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!

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**

“I can’t imagine loving anywhere as much as I love my home – Fiji”. She replied.

Lani is a wonderful woman who lives in Nacula Village on Nacula Island (aka. paradise) in Fiji. Each week she opens up her home to travellers to help them experience the ‘real Fiji’ and learn about the Fijian culture whilst, also contributing to the village’s community.

I was lucky enough to stay with Lani for two nights earlier this week.

When I first arrived at Nacula Village, Lani was standing on the beach with a big old smile welcoming me to her home. She explained that I needed to put on a sarong (thank the Lord I had one in my bag) as it is not allowed for women to wear trousers in the village. So, I quickly wrapped my sarong around my waist and followed her to her house.

I was chuffed to see how authentic the village was.

We passed locals going about their day-to-day lives laughing and chatting with Lani as we went past (everyone is family in a Fijian village), chickens roaming the grounds with their adorable chicks, washing swaying in the breeze and to top it off – a stunning mountainous green backdrop with no tourists in sight. Woopdedidoodaa.

When we arrived at Lani’s home I was shocked at how humongous it was. There was a giant living room (perfect for her hosting of kava ceremonies), a big kitchen/diner and four giant bedrooms with en suites.

She swiftly showed me around, explained that she lives with her Auntie and her Auntie’s daughter (her Dad was away on the main island) and asked me what I would like to do during my stay. We chatted away about my plans, the village and a couple of house rules before we sat down for a hearty lunch (three meals a day plus afternoon tea is included in the price).

After lunch we headed towards the village’s community centre so I could present my gift of kava to the headman of the village.

Kava is a plant, which is ground down into powder, mixed with water and drunk at social gatherings in Fiji. It’s easily comparable to wine in that, if you’re popping over to your friend’s house for a glass of vino, you’re likely to bring a bottle – Fijian’s bring kava.

Once my kava had been accepted by the chief’s right-hand-man, I was officially welcomed into the village and allowed to wander around as if it were my home.

Luckily for me, the group of men decided to mix up a batch of the kava whilst I was there so, I was able to take part in my first ever kava ceremony.

The men played guitar and sung Fijian classics as they passed around the kava. It wasn’t the nicest thing I’d ever drunk and looked very similar to muddy water. However, the atmosphere and sentiment were more than worth the pungent taste of ‘low tides’ I drank.

We then headed towards the village’s school where the children performed some rhymes and dances for us.

The next day it was time to explore what Fiji’s underworld had to offer. We wandered 10 minutes down the beach to another sandy stretch owned by the next door village.

The sand was reflective silky soft white and the water was a mirage of turquoise, blue and translucent – I’ve never seen water so colourful. I delved in and snorkelled the delicate reefs admiring colourful fish and starfish.

That night Lani invited her friends over for a tipple of kava. We sat, laughed and drunk kava until it was time for bed.

I had the most amazing time at Lani’s homestay. It was the perfect start to my time in Fiji and really taught me about the Fijian culture and customs for the rest of my time island hopping.

We live in a world where we’re never satisfied with what we already have.

Lani and the rest of her village gather and drinks rain water, use solar-powered/generator electricity and have to have most of their supplies shipped in from the main island. Yet, they’re so satisfied with life they wouldn’t want it any other way.

We should all be more like Lani.

If you would like to stay at Lani’s homestay, head on over here to book.