Destination Guide: Fiji What to know before you go Essential preparation and planning tips Accommodation and transport CHOICE TRAVEL DESTINATION GUIDE: FIJI CONTENTS Fiji 2 What you need to know 8 Power plugs 2 Travel-size tips 8 Money 2 Know before you go 9 Travel insurance 2 Best time to go 10 Handy links and apps 3 Culture 3 Language 11 Fiji accommodation and transport 4 Health and safety 11 Flights 5 Laws and watchouts 11 At the airport (and getting to your hotel) 6 Making a complaint 12 Key destinations and their airports 6 Emergency contacts 13 Getting around 14 Driving in Fiji 7 What you need to do 15 Accommodation and tours 7 Visas and passports 7 Vaccinations 7 Phone and internet Who is CHOICE? Set up by consumers for consumers, CHOICE is the consumer advocate that provides Australians with information and advice, free from commercial bias. 1 CHOICE TRAVEL DESTINATION GUIDE: FIJI WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW OVERVIEW Best time to go, culture, language, health, safety, laws, watchouts, scams, emergency contacts and more. Travel-size tips › You may need vaccinations. Check with your doctor as early as possible before you go. Some › Australians can fly to Fiji in as little as four hours. vaccinations need to be given four to six weeks before departure. › The high season lasts from June to September, and then coincides with the Australian school holiday period in December–January. Best time to go › The dry season runs from May to October. › Visas for Australian passport holders are issued on Dry season: May–October arrival in the country. Wet season: November–April While the cooler dry season is generally considered › You can drive on your Australian licence, but the best time to go, the rain in the hotter wet season is car hire may be expensive and hard to find outside only sporadic, so Fiji is open for tourism all year round. of the two main islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. › Average temperatures range from about 26°C in June to about 30°C in January. Know before you go › Climates vary across Fiji, the smaller islands generally get less rainfall than the main island, Viti › Always check the latest safety advice on the region Levu. you’re travelling to at smartraveller.gov.au. › Cyclones sometimes hit in the wet season. › Mosquito-borne illnesses, particularly dengue fever, are common in Fiji. Pack repellent and do › The water temperature can get a little ‘chilly’ what you can to minimise mozzie bites. (24–27°C) between June and September. During the warmer months it rises to about 30°C. 2 BACK TO CONTENTS CHOICE TRAVEL DESTINATION GUIDE: FIJI › Fiji has two distinct surf seasons, with consistent › Public displays of affection (i.e. more than holding 8–12ft (2.4–3.7m) swells between March and hands) are considered inappropriate. October, and shorter swells in the summer between › Same-sex couples are unlikely to face November and March. discrimination, but like heterosexual couples they › The cooler months bring the best scuba diving should avoid making public displays of affection. visibility, along with cooler water temperatures › It’s insulting to touch a person’s head, even a child’s. and stronger winds. The seas are generally calmer and warmer in the summer wet season (cyclones › Kava is the national drink. It’s an ‘acquired taste’ but permitting), but the visibility isn’t as clear. Plankton locals may be disappointed if you refuse to drink it. blooms can attract whales and manta rays in the Tipping is not customary, however it is appreciated. summer months. › › If you want to avoid the crowds and higher prices, aim for the shoulder seasons in October or May, avoiding the Australian school holiday period from Language December to January. Fiji has three official languages: Fijian, English and › Australians make up the majority of Fiji’s visitors so Hindi. expect larger crowds during our school holidays. You may have trouble understanding the Fijian variant of English, nicknamed ‘Finglish’, however ‘our’ English Culture is spoken perfectly by people working in the tourism industry. Fijians are extremely friendly, welcoming and easy- going. The country operates on a relaxed ‘Fiji time’ – meaning you should leave your stress at home and try not to get annoyed when your meal takes a while to reach your table! › Family and religion (mainly Christianity and Hinduism) are at the centre of Fijian culture. › You should dress conservatively and remove your hat when visiting villages, and remember to remove your shoes if invited to enter people’s houses. 3 BACK TO CONTENTS CHOICE TRAVEL DESTINATION GUIDE: FIJI Fijian is written in the same alphabet as English, so street signs and place names are easy to read, but the pronunciation of some letters is quite different: › b is pronounced ‘mb’, as in member › d is pronounced ‘nd’, as in Monday › q is pronounced ‘ng’, as in ‘g’ in finger › g is pronounced ‘ng’, as in singer › c is pronounced ‘th’, as in father. Via fijiguide.com. Health and safety › There is a private hospital in Suva but tourists who become very sick will likely be medevaced › The tap water in Fiji is considered unsafe. Drink to Australia at their own expense (again, travel bottled or boiled water, and if you’re particularly insurance!) concerned about stomach upsets, ask for no ice in drinks and avoid salads that may have been rinsed › Fiji experiences cyclones, as well as occasional in tap water. earthquakes which can trigger tsunami alerts. Make sure you know what the safety procedures are in › To minimise the risk of food poisoning, opt for fresh, your hotel or resort. fully cooked foods. Unless you’re an adventurous eater, think twice about buying fish and meat from › There have been incidents of violent crime and roadside markets. sexual assault against tourists. Exercise caution and avoid walking alone, particularly in urban areas › Water-borne, food-borne and other infectious such as downtown Suva at night. diseases such as typhoid and hepatitis are a risk in Fiji. Speak to your doctor about vaccinations. › For the latest health and safety advice, check smartraveller.gov.au › Mosquito-borne illnesses, particularly dengue fever, are prevalent in Fiji. There's no vaccination against Do I need vaccinations to travel to Fiji? > Page 7 dengue fever. Pack repellent and try to minimise mozzie bites. Tip: have you registered your travel plans with Smartraveller and checked the latest safety advice on › Medical facilities in Fiji are generally not as well the region you're travelling to? equipped as in Australia, particularly on the outlying islands. Hospitals and health clinics may insist on payment of a deposit or proof of travel insurance before agreeing to treat foreigners. 4 BACK TO CONTENTS CHOICE TRAVEL DESTINATION GUIDE: FIJI Laws and watchouts Tip: No matter where you travel, you should carry all medications (even vitamins) in their original packaging, Laws along with their original prescription. It’s also a good › Fiji’s legal drinking age is 18. idea to carry a letter from your doctor explaining what the medications are (using generic names), what It is illegal to be under the influence of alcohol at › they’re for and dosage instructions. an airport or on a plane (so go easy on the Bloody Marys on your flight). Watchouts › Public nudity is illegal, including swimming/ › ‘Tourist information centres’ in Nadi are almost sunbaking topless. all run by commercial travel agents who will only advise you to take tours or stay in hotels that pay › Homosexuality is legal as of 2010 but is still not commissions. widely accepted culturally. › Some masks and tikis sold are unrelated to Fijian › Fiji has strict drug laws. Convictions can lead to culture and are produced only for tourists. If jail time and hefty fines. Possession of any amount you want to buy souvenirs, do your research on of marijuana carries a minimum three-month traditional artefacts first. sentence. › Beware of overly friendly people asking for your › If you are travelling with medications classed in name. They’ll quickly carve it into a wooden sword Fiji as controlled drugs e.g. pethidine, codeine, then try to sell it to you for an exorbitant price. morphine) you’ll need to apply in advance for approval from the Fijian Ministry of Health. › Think twice about buying sea shells – many are endangered and there’s very little chance you’ll be For road rules, see Driving in Fiji > Page 14. able to bring them back into Australia. 5 BACK TO CONTENTS CHOICE TRAVEL DESTINATION GUIDE: FIJI › Taxi drivers may tell you their meter is broken and try to negotiate a fare. Technically they’re not allowed to do this so if you don’t like to haggle, choose a different driver. › Petty theft is fairly common. Keep your belongings close, or use the safe at your hotel. Making a complaint › Fiji Visitors Bureau: 0800 721 721 (24-hour, toll-free If you fall victim to theft or any other crime, contact emergency line) the police (numbers below). If you have a dispute with a local business or service and you’re unable to Hospitals reach an agreement, you can direct your complaint Fiji’s health care facilities are not up to the standard of to the Consumer Council of Fiji and Tourism Fiji. The Australia’s and there are few private clinics. If you are Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association may also be able to very ill, you may need to travel to the private hospital help. in Suva or return to Australia. If your gripe is with an Australian or international Suva Private Hospital: tour operator, airline, or booking site, check online at 120 Amy Street, Toorak, Suva choice.com.au for the usual procedures for making a + 679 330 3404 complaint or seeking compensation.