When I was planning my trip to Fiji some people were really surprised I was going alone. ‘Won’t you be surrounded by honeymooners?’

I will admit I was a little worried about this too, especially when I got on the plane and was surrounded by couples and families. But I was looking forward to relaxing on a tropical island, and didn’t mind being alone. Like any solo trip, I ended up meeting so many people anyway.

Here is some info about what it was like travelling solo in Fiji.

Arriving in Fiji

Wailoaloa Beach in Nadi is the main hub for backpackers. Bamboo and Smuggler’s Cove are classic backpacker hostels with a young, party people type of atmosphere. They have evening entertainment including fire poi, and traditional dancing. Most people will start and finish their trip here, so it’s likely you’ll bump in to the same people multiple times in your trip.

There are some really active Facebook groups for backpackers in Fiji. People are often posting asking for a travel buddy. So if you don’t want to do any part of your trip alone, you can try to find someone coming at the same time as you and join up.

Where to stay

In Fiji there are resorts and there are ‘resorts’.

• The big name luxury resorts / hotels (think Hilton, Marriott, etc.)

It may be Instagram heaven for fancy pool photos, but if you are looking to meet other travellers to share activities with I would avoid these. They are filled with honeymooners, families, wedding guests, and groups of men on fishing trips.

• Fijian resorts

The smaller ‘resorts’ on the islands have bures (bungalows). They may be humble, with electricity running only at night. If the resort has a dormitory that’s a good sign you’ll be able to meet other travellers, even if you choose to stay in a private room.

These resorts have a big mix of guests, including solo travellers and couples of all different ages, as well as the occasional family with children. I found this mix really refreshing, and I met travellers who I normally wouldn’t cross paths with.

Meals are served at shared tables, so you will get to meet everyone. They may also have activities like kava and games after dinner.

• Homestays

You can book a homestay on Airbnb or through a travel agent in Nadi. At a homestay, it’s more likely you could be the only traveller. I think this would be a really nice experience, and if you are considering it you should go for it. Fijian families are definitely going to look after you and they are sure to feed you a lot.

Activities

The resort will ask at dinner what activity you would like to sign up to for the next day. You can see what other people are doing and join with them.

Some activities may have a minimum number of people that are required for it to go ahead. On one occasion there was an activity I wanted to do that I didn’t have anyone to come with me, so I asked if I could just pay the cost of two people (It was $30 FJD x 2, so it wasn’t expensive for me to pay double anyway).

Travellers at the resort will often go snorkelling together at the local beach. Everyone wants to share the experience and some people feel safer snorkelling in a group.

If you’re at a homestay the family will either take you on their own boat to an activity, or arrange for you to join a trip with a nearby resort.

What do Fijians think about solo travellers?

There was maybe just once or twice that a local asked me why I was travelling alone. There are definitely less solo female travellers in Fiji than in SE Asia or Europe, but it’s not unusual.

Feeling safe in Fiji

• Theft

I avoided some resorts which had negative reviews due to travellers having their valuables stolen. Use your best judgement when deciding where to stay.

• Safety at night

Most Fiji travel websites will recommend you don’t walk around town at night, and I would have to agree with this. I noticed that Fijians are conscious of their behaviour when they know their wider family is watching. During the night most people will be in bed, so that means anyone with bad intentions won’t be under the community watch.

• Culture

Most Fijians will politely turn a blind eye when foreigners are ignorant of local customs. But sometimes people could be a little imposing with their expectations of you.

In homestays you may be given a Fijian dress to wear, and rules about meeting the chief. Following local rules is fine, but it can feel intimidating for a solo female traveller when a burly head of the family is cranky that you would like to go to bed at 10pm instead of staying up all night to play games and drink kava.

• Behaviour of men

In Nadi there are a number of older foreign men who have immigrated to Fiji for work or retirement. They stay in more expensive hotels or in their own houses, but during the night they come to the hostel bar and try to hook up with young foreign women. They might organise for your drinks to be put on their tab so you can drink for free. Ugh. You can avoid them by joining a table of other travellers your own age or who you feel comfortable with.

Local men might ask for your Facebook, or your help to come to Australia / your country. But of course I ever so conveniently don’t have Facebook.

At a resort a man invited me to his own house to drink kava. I could tell he was asking me discreetly and that it was probably not appropriate for him to ask a guest this. I politely declined.

Did you have any bad experiences?

At one resort a man asked me to walk with him to the beach. I didn’t understand why, but then I realised he was trying to talk with me alone beyond where the family could see.

He started asking me about how much money he could earn in Australia, and then told me ‘You make me crazy. I’m going to come to Nadi to say goodbye to you. I’ll miss you, I’ll see you in Australia’. This was only 10 minutes after I had first met him, so I found it very intense and it left me feeling on edge.

That night I was alone in the dormitory, which was in a building separate from others. The door didn’t have a lock on the inside, so I decided to push a table against the door so that if someone were to enter I would hear them. I also grabbed a big shell and put it beside my pillow, so if I needed to conch someone in the head I could.

It’s sad to write this but it’s reality. I think most female travellers would have had an experience like this where they grab a precautious conch shell for ‘just in case’. We don’t talk about these experiences out of shame, but there should be no shame in wanting to feel safe.

Apart from these moments, men in Fiji were helpful and normal.

Is Fiji a good destination for solo travel?

YES!

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More about Fiji

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