Things to do in Pacific Harbour, Fiji

Bula, Fiji!

Before travel came to a halt, we planned our second visit to Fiji at the beginning of March 2020, but this time on the main island of Viti Levu. There’s plenty of options for things to do, & Pacific Harbour, the adventure capital of Fiji, is why we chose this location.

Clear blue water, sandy beaches, & swaying palm trees, first comes to mind when we think of tropical paradise, Fiji. After our first visit and stay at Paradise Cove  in 2017, Fiji left a lasting impression in our hearts and changed our perception of this stunning place on earth. It embraces you with a genuine welcome, captivates a true meaning of kindness, and has a loving culture to remind us of how simple life should be.

Fiji surely has more to offer outside the comfort of your stay in resorts. There are many things to do & once in a lifetime experiences; you’ll never forget.

Where is Fiji?

 

LAX TO FIJI

airlines

British Airways, Fiji Airways, & Qantas are the leading airlines that services Fiji from the United States.

Directly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Nadi International Airport (NAN),  it’s approximately a 10 hour and 45 minutes flight via Fiji Airways. Nadi (pronounced nahn-di) is the main airport on the largest island of Fiji, Viti Levu.

If you’re staying at The Pearl Resort, the driver will make a much-needed rest stop at Baravi Handicrafts to and from the airport. They have a wide selection of souvenirs, locally carved crafts, & delicious coffee.

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Fiji Baravi Souvenir Shop

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Accommodation

From Nadi Airport (NAN) to The Pearl Resort:  2-1/2 hours

The Pearl Resort

The Pearl is 2-1/2 hours from the airport & such a beautiful drive after a full day of travel.

The resort has two sections – the old and the new wing. The resort overlooks Beqa Island & the beautiful blue waters of the South Pacific Ocean that we truly enjoyed during our stay.

The Pearl has five restaurants, including a swim-up bar that serves wood-fired pizza if you’re up for a simple meal.

We suggest staying on the ocean view side of the resort as the sunrises are breathtaking to wake up too.   A refreshing start of our day was sitting out on the balcony, having coffee, & watching the sunrise.  Now that’s paradise!!!

Things to Do in Fiji

There is something for everyone when visiting Fiji. When we, unfortunately, canceled our white river rafting and ziplining trip, we quickly found other things to do. Right before our travel day, my (LJ) back decided to go out and got worse our first day in Fiji. I could barely walk and so bummed we canceled our scheduled trips, but whatever we would do, we knew it would be priceless. We were in Fiji!

Traditional Fijian Healer

Moses, at the activities booth, recommended that I see, John, a traditional healer outside of the resort. The “not so sure look” Brett and I gave each other was evident, and then reassured by another staff, “Mama,” that this is who they send visitors to for reasons such as mine.  The latter, John, has healed major injuries naturally and took my pain away. Without even saying other problem areas I had (shoulder, wrist, elbows), he adjusted them all.  I was quickly impressed as the traditional healing was so different from western chiropractic ways—no excessive cracking nor pulling.

Waterfall

The Pearl Resort to Colo-I Suva Forest Park: 58 minutes

Make sure to bring: Change of clothes, sunscreen, insect repellant & FJD 5 for entry

Experience nature firsthand and take a trip to Colo-i-Suva (pronounced tholo-ee-soo-va), Forest National Prk. There are two natural pools; the upper pool close to Waisila Falls and lower where we went. Because of my back, Moses recommended that we just do lower pool as its quite a hike starting from the top.

We signed up for a “Waterfall Tour” but ended up just me, Brett, and our friendly driver, Nitesh. Typically, it is jam-packed with either locals or tourists, and luckily, we had this all to ourselves along with two local boys. It was the best time of private paradise, rope swinging, & swimming in the middle of Fiji’s tropical rain forest.

We highly recommend this place even if just to walk down and enjoy a peaceful picnic.  Nothing says paradise like being in the middle of the lush rainforest with the sound of fresh water streaming down the mountainside.

For the first 30-40 minutes, we had the waterfall all to ourselves & had the best time jumping into a natural pool & swimming with only our own voices and the sound of birds keeping us company.

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snorkel

Yes! Another excursion with no one else but us at Kombo Island with Liam, Robert, and Tuks!  Our captain and guides had a great sense of humor & made sure our time spent in Fiji was the best.  After all, one cannot fly across the pacific ocean without experiencing the reefs in Fiji!

This reef was the biggest we have ever snorkeled during our trips to tropical islands.  It felt never-ending with schools of colorful tropical fish swimming around us.

We swam out to the edge where the reef wall was deep, & Brett free dove to the bottom & caught a glimpse of a few blacktip sharks.

There is something magical about life underwater, everything seemingly in its perfect place in the underwater world.  It’s quiet, gleaming with so many different shapes and colors of fish as though we were swimming in an underwater orchestra.

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Cultural Experience

In 2017, our visit to a local village got canceled due to rough waters, so we finally had the opportunity three years later. The resort coordinated the time & day and brought our group to a village nearby where we were welcomed with open arms and brought in the meeting hall for the kava ceremony.

Most resorts offer village tours, and we recommend adding this to your list of things to do in Fiji to experience the other side of life outside the comfort of your resort stay.  It’s life-changing and will stay in your hearts forever.

There is no better way to experience and learn about local culture.  We walked around the village with 2 elders, who shared with us the history, daily life & closeness of their town. Life revolves around family & every family contributes to the success of the village.

Travel with Purpose

how you can help

Fiji schools have limited access to supplies, so on this trip, we brought an assortment of school supplies that we donated during our village tour. It’s not required, but this is one way you can help if you’re planning a visit to a village/school during your time in Fiji.

We visited a school of about 25 children, ages five and younger, and what a precious moment! Their unforgettable smiles and adorable laughter welcomed us with such cute voices as they sang us songs in 3 different languages. They’re so sweet, and oh, how they loved being in front of the camera. It’s so heartwarming to see how such a simple way of life produced so much pure happiness and love.

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Have you ever been to Fiji?  We would love to know how your experience was if you’ve been! If you haven’t, we hope our experience inspired you to take a trip to this beautiful place one day.

If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comment box below. We’re open to new ideas and suggestions.

Comments (32)

Fiji is definitely on my travel list when things open back up! Thanks for mentioning the school visits — love how you gave insight on how people can give back to the place they’re visiting!

Hi, Joanne! You’re welcome and thank you for your feedback =) Visiting towns/villages outside of the resort is such a wonderful experience for us. It really opens our eyes, hearts, and minds. Hope you will check this off of your bucketlist one day. We highly recommend Melissa, the owner at fijivacations.com We’ve used them since 2017 (Fiji Yasawa Islands), 2019 (The Cook Islands), and this recent trip. If you reach out to her, let her know we (LJ & Brett) referred you and she will send you great deals. She and her team will take good care of you. Take care, and thank you for stopping by, Joanne. -LJ

I have always wanted to visit Fiji, I hope I get to one day and I can use your post:) Thanks for the great detail!

Yes, we hope you get to experience beautiful Fiji one day too, Peyton. Maybe when you’re in Bali again, you can take a flight over to Fiji =) (Loved your Bali posts) -LJ

I haven’t been to Fiji! It, along with other islands in the South Pacific, is on my list, but I am having trouble convincing my husband that we need to go! He’s not sure if we are “beach people,” though with the slower pace we’ve adopted in this quieter time, he might be able to be convinced now. 😉 I love that you were able to visit the local village with the elders and learn more about the culture. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that discussed on anything I’ve ever read about Fiji!

Hi, Sara! Oh, yes, Fiji is so much more than just beaches, so we hope you and your husband will experience the islands of the South Pacific one day. =) I really enjoyed your post on Paris at Christmas time. I was going to subscribe to your blog, but I couldn’t find the option =) -LJ

Awesome post. Fiji is on our list of “would love to travel” one day so it is really nice that you shared your experience. I love the giving to the children’s school for sure. Thank you for sharing. Holly

You’re welcome, Holly. I really enjoyed reading your “About Us” and look forward to following along your and Horace’s travel journey on a budget. So exciting! -LJ

Figi is so on my bucket list. Time to pull out the suitcases!

Hi, Sandi! Yes, time to pull out the suitcases (and dust them off for now) 😉 until we’re comfortable to travel again. Thank you for stopping by. -LJ

I really enjoyed your article, and great that you were somewhat able to recover from your back issues – that’s never any fun! My favorite parts were the snorkeling (which I love), and the visit to the school – the children are adorable! However, I must say the cultural excursion and the natural pool with waterfall seem interesting a well. Bottom line – looks like a great adventure and a fun place to visit!

Hi, Roselyn! Thank you so much! This is our 2nd time to Fiji since 2017, and there’s a little bit of everything for everyone. We’ll be posting a YouTube video on Sunday during our time here, and hope you will enjoy it. Happy retirement to you and your husband. I enjoyed your blog and look forward to following along. =)

How beautiful! I have to go there someday! Thanks for all the information!

You’re welcome, Engie. It really is beautiful, and we hope you will experience one day. =) Have a great weekend.

Fiji is one of those places that looks so good in the travel magazines, I’m almost afraid to believe it is as good as it looks! I do like that it hasn’t become tooooo resortified, and that there are still great opportunities to see the beautiful scenery and have some fun adventures.

We couldn’t agree with you more, Cate. =) In 2017, we took our first trip to Fiji but in the Yasawas. There, it was like the photos we’ve seen in magazines. If you’re interested, here’s the link to our post to see the difference of scenery =) Have a good weekend, Cate. =)

I have never been to Fiji before but after reading your article I want to go right now! I will add Fiji to my list of places to visit. I love snorkeling so I would probably spend my most of the time in the water. 😉 I love the fact that you donated some supplies to the local school! That was amazing!

Yes, Anisa, I hope you’ll get to check-off “Snorkeling in Fiji” off of your list one day. Thankfully, I pushed my fear of water aside just a few years ago and got to see a different side of the (underwater) world. Almost 40 years, I would have missed out on the beauty underwater. It’s nice to connect through a great group! I’ll be looking forward to your blog posts here on out. =)

Wow, Fiji looks BEAUTIFUL! I would love to go someday!

That is so sweet that you were able to donate school supplies on your tour. That is such a great way to give back while on vacation.

Such an awesome post!

Thank you, Tegan. It really is beautiful and so are the lovely people who live there. =) We’re glad that we got a chance to help out with school supplies on this trip. In 2017, the water was too rough to be out on the boat, so we canceled our school visit. Your blog is great and found it helpful, so I subscribed. Am looking forward to connecting more. This is a great group =)

Fiji looks amazing! My sister-in-law went a couple years ago and still talks about how much she wants to go back.

Fiji leaves a lasting impression in your hearts. When your sister-in-law goes back, join her 😉 Have a good weekend, Mariah.

WOw looks so fascinating, specially the resort and the waterfalls. Also,
the cultural experiences..

Hi, Gabi! Yes, the overall experience was surely fascinating, and we look forward to going back. Have you been to Fiji or other islands in the south pacific?

I enjoyed how you brought Figi to life! Your blog and pictures illustrate the beauty of the land, and welcoming and kind nature of the people. Thanks for sharing your experiences there. I would enjoy visiting there someday!

You’re welcome, Beth! This is our 2nd time to Fiji and look forward to visiting more of the local islands. We hope you get to experience Fiji someday, Beth.

Fiji is on our “to do” list, and this post helps confirm that decision. I think we would be most excited to SCUBA dive. It is wonderful that you took school supplies with you to donate while there- what a great idea!

Friends we met during our time there dove with the sharks the day before we left and said it was a great experience. One day, I’ll do my first SCUBA dive….. Fiji is family friendly and we think you & your family will love it. We brought our youngest daughter in 2017 to the Yasawas and loved the hospitality & smiles all around.

I’ve fallen in love with Fiji Island! I love how you covered all the things to do. I love the scenery and the culture with dancing and school children. So lovely! Thanks for sharing.

Hello, Debbie!
Fiji is such a beautiful place – the islands and people =) Hopefully one day, you will get to experience an unforgettable trip to Fiji, Debbie. =) -LJ

This looks like an amazing trip and Fiji was never really on my radar but now it is! Love your video! Thank you for sharing so many different aspects of your trip.

Hi, Denise! We hope you get to experience Fiji one day! It’s such a beautiful and unforgettable experience. We love it and look forward to many more Fiji holidays. -LJ

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