Finding a Cheaper Way Around Fiji

If Fiji is a stopover on your route to the South Pacific, you can now ease your entry by prearranging budget accommodations, including airport transportation, via the Internet or by fax.

The tip for this new deal comes from David Stanley, author of the “Fiji Islands Handbook” by Moon Publications. “It’s a good way for travelers to have a soft landing in Fiji and a chance to get over jet lag,” says Stanley about the “Bula Fiji Starter Packs” program being offered by the Tubakula Beach Resort. Details about the packages and four other budget accommodations on Viti Levu (the island where international flights arrive) are posted on the Internet at https://www.fiji4less.com.

The “Bula Fiji Starter Packs” include transportation for the one-hour trip from Nadi Airport to Tubakula Beach Resort plus two nights’ accommodations and your choice of a supply of breakfast and snack foods or a Fiji guidebook. Currency can be exchanged at the resort at bank rates, and free baggage storage is available if you want to take some time to explore other areas of the country. The package prices vary depending on the style of accommodations you choose. For budget travelers, a two-night stay in a dormitory bed is about $35. Sharing a twin room is $40, or you can book a single room for $50. There are shared bathroom and kitchen facilities.

In Fiji, dormitory accommodations are often situated in several rooms of a more upscale resort. The Tubakula Beach Resort also offers ocean-view bungalows and features a sandy white beach and swimming pool. In this Coral Coast region you can surf, snorkel, mountain bike, dive or take in cultural activities, from visiting local produce markets to a Fijian feast or fire walking demonstration.

The packages can be booked over the Internet or by contacting Tubakula Beach Resort at P.O. Box 2, Sigatoka, Fiji Islands, e-mail fiji4less@is.com.fj, fax 011-679- 340-236.

Armed with a detailed guidebook, budget travelers will find lots to explore in this 322-island nation where one of the earliest visitors, Capt. William Bligh, was once chased by fierce cannibals. From Stanley’s research for the next edition of the Fiji Islands Handbook (due out in the spring of 1999), he offers the suggestion that the Yasawa Islands (which start about 20 miles off the west coast of Viti Levu) are another area easily accessible to anyone on even a one-week stopover in Fiji. They were featured in both the 1949 and 1980 versions of the film “The Blue Lagoon.”

Wayasewa Island (a 90-minute boat ride from Lautoka) has one of the largest backpackers’ camps in Fiji plus facilities such as the Dive Trek Nature Lodge (P.O. Box 6353, Lautoka; telephone 011-679-669-715). Situated on two terraces above a beach, it features dormitory beds in bures (traditional huts), double rooms and a restaurant/bar. Hiking and diving are the two main activities; there’s also beach volleyball, fishing trips, visits to neighboring villages for lava ceremonies and musical entertainment nightly. The $20 one-way boat fare includes bus transfers from Nadi Hotels. There’s a three-night minimum stay.

Stanley also calls Octopus, on the island of Waya, “one of the nicest backpacker resorts in the South Pacific” and warns that reservations are essential. He suggests booking by fax (011-679- 666-210) because the phone doesn’t always work. Octopus, which is on a white sand beach in Likulikyu Bay on northwestern Waya, has a quiet, secluded location with some of Fiji’s finest snorkeling right offshore. Beds in bures are $15 per person in a four-person dorm, or you can pay $10.50 per person to stay in a tent. Lunch and dinner are included in the rates, and there’s a large restaurant/bar. It’s also a $20 boat ride from Lautoka.

Another source for Fiji tips is from travel writer Rob Kay, who was the original author of the Lonely Planet “Fiji: Travel Survival Kit.” He has posted some helpful information on the Internet at: https://www.aloha.com. For more detailed assistance he charges a $25 fee.

The New Zealand youth hostel association (YHANZ) also can help you find budget accommodations on the island of Viti Levu. There are no official youth hostels in Fiji, but YHANZ inspects resorts that also offer dormitories on behalf of Hostelling International and publishes details on their recommendations in the annual handbook, which is available at hostels in New Zealand (Internet https:// www.yha.org.nz).

In addition to the Tubakula Beach Resort, YHANZ currently recommends: the Saweni Beach Apartment Hotel, P.O. Box 239, Lautoka, Fiji. Club Fiji Resort at Nadi Bay, P.O. Box 9619, Nadi Airport; tel. 011-679-700-622, fax 011-679-702-324. The Cathay Hotel, at Tavewa Avenue, P.O. Box 239, Lautoka; tel. 011-679-660-566, fax 011-679-660-136. The Travel Inn at 19 Gorrie St., P.O. Box 2086, Government Buildings, Suva; tel. 011-679-304-254, fax 011-679-340-236. The South Seas Private Hotel, 6 Williamson Road, P.O. Box 2086, Government Buildings, Suva; tel. 011-679-312-296, fax 011-679-340-236.

For more information on Fiji, contact the Fiji Visitors Bureau, Suite 220, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045; tel. (310) 568-1616 or (800) 932-3454.

Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. She can be reached at https://www.izon.com.