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Teresa Nelle   Meet Teresa, one of our travel experts for the islands of Fiji.


Teresa is a Certified Tahiti Travel Specialist and works with the Tahiti Tourism Board making sure her guests enjoy a fabulous holiday in Tahiti. Teresa lives on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii. She's been a Travel Advisor for 20 years, specializing in tropical islands around the world but her true love is the South Pacific. Teresa has traveled throughout the South Pacific Islands and is on a first name basis with many of the resort owners. She has visited Fiji 7 times as well as Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand. Her speciality is multi-country holidays. Her agency, Luxury Hideaways, is rated A+ with the Hawaii Better Business Bureau.


Best Time of Year to Visit Fiji

Explore > Travel Planning Articles > Best Time of Year to Visit Fiji

Date published:
2023-03-11


The beach at Taunovo Bay at sunset
Sunset at Taunovo Bay, on Viti Levu.

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Fiji is a tropical paradise...with weather to match! This luscious country is blessed with natural beauty both on the land and under the water.

Fiji wholesalers--and many of the resorts themselves--are very active when it comes to special offers, discounts, extra inclusions, etc., and so these kinds of deals are changing all the time. Most websites aren't able to keep those specials up to date--there's just too many of them, and they're changing and expiring all the time. At Visual Itineraries, we track the offers from the major wholesalers daily, and our specialists have tools that show them all the available offers and discounts for a particular property instantly.

TRAVEL SPECIAL: Namale Fiji Islands Resort and Spa


Vuvale "Family" Group Wedding Package
Namale Fiji Islands Resort and SpaSet amidst 525 acres of breathtaking tropical beauty in Fiji’s northern island of Vanua Levu, Namale Resort & Spa is redefining all-inclusive. Our intimate, adults-only boutique setting offers a truly unique and authentically Fijian experience where your every request is met, every want anticipated, and every expectation exceeded. Catering to some of the world’s most exclusive clientele from actors Edward Norton and Russell Crowe to fashion icon Donna Karan and NBA Coach Pat Riley, our world-class staff is devoted to providing you an exquisitely luxurious experience unparalleled by any other all-inclusive resort in Fiji.
Learn more about Namale Fiji Islands Resort and Spa

Complimentary services provided with a minimum of 20 paid room nights.

Package Includes:
- Vaka Mau Full Service Wedding Package
- 3 Nights complimentary accommodations in a Garden Tropical Bure for bride + groom
- Welcome bottle of sparkling wine
- Group wedding reception set up including live acoustic ukelele + guitar serenade
- Complimentary couples' massage the day after the wedding
- Wedding Concierge





See our complete list of travel specials for the islands of Fiji.


 

See & compare all resorts in the Fiji islands

If you're trying to decide where to stay in the Mamanucas, Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, the Yasawas, or any of the other islands, we can help! For the 80 resorts there, we've got over 1,000 high-resolution photos, 62 videos, and even some virtual tours to help you find your perfect Fijian bure. Click here to use our Visual Explorer to check out all of them.

You're going to fly into Nadi (pronounced "Nandi"), which is one of the two main cities in Fiji (the other being Suva). Both of these cities are on the main island of Viti Levu. The tourist areas on this island where the hotels are are the Coral Coast, and Denarau Island. Here, you'll mostly find traditional multi-room hotels, which are less expensive in general than the island resorts, and tend not to have separate bures.

The Mamanucas (pronounced "Mamanoothas") are the chain of islands that starts just off the west coast at Nadi, and curves around to the northwest. This is where you'll find many islands resorts with beach bures (including Liku Liku, which has overwater bures). Some of these islands have just one resort on the entire island; some have 2 or 3. These islands are easy (and inexpensive) to get to via a quick boat shuttle from Nadi, and tend to be moderately priced. Great snorkeling and scuba diving is very close by on the Malolo Barrier Reef.

Just north of the Mamanucas is the Yasawa island chain. These islands have just a few resorts, very high-end, with lots of privacy, stunning beaches, and very small numbers of guests per resort. One of my favorites there is Yasawa Island Resort.

Fiji's second largest island is Vanua Levu, which sits to the northeast of Viti Levu. It's far enough away that you'll need to take an island hopper flight out to your resort. It's very popular with scuba divers, and in fact Jacques Cousteau's son Jean-Michel Cousteau has a fantastic resort there, called Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort. The Somosomo Strait, which separates Vanua Levu and the smaller island Taveuni, has many world-class dive sites. Namale and Koro Sun are two of the other more notable resorts on Vanua Levu.

Taveuni is popular with divers for the same reason Vanua Levu is--proximity to the fantastic soft coral gardens and walls in the Somosomo Strait. Here, be sure to check out Laucala, Matangi, and Qamea.

Beqa (pronounced "Benga") Lagoon is well known for shark diving--but, you don't have to be a diver to enjoy this area, as the islands nearby (including Beqa Island itself) are home to some fantastic 5-star resorts, such as Lalati and Royal Davui.

Namale Resort & Spa has this cool list of interesting facts about Fiji.

TRAVEL SPECIAL: Musket Cove Resort


"Island Dreams" Wedding Package from $1,734 USD
Musket Cove ResortMusket Cove reflects the rustic style and relaxed spirit of Fiji, with spacious, open-plan design. Arriving guests find a secluded and uncrowded island hideaway that captures the essence of Fiji. Tucked among coconut palms and tropical gardens or along our lagoon and beachfront, all accommodation offers a rich sense of privacy and tranquility.

Upon arrival, guests are enveloped into the islands spacious surroundings, with 400 acres of tropical gardens, secluded walking trails and palm fringed beaches to explore.
Learn more about Musket Cove Resort

$1,734 USD ~ 20 to 55 guests | $2,178 USD ~ 55 to 100 guests. Select a catering package or design your own.

Celebrate your love for each other with this complete package. Designed with everything you’ll require for your perfect Fiji Island dream wedding.

Package Includes:
- Guided visit to mainland registry office
- Your personal wedding concierge
- Bottle of premium sparkling wine & exotic tropical fruit platter on arrival
- Upgraded WIFI access for Bride & Groom
- Romantic turndown in bure on wedding night
- Island Dreams wedding arch – includes either Island Dreams, Fiji & Forever
- Tropical bridal bouquet
- Boutonniere for the groom
- Ceremony by minister or celebrant
- Traditional Fijian warrior escort for the bride
- Ceremonial table for signing the certificate decorated in palm leaves & tropical flowers
- Choice of venue for ceremony – chapel, beach, island
- Set with café chairs & tropical flowers
- Island serenaders or choir to serenade before and after ceremony
- Handmade Tapa design marriage certificate
- Sea & Sand theme table settings (Ask about different themes (extra cost))
- Pampering couples’ massage at Makare Wellness Spa
- Romantic turndown in bure on wedding night





Typical airfares from LAX to Nadi, Fiji




Airfares vary by season, but also day of week, and are definitely affected by holidays. The chart above shows the typical minimum and maximum fares for a economy class ticket from Los Angeles (LAX) to Nadi International Airport, by month. We gathered this data in June 2016 from FareCompare.com.


 
TRAVEL SPECIAL: Taveuni Island Resort & Spa


Taveuni Island Resort And Spa 5 nights from 2,905 per person
Taveuni Island Resort & SpaConsistently voted one of the top Fijian Resorts, Taveuni Island Resort & Spa is a small exclusive luxury resort which offer's the Ultimate Tropical Island Experience. Fiji Luxury at it's best.

Beautiful Taveuni Island Resort has won many prestigious Awards for the excellence to service and commitment to the caring of their guests including; Top Boutique Resort in Fiji, Connoisseurs Choice from Resorts & Great Hotels of the World, One of the Top 100 Places in the World to Visit before You Die! Our pristine white sand beach was chosen for an International Movie and we were one of the Top Six Resorts of the Year for an International "Getaway" Travel program.
Learn more about Taveuni Island Resort & Spa

Price includes hotel stay and all taxes and fees.






Best time of year to go to Fiji

If you're coming from North America, you should try to set out between late April to early June, or late July through August, due to decreased fares on Air Pacific and Air New Zealand. June to October are the coldest and driest months in Fiji. Cyclone season runs from November to April. Hotels and resorts offer low prices in February and March as most are vacant.





Average temperatures in Fiji

From May through November, Fiji's winter, temperatures are warm during the day--around 80 degrees Fahrenheit--and cooler at night and in the early mornings. During the summer rainy season from November through April, temperatures can reach 95 degrees Fahrenheit with late afternoon showers. Fiji offers a tropical climate with higher humidity and rain during the summer and lower temperatures with dry air in the winter. However, the winds cause climate variances from island to island. Speak with your travel specialist about weather around your resorts.





Beachfront bures at Tokoriki Island Resort
Beachfront bures at Tokoriki Island Resort.

TRAVEL SPECIAL: Koro Sun Resort


UNDERWATER WEDDING FROM $1,743 USD
Koro Sun ResortRevitalize, refresh, renew. A native experience awaits you at Koro Sun Resort. Born of a nature lover's dream, the resort springs forth from a magnificent coconut plantation, encircled by lavish rainforests, at the edge of a stunning private lagoon. The 150 acres offers guests a welcome respite from the busy world.

Bula! During your time in Fiji, it’s a word you’ll hear often. It’s simple meaning is “Hello,” but as you’ll discover upon your arrival at the Koro Sun Resort, it epitomizes the idyllic values of the islands friendliness, personal connections and life at its most content.
Learn more about Koro Sun Resort

Package Includes:
- Charter of Dive boat and staff
- Ceremony by minister
- Single tier wedding cake
- Fresh flower bridal bouquet and groom salusalu
- Marriage License





What's a Bure?

A bure is technically the Fijian word for a wood and straw hut. In traditional Fijian culture, there was a vale, which was the "family house", and then separate bures for the men to meet, eat and sleep.

Today, you'll find any kind of detached bungalow referred to as a bure. With the exception of the main island of Viti Levu, you'll find that nearly all resort accommodations in Fiji are bures (the main island has a number of more traditional multi-room hotels).

Bures come in a number of "flavors": beachfront, garden, and even overwater bures (at Likuliku). And Matangi has a romantic Treehouse Bure, as does Koro Sun Resort.


Rainstorm at Taunovo Bay, Fiji

TRAVEL SPECIAL: Musket Cove Resort


"An Intimate Affair" Ceremony from $867 USD
Musket Cove ResortMusket Cove reflects the rustic style and relaxed spirit of Fiji, with spacious, open-plan design. Arriving guests find a secluded and uncrowded island hideaway that captures the essence of Fiji. Tucked among coconut palms and tropical gardens or along our lagoon and beachfront, all accommodation offers a rich sense of privacy and tranquility.

Upon arrival, guests are enveloped into the islands spacious surroundings, with 400 acres of tropical gardens, secluded walking trails and palm fringed beaches to explore.
Learn more about Musket Cove Resort

Looking for that special place to forge your inseparable bond of marriage, but without the fanfare? Celebration for two or up to 19 family and friends. Plus catering, select a catering package, or dine off our a la carte menu.

Package Includes:
- Guided visit to mainland registry office
- Upgraded WIFI access for Bride & Groom
- Bottle of premium sparkling wine & exotic tropical fruit platter on arrival
- Choice of venue for ceremony – chapel, beach, or island
- Ceremonial table for signing the certificate decorated in palm leaves & tropical flowers
- Tropical bridal bouquet
- Boutonniere for the groom
- Ceremony by minister or celebrant
- Decorated private jetty or beach hut for wedding banquet
- Romantic turndown in bure on wedding night
- Choice of venue for ceremony – chapel, beach, island, set with café chairs & tropical flowers

*Personalize your day with Bespoke accessories






Storms in Fiji

During the winter rainy season, afternoon showers occur with frequency. In the case of a tropical storm or cyclone, residents and travelers are relocated to safe areas. Tropical storms during the rainy season are not uncommon: the last major cyclones to hit Fiji occurred in December of 2012, March of 2010, December of 2009, December of 2007 and December of 2003.

If it rains while you're there--then it's a perfect time to sit down with the locals and try kava, a traditional drink made from the kava root. It's got a mild calming effect, and there's a little ceremony that goes with each sip you take--the locals will be sure to teach you. It tastes a bit like dirty water, with a bit of a sparkling edge to it...but it's an experience you really should try while you're there.

A little inclement weather might encourage you to forgo a snorkel trip and experience a Lovo: it's a traditional Fijian feast, a bit like the Hawaiian luau, complete with a pig roasted in an underground oven, wrapped in banana leaves. Often this will be combined with the Meke, which is a traditional story-telling dance performance, with an orchestra performing on percussion instruments.


 

 

Water temperature, SCUBA diving in Fiji

Fiji has warm water temperatures year-round although thin wetsuits are recommended for deeper dives. In the northern islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni, the rainy season (November through April) has a much greater effect and if you really want to dive that area, you'd be advised to stick to the dry season. In the Mamanucas, Beqa, and on Viti Levu it's not nearly as much of a concern, and diving and weather in general is pretty nice all year round.

Popular dive areas:

  • the Black Forest--ancient black coral trees, diverse assortment of fish and marine life, near Wananavu Beach Resort
  • near Taveuni you'll find The Ledge, The Great White Wall, Jerry's Jelly, and Annie's Bommie; nearby resorts include Qamea, Laucala, Matangi, Taveuni Palms, Paradise Taveuni, Maravu, and Taveuni Island Resort
  • the Great Astrolabe Reef is near Kadavu Island, and this is considered to be the largest living organism in Fiji, with tons of varieties of hard and soft corals and diverse marine life; it's about 40 miles from the major resorts at Beqa Lagoon
  • Naiqoro Passage has both a wide variety of coral plus schools of sharks and barracuda
  • Beqa Lagoon, near Beqa Lagoon Resort, Lalati, Royal Davui, and Shangri La, is known for shark encounters as well as brightly colored coral, and is considered one of the best lagoons for diving in the South Pacific
  • in the Mamanucas, you'll find gorgeous corals, some sharks, and plenty of colorful fish and marine life, especially around the Malolo Barrier Reef; popular sites include Supermarket, Salamander shipwreck, Plantation Pinnacles, and Magic Island; there are many resorts in the Mamanucas to choose from
Wherever you dive in Fiji, I'll bet you'll be impressed with the diversity and density of undersea life. While the Somosomo Strait gets a lot of attention for the soft corals and wall dives, and Beqa Lagoon gets a lot of attention for its sharks, there's tons to see on the Malolo Barrier Reef, next to the Mamanuca islands--and it's mostly at shallow depths...great for newer scuba divers and snorkelers.

TRAVEL SPECIAL: Matamanoa Island Resort


Matamanoa Island Resort 5 nights from 1,285 per person
Matamanoa Island ResortMatamanoa Island is an intimate and secluded Fijian Resort. We are set in the beautiful Mamanuca Islands of Fiji approximately 30 kilometres west of the Nadi International Airport.

One Island – One Resort. With only 47 rooms, Matamanoa is for those who dream of peace and tranquillity. Come ashore and experience a true gift of nature. Matamanoa is 4-star deluxe adults only with a minimum age to visit of 16 years.
Learn more about Matamanoa Island Resort

Set among tropical gardens and close to all amenities the Resort Rooms are always popular. Traditional wooden art and carvings have been used in the Resort Rooms to give you a true sense of Fiji.





Flower in lily pond, Taunovo Bay, Fiji



How we work with you to plan the perfect trip:

  • We'll talk with you to find out what you're looking for, what you like/don't like, etc.
  • We'll use our first-hand knowledge of the destination to pick out a handful of resorts we think you'd like
  • We'll create a custom mini website for you, with photos, videos, maps, etc. of the resorts we are recommending
  • We'll follow up with you to help you make your decision
  • We'll go to work with our suppliers to get you the best deal available on what you've decided on.


 

Map of all Resorts in Fiji

 
Michael  

About the author, Michael Cottam



Founder of Visual Itineraries, Michael lives in Bend, Oregon. He's an avid traveler, scuba diver, photographer, and a private pilot, and also the founder of Bright Yonder. He's been a Rotarian for 20 years, currently on the board of the Greater Bend Rotary Club. Follow Michael on LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter.

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