Australia's closest overseas beach holiday — four to six hours from the east coast, and among the easiest family travel anywhere.
Before you go
When to go
May to October is the dry season. November to April is warmer, wetter and cyclone season.
- Dry May–Oct
- Cyclone season Nov–Apr
- Warm year-round
- School holidays book out
How long you need
Seven to ten days. One resort, or a mainland base plus an island group.
- 7–10 days
- One or two bases
- Mamanucas or Yasawas
- Denarau for convenience
Getting around
Boat transfers to the island groups, sealed roads on Viti Levu, and short domestic flights to Vanua Levu and Taveuni.
- Catamaran to the islands
- Transfers are timed to flights
- Domestic flights north
- Book transfers with the resort
Practicalities
No visa for Australians for short stays. Cyclone-season travel insurance matters more here than most places.
- No visa required
- Insurance for weather disruption
- Reef shoes useful
- Sunday is quiet
Highlights
The island groups
The Mamanucas are closest and easiest; the Yasawas are further, quieter and more scenic. Both are reached by catamaran from Denarau.
- Mamanucas: 30–90 min
- Yasawas: half a day
- Bula Pass for hopping
- Day trips possible
In the water
Soft coral diving in the Somosomo Strait, snorkelling straight off most resort beaches, and surf breaks off the outer reef.
- Rainbow Reef diving
- Manta rays in the Yasawas
- Cloudbreak for experienced surfers
- Reef shoes recommended
On the mainland
Viti Levu has the Sigatoka sand dunes, the Coral Coast, Nadi's markets and the highlands behind Suva.
- Coral Coast resorts
- Sigatoka river safari
- Garden of the Sleeping Giant
- Suva is the working capital
Planning notes
Fiji is the easiest overseas holiday most Australian families take — four to six hours from the east coast, no visa, English widely spoken and resorts built around children. The trade-off is that it is a resort destination first; independent travel exists but the infrastructure assumes you are staying put. Cyclone season runs November to April, and travel insurance covering weather disruption matters more here than in most places we book.
Where this leads
Blog attracts, things to do informs, tours convert — in that order.
- Journal in Fiji
- Things to do in Fiji
- Tours in Fiji
- Talk to a Cooee travel specialist