๐งญ Fiji: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Fiji feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 52 written places.
Bula! shouted with full joy is the national anthem in one word; village protocol is real.
โ Considered polite
- Return every Bula with equal warmth - it is sincere
- Bring kava root as sevusevu gift when visiting villages - presented to the chief
- Dress modestly in villages - cover shoulders and knees, remove hats
- Join a kava ceremony - clap once, drink the bowl, clap three times
โ Better avoided
- Wear a hat or sunglasses in villages - the head is sacred
- Touch anyone's head
- Enter villages in beachwear
- Rush anything - Fiji time is unhurried and unbothered
๐ก Worth knowing
- Cards work at resorts; cash for villages and markets
- Tipping is not customary - communal staff funds exist at resorts instead
- Island transfers by boat and small plane need weather slack
- November to April is cyclone season - insurance and flexibility
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links - if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list the kind of gear we would pack ourselves.
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.