Tick It Before You Kick It

Is Fiji Worth the Monster Price Tag?

August 22, 2024 • Alexandra Lauren | The Bucket List Mermaid • Season 1 • Episode 11

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Check out the show notes for talked-about tours and to make your Fiji dream a reality 👉 learn more

Can you imagine a place where lush landscapes, pristine beaches, and vibrant traditions converge into an irresistible tropical paradise? 

🌺Fiji is that place, and in this episode, we journey through its stunning archipelago, uncovering the rich tapestry of its history, culture, and natural beauty. 

From the early settlers to the multicultural society that thrives today, Fiji's story is as captivating as its scenery. 

🎙️In this episode, I'll share personal anecdotes about the warm-hearted Fijian people and the luxurious yet adventurous experiences awaiting you in the Yasawa Islands, including an unforgettable tubing trip with a hilarious twist involving ear surgery and a trash bag.

Prepare to be enchanted by the cultural richness of Fiji, where fire twirling shows and Kava ceremonies offer immersive experiences that connect you with the local community. 

We'll guide you on the best times to plan your visit, discussing the benefits of both peak and off-peak seasons. 

Plus, we emphasize the crucial role of sustainable travel practices in preserving Fiji's natural beauty for future generations.

✈️Come with me to FIJI!

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Alexandra:

Archipelago. Whatever I'm done with that word, it's just the word I can never say. I want to say archipelago, and that's wrong, it's all wrong. Archipelago, that's not as fun. Okay, it's still fun.

Alexandra:

Hey there, adventurers, this is Alexandra, and welcome to another exciting episode of Take it Before you Kick it, the podcast that takes you to some of the most fascinating bucket list destinations around the globe. And we are gonna do just that and go to these stunning wonders of the tiny islands of Fiji. It has pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters and lush landscapes, as well as vibrant traditions. It is more than just a vacation spot. It is a destination that should be on everyone's bucket list. So in this episode we will talk all about Fiji the cultures, the beaches, the things to do and if it's worth the price tag. So sit back, relax and let's transport together to the stunning islands of Fiji. So just a brief history and background of Fiji. Fiji is an archipelago which I'm going to be honest I just learned how to correctly say that word about two minutes ago in the South Pacific, so it is kind of near New Zealand and Australia, and this is actually when I went to Fiji, because I zigzagged New Zealand, went to Fiji and then did the eastern coast of Australia. The earliest settlers, which was the Lopata people, arrived around 3500 years ago and then the European exploration began in the late 18th century, with the British colonization following in the 19th century. Fiji ended up gaining independence around 1970, and has since evolved into a multicultural society Throughout its history. Fiji ended up gaining independence around 1970 and has since evolved into a multicultural society Throughout its history.

Alexandra:

Fiji is known for its strong traditions, its communal way of life and its stunning natural beauty. This is a Polynesian icon and this makes it a very popular travel destination. It has stunning landscapes, welcoming culture and an abundance of activities, especially outdoor, adventurous activities, that you can go to. Abundance of activities, especially outdoor, adventurous activities that you can go to. They are known primarily for their pristine, white, powdery, sugared beaches, which I can definitely confirm this. I actually said once I got to Fiji there was like muddy water, like we get here in the mountains of Colorado, and there was like blue water that you get in some lakes and there was like really blue water. There was crystal clear blue water. Then there was like blue aqua water and then there was Fiji water. I have never seen water like this. Seriously, it is deep, deep blue. Sometimes you get that little teal blue in beaches, but this was deep blue in the actual open water. It was stunning. Also, they have some vibrant coral reefs that surround the island and offer some of the best snorkeling and diving experiences in the world.

Alexandra:

Another thing that I have to mention the Fijians are probably the most cheerful and hospitable almost playful, I would say people that I have ever met on my travels. Obviously, I've met amazing people everywhere, but Fiji was something else. They were like children in the best way possible. They were just so full of life and just all over and just everywhere you go, bula, bula, bula. I will never forget how welcoming and warm these people are. Love them. It was great. They just make their visitors feel like this is your island, home. It's just a blend of cultural festivities, traditional dancing, delicious local cuisine and you're just so immersed in Fiji. Now they do have some budget-friendly options, but most of the things are going to be pretty luxurious, I am not gonna lie. So, whether you're seeking adventure, cultural immersion or simply just a serene getaway, fiji's unique charm, it's just irresistible.

Alexandra:

So I, as I said, ended up going to Fiji, and just a little bit about what I did. This is a very luxurious destination and I was a broke, adventuring, backpacking college student, so I ended up doing the cheapest tour I could possibly find around this little group of islands called the Yasawa Islands and I went to the mainland and immediately just stayed in this gorgeous resort. Now, we were traveling with a group it was pretty young people and we shared most of the accommodations. The mainland, the place where we stayed, was so cool and I remember it because they would do these night dives and there was this swing that was in between two palm trees and I would just gently rock on this swing and just watch the night divers go down and all their lights underneath the water. It was I don't know why that was so fun for me, but we just played games, we did a yoga class, we went to another island that was a little bit off of the mainland and just enjoyed this magical tropical atmosphere.

Alexandra:

Now I'm going to be honest at this point. I think that I preferred Bali, just speak, and I still love Bali with all of my heart. So I was. I was a little bit not sold on Fiji yet. I was like, oh, it's fine, but it kind of just feels like Bali, you know. So it's still beautiful. I went on a couple hikes. I was like, oh, it's fine, but it kind of just feels like Bali, you know. So it's still beautiful.

Alexandra:

I went on a couple hikes while I was in the mainland and then we went out to the Yasawa Islands and we took this ferry and it was so interesting. It was like a bus stop, but for each resort. So what I learned is that there are several resorts, like the octopus resort and the Blue Lagoon resort and the turtle resort, and these are luxurious resorts that primarily take up the entire island. So whenever you would hear your resort being called, they would send a little ship that would come up to the ferry. Then you put all your stuff into the little ship and then you would literally go to this deserted island with a luxurious beach resort on it. Are you drooling? Like I'm drooling just thinking about it. And that ride out was so magnificent.

Alexandra:

It was great to see all of what Fiji had to offer and, as I said, I was on a little bit of a cheaper tour, so we stayed in the shared version of these accommodations, but we actually resort hopped a little bit and I'm so glad that I did it this way. I didn't know that I should have done it this way, but it was just a happy accident, and each resort we stayed at again it was kind of like a communal camp style, like we were just all in the same room, which, honestly, I didn't mind. But each one of these resorts was pristine. I don't think I ate a meal that wasn't on the beach, and I couldn't put my toes in the sand while I was eating the food, like the entire time I was there. I got severely spoiled. I'll never be able to eat dinner the same way again. So Fiji has, in a way, ruined me, and there were so many things that I did on these islands that you can basically go anywhere in Fiji, but keep in mind that I was in the Yasawa Islands. I do have an entire article, as always, for you, and I have nine unmissable things to do in the Yasawa Islands, fiji, for your bucket list, where I go into nine things to do. So let's just go over it slightly, but if you want the written version, definitely make sure to go over to the website and check it out.

Alexandra:

So the first thing that we did, we went to these caves, and the biggest one that we went to was the sawai Lao cave, and this is a limestone formation cave with crystal clear turquoise water and you actually swim in it, and I am a sucker for swimming in caves. I love exploring caves, but extra bonus points if I can swim in it, and I am a sucker for swimming in caves. I love exploring caves, but extra bonus points if I can swim in it. And there was actually an upper cave and a lower cave. In the lower cave you kind of had to swim underneath of the water through the cave to get to it. It was not as scary as it sounded and it was breathtaking. It was so cool in there. It was just surreal and fun fact. This specific cave, the Sawai Ilao cave, is the said to be the final resting place for the 10-headed Fijian god Uludini.

Alexandra:

Another thing that is super popular all over Fiji, but especially in this area, is swimming with manta rays. I didn't get to go this time. I did do it in the Komodo Islands, but I bet this would be magical. So if anyone has done this or wants to do this, please let me know. I also went hiking. I actually took several hikes while I was there, just around all of the resorts. We did a couple sunrise ones, we did a couple ones through the vibrant forests. Again, on that article, I do have a list of some of the more popular routes that you could take if you are into tropical hiking. For me, I love hiking. However, tropical hiking is a little bit hard for me, just because I don't do that well in the heat, but I still had a great time. It was wonderful.

Alexandra:

And next, another thing that we did is we actually went to a local village, which this, I'm gonna be honest, was one of the coolest things I did while I was there. We took this boat ride again, just through these stunning turquoise waters, and we got to meet with some of the people. They showed us how they make coconut milk and we got to drink some of the coconut water as well as the milk and some of the coconut. It was so good. I don't know. Just, my mouth is watering, I just want a fresh coconut. Yeah, it was so nice. And then we got to go into the village. We saw their church, we saw their houses, we saw their school and it was just such an amazing opportunity to really immerse yourself in this Fijian culture and, as I said before, these people are amazing. These people are so warm, so friendly and you could just tell they wanted you to be there. Like sometimes I've gone on these little immersion trips and it kind of feels like a tourist thing to do, like they see like seven groups of the same people, but this they were truly interested in what we had to say and who we were, and I was truly interested in their lives and I was just so grateful to them for opening their home to us. It was wonderful.

Alexandra:

Another thing culturally that you can do, which I guarantee you're going to do, is drinking kava. Now, please note that this is a depressant, so do not combine with anything else and just please be careful. Personally, I didn't feel any effects of the kava. It was more of a social thing to do. But basically we would all sit in the circle, either in one of their traditional huts or on the beaches, and we would each take this kava, which just tasted like earth, and we would drink it and then we'd all go. It was just so fun. I don't know if they do that. No, that COVID is a thing, because we would all share a glass. Oh well, pre-covid times were great, weren't they. You could just sit in a circle and share a drink. It was great. And then this is normally followed by singing, dancing some entertainment.

Alexandra:

Another thing that's great to do is learning some of the phrases. You will hear bula everywhere, like people will just come up to you and be like bula. It actually translates into life or good health, but it's used as a greeting or just everything. They say bula for everything and since these people are so nice, they will teach you all the Fijian words that you will want to know and they will have the patience until you learn them. Or another thing go to a lovo feast. Oh my gosh, my stomach was not even ready for this. But basically what they do, it's similar to kind of like a luau in Hawaii, but they will dig a pit into the ground with hot coals and then everything from vegetables, meat or other Fiji goodies, sometimes in banana leaves, and then they'll put them underneath the ground and then cover them with soil, banana leaves or potato sack and just leave it for hours and the meat is so tender and it's just cooked to perfection. It just melts off of your mouth and you're eating all of this and you're looking out and there's just this gorgeous blue water and a Fijian sunset. What more can you ask for, really? Luckily, they do these in pretty much every single resort that we went to. We only got to do one of them. However, I noticed that they were offered at pretty much every single one, so if you are interested in doing this, you could just go to whatever resort you're staying in Now.

Alexandra:

Also, we need to talk about the snorkeling and the scuba diving. For those of you who don't know, I'm a traveling mermaid. Quite literally, you can go to my website, thebuckalessmermaidcom, and literally see the pictures. I have a tail and everything, so I have to love scuba diving. My parents even got married underwater and unfortunately, there's coral bleaching in a lot of the sites that I've been in. Re are dying and it's breaking my heart, but Fiji, for some reason, was like some of the best underwater ecosystems I've seen in the world. I have heard good things about Palau and the Philippines, just on a side note.

Alexandra:

However, me personally, fiji was it, and unfortunately they know it too, because they will charge you up the wazoo for a diving trip here. However, some of the resorts that I went to just provided you with free snorkel gear and you could just go take it out and just walk off the beach. And when I first did it, they were like, oh yeah, here it is. I was like, do I need to take a boat? And they said, no, just walk off the beach. And I just let out this exasperated sigh because I was like, no, please, it can't be that good. It was that good, it's just straight off the beach. I was floored. So you never know, and, as you might have come to the conclusion, the beaches are pristine here. So if you do want a full list of all the best beaches, specifically in the Asawa Islands, where I was, there's so many beaches all around Fiji. Literally just throw a rock and you'll land on a tropical paradise here. But if you want a good list in the Asawa Islands, that is also on that article.

Alexandra:

Another story of something that I did in Fiji, which this is so funny but I went sunset tubing with champagne. This is so niche. And when they told me about it, they're like, yeah, you want to go on a sunset tubing cruise with champagne. I just thought, yeah, sure, I'll go on that. But here's the thing A couple months previously to this, I had ear surgery on the outer ear in Vietnam.

Alexandra:

I'm going to do another episode on it. It's going to be a hard one to do. It's probably my craziest travel story, but anyway, I could not get my ear wet for three months. I definitely broke this rule, but in this case I just said, okay, I'm, I'm gonna, I'm gonna try it. So there's this picture of me, which I will link in the show notes, of me in a tube in Fiji it was kind of raining, drinking champagne with, like this plastic bag over my head, you know. And it just makes me think of all these like travel influencers who have these like stunning travel photography, and I aspire to be like that.

Alexandra:

But as hard as I try, I'm always going to have the picture of me in a bright yellow life jacket, tubing at sunset in Fiji with a trash bag over my head. You know, that's real life people, that's real travel, that's adventure. And lastly, if you do think of the Polynesian culture, they do have those iconic fire twirling shows. These are at almost every single resort, so they can organize this for you if you would like to see it. So, as you can see, there are so many things that you can do in Fiji and all of them are just the ideal vacation. I do mean vacation. It's beautiful, but also take it before you kick it. We're not a vacation podcast, we're a traveling podcast, so we gotta talk about some adventurous things and there's just so much rich culture here. So please, please, I would definitely encourage you to really get to know Fiji people instead of just like always relaxing on a beach, you know.

Alexandra:

So what time should you visit Fiji? I personally went in September. There were a few rainstorms here and there. If you do go to those show notes and check out that infamous picture of me tubing in the trash bag, that was during kind of like a rainy day, so it's not super vibrant, so you will get a little bit of that. That was actually at the end of the peak season.

Alexandra:

The peak travel season runs from June to September and this coincides with Fiji's winter. So during this time it's dry, the temperatures are comfortable, it's normally around 79 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about 26 to 30 degrees Celsius, making it just ideal for all of the outdoor activities that you can go do in Fiji. Alternatively, if you do go in the off-peak season in like November to April-ish, this is characterized by a warmer, more wet climate and occasional tropical rain showers, but this is kind of nice because you won't get as many tourists and often you'll get better deals on accommodation and activities, which, I'm gonna be honest, fiji is not the cheapest place to travel to, so you might want to. However, despite the rain, there are still sunny days in the summer and if you do go during that time, the scenery is going to just be lush and vibrant due to all that rain. So, basically, whatever time you choose to visit Fiji, its natural beauty and welcoming culture just is going to give you an unforgettable experience, no matter what you do.

Alexandra:

I have heard all this thing like what do you pack? What do you? What should I bring? Honestly, I hit this on my huge backpacking trip, so I was living out of a backpack which I named Reggie, so Reggie was my backpack and I did not have all the cute tropical outfits, but I wish I did. So. If you are going to Fiji, I would definitely bring those really cute tropical sundresses and but definitely leave room for your hiking boots and a hat and some sunglasses, cause I did get burned a few times, but, as you know, I'm extremely pale, so that happens to me like every Tuesday. It's fine.

Alexandra:

Now I do have to say just a little bit about traveling sustainably, because I think it is extremely important here, especially because it is a very nice, lush, tropical destination and you know, when you're vacationing like that it can. You can have a tendency to get a little lazy when it comes to sustainable travel, but this is a beautiful area and we need to keep it beautiful for both future generations and the lovely Fijians who live there. So just respect local culture. Dress modestly when visiting the villages and participating in local customs, like the Kava ceremony. Always ask permission before taking pictures of people and reduce plastic use. The diving is pristine and the snorkeling is pristine, and if I see one plastic bottle or anything in that water, my mermaid tail is going to come after these people, so don't do it. You can also like support local businesses. You know, really just support the economy there.

Alexandra:

I would also be mindful of the wildlife. I did notice that there were some activities that might exploit animals, such as like dolphin shows or things like that. So just be careful to always choose eco-friendly tours that emphasize wildlife conservation and also respect natural habitats. You can also conserve water and energy. This is a tiny, tiny archipelago. Whatever I'm done with that word. It's just the word I can never say. I want to say archipelago, and that's wrong, it's all wrong. Archipelago, that's not as fun Okay, it's still fun. Resources might be a little more scarce here, so just be aware of that and, as always, please just leave no trace Whenever you go to the beach. Just take it all back with you and just try to make it as pristine as you can as you first arrive. So, overall, is it worth the price tag? Honestly, yeah, I think it is, although I will say that I do think there are other places in the world that do offer similar experiences.

Alexandra:

I personally love Polynesian culture and I love beaches and I love pristine tropical nature environments, so Fiji was probably one of my favorite places I've traveled to. I have seen the same environments, other places like, for example, I just got back from Bermuda and that was pretty cheap to go to and even had a pink sand beach there. But I honestly think what makes Fiji stand out to me personally would be the culture. I really, really enjoyed getting to know the people there and I really enjoyed getting to know their customs. I literally have a sign in my kitchen of my RV that I bought in Fiji and it says we're on Fiji time, no hurry, no worry, because they said that to me like every five minutes. They're like no hurry, no worry. So they just have the coolest philosophies. They're on island time, they're chilled back, they're relaxed, they're friendly and I just loved getting to know their cultures and traditions. So I think that's what makes Fiji stand out.

Alexandra:

You can find pristine beaches pretty much in all different parts of the world, but Fiji culture is just fun, and I think another thing that made it stand out was just the fact that it was very deserted. I think this would change a little bit if you were on the mainland or in some other places, but where I was, it felt like we were just island hopping in the middle of nowhere. It was kind of the same as the Komodo Islands in Indonesia. It just felt like we were in the middle of nowhere, but then, unlike the Komodo Islands, there were just these luxurious resorts everywhere. So it was like being in a deserted island, like having the luxury of not. It was a very nice feeling. So I definitely would recommend Fiji.

Alexandra:

You might pay a little bit extra getting there, but if you're in the area already, you know, take a tour, take one where you share rooms. It doesn't matter where you sleep, it just matters what you do during the day and where there's a will, there's a way. If you want to go to Fiji, go to Fiji, live your best mermaid self. Then you'll just dream of that lobo feast for the rest of your life. But what about you guys? Share with me your thoughts. What do you think of Fiji? Would you go to Fiji? Would you go somewhere else?

Alexandra:

As always, you can contact me at the Bucket List Mermaid on pretty much all social medias or you can visit my website, thebucketlistmermaidcom. I will be linking the show notes and in the show notes I will link that Yosawa Island's bucket list and as well as any resources that I have talked about on the show, so that you can be more prepared to check this off of your bucket list, and I would love to hear your travel stories. I would love to hear your thoughts on this and I just thank you for tuning into today's episode of All of the Things with Fiji. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe and please, please, maybe consider leaving a review. Don't forget to subscribe and please, please, maybe consider leaving a review. Stay connected with us on social media and share your own travel stories. We'd love to hear from you, so join us as the next time as we explore other bucket list destinations. Safe travels and happy adventuring.