiji

Airplane: the two international airports on Vitu Levu near Nadi and Suva are also the two most important inter-island hubs. Other major domestic airports are Savusavu and Labasa on Vanua Levu, Matei on Taveuni, Vunisea on Kadavu, Bureta on Ovalau, and Malololailai and Mana on Mamanucas. Many smaller islands have runways. However, some islands may not be entered without an invitation from locals.

Air Fiji and Sun Air have regular inter-island flights. Air Fiji flies from Suva to Nadi, Kadavu, Korom Labasa, Lakeba, Levuka, Moala, Rotuma, Savusavu, Taveuni, and Vanua Balavu. At Nadi, Air Fiji offers flights to Suva, Labasa, Malololailai, Mana, Savusavu and Taveuni.

Sun Air flies from Suva to Nadi, Labasa and Taveuni, as well as from Nadi to Suva, Kadavu, Labasa, Malololailai, Mana, Savusavu and Taveuni.

Island Hoppers, Turtle Airways and Pacific Island Seaplanes offer charter flights. Transfers to most of the Mamanucasinslen resorts are on Island Hopers’ flight schedules, as well as helicopter flights from Denarau Island to Nadi Airport. Turtle Airways has a fleet of seaplanes that take passengers from Nadi and Denarau to the Mamanucas and Yasawas Islands as well as numerous resorts. Pacific Island Seaplanes offers transfers to the islands of the Mamanuca, Ysawa and Lau groups.

Ship: still one of the most important means of transport between the individual islands are small boats. Some take passengers from Suva to Lau, Rotuma and Kadavu. On some islands it is possible to charter boats. Most hotel complexes or resorts have their own boats.

Catamarans also regularly connect the Mamanucas and Yasawas Islands. There are also permanent ferry connections between Viti Levu, Vanua Levu and Taveuni and between Viti Levu and Ovalau. Patterson Brothers, Beachcomber Cruises, and Cosort Shipping operate large ferries that can accommodate passengers, vehicles, and cargo. The timetables change frequently and there can be long waiting times at the stopovers.

The most important routes between the individual archipelagos and the ferry companies that regularly operate on them are listed below:

Nadi-Mamanucas – South Sea Cruises,

Nadi-Ysawas – Awesome Adventures,

Suva-Savusavu-Taveuni – Consort Shipping, Beachcomber Cruises, Grace Ferry,

(Lautoka) -Ellington Wharf-Nabouwalu (Vanua Levu) – (Labasa) – Patterson Brothers Shipping,

(Suva) -Natovi-Nabouwalu- (Labasa) – Patterson Brothers Shipping,

(Suva) -Natovi-Buresala- (Levuka) – Patterson Brothers Shipping,

(Suva) -Bau-Landing-Leleuvia Levuka

Suva-Kadavu – Kadavu Shipping,

Suva Laugruppe – Saliabasaga Shipping, Kabua Development Corporation, Khans Sipping,

Suva Moala Group – Khans Shipping,

Suva-Rotuma – Western Shipping.

Car: According to 800zipcodes, about 90 percent of the 5,100 kilometers of roads in Fiji are on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. About a fifth of the roads are sealed. Both islands therefore invite you to explore by car, motorcycle or off-road vehicle.

Gas stations are common and easy to find on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Most and cheapest are in the cities. However, if you want to visit the interior of the islands, you should stock up on sufficient fuel as a precaution.

Rental car

Rental cars in Fiji are relatively expensive. Nevertheless, they are a good way to explore the larger islands. As some rental agencies do not allow their vehicles to travel on unpaved roads, rental cars are only partially suitable for traveling through the highlands. Transport by ferry is also not permitted with all rental cars.

The easiest way is to rent a car on Viti Levu. Most rental car agencies have offices there, at Nadi Airport and in a few other cities. Some of the well-known car rental companies are Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty Car Rental, and Beat Rentals.

The minimum age to rent a vehicle in Fiji is 21, in some cases 25 years. A credit card deposit is usually required.

In general, larger companies have better cars, but they are also slightly more expensive. Regardless of where the car is rented, travelers should check the brakes, the cooling water, the tire pressure and the condition of the tires before setting off.

Bus: the larger islands have extensive and inexpensive bus networks. Local buses are therefore a great way to get to know the country and its people. There are bus stations, but the vehicles can also be stopped en route. Air-conditioned express buses run on important routes, for example from Nadi to Suva.

Different bus operators are active on the different islands. Sunbeam Transport and Pacific Transport are the largest companies on Viti Levu. Pacific Transport also operates on Taveuni. Smaller local companies operate buses on Vanua Levu.

Reservations for local buses are not necessary. If you don’t have much time, you should buy your bus ticket in advance, especially for longer journeys such as from Suva to Nadi. Pacific Transport and Sunbeam regularly publish updated timetable maps, which are available from tourist offices. Timetables from smaller bus companies can be obtained from the respective bus stations.

Local transport: many locals drive small trucks that are equipped with additional seating for passengers. Some of them run regularly between Nadi and Suva. They leave when they are full and usually reach their destination faster than the buses that run on these routes.

Minivans are also becoming more common on the streets of Fiji. Rides with them are very popular with the locals. The journeys with such minivans are more expensive than with buses, but also faster and cheaper than taxi rides.

Taxis are available on Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni and Ovalau. In larger cities there are taxi depots at bus stops. Often there is an oversupply of taxis with vehicles from competing companies.

Bicycle: even if some regions are very rough and hilly, the larger Fischi Islands offer cyclists a lot of potential. Viti Levu, for example, has long, flat, paved roads along the picturesque coast. The best time to travel by bike is the dry season from May to October. Mountain bikes are best for exploring the interior of the islands. It is best to bring your own bike, helmet and equipment, repair kit and spare parts with you to the islands. It should be possible to dismantle the bicycles for domestic flights.

Cyclists should always pay close attention to the traffic and avoid driving in the evening hours as they can easily be overlooked by drivers due to the restricted view. The equipment should always include a sufficiently large supply of water.

There are rental bikes in Nadi, on the Coral Coast and on Ovalau. As a rule, a deposit is not required. Wacking Stick Adventure Tours offers guided mountain bike tours from Nadi. Rental bikes can sometimes be in poor condition and not all operators provide helmets.

Travel in Fiji

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