From the outside, Fiji looks incredibly easy to plan. You find a beautiful resort, book a flight, pack a swimsuit, and you’re done, right? Honestly, that’s the version of Fiji I spend a lot of my time untangling. I’ve been to Fiji myself and I’m a certified Fiji Specialist, and the thing I appreciate most about this destination is how different one Fiji trip can look from another. There are more than 300 islands, with resorts ranging from bigger, busier properties to tiny private-island escapes, and the easy-looking parts are usually where the trip gets decided. Here’s what I wish more travelers knew before they started planning.
The island you pick changes everything
When someone tells me they want to go to Fiji, one of my first questions is what they want the trip to feel like. Do you want to disappear onto a tiny island with very few other guests, or do you want lots of activities close by? Is great snorkeling right outside your door a priority? Is this an adults-only, romantic trip, or are the kids coming? The Mamanucas, the Yasawas, the Coral Coast on Viti Levu, and Fiji’s more remote islands all give you a very different trip, so choosing the right location matters just as much as choosing the right resort.
Landing in Fiji isn’t the same as arriving at your resort
This one catches people off guard. Depending on where you’re staying, your journey might keep going after you land in Nadi by boat, helicopter, seaplane, or another short flight. Some of those transfers end up being a highlight of the whole arrival, and gliding up to a remote resort by boat is pretty hard to beat. But it also means your international flights, arrival time, transfers, and resort stay have to work together. Fiji is one destination where I really don’t recommend booking each piece on its own and hoping it all lines up.
The prettiest room on Instagram might be the wrong resort for you
I love a gorgeous villa as much as anyone, but Fiji is a perfect example of why the most beautiful room online isn’t automatically the right fit. Some resorts are incredibly secluded and some are more social. Some are built around diving and snorkeling, and others are all about privacy, wellness, or cultural experiences. Even 2 resorts at the same luxury level can give you completely different vacations. Pretty pictures tell a story that may not be accurate, so the question I’m always asking is which resort is the best for you, and that answer changes from couple to couple.
You could absolutely book Fiji yourself
And you could! You could ABSOLUTELY book Fiji online. But here’s where I come in. I know that if your international flight is delayed, your transfer company needs to be alerted, and you can’t do that while you’re in the air. I know what kind of travel protection you should have for a trip this far from home (hint: it’s not the one that comes with your credit card). I know which hotels I would never put you at, and I have relationships with the hoteliers at the ones I would. Being a Virtuoso agency also means my clients get VIP treatment at partner properties because of who we are. I’m your advocate, and most of what I do is take care of the little details you wouldn’t even know to look for, so the problems never reach you.
Fiji is the people as much as the beach
Yes, the water really can be that blue, the beaches are beautiful, and you should absolutely spend some time doing nothing next to the ocean. But what makes Fiji feel different from other tropical destinations is the people. Fijian hospitality is hard to explain until you’ve felt it yourself. Take the time to learn about the culture, visit a local village when it’s offered appropriately, join a kava ceremony, or just talk with the people you meet. You picked Fiji for more than a beautiful resort, so let the destination itself be part of the trip.
The best Fiji trip is designed around you
There’s no single “correct” way to do Fiji, and that’s exactly why I love planning it. You can spend your honeymoon on a private island where you barely see another guest. You can pair 2 completely different resorts and build the trip from the bottom to the top, so the second one tops the first. You can plan everything around diving, around food, or around absolutely nothing besides a good book and the ocean in front of you. Whatever it is, I want to know what you want the trip to feel like before we ever decide where you’re staying.
If Fiji has been on your list and you’re not sure where to start, that’s where I come in. Book a complimentary consultation with me! We’ll get to know each other, I’ll walk you through how Susan’s Travel Services works (including what being a Virtuoso agency means for you), and we’ll talk about next steps.