Things to do in Fiji

25 things to do in Fiji

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Scuba dive the Great Astrolabe Reef

  Plunge into crystal-clear waters around Kadavu to explore one of the world's largest barrier reefs, where kaleidoscopic soft corals and pelagic fish swarm over dramatic drop-offs.

  Kadavu Island

• Snorkel with manta rays at the Yasawa Island channel

  Float in the warm, plankton-rich channel off Drawaqa Island as majestic manta rays unfurl their fins below you, a massive and graceful underwater ballet.

  Drawaqa Island, Yasawa Group

• Visit the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple in Nadi

  Step into a riot of colour at this ornate Hindu temple, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, where hand-carved wooden deities and brilliant frescoes recount tales of gods.

  Nadi

• Discover Fijian heritage at the Fiji Museum in Suva

  Wander galleries filled with ancient drua canoe fragments, war clubs, and poignant relics from Fiji's cannibal past inside this compact but rich museum in Thurston Gardens.

  Suva

• Take a day trip to the Mamanuca Islands by boat

  Sail from Port Denarau across sparkling turquoise lagoons to postcard-perfect motu islands with blinding white sandbars and coral reefs that beg for an afternoon of snorkelling.

  Malolo Lailai, Mamanuca Islands

• Walk the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park

  Trek over towering wind-sculpted dunes that conceal 2,000-year-old Lapita pottery shards and burial sites, ending at a wild, driftwood-strewn shore pounded by Pacific surf.

  Sigatoka

• Swim into the Sawa-i-Lau Caves in the Yasawas

  Duck through a hidden underwater entrance into a limestone cathedral lit by shafts of sunlight, where a second chamber opens to a secret open-air pool surrounded by sheer rock walls.

  Sawa-i-Lau Island, Yasawa Group

• Feast at a traditional lovo and Meke show in Pacific Harbour

  Watch earth-oven-cooked pork and root vegetables emerge steaming from the ground, then sit back as firedancers and warriors tell ancestral stories through rhythmic chanting and stomping.

  Arts Village, Pacific Harbour

• Explore Levuka Historical Port Town on Ovalau

  Stroll the palm-lined seafront of Fiji's first capital, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where weatherboard colonial buildings, stone churches and old kava saloons cling to a cliff-hugging bay.

  Levuka, Ovalau

• Tackle the Upper Navua River on a whitewater rafting expedition

  Paddle through a narrow, jungle-canopied gorge lined with volcanic walls and thundering waterfalls, riding Class III rapids on a remote river deep in Viti Levu's interior.

  Namosi Highlands, Viti Levu

• Swim in the emerald pools of Colo-i-Suva Forest Reserve

  Walk mossy trails through a misty lowland rainforest just outside Suva to reach a chain of clear, pool-filled creeks where you can jump from rope swings into cool, tannin-stained water.

  Colo-i-Suva, Suva

• Stroll through the Garden of the Sleeping Giant

  Wander under a stiletto-heel of volcanic rock among over 2,000 varieties of orchids and exotic gingers, originally planted by actor Raymond Burr in this lush foothill sanctuary.

  Nausori Highlands, near Nadi

• Shop for fresh produce and indigenous handicrafts at Suva Municipal Market

  Dodge between hessian sacks of taro and piles of tropical fruit in this clamorous covered market, then head upstairs for vibrant masi cloth and woven voivoi mats sold by village women.

  Suva

• Savour a lovo dinner under the stars at Koro Sun Resort

  Sit on the edge of a mangrove-fringed lagoon in Savusavu as banana-leaf-wrapped parcels of fish, chicken and dalo are unearthed from a traditional earth oven for a fragrant feast.

  Savusavu, Vanua Levu

• Surf the legendary Cloudbreak wave off Tavarua

  Charge down the face of one of the world’s most powerful left-handed reef breaks, a heaving slab that transforms from a glassy wall into a barrelling beast over shallow coral.

  Tavarua Island, Mamanuca Group

• Sail a traditional Fijian drua canoe at Musket Cove Resort

  Help hoist the pandanus-mat sails of a restored double-hulled drua and skim across Malolo Lailai’s lagoon, learning how ancient wayfinders read ocean swells and wind patterns.

  Malolo Lailai Island, Mamanuca Group

• Walk through WWII history at Momi Bay Battery

  Climb the hill above Nadi Bay to explore a restored gun battery built in 1941, where concrete bunkers, ammunition magazines and 6-inch naval guns still face the horizon.

  Momi Bay, Viti Levu

• Watch spinner dolphins and pilot whales in Bligh Water

  Cruise out from Nananu-i-Ra at dawn into the deep blue stretch between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, where pods of acrobatic spinner dolphins and occasional pilot whales breach nearby.

  Nananu-i-Ra, north of Viti Levu

• Explore the Handicraft Markets of Nadi for authentic souvenirs

  Bargain for carved kava bowls, cannibal forks and bright sulu wraps along the bustling arcades near the main bus station, breathing in the scent of coconut oil and incense.

  Nadi Town

• Dance the night away on Suva’s Victoria Parade

  Sample Suva’s compact after-dark scene by joining locals at buzzing bars and clubs along the main waterfront strip, where Pacific beats and cold Fiji Bitter flow until late.

  Victoria Parade, Suva

• Soar over the Mamanuca Islands on a scenic seaplane flight

  Lift off from Nadi’s turquoise harbour and skim above patchwork coral gardens and sand-scribbled atolls, catching a pilot’s-eye view of the same jewel-like isles Hollywood films over.

  Nadi International Airport / Port Denarau

• Snorkel the vibrant coral gardens of Beqa Lagoon

  Gently fin over shallow bommie fields and sea-grass meadows inside the extinct volcanic crater of Beqa, encountering blue sea stars and colourful clownfish in bath-warm water.

  Beqa Island, south of Viti Levu

• Hike to Wainibau Falls in Koroyanitu National Heritage Park

  Trek through grasslands and native forest in the Ba Highlands to a 20-metre waterfall spilling into a deep, chilly plunge pool – perfect for a reviving swim after the climb.

  Lautoka / Ba Highlands, Viti Levu

• Participate in a kava ceremony at Navala Village

  Sit cross-legged inside a traditional bure with a thatched roof in the country’s last fully thatched village, as a communal bowl of grog is mixed and offered with quiet ritual.

  Navala, Ba Highlands, Viti Levu

• Dive the wreck of the SV Second Wind near Savusavu

  Descend 20 metres onto the encrusted hull of a scuttled island trader, now a thriving artificial reef where lionfish, eels and batfish peer out from its wheelhouse and corridors.

  Savusavu Bay, Vanua Levu