Rick Garrett offers Tips to Planning your Fiji Holiday--Part 3

Planning a Fiji Honeymoon or simply a vacation? This is the third of a three part interview with travel pro Rick Garrett. In this column he compares Fiji to other tropical destinations.  He can be reached at:  rick.garrett@weddymoons.com

Q:  What about “all-inclusives”? Is this something I should consider?

A:  Let’s define the term. “All Inclusive” means the price you pay for the room that includes everything or most things—it usually means that for one price all your meals, drinks, and most activities are included. The All Inclusive concept started in Jamaica and is now common throughout the Caribbean and Mexico and is especially popular in the honeymoon market. This has gained some popularity in Fiji.

In Fiji, there are a few all-inclusive hotels, such as Namale and Tadrai, but they are very high end places, better than five star, just amazing. However there are a lot of more affordable “inclusive” hotels, where meals and most activities are included, but not alcoholic beverages. Note that in Fiji they don’t gouge you on drinks.  A Fiji Bitter beer typically costs around $4 Fijian (just over $2 USD) so even if your hotel is inclusive rather than all inclusive, you aren’t likely to run up a big bar bill. And one hotel that isn’t all inclusive, Qamea Beach Resort and Spa, is including free beer and wine from noon to 10pm daily this year. You can’t beat that.

Q:  What is there to do in Fiji? 

A: Just about all the hotels are on the beach so various water sports play prominently in your daily list of fun things to do, but in addition to that there is usually good hiking right from your hotel (Fiji is very safe) and should you visit an area called Pacific Harbour, there is also a zip line company as well as white water rafting and kayaking available.  And let’s not forget the shark dive available there. Two companies are operating from Pacific Harbour that will take you down with the big boys, free swimming Lemon, Bull and occasionally Tiger Sharks, and this is without cages, you are right there next to sharks up to 20 feet long!  (Thank goodness they prefer to eat fish rather than people). 

Q: How does Fiji compare to Tahiti?

A: Most couples who choose Fiji at some point also considered French Polynesia (aka Tahiti and her Islands). Why did they choose Fiji instead? 

Fiji has three main advantages: 

• First, there is no language barrier and service is better in Fiji. 

• Second, most American’s prefer the Pacific Rim cuisine in Fiji to the more French seafood oriented dining in Tahiti. 

• And third, Fiji is on average about 30-35% less expensive when all costs are figured in assuming similar packages.  That the snorkeling and diving is better as well is an added bonus.  (Tahiti doesn’t have the soft corals and the diverse flora that Fiji boasts.  In addition many of its reef suffer from bleaching).