Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIX OF THE BEST RESORTS
Fijian resorts range from simple beachside
bures
(traditional thatched huts) with cold-wa-
ter showers to opulent
villas
with hardwood floors and private spa pools. With almost a
hundred resorts throughout the islands the choice can be overwhelming. To help you de-
cide, we've whittled them down to six of the best, each aimed at a different type of travel-
ler.
Luxury
Vatulele Island Resort
,
Vatulele.
Backpackers
The Beachouse
,
Coral Coast, Viti Levu.
Romance
Matangi Island Resort
,
off Taveuni.
Families
Plantation Island Resort
, Malolo Lailai, Mamanucas.
Divers
Dolphin Bay
, Vanua Levu.
Eco-adventure
Tui Tai Cruise
, Vanua Levu and Taveuni.
When to go
The most comfortable time to visit is during the
dry season
between May and October when
temperatures hover around 25°C by day and drop to a pleasant 19-20°C at night. At this time
of year the southerly
trade winds
bring cool breezes off the sea and sometimes blustery con-
ditions on the south and eastern coasts. Coinciding with the southern hemisphere winter, the
dry season is also the
busiest
time to visit, with holiday-makers from New Zealand and Aus-
tralia flocking to Fiji to escape the cold. Hotels in the popular resort areas are often booked
out months in advance, especially around the
school holidays
between June and July.
The summer months from November to April are known as the
wet season
when temperat-
ures rise to a fairly constant 31°C but with greatly increased humidity. Rainfall during these
months is substantially higher, although most of it falls in sudden torrential
tropical down-
pours
, usually in the mid-afternoon. Mornings and late afternoons generally remain sunny
and the sea is often beautifully
calm
- a great time for scuba divers. During the wet season
the islands are lush with vegetation and waterfalls are at their most impressive; however, note
that walking trails can get slippery and dirt roads impassable. Low pressure between Decem-
ber and April sometimes brings stormy weather from the northwest lasting around five days.
In extreme cases
tropical cyclones
can develop. Direct hits on the islands are infrequent and
damage quite localized.
Another aspect of Fiji's weather are the
microclimates
found on the leeward and windward
sides of the main islands. For example, Nadi, on the dry west side of Viti Levu, has reliably
sunny weather while Suva, on the opposite side of the island but barely 100km away is often
drenched by showers rolling in off the ocean.
