Need to know

When to go

Fiji’s climate is warm throughout the year, with highs of around 30ºc. There are two seasons: May–october: Sunny, clear skies and peak holiday season. Prices are higher and the beaches busier. The sea has clearer visibility during this period, so it’s the best time to dive or snorkel. November–april: This is monsoon season, with fewer crowds and lower prices for those who don’t mind a few heavy showers. Cyclones are more common in January and February.

Health & safety

Fiji is a safe country. Cyclones pose the biggest threat, although the country’s alert system is effective. There are mosquitoes with dengue fever, but malaria is not reported. As with many sea-based activities, take care with the tides.

Getting there & around

The author flew with Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com) via Hong Kong to Nadi, which costs from around £1,601 return and takes about 24 hours. To avoid successive overnight flights, try to break up the journey.

You can fly between islands with Fiji Airway’s subsidiary airline Fiji Link (fijiairways.com) or take a ferry – although these can be unpredictable at times. Many of the islands’ resorts will include a boat transfer as part of your package; if not, South Sea

Cruises (southseacruisesfiji.com) does offer reliable connections to the islands. It’s around £60 each way between Port Denarau and the Yasawa Islands. An alternative is Sea Fiji (seafiji.net), which operates small powerboat transfers on demand.

On Viti Levu, the driving time between Nadi and Suva is roughly 3.5 hours. Many bus companies ply this island’s roads, and fares between towns are typically inexpensive.

Carbon offset

A return flight from London to Nadi (Viti Levu), via Hong Kong, produces 1,732kg of carbon per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. For advice on how to find one, visit wanderlust.co.uk/sustainable-travel.

Visas & currencies

Visas: Not currently required by UK nationals.

Money: The Fijian dollar (FJD) is currently around FJD2.79 to the UK£.

Food & drink

You will find internationalstyle cuisine, such as fish and chips (especially mahi-mahi), in just about every resort. Yet it’s hard to beat the organic traditional food you’ll encounter here. Boiled taro (dalo) and cassava are staples, rourou is a dish of iron-rich taro-leaves, while kokoda is the Fijian equivalent of ceviche.