Why North Americans Should Travel All The Way To Fiji

It’s a 10-hour flight from Los Angeles to Fiji, while the trek from New York is two planes and 16 hours in flight. Most North Americans looking for a tropical vacation are going to choose Hawai’i over Fiji for this reason alone, the assumption being that Fiji and Hawai’i are, if not interchangeable tropical destinations, similar enough not to warrant the extra work it takes to get to the former.

Hawai’i is one of North America’s most popular travel destinations, especially for those of us who live on the West Coast of the U.S. or Canada. And it’s no wonder why: Hawai’i is a paradisical wonderland for lovers of beaches, rainforests, and volcanos, not to mention some of the world’s best fish and fruit. It takes me less time to fly to any of the Hawaiian islands than it takes me to fly east across the U.S. to visit my family in North Carolina. So, why would a North American, especially someone from the Midwest or East Coast, choose to fly a minimum of 10 hours to get to Fiji?

While there may be more than one answer to this question, for me, it’s all about the culture. Hotels and resorts in Hawai’i do a fantastic job of bringing traditional Hawaiian culture to guests by way of experiential programs — many properties even have a cultural ambassador that ensures that important local traditions are honored. But because Hawai’i’s distinct culture is embedded in the larger U.S., and because residents of Hawai’i (both natives and those who choose to live on the islands) come from many distinct cultures (Japanese, Filipino, and Chinese are the largest demographics), native Hawaiian traditions have been segregated, at best. Fewer than 10 percent of the residents of Honolulu, for example, are native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders. When you stay at a hotel or resort on any of the islands, you’re just as likely to have a restaurant server from San Diego as you are someone from Waimea. So, we often have to seek out Hawaiian culture across the islands. There is a wonderful “melting pot” approach, but it’s often at the expense of traditional culture. Contrary to popular belief, Fiji and Hawai’i are not homogeneous tropical destinations.

Fiji is an island nation whose diversity is limited largely to two demographics: native Fijians at 54% and Indo-Fijians (descendants of Indian indentured servants brought to the region by the British in the 1800s) at 38%. Because of this greater homogeneity, it’s very easy to interact with Fijians and learn about their values, customs, and belief systems. As one of my hosts jokingly put it, “Why hula when you can bula?” His comment speaks to the point that, while you can sun yourself on gorgeous beaches in both locations, dive to see each destination’s marine underworld, and eat local foods every day, Fiji offers a more complete sense of cultural immersion.

I spent a week moving around the main island of Fiji, Viti Levu, where I stayed at three beach resorts on different parts of the island, each offering its take on Fijian hospitality. Read about that trip here for ideas about how to plan your own cultural-immersion vacation to Fiji.

In just a week’s time, I was able to visit two traditional Fijian villages, the first (Nevula) by way of a Sigatoka River Safari trip arranged by Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa and the second (Sanasana) with transportation from the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, whose property is adjacent to this community’s land. (Read more about the Shangri-La and the Intercontinental hotels here.) I participated in a traditional kava ceremony, had lunch with villagers, and attended a church service. Even if you never leave your hotel, the vast majority of employees at Fiji’s hotels and resorts — at every level, from management positions to culinary staff to housekeeping — are locals who are eager to share their culture, answer questions, and discuss traditions and their origins.

While Fiji is an immanently welcoming culture, it’s also a conservative one. It is still a largely patriarchal society with stark gender-role divisions. Women are expected to marry and move to their husband’s village; gay marriage is illegal, and homosexuality is not publicly accepted by the mainstream. When you visit a Fijian village, you must dress appropriately (long skirts or dresses for women, no hats for men, shoulders covered). If you are welcomed, you will be offered kava and asked to take photos of village life. Children are especially curious about North Americans, our dress and mannerisms, and they might want to sit close to you and even touch you. And when it’s time to leave, they’ll let you know this, as well. This is, in no way, about cultural assimilation — it’s about education and coexisting as humans on the planet.

Fiji Airways just debuted its Airbus A350, with daily non-stop flights out of LAX and a swanky business class service with lie-flat beds. The service on Fiji Airways is far and away more gracious and luxurious than that of any North American airline I’ve ever experienced, and the comapny even offers free stopovers in Nadi up to 72 hours if you’re on your way to other destinations. (A full review of Fiji Airways’ new business class service from LAX is forthcoming).

It’s astonishing how much traditional culture has remained in tact on the islands until you go to consider that tourism is only 25% of the GDP. Fiji is still a developing country; a full 67% of residents are subsistence farmers. One of the country’s biggest sources of income is remittances from citizens working overseas (upwards of $200 million). Three military coups since 1987 have see the exodus of more than 60% of Fiji’s professional work force.

This is most certainly not to talk anyone out of going to Hawai’i, one of my favorite places on earth; rather it’s an answer to the question, “Why should I travel all the way to Fiji when I can get to Hawai’i so easily?” It’s a suggestion to stretch yourself a bit further and explore the rich depth of experience Fiji has to offer — and several reasons why you should, at least once in your life, travel all the way to Fiji from wherever you’re based in North America. You might just get hooked.