When I was living in New Zealand, I wanted to take advantage of traveling to places in that area of the world before I moved back to America. So when I discovered I had exactly 7 days off before I came back to the states, I immediately started planning a trip to Fiji.
I was a little nervous about going by myself, but traveling solo to Sydney and having the awesome guidance from STA gave me the confidence to do it again. I booked my entire trip through Fiji Awesome Adventures and it was one of the best, easiest ways I’ve ever planned a trip.
They offer every combination of things you could ever want; it’s like the ultimate trip-planning salad bar.
If you want to island hop with an entire itinerary including transportation, accommodation, food and activities covered, there’s an option for that. If you just want to stay on one island the whole time, there’s an option for that!
If you’d rather just buy a catamaran ticket (Bula Pass) that takes you to any island and hop around that way, deciding as you go, there’s even an option for that!
From budget to luxury stay, all-inclusive or the bare minimum, I love how flexible and customizable these trips are because it makes it SO easy to plan.
Other than buying my airline ticket, I paid on one fee and I didn’t have to take out my wallet once on the trip. All I had to do was hop on the plane and relax.
But the website can be a little overwhelming to understand, so hopefully this guide will help break it down so you can get right to planning your tropical getaway.
If you’re a college student, on a budget or just traveling solo, I would highly recommend booking a package through Awesome Adventures because their island hopping itineraries are a great way to sample a little of everything and see the best of Fiji.
All of Awesome Adventures voyages are through the Yasawa and Mamanuca Islands, which are on the north west side of the mainland Nadi, but you fly into the mainland before you start your journey.
source: fiji budget vacations
To get to and from the airport to your accommodation for the first and last night and also to the ferry terminal, I would book a Bula Fiji Welcome Pacakage and a Moce Fiji Departure Pack. Otherwise you you’ll have to get your own taxi and find somewhere to stay for the first and last part of your trip.
Once you arrive, you’ll need to stay on the mainland that night as the Yasawa Flyer (Island hopping catamaran) only leaves in the morning and again on the final night as the Flyer arrives back at Nadi in the evening.
Now it’s time to plan your island-hopping itinerary. Here are your options:
Multi Island Packages
Choose from:
Tropical Island Explorer: 12 days – 11 nights – 6 islands
Fiji Discovery: 9 days – 8 nights – 4 islands
Coconut Cruiser: 7 days – 6 nights – 4 islands
Island Time: 6 days – 5 nights – 3 islands
Two Island Time-Outs: 5 days – 4 nights – 2 islands
I did the Island Time package Full Monty (I’ll explain what Full Monty is below) and it was the perfect amount of time!
Bula Pass
If you’d rather just hop on the Yasawa Flyer and travel freestyle, the Bula Pass is a good option for you. This is basically a prepaid vessel transfer and you can choose which island you stay at as you go. Make sure check out the resorts though because bookings are subject to availability!
Bula Combo Pass
Similar to the Bula Pass except this includes accommodation.
How cute is this little Fijian boy that popped into our picture on the Yasawa Flyer?!
Fiji Island Escapes
Don’t want to hop? Browse through the 18 different resorts offered on the islands and choose the one that suits you best! You can stay on that island the whole time and relax away!
How many coconuts will that be?
There are 2 levels of accommodation offered; 1 coconut and 2 coconut. Basically the Fijian way of rating the resorts 3 star, 4 star, 5 star etc.
1 coconut – No frills plz:
Dorms and bures. If you need a hairdryer, hot water or air-conditioning these are not for you. But if you’re planning on spending most of your time at the beach and soaking in the beautiful islands, then this basic accommodation will be more than suitable. Bring your own towel, soap and other necessities. All the resorts are run by Yasawan Fijians who love hosting you and sharing their lives with you. It won’t take long to learn how much they enjoy welcoming you into their home and showing you about their way of life. Meals are included in the price.
2 Coconut – a few notches up:
These dorms and bures have a higher standard of accommodation and amenities than 1 coconut. Rooms have fans and there’s a little more diversity in meals.
Full Monty
There are two ways to book a package. The ‘standard’ package includes island accommodation, meals where listed and island vessel transfers.
When you book the Full Monty package, your trip will include the ‘standard’ package plus all the amazing activities included. That means snorkeling, cave diving, massages, Fijian cooking classes, island hikes and all other activities are available to you at no extra cost once you arrive. Each resort includes different activities so make sure to pay attention to what your full monty advantage would let you do based on where you’re staying!
Seaspray Day Sailing Adventure
This is an extra excursion you can tag on to the end of your trip to spend your last day sailing the big blue. The boat will take you to the island where they filmed “Castaway” for a quick snorkel and amazing BBQ lunch. Then you’ll enjoy a village tour and a traditional kava ceremony hosted by the local Fijians.
Kava is Fiji’s national drink and carries an important role in formal ceremonies. Made from the root of a kava plant, it has long been known to have medicinal qualities, but let’s just say, it’s an acquired taste.
Now that you’ve got the lo down of how to plan your trip, check out my post where I talk about the exact package I did and break down all the activities that came with the Full Monty experience.
No matter how you plan your trip, Awesome Adventures guarantees an amazing, stress-free voyage you will never forget. It’s hard not to fall in love with a country so peaceful, stunning and filled with people with the biggest hearts I’ve met.
Happy Traveling!
xx Nicole #DoStuff
[…] you will have that experience in REAL LIFE when you go to Fiji. If you read my last post about how to plan a trip with Fiji Awesome Adventures, this article is going to talk about the specific package I booked and what activities were […]