Bula means welcome in Fiji but it is more than just that. This South Pacific island nation is actually 333 exotic islands with locals who will greet you with a huge smile. Bula is more than just a word. To Fijians, it is a way of life.
These magical islands are the ideal destination for your honeymoon or romantic vacation. With thatch roofed bungalows and even some over water bungalows, there are many resorts in Fiji that occupy their own island. Romance is certainly in the air in Fiji in these small and secluded resorts, many with 20 rooms or less. If you are looking for a honeymoon that is not what everyone does or where everyone goes, Fiji may fit your dreams.
Where is Fiji
By plane, Fiji is about 10 hours of nonstop flying time from Los Angeles and those flights currently fly 4 x weekly from LAX to Nadi International Airport. It is southwest of Hawaii, west of Tahiti, northeast of Australia (a 4 hour flight from Sydney) and north of New Zealand. When flying from the U.S. to Fiji, you cross the international dateline- which means, if you depart Los Angeles at 11pm on Monday night, you’ll arrive Wednesday morning around 5am in Fiji. On the return, you will depart Fiji and return on the same day so while you lose a day of travel going out, you gain it coming home.
When is the best time to go?
Fiji has 2 seasons- the dry season which is during the austral winter, from June to September. The winter trade wind blows fairly steadily during these months, bringing slightly cooler but still tropical weather.
The austral summer, which runs from November through April, is the warmer and more humid wet season. Tropical depressions can bring several days of rain at a time, but usually heavy rain showers are followed by periods of very intense sunshine. Humidity is high during this time of year and this is also the season for tropical cyclones or hurricanes. The hurricanes are relatively fast moving bringing a couple of days of heavy rains and wind.
Fiji’s average high temperatures range from 83°F during their winter months (June-Sept) to 88°F during their summer months ( December through March) . Evenings typically are warm and comfortable 70°F to 82°F throughout the year.
July and August are the busiest months for tourists, since that is when many Australians and New Zealanders taker their vacations.
Why choose Fiji for your honeymoon?
Aside from pristine white sandy beaches and aside from unique accommodations, Fiji is EXOTIC.
You can choose from beachfront or garden bures, overwater bungalows, tree top bungalows or private villas if you want something more exotic. If you prefer a resort, there are many with top amenities for you to enjoy.
The Fijians are warm and friendly people who are welcoming and want to share their culture with tourists.
In terms of value, U.S. Dollar are worth more in Fiji (about $1.50-1.75 to the Fiji currency).
There are so many different regions and islands that you can have multiple experiences in one honeymoon.
What is there to do in Fiji?
Beyond swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving, how about:
- Jet skiing
- Parasailing
- Hot air ballooning
- Waterfall tours
- Cave tours
- Bird watching tours
- Cooking tours
- Cultural entertainment shows and dinner shows
- White water rafting
- Ziplining
- Day cruises to other islands
- Sunset or dinner cruises
- Kayaking
- Helicopter tours and visits to other islands
- And each resort will have activities and amenities for you to enjoy as a couple, like couples massages and a picnic lunch on your own private island.
approaching Matamanoa Island Resort
My Vacation Lady clients, Rony and Christian returned from a honeymoon to Fiji. During their honeymoon consultation, My Vacation Lady found out that they wanted something secluded and romantic but with great beaches and lots of different activities. Their honeymoon to Fiji was a combination of active adventure (5 nites at a resort on Nadi plus the secluded beach- a resort on its own island , each for 5 nights).
This is what Rony said about Fiji:
The reasons we chose Fiji were that:
- I have seen beautiful pictures in magazines years ago but it’s a place where I only dream about but never thought that I would actually get to visit.
- It’s once in a life destination. I know there are great honeymoon destinations in the Caribbean, Europe and Hawaii, but to us, those places are closer and easier to get to than a place like Fiji. To us, we could go there on an anniversary trip or a regular vacation, but for honeymoon, we wanted to be something special, somewhere that we may never go otherwise.
- It made sense within the budget that we had. And it was cheaper to go there than some of the more exotic of the Caribbean Islands (Saint Lucia was another one they considered).
Why we thought it was so great:
- The country is still not very developed so there are tons of untouched natural things to see.
- The tour guides are amazing. They were all very knowledgeable and you learn a lot about Fijian culture through them.
- Smaller Islands are the best for those who really want to get away for a relaxing, romantic honeymoon.
“Matamanoa was great in a sense that it’s small, adult/couples only and there were no phone or TV in each room. There are activities you can do with just your spouse (kayaking, sit outside of your room on the hammock, relaxing on the beach, etc.) and feel undisturbed. We took a sunset cruise offered by the island itself. Although it was not fancy, we got to enjoy the natural beauty of what Fiji has to offer and got to hear stories from the locals. We also went to Castaway Island tour (only 6 people + guide). I would have to say that was one of my favorite memories. I decided not to go snorkeling so I sat with the guide under the coconut tree, eating coconut, drank some coconut juice and listen to him telling stories. It really is a diff world down there. It made you think of how great life could be when things are just simple and that people help each other out. We enjoyed not being disturbed by the outside world for a few days that we were on Matamanoa. Our favorite spot on Matamanoa island…we did a small hike to get to the top of the island. Had some wine and just looked around. It really was surreal! Something you could only imagine seeing on TV or movies. We went up there 3 times during the stay and we loved every minute of it! “
If this is the type of honeymoon that you are looking for, My Vacation Lady can help plan your dream honeymoon to Fiji. My Vacation Lady is the top rated honeymoon specialist located in New Jersey on both Wedding Wire and the Knot’s Wedding Channel. Contact us to see why My Vacation Lady has earned these accolades from our clients.
