Packing list for Fiji, travel insurance for Fiji, and taking your belongings

What to take to Fiji: brief

To bring and check

• Documents: Passport valid for at least 6 months upon arrival and a return or onward ticket. Check always the current rules for your nationality. Are you traveling via the US or Australia? Then don't forget any ESTA or ETA regulations.
• Money: Fiji dollar (FJD). In larger towns and resorts, you can often withdraw cash or pay by card, but on smaller islands, cash often works better. So, bring some cash for boats, small shops, or accommodations where a "broken card machine" is sometimes a way of life.
• Personal Care: sunscreen with a high protection factor, lip balm with SPF, and mosquito repellent. The tropical sun is intense and the humidity is high. When you have a favorite sunscreen or sensitive skin, it is better to bring it from home, as products on small islands are limited and more expensive.
• Outdoor gear and practicals: sunglasses, a dry bag, and a reusable water bottle. Chances are you will frequently be on a boat, walking through a tropical downpour, or spontaneously diving into the water.
• Clothing: light clothing for warm weather, but also something with long sleeves to protect against mosquitoes and the sun. Outside of resorts and beaches, modest clothing is appreciated, especially in villages.
• Shoes: water shoes or sturdy sandals are useful due to coral, sea urchins, and rocky beaches. Flip-flops are ideal, until you step right into a reef.
• Medicines and travel first-aid kit: a small first-aid kit with ORS, plasters, painkillers, tweezers, and any personal medication. Especially handy if you are traveling to smaller islands where pharmacies are limited.
• Mosquitoes and sandflies: bringing DEET or Picaridin is smart. Mosquitoes can transmit dengue, and sandflies are particularly prevalent on some beaches.
• Technology and equipment: Type I universal adapter (Australian/New Zealand model). A power bank can also be handy while island hopping.

To consider

• A snorkel set when you want to snorkel a lot and don't want to rent it every time.
• A UV-protective swim shirt or rash guard to protect against sunburn while snorkeling or kayaking.
• Travel laundry detergent: clothes dry quickly in the tropical heat.
• A waterproof phone case for fun coral photos.
• Earplugs for roosters, partying backpackers, or villages where people wake up surprisingly early.
• A small gift or something from your home country if you are staying with locals.
• Extra patience for “Fiji time”: rushing is usually a concept from other countries here.

What knowledge is useful when you go to Fiji?

• Knowledge of the climate helps enormously. Fiji has a tropical climate with a wet season from about November to April, during which heavy rain and cyclones can occur.
• Knowledge of marine safety is also useful. Strong currents, sharp coral, and sea urchins are often a bigger problem than the animals tourists worry about.
• Additionally, it helps to know something about local culture and customs. Fiji is friendly and relaxed, but traditional villages appreciate respectful clothing and behavior.

Are there mosquitoes in Fiji?

• Yes. Especially during the wet season and around stagnant water.
• Mosquitoes can transmit diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and sometimes Zika. Malaria does not occur in Fiji.
• More about protection against mosquitoes and insects.

Are there sandflies in Fiji?

• Yes, especially around beaches, mangroves, and damp coastal areas.
• They are small, quiet, and annoyingly effective at finding exactly that patch of skin you forgot to apply repellent to.
• Long clothing and mosquito repellent usually work well.
• More about sandflies and sand fleas.

Can you buy DEET, or other mosquito repellents, in Fiji?

• Yes, especially in larger towns, supermarkets, and pharmacies.
• On smaller islands, the selection may be limited and often more expensive than at home. Therefore, it is preferable to bring enough from home.

Can you buy a joint or weed in Fiji, or bring it to Fiji?

• Cannabis is illegal in Fiji. Use, possession, sale, and bringing it in can lead to hefty fines or imprisonment.
• It is sometimes offered to tourists, but that does not mean it is safe or legal.