Discover Fiji Islands

Fiji is an Oceanian archipelago of volcanic islands in the South Pacific, about 1,770 kilometres north of New Zealand and 4,450 kilometres south-west of Honolulu. It is made up of 332 islands and 522 smaller islets, of which about 106 are permanently inhabited, with a total land area of 18,272 square kilometres — and an exclusive economic zone of 1,282,978 square kilometres, the 26th largest in the world. Fiji is mostly sea.

Two islands hold nearly everything. Viti Levu covers about 57 per cent of the land, holds some 69 per cent of the population, and carries both official cities — the capital Suva and Lautoka — along with Nadi, where the international airport is. Vanua Levu, 64 kilometres to the north-east, is just over 30 per cent of the land with far fewer people. The remaining islands and groups are 12.5 per cent of the land and about 16 per cent of the population: Taveuni and Kadavu, third and fourth largest; the Mamanuca group off Nadi and the Yasawa group north of them, which is where most of the island-hopping happens; and the Lomaiviti group off Suva, with Levuka, the former capital.

Both main islands are mountainous, with peaks rising abruptly from the shore to 1,300 metres under tropical forest. The wet side and the dry side are the key to planning a trip: heavy rain, up to 304 centimetres a year, falls on the windward south-eastern side and keeps it in dense rainforest, while the western lowlands sit in the rain shadow with a well-marked dry season. That is why the resorts cluster in the west. More than half the population lives on the coasts, and the interior is sparsely populated because the terrain is rough.

People have lived here since the second millennium BC — Austronesians first, then Melanesians, with some Polynesian influence. Europeans arrived in the seventeenth century. Fiji was briefly an independent kingdom before Britain established the Colony of Fiji in 1874, and from 1879 the colonial government imported indentured labourers from India for the sugarcane fields: some 61,000 before the scheme ended in 1916, which is why Fiji today has two large communities rather than one. Independence came on 10 October 1970. Democratic rule was then interrupted by coups in 1987, 2000 and 2006, all turning on the balance between the indigenous Fijian and Indo-Fijian communities.

Two outliers sit well beyond the main group and are worth knowing about, because they are commonly mistaken for neighbours: Rotuma, 400 kilometres north, culturally conservative, about 2,000 people, geographically Polynesian and holding relative autonomy as a Fijian dependency; and Ceva-i-Ra or Conway Reef, an uninhabited coral atoll 450 kilometres to the south-west.

One practical fact before anything else. Health care is severely limited, and an ambulance in Fiji provides transport but not treatment; for a serious injury the advice is to take a taxi or a private car to hospital rather than wait. Insurance covering medical evacuation is essential, especially if you plan to dive.

What are the emergency numbers?

911 for emergency assistance, and 917 for emergency police services.

Should I call an ambulance?

For anything serious, probably not. Ambulances only provide transportation, not care, services are very limited and slow, and the official advice is to take a taxi or private vehicle to hospital instead of waiting.

Will I have to pay for treatment up front?

Usually yes — clinics and hospitals normally require payment in advance, and facilities often lack supplies, drugs and equipment. Evacuation to Australia or New Zealand is the fallback and is expensive, so insurance covering it is essential.

Which taxis are safe?

Only officially marked ones with yellow licence plates, booked through a hotel where possible. Many are in poor condition and may have no seatbelts, and some take cash only.

Can I sunbathe topless?

No. Topless bathing and nudity in public are illegal, and in rural villages and at kava ceremonies you should cover your shoulders and knees.

Is kava safe to drink?

It is traditional and you will be offered it. Be aware of the potential risk of liver toxicity, a long session is more sedating than visitors expect, and driving afterwards is an offence — Fiji has a zero-tolerance policy on drinking and driving.

When is cyclone season?

November to April across the Pacific Islands region, though cyclones may occur at other times.

Where is it safe to swim?

Where there are lifeguards and flags, and follow the flag warnings. There are dangerous rip tides along the reefs and river estuaries, so do not rely on your own read of the water.