17 Yasawa Islands Tips That'll Save You Money, Time, and Embarrassment
The Yasawa Islands are Fiji's most beautiful and most logistically confusing destination. A chain of 20 volcanic islands in the remote northwest, accessible only by catamaran or seaplane, with no ATMs, no pharmacies, and a cultural etiquette system that nobody explains to you until you've already messed it up. The turquoise lagoons here rival those of in French Polynesia.
I spent ten days island-hopping the Yasawas. Here's everything I learned the hard way.
Getting There
1. The Yasawa Flyer Catamaran Is Your Only Affordable Option
The Awesome Adventures Yasawa Flyer is a high-speed catamaran that departs Port Denarau (near Nadi) daily at 8:30 AM and stops at resorts along the Yasawa chain. One-way tickets range from FJD 135-250 (~$60-112 USD) depending on how far up the chain you're going. Round-trip is double.
Book online at awesomefiji.com. In peak season (July-September), it sells out — book at least a week ahead.
The alternative is a seaplane with Pacific Island Air (FJD 400-800 one-way, ~$180-360), which is stunning but expensive. Or a helicopter charter, which is even more expensive and slightly insane.
2. The Catamaran Journey Is Long
Depending on your island, the Flyer takes 2-5 hours. The northern Yasawas (Nacula, Tavewa) are a full 4.5-5 hour ride. Bring sunscreen, water, and something to read. The views are beautiful but five hours is five hours.
Motion sickness tip: sit on the lower deck, toward the center, facing forward. The upper deck is for photos, not for people who get seasick.
3. Book Return Ferry Before You Leave
I've met travelers who showed up at their island hoping to catch the ferry back to Nadi and found it fully booked. The Flyer runs one departure north in the morning and one south in the afternoon. If it's full, you're stuck until tomorrow. Book your return when you book your outward trip.
Money & Budget
4. Budget Resorts Include Meals (Usually)
Most Yasawa budget and mid-range resorts operate on a meal-inclusive basis: dorm or bungalow rate includes three meals daily. This sounds expensive (FJD 100-250/night, ~$45-112) until you realize there's nowhere else to eat. There are no restaurants, no shops, no food trucks. Your resort IS your food source.
Ask before booking what's included. Some include all meals; others charge extra for lunch.
5. Bring Cash — Seriously, Bring Cash
There are zero ATMs in the Yasawa Islands. Zero. The nearest ATM is in Nadi, 2-5 hours away by boat. Some resorts accept credit cards (with a 3-5% surcharge), but many budget places are cash-only.
I brought FJD 800 ($360) for ten days and it was barely enough. Budget FJD 50-100/day ($22-45) for activities, drinks, and tips on top of your accommodation.
6. The Yasawas Are Cheaper Than You Think (But Also Not)
Dorms start at FJD 60-80/night (~$27-36) with meals at places like Korovou Eco-Tour Resort or Gold Coast Inn. That's bed + breakfast + lunch + dinner for less than a Nadi hotel room. But add activities (snorkeling trips FJD 30-60, cave tours FJD 40-80, village visits FJD 20-40) and drinks (a beer is FJD 8-12, ~$3.60-5.40), and it adds up.
Cultural Etiquette
7. Sevusevu Is Not Optional
Sevusevu is the formal presentation of a gift (traditionally kava root, called yaqona) to a village chief before entering village land. If your resort arranges a village visit, they'll handle the kava. If you visit independently, bring a bundle of dried kava root — available at Nadi market for FJD 20-30 (~$9-13).
Present it with both hands, say "This is our sevusevu," and wait for the chief to accept and perform a short ceremony. This isn't a tourist ritual — it's a genuine protocol, and skipping it is deeply disrespectful.
8. Remove Your Hat in Villages
Hats are a sign of disrespect when speaking to a chief or elder. Remove yours before entering a village and keep it off during the entire visit. I watched a tourist keep his hat on during a kava ceremony and the look on the chief's face said everything.
9. Dress Modestly (Especially Women)
On the beach at your resort? Swimwear is fine. In a village? Women should cover shoulders and knees with a sulu (sarong). Men should wear shirts. Most resorts will lend you a sulu for village visits.
10. Bula Is a Way of Life
"Bula!" is the Fijian greeting — it means everything from hello to cheers to good morning. Say it constantly. Yell it. Whisper it. Every person you pass, every boat you wave at, every child who runs toward you. Fijians bula each other all day long and they love it when visitors do the same.
On the Islands
11. The Blue Lagoon Is Real (and Really That Blue)
Yes, it's the actual filming location for the 1980 Brooke Shields movie. Yes, the water is impossibly turquoise. Yes, it's worth visiting even if you've never seen the film. Located between Nanuya Lailai and Nanuya Levu islands, most resorts in the area include a Blue Lagoon snorkeling trip.
12. Sawa-i-Lau Caves Are a Must — But Claustrophobes Beware
Sacred limestone caves on Sawa-i-Lau island. The first chamber is cathedral-like — towering ceiling, light filtering through openings. But the second chamber requires swimming through an underwater passage in the dark (about 3 meters, with a guide holding a flashlight). I loved it. My travel partner had a minor panic attack.
Tours: FJD 40-80 (~$18-36) through nearby resorts.
13. Pack Less Clothing Than You Think
You'll wear a swimsuit and a t-shirt every day. Maybe shorts for evenings. You don't need multiple outfits, fancy clothes, or anything that requires ironing. I brought seven shirts and wore three of them. Bring reef shoes, a sulu, and sunscreen. That's the Yasawa wardrobe.
14. Reef Shoes Are Non-Negotiable
The beaches are beautiful but many have sharp coral near the waterline. Reef shoes protect your feet while snorkeling, wading, and walking on the reef flats. I cut my foot on Day 2 and it took a week to heal in the humid salt air. Buy reef shoes before you arrive.
15. Snorkeling Off the Beach Is Often Excellent
You don't need to pay for a snorkeling trip to see incredible marine life. Many Yasawa resorts have house reefs accessible from shore. Octopus Resort on Waya Island has one of the best house reefs in Fiji. Mantaray Island Resort gets manta ray visits at the right time of year.
Ask your resort about their house reef before booking expensive boat trips.
16. Sunscreen Will Run Out
The Fiji sun is brutal — you're essentially on the equator. SPF 50+, reef-safe, reapplied every two hours. I went through a full large tube in five days. There are no shops to buy more in the Yasawas. Bring two tubes minimum.
17. Stay at Least Three Islands
The temptation is to pick one resort and stay put. Resist it. Each Yasawa island has a different character: Waya is mountainous with challenging hikes, Nacula has the Blue Lagoon and cave tours, Tavewa is the budget backpacker hub, Kuata has shark diving. The Bula Pass from Awesome Adventures lets you island-hop with unlimited ferry rides for a set period — FJD 499 (~$224) for 7 days.
Three islands, three nights each, is the perfect Yasawa trip. Move north up the chain and catch the ferry south back to Nadi.
For even more remote Pacific adventures, Vanuatu delivers erupting volcanoes and blue holes, while Moorea offers French Polynesian lagoons at their finest.
