Under $100: Nadi, Fiji

Say bula and pack your surfing quiver, here’s our guide to Nadi, Fiji, with less than $100.

Start your day at the Nadi Municipal Market, located downtown and bustling with vendors selling spices and produce. If you feel a little adventurous in the culinary sense, try a sip of the traditional Fijian kava drink. Kava is a plant native to the South Pacific belonging to the pepper family whose roots are used to make an intoxicating beverage enjoyed with friends and during religious ceremonies. While it is a part of Fijian culture, exercise caution as several countries imposed regulations on the substance.

Other than overpriced water, Fiji is perhaps best known as a surfing destination, with hundreds of points scattered across the country’s many islands. Thanks to a government decree in 2010, surfing in Fiji has effectively been deregulated, allowing public access to any beach, including the cherished points that were once exclusive to patrons of expensive resorts. If you’re looking to try your hand at a swell, surfing is available year-round in Fiji, but concentrated in two surfing seasons. Fiji’s winter from April to October is the best, with consistently low-pressure systems bringing eight to 10 foot waves. The summer season from November to March has lighter waves with hotter weather and afternoon showers.

The most popular spots like Cloudbreaks, Lighthouse and Swimming Pools are located on the south end of the Mamanuca island chain. To get there, you need to take a two-and-a-half-hour bus ride from Nadi to Pacific Harbour, costing around 30 Fijian dollars. From there, it’s a 20-minute boat ride to the break. If you are looking to get surfing lessons, there are numerous instructors on the islands. Fiji Surf School is a well reviewed school serving the Nadi area with lessons and full day surfing tours. The instructors cater to all skill levels and will do pick up and drop off to your hotel.

Fiji might be a beach paradise, but if you are looking for some culture, be sure to check out Viseisei, one of the country’s oldest indigenous villages, settled by the Lapita people more than 3,000 years ago. Here, you can learn what life was like living in a village, explore a traditional hut and watch a ceremonial drum ritual. The village has hosted many Fijian leaders and international dignitaries like Prince Charles. Admission costs five Fijian dollars, and women are advised to dress conservatively.