FIJI-what do you wish you knew before you left?

[living4experiences]

I am going in just over 2 weeks. We couldn't avoid flying to a separate island because Voli Voli was booked. We are going to Taveuini the first 10 days I think and then to Waidroka. I am stressing about the carry on. It is so crazy that the luggage allowance into the country is 23 KG, but then as soon as you get t the domestic flight, it decreases to 15kg. So if you pay for an extra 15 KG, you get 7kg you can't use. and you are limited to 7k on the carry on. I am wondering how I will manage my camera gear and laptop which even if I were foolish enough to check, have batteries, besides being super valuable, delicate and heavy. If I bring a wheelie bag for my carry on to drag through the Miami and LAX enormous airports, then I have an extra 73 suitcase wasting weight. I am spinning in circles. What has been everyone's experience and how did you manage about heavy, expensive, delicate camera and computer gear with batteries? ---You cant check it and you can't carry it on and its the only reason I am going!--- Serious dilemma.

If you booked the whole itinerary on one ticket, your checked luggage would go all the way to Taveuni. If it's separate, you'd have to pick it up and walk over to the domestic terminal.

I don't have a big camera setup, so I can't help there. I would advise, though, to prepay for the extra weight. If you wait till you get to the airport, you'll likely be gouged.

They are very strict about carry-on weight. You could wear your BCD and stuff the pockets with gear. Assuming you're flying on Fiji Air, the website has a list of items that doesn't count towards carryon, like a garment bag.

The domestic flight is a tiny plane, which is why you have the low weight limits. All the luggage goes into the nose and butt of the plane.

It's true, there's no tipping in FIji. A 3% credit card fee is normal if you pay your resort charges that way. Otherwise, FJD is accepted. Taveuni is remote, so internet connectivity is spotty when trying to connect to a bank for payment. Get cash at the ATM in the airport.

Have a great trip! I loved diving there.

 

[Kendall Raine]

I was told that only one or two sites could have current. It turned out that the entire trip was nothing but current. I spent more time relaxing in a deck chair than in the water.

Hi Phil;

Are referring to current at Volivoli sites? I asked because a new diver is going and I want her to be aware if the diving is particularly challenging/uncomfortable for a new diver. The fact that you went all that way and did the deck chair thing concerns me.

Kendall

 

[MaxBottomtime]

We were on the Nai'a liveaboard, diving sites south of the land-based Volivoli sites. It's in the bottom two of dive trips I've been on.

 

[rmorgan]

We were on the Nai'a liveaboard, diving sites south of the land-based Volivoli sites. It's in the bottom two of dive trips I've been on.

Yikes!--what happened?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Before we signed up for the trip, we were told only two sites may have some current. It turned out that every site we went to was ripping so much that we either went sailing along the reef or had to hide behind it to take any photos. During one safety stop, the guide was holding onto a reef hook, and another diver was holding onto the guide's fins. Both divers looked like a flag in a hurricane. I sat out about half of the dives.