Useful info. Bula! That s welcome in Fijian, and here s some Fiji info that may be handy in an alphabetical format.

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1 Useful info Bula! That s welcome in Fijian, and here s some Fiji info that may be handy in an alphabetical format. ATMS Most banks in Fiji have ATMs outside their offices, with additional machines at supermarkets, petrol stations, etc. You ll only find them in cities and towns on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. There are two ATMs at Nadi Airport: One next to the baggage carousel before customs and another just outside the arrivals door. ANZ operates a 24-hour service at Nadi International Airport s arrival concourse. BABYSITTING Resorts can arrange babysitting. The Fijian women have something that attracts children and children attract the women. You ll see bonding in minutes and will know your kiddies are safe. And you ll pay a fraction of what you do at home. BEER The local beer, Fiji Bitter, locally known as a Fiji Baby is pretty good. It s a lightish beer, which somehow suits the tropics. A bit like American Bud but with more taste. Try one if you don t like it, pay a bit more for an imported ale. BULA This is the famous Fijian greeting. The more formal greeting is ni sa bula sort of the difference between good afternoon and hello. You will hear it everywhere and find yourself returning the greeting without a second thought. Bula!!!!

2 CHEMIST You ll find them in all the towns and they re very well stocked for an island country. Most resorts have pharmaceutical items for sale but they will be expensive. Best to pack a small kit containing Band-Aids, analgesics, Imodium or similar, insect repellent, sun screen (and after-sun lotion), antiseptic cream or powder and if travelling with babies, disposable nappies. For coral cuts, hydrogen peroxide works a treat but the locals opt for a generous application of lemon or lime. CHURCH Religion plays an important role in Fiji where the main religions are Christians, Hindus and Muslims. Visitors are welcome at local church services and, apart from the wonderful singing, it s a good insight into why the Fijians are so friendly and family oriented. CLIMATE Hey, it s tropical! The best months are usually March through to October (but El Nino has given some great weather during the traditional wet season November to February over the last few years!). The wet season is characterised by heavy, brief local showers and contributes most of Fiji s annual rainfall. Maximum temperatures rarely move out of the 30 C (86 F) to 23 C (73 F) range all year round. Winter is a term, not a season. A cooling wind blows from the east south-east for most of the year. It usually drops to a whisper in the evening and picks up again by mid-morning. For more information on Fiji s climate, visit CURRENCY Fijian dollar notes are available in $2, $5, $10, $20 and $50 denominations as well as the famous $7 note the only one in the world created to celebrate their Olympic gold medal in the Rugby 7s make sure you get one as a souvenir! Coins are available in 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c and $1. There is no limit to the amount of money to be brought in (although there may be a limit on how much you can take out of your home country) and visitors are allowed to take out currency up to the amount imported.

3 CUSTOMS (AIRPORT) Fiji has two international airports Nadi, the principle arrival and departure point for tourists and Nausori, near Suva. Fiji Customs operates a Duel Channel System the Red and Green Channels If you have any prohibited or restricted goods, or dutiable goods exceeding your duty/vat free allowance use the Red Channel. If not, go through the Green (customs officers may still choose to inspect bags, especially duty free). CUSTOMS (TRADITIONAL) While the Fijian people may seem pretty laid-back, traditional customs are very important to them and visitors should respect them: Bikinis etc are fine for resorts but if you are invited to a village you should wear modest clothing. Hats/caps should be worn for sun protection, but should be removed when in a village wearing a hat is an insult to the chief. When entering a bure, leave your shoes outside. If invited to take kava, do so. Pulling a face suggesting you hate the taste is an insult. It s like refusing to shake someone s hand. It is polite to have a soft handshake by asking for a small shell. I m not sure if anyone actually drinks kava for the taste anyway. When visiting a village, it is customary to present a gift of kava (yaqona). The gift (sevusevu) will cost around F$20 for a half kilo. The sevusevu is presented to the traditional head of the village, where the kava will be served. So, hats and shoes off, bow slightly on entering, take your place on the mat on the floor and enjoy the ritual. DEPARTURE TAX This tax is included in all airfares at time of purchase. DUTY FREE Visitors aged 17 have an allowance of 2 litres of alcoholic spirits, or 4 litres of wine or 4 litres of beer and 500 cigarettes or 500 grams of tobacco product. Other items like personal effects and household effects for residents or intending residents should not exceed $400. ELECTRICITY The current is 240 volts and outlets take three-pins (as in Australia and New Zealand). Leading hotels and resorts have universal outlets for 240v or 110v appliances, or 110V adapters. Some resorts generate their own electricity and if they kick in and out, bedside digital clocks will need resetting. While resorts and transfer companies are reliable in making sure you make flights, connections etc a travel alarm clock can be a handy travelling companion.

4 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Return airline ticket or a ticket for onward travel is required for visitors and passports should have at least three months validity beyond the period of intended stay. Visas are not required for travellers from most countries and entry visas are given for 4 months on arrival. FRANGIPANI Frangipanis are delightfully scented white flowers with yellow centres (and occasionally pink). There is a variety of frangipani in Fiji. The name comes from the Marquis Frangipani of Rome, who invented a perfume for scenting gloves in the 16th century. So there you go HEAT Just a reminder that Fiji is in the tropics and while it never gets really hot it can certainly feel it because of the humidity. Temps range pretty much year round between 30 C (86 F) and 23 C (73 F) and the water is always warm. When going on an outing or an activity like a round of golf, take a bottle of water and wear sun protection. While hats should be removed when you visit a village, they should be worn elsewhere. A bit of talcum powder may come in handy for rash relief. IMODIUM Many travellers to the tropics get mild tummy upsets. This may not be the fault of the tropics as much as a change of time zone and diet and the body doesn t like it (who has a full cooked breakfast every day and that extra few drinks every night at home?) While there are natural remedies like lots of water, packing Imodium or similar to take with you may come in handy. INSURANCE Travel insurance is cheap because most people don t get to use it but if you do, it could save thousands of dollars. Flights do get delayed, connections do get missed, people do get sick or have accidents and property does get stolen. We recommend Covermore if you do use a free one with your credit card etc, check it very carefully as we have had people come unstuck!

5 ISA LEI Fijian men must pick up a guitar the same way Australians pick up a cricket bat everyone seems to have at least a few chords. Most of them also know how to sing. And, for those who aren t that musical, there s the bass box in the string band (as a tourist you may get to join in here if you can count to 4 you ll be okay). There s one piece of music you will probably hear many times Isa Lei a song performed to farewell departing guests. When it comes to your turn, you ll probably have a tingle and a tear in the eye. If you don t, perhaps have your next holiday in Geneva. ISLAND TIME Island time is as much part of the tropics as palm trees and azure waters. Go with the flow, relax, pick up on the lack of stress and do your well-being a big favour. As they say The coconut will fall when it is ripe. KAVA Kava is a legal opiate that comes from grating or grinding the root of the plant. There is a charming ceremony that goes with kava drinking in Fiji (hand-clapping before and after a shell) and it should be swilled down in one motion, simply because it tastes pretty ordinary. It is a great stress reliever and is useful in healing urinary tract infections and stomach ailments. How many shells should you have? Probably no more than three at first. Once your lips become numb, you should have had sufficient to be mellow. Another test is to get up and go for a short walk as kava can also affect the limbs. It can also heighten the senses so bright lights and loud noises may be annoying. If you find that kava agrees with you, you can take some home with you and kava tablets are available in some pharmacies and health food stores. Kava drinking in resorts is considered a fun activity and no one minds if you decline but if you go to a village and are invited to take kava (especially with the Chief) it is considered impolite not to and, because kava is served in order of status the Chief will drink first, no matter how important you think you are.

6 KIDS If you are travelling with kids that require car seats for airport transfers please let us know to ensure they are requested. Please note a fee maybe payable to the transfer company. LANGUAGE Everyone speaks English in Fiji but it s always fun to try and use the local language (yes, every visitor learns bula, but there is more!). A few pronunciation pointers words with a d have an unwritten n in front For example, Nadi is Nandi and the marinated seafood dish kokoda, is kokonda. You put an m before b in words like Toberua ( Tom-berua ) and Lam-basa for Labasa. The unwritten n also goes before a g, so Sigatoka is Singatoka and Naigani is Ninegani. And a c is pronounced th, as in the Mamanuca Islands and moce is mothey (goodbye). MEKE Most resorts have nightly entertainment lovos (feasts), fire walking, kava ceremonies and mekes. The Meke is a traditional way of telling stories through song and dance. It could be a war dance or a love story either way it is colourful and a pleasure to watch mind you, if you have seen women custom dancing in Tahiti and the Cook Islands, you may find this a bit tame. NADI Most tourists experience bits of Nadi from the inside of an air-conditioned coach on the way to their resort and really, unless you are interested in how the town ticks, it s not a bad thing to do. Most resorts have boutique shops where you can buy film, books & magazines, clothing and chemist items. There are duty free shops in town but you ll probably find what you want at the airport. For handicrafts, souvenirs, clothing and jewellery, head to Jack s Handicrafts on Queen s Road. There are also Jack s outlets in Sigatoka and at The Sheraton. Chef s The Restaurant, one of Nadi s better restaurants, is located behind Jack s. If you are looking for nightlife, again, your resort may be livelier. The Bounty Bar and Restaurant could appeal for those wanting to see how expatriates enjoy a cold beer, especially if there s international sport being televised. Ed s Bar (up the street from the Bounty) is a livelier local place. And you can t help but come across some of the Indian influence.

7 OUTRIGGER CANOES Outriggers give a tropical flavour to Fiji and are seen with locals casting nets. Because of their design, they re not as easy to manoeuvre as they look. The trick is in the oar motion rather than paddling straight, pull the oar through the water in a J curve. PASSPORTS A return airline ticket or a ticket for onward travel is required for visitors and passports should have at least six months validity beyond the period of intended stay. Please value your passport theft isn t a big problem, but it really is a hassle to sort out a new one if you lose it! Passports must be valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date in Fiji or you will be denied entry into Fiji! Check the names and dates on your tickets carefully and make sure they re correct. QANTAS While Australians may think they fly Qantas to Fiji because they get a ticket with Qantas on the front, it is a code share agreement and you will fly there with Fiji Airways. Qantas owns nearly half of Fiji Airways and Qantas Frequent Flier points can be used on these flights. REEF SHOES Reef shoes should be used when walking in water coral cuts can happen and there are nasties like sea urchins buy a cheap pair that you don t mind throwing away or use those joggers that have one last week in them but do use them, your feet will thank you. SEA SNAKES If snorkelling or diving you may encounter the odd sea snake (or even an even one) but apparently their mouths are so tiny they could only open wide enough to bite the webbing between a baby s fingers. Not having a baby to test this theory, we re not willing to offer our own webbing to prove/disprove this (but there have been no reported casualties). Incidentally, one of the most deadly spiders on earth is harmless for the same reason it s the daddy longlegs.

8 SOUVENIRS A large wooden kava bowl (tanoa) makes an impressive souvenir (and an excellent salad bowl). Smaller tanoas are handy for serving peanuts and the like. Fearsome Fijian war clubs and cannibal forks can be bought in most craft outlets and markets. For obvious reasons, these items are not available in the duty free shops at Nadi Airport and cannot be carried aboard the plane in your hand luggage. What not to buy in Fiji are the masks and tikis, which are made exclusively for sale to tourists and have no basis in Fijian culture. Tapa artefacts made from the pounded bark of the paper mulberry tree are usually a good purchase. You can buy great sheets of the stuff capable of covering an entire wall or smaller pieces painted with the figures of turtles and the like. Do not buy conch shells for environmental reasons and beware the carved boat vendors at the Suva markets once they pounce they are hard to shake. SUN PROTECTION Please remember slip, slop, slap slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat. The tropical sun can burn quicker than in other parts of the world and while it s nice to show off a tan when you get home, a case of sunburn can make for a few uncomfortable days (especially for honeymooners!) and each day of a holiday is precious. TABUA The Tabua (tam-bua) is a sperm whale s tooth and is a much-prized possession. Presenting someone with a Tabua is the ultimate symbol of respect. Tabuas are utmost in any Fijian ceremony, whether it be family, intertribal or state occasions. They feature in births, deaths, marriages, when welcoming visitors or asking favours. They are used to seal contracts and reconcile differences. Tabuas are not bought and sold, they just circulate from family member to family member, from tribe to tribe as they have done for generations. Recently, companies have seen the value in taking the Tabua as a trusted brand. For example, joining the Tabua Club with Fiji Airways gives fliers advantages and flying Tabua Class gets you up the pointy end of the plane.

9 TIME ZONE Fiji has frequently been called The Crossroads of the Pacific because the 180th Meridian passes through the islands. In fact, The International Date Line has a dogleg here so the entire archipelago falls into the same time zone 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Two hours difference to east coast Australia one hour when daylight saving happens in southern Australia. TIPPING Unless you are playing touch rugby, tipping is not encouraged anywhere in Fiji. Tip with a smile and vinaka (thank you). Some resorts however operate a staff Christmas fund a box will usually be found near reception and donations are purely voluntary. Fijian custom says that if you give something for nothing, the person receiving will owe you and that s how a tip is perceived. VACCINATIONS Some travel vaccinations are recommended (but not compulsory). Check with your doctor or travel doctor. For more info: VINAKA In the same way bula can mean hello as well as welcome, vinaka can be, please, thank you and good. WATER Fresh water reticulated in Nadi, Suva, Lautoka and other major towns has been treated and is safe to drink from the tap. This also applies to hotels and resorts. Bottled water is also readily available. Some resorts use artesian water for bathing, but provide drinking water separately. If this is the case, visitors will be advised. YAGONA Yaqona (pronounced yangona) is Fiji s national drink, also known as kava (see kava ). It s made from the pulverised root of a member of the pepper family. It s believed to have medicinal qualities (apart from making you feel mellow). ZIKA For the most updated travel alerts and information visit: Reports from resiorts are that they spray daily. But to be safe pack good insect repellent and check out these tips on avoiding bug bites: