Blog

Getting there

Passport rules: When travelling to Fiji you require a valid Australian passport with at least 6 months validity from your date of return. You don’t need a valid passport to make the booking, so you can make a booking now and get passports sorted before you go.

Airlines: Three airlines fly from Australia to Fiji – V Australia, Jetstar and Fiji Airways, mostly operating daily or double-daily flights. Fiji Airways is the national airline and they ‘codeshare’ with Qantas, so those wanting to collect or use Frequent Flyer points  can do so by redeeming tickets on Fiji Airways. V Australia and Jetstar operate regular flights from Sydney and other cities.

The climate and when to travel 

Fiji has two main seasons:

• The wet season is November to March
• The dry season is April to October

There is NO bad time to travel to Fiji, but if you prefer hotter temperatures, travel during the wet season (November to March). If you prefer to escape our winter, travel during the dry season (April to October).

The most popular time to travel is during the holidays, so if you are going to travel during the Christmas break or Easter holidays plan ahead to make your dollar go further. The more time ahead you plan the better chance you have of getting affordable airline seats. For even cheaper deals, plan to travel during the low seasons outside the school holidays, between 20 January and March 31 and then again throughout the month of May, and again between about the 16 October and 10 December. This is when you will find more value-add deals or stay-and-pay specials.

Fiji does have a cyclone season between December to February – and this is also when the very best package deals are available There is no guarantee of weather wherever or whenever you travel, so this could be an option that works with a more modest budget.

My expert tips

When travelling to Fiji remember to pack light!  You’ll mainly rely on:

• Swimmers
• Hat
• Sarong
• Sunnies
• A good book
• A sun dress
• Waterproof sunscreen
• Mosquito repellent
• Hydrolyte ice blocks
• Your camera!

Of course, anything you have forgotten you should be able to pick up locally or at the resort gift shop. If you visit a village in Fiji, dress correctly with your knees and shoulders covered.

Drinking water and hygiene

Like travelling anywhere, use common sense when in Fiji. Wash your hands often, or use hand sanitizer to avoid picking up any illnesses. 

Most of the resorts have a desalination plant, so having ice in your drinks or drinking tap water is okay. Otherwise, Fiji Water has been made famous by the Hollywood stars, so grab a bottle and stay hydrated that way!

What I love about travelling to Fiji

• One of the best things about Fiji is that it is just a short flight from Sydney. So you take off, get served a drink and a meal, watch a quick movie and before you know it, you are getting ready to land!

• The pace of life becomes slower. You will very quickly get used to “Fiji Time” and will be happy to say bula (hello) or vinaka (thank you) to everyone.
• Almost everyone speaks English, so communication is easy and there are few risks of misunderstandings.
• I love that it is a considered safe destination (although, like anywhere, you have to have your wits about you – and you must always be be wary of falling coconuts!).
• I love the Fijian people. I love how they give off a genuinely happy energy, I love that they love to smile, they love to sing and in my experience they love children. I have two young girls (who are now aged six and five) and we have been going to Fiji since they were six months old. For three years in a row we stayed at the same island resort and my girls had the same nanny for these three years. They built up a loving relationship with their nanny, it was like going home and visiting family!