Therefore, I’ve put together this short post with the eight main questions I had about my trip – answered – to help any other travellers with similar questions plan and look forward to their trip.

I hope it helps!

Do I need to book the Yasawa Flyer ferry before I get on it?

You will need to book your first ferry from the port to your chosen island. However, from then on, you will not need to book. You can just hop on and hop off the boat as you please.

Can I stay at accommodation not recommended by Awesome Adventures?

Yes, you can stay at any accommodation you would like. However, the Yasawa Flyer will only stop at Awesome Adventure’s recommended resorts so, be sure to arrange a boat pick up from the nearest stop to your chosen accommodation (note: this is likely to cost extra).

How do I get from the big boat to the resort?

The Yasawa Flyer will stop in the middle of the ocean and small boats from each resort will come out to pick you up (yup, they’re that remote)!

Why do I have to pay for a meal plan?

Each resort is so secluded that the only place you can eat is on site. Therefore, each accommodation make meal plans compulsory to ensure catering for large numbers is as easy as possible.

Unfortunately for us budget travellers, this hikes up the prices to an eye watering amount. However, you just have to bite the bullet and eat as much of the food as possible to get your money’s worth…

Can I pay by card on the islands?

Not every island has card machines but most do (although expect to pay between 3-5% surcharge on top). The only islands I stayed on, which didn’t have access to pay by card was at my homestay on Nacula Island and Long Beach Resort.

How much should I budget each day?

It really depends how many activities you want to take part in and how much alcohol you plan to drink. I found accommodation averaged out at about £50 a day and beer cost between $F4-10 a bottle. If you book and pay for your accommodation before you arrive, you shouldn’t need much cash on top of this.

Do I need to take water/alcohol with me from the main island?

It’s not essential for you to take bottled water with you. Most islands offer free drinkable rain/spring water and ones which don’t, have water you can buy. If you want to get tiddled on more than one occasion, I would definitely recommend taking a bottle or two of spirits with you.

Which islands should I go to?

Luckily for you, I’ve already put together this guide to the islands I visited in Fiji. If you’re looking for more luxurious accommodation, check out Awesome Adventures website.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to pop me over an email or comment below!

I have spent the past 3 weeks exploring eight of the Yasawa and Mamanuca Islands just off of the coast of Viti Levu (the main island) with Awesome Adventures Fiji and would now consider myself a professional beached whale.

Whilst planning my trip, I had no idea which islands I should prioritize and which ones I could give a miss. In the end, it all came down to what I could afford. Accommodation in Fiji varies from backpacker basic (which is still very pricey) all the way up to lavish luxury and tends to include three meals a day.

So, to help anyone else who is thinking of going on a backpacking trip around Fiji, I’ve put together this guide to the islands and resorts I visited, to help you decide which islands will suit your trip best.

Nacula Island – Homestay at Nacula Village – 2 nights

Nacula Island is situated at the very top of the Yasawa chain (around 5 1/2 hours from the main island) so, is a great place to start your trip.

Encompassed by powder white beaches, scenic swaying palms and its biggest selling point – a vibrant blue lagoon, Nacula boasts fab snorkelling and water so clear and blue it will make you gasp.

During my time on the island, I stayed at a homestay in one of the local villages. Therefore, I did not get a chance to check out any of the resorts recommended by Awesome Adventures.

However, if they are as jaw-dropping as the beach they’re situated on, I would definitely recommend them.

Drinkable water available for free? Yes
Wifi available? No
Free activities available? Yes

Matacawalevu Island – Long Beach Resort – 2 nights

Next, I headed towards Long Beach Resort’s private slice of paradise on Matacawalevu Island.

This resort has basic dorms as well as, private seafront bures (this is what Fijian’s call huts) and is peppered in palm trees, hidden hammocks and two beaches. Although the facilities aren’t luxurious, the friendly and attentive staff and activities they provide more than make up for it.

On this island you can visit the blue lagoon, go trekking, learn how to make jewellery out of a coconut, go spear fishing at night, watch a coconut demonstration, snorkel and of course, relax on the beach – all before setting up camp next to a bonfire to play card games, guess riddles and stargaze.

This resort is a great family feel place to stay however, the accommodation and food is basic so, don’t expect wifi, all-day electricity, squishy beds or air con.

Drinkable water available for free? Yes
Wifi available? No
Free activities available? Yes

Naviti Island – White Sandy Beach – 2 nights

From its name, you could probably guess that this resort has a white, sandy, beach. However, it also offers very clean, comfortable dorm rooms, kind, friendly staff and an array of activities to get involved in.

Due to this resort being on a lot of the package stops, I met a great group of people to spend my time with. Here, you can take a trip to swim with the manta rays (season dependant). However, there is a risk you may pay to go on the trip and not see any (whereas, if you stay at Barefoot Manta or Manta Ray Island Resort they will only take you out when they’ve spotted them). You can also go on village visits, snorkel and craft (to name a few).

The food was good and the beach was beaut however, the water there wasn’t drinkable, which did rack up the price of the stay.

Drinkable water available for free? No
Wifi available? Yes
Free activities available? No

Drawaqa Island – Barefoot Manta – 2 nights

Barefoot Manta was my first taste of real luxury on this trip. Offering three pristine beaches with bright azure waters (sunrise, sunset and manta ray beach), lavish bure dorms overlooking the ocean and delicious a la carte food, I was very impressed by this resort’s facilities.

I would recommend Barefoot Manta to any backpackers who are looking to treat themselves to a bit more luxury than the usual bog standard hostels or, to couples and families.

This resort is also where the Vinaka volunteer project is based.

Drinkable water available for free? Yes
Wifi available? Yes
Free activities available? Yes

Wayalailai Island – Naqalia Lodge – 3 nights

Every island I visited in Fiji gave me the warmest of welcomes. However, Naqalia Lodge had something that little bit extra special.

Nestled in the foothills of Wayalailai’s lush mountains, each member of Naqalia’s staff knew every guest’s name and would constantly be chatting away to different people to check they were having a good time.

The guitar was always being played, kava ceremonies were always in full swing and group dance sessions were compulsory every night.

There was also an enjoyable sunset hike, crafting and the treacherous shark swimming trip, which could be done from the island.

Drinkable water available for free? Yes
Wifi available? Yes
Free activities available? Yes

Kuata Island – Barefoot Kuata – 2 nights

Situated across the water from Naqalia Lodge, Barefoot Kuata is the sister resort to Barefoot Manta and was as superb as expected. I stayed in a glamping tent/dorm, which opened up right onto the beach and boasted its own deck and hammock (perfect for lazing with a good book).

Along with the great room facilities, the resort also had three swimming pools overlooking the rugged mountains of Wayalailai, a cool bar area (with free wifi), volleyball court, diving school, delish food and fantastic snorkelling (this reef area is protected from fishing).

You can also swim with sharks from this resort however, it is $10 more expensive than Naqalia.

Drinkable water available for free? Yes
Wifi available? Yes
Free activities available? No

Bounty Island – Bounty Island Resort – 2 nights

Bounty Island was the first island I visited in the Mamanucas. It was the flattest and smallest island I’d visited meaning, I was able to walk its circumference in around 20 minutes – how cool is that!?

The main selling point of this island however, is its turtle sanctuary. Home to an abundance of Hawksbill turtles, Bounty hatch and raise these cuties to give them a better chance of survival in the wild. You can feed them each afternoon and help clean their shells every couple of days.

The dorm accommodation at this resort is very basic nevertheless, the food was one of the best I had throughout my whole trip. I’d recommend visiting this island as one of your first stops from the main island as the scenery just gets better and better as you go up.

Drinkable water available for free? Yes
Wifi available? Yes
Free activities available? Yes

Mana Island – Ratu Kini – 2 nights

The final island I visited on my Fiji adventure was Mana.

Being the set where the well-known programme, Survivor was filmed, there is no denying that Mana Island is an idyllic spot. Ratu Kini (where I stayed) offers a very popular dive store where you can get your PADI diving certificate and is also the only accommodation where I didn’t have to pay for a meal plan (wooop).

I would recommend this island to people who are on a tight budget or, don’t have a lot of time and just want to pop out to an island close by for a spot of TLC and to get a taste of island life.

Drinkable water available for free? No
Wifi available? Yes
Free activities available? No

Have you ever visited the Mamanuca and/or Yasawa Islands? Which islands/resorts would you add to this list?

Awesome Adventures Fiji (Yasawa Flyer and South Sea Cruises) are the only tour operators who travel throughout Fiji on a day-to-day basis and offer an array of different packages to choose from.

From their Bula Passes, which is a flexible hop on, hop off pass for the ferry to a full package including travel, food, accommodation and activities, it is entirely up to you how organised you want your trip to be.

When researching travelling in Fiji, I remember being rather daunted by how the different passes work. Therefore, I’ve put together this little guide on Awesome Adventures Fiji to help other travellers decide what’s the best choice for them, a few pros and cons of each as well as, the most budget friendly option.

Bula pass

You can buy a Bula pass for 5, 7, 10, 12, 15 or 21 days, which allows you to hop on and hop off the ferry as and when you please (check this out for prices).

You don’t need to book to get on the boat you just need to ensure you have your accommodation booked before disembarking. You can do this online or, on the boat (however, it is A LOT cheaper to go to the accommodation directly).

I went for a 21 day Bula Pass and have been chuffed with my choice. It’s flexible meaning, you can pick and choose which islands you want to go to as you go along (and get recommendations from other travellers) and you can also mix and match the level of luxury of the places you stay.

However, wifi and cash machines are very limited on the islands so, you really have to utilise the wifi on the ferry for booking accommodation and will have to carry a lot more cash on you than if you’d paid for a package or the Bula combo pass…

Bula Combo Pass

The Bula Combo Pass is exactly the same as the Bula Pass however, it also includes your accommodation in the price.

Awesome Adventures rate each resort by coconuts e.g. one coconut is budget backpacker accommodation whereas, three coconuts is ‘flashpacker and resort style’ and therefore, more appropriate for couples or families looking for a little more luxury.

The Bula Combo Pass is great if you are happy to stay at Awesome Adventures’ recommended resorts and don’t want to carry too much cash with you. However, you do lose the flexibility to be able to stay in alternative accommodation (e.g. a homestay) and you have to stick to the same level of luxury throughout your whole stay.

Package

Finally, you can also choose an all-inclusive package for a chosen number of days (ranging from 4 nights all the way up to 11 nights). These packages include all travel, accommodation and meal expenses (however, conditions apply regarding meal plans if you choose two or more coconuts).

With the packages, you are also given the option to add-on the ‘Full Monty’ pack. This includes all of the ‘must do’ activities at each island such as, sailing, village visits, diving and swimming with sharks and manta rays at an added premium of $F548 (around £220).

If you plan to do every single activity on each island then I would recommend upgrading to the Full Monty package. However, if you’re only keen to do a few of them, they’re not extortionately priced on the islands.

Swimming with sharks and manta rays was $F55 each (approx £20), the Seaspray Day Sailing trip was $F205/236 (approx £90) (price is dependant on where you’re picked up from) and village visits were around $F20 (approx £8). Lots of resorts offer free (or very cheap) snorkelling, kayaking and paddle boarding hire gear.

Most budget friendly option?

Overall, Fiji is not very budget friendly but, there are ways to do it as cheaply as possible. I bought a 21 day Bula Pass at a discounted rate (thank you Awesome Adventures) and booked all of my accommodation directly with the homestay/resorts.

All together I spent $F2,524.84 (approx £953.58) over 17 nights, which without my Bula Pass discount would have been $F2,962.60 (approx £1118.92). Awesome Adventures charge $F3,313 (approx £1251.14) for the one coconut Bula Combo Pass for 21 nights.

Therefore, if you plan to spend a full 21 nights on the islands, it is definitely worth splurging on the Combo Pass. However, if like me, you’d rather mix up the levels of luxury of where you stay and, do not intend to stay on the islands for the full 21 days, then you’ll save money by buying a Bula Pass and booking your accommodation yourself as you go.

Fiji is definitely not a cheap backpacker destination. However, the beauty and hospitality of each island is more than worth the splurge.

Have you ever travelled around Fiji with Awesome Adventures Fiji? Which pass did you buy? Would you recommend it?

**I received a discount for my Bula Pass from Awesome Adventures through my blog however, as always, all opinions are my own**