Tips to Dive and Travel Budget in Fiji

When people mention trip to Fiji, people may think of honeymoon destination or luxury travel. Fiji indeed attracts a lot of high end tourists and newlywed for honeymoon. However, you would not found overcrowded tourists in Fiji even there are many islands with lots of nice white sandy beaches, crystal clear water and fantastic diving. I guess more or less it is because people consider trip to Fiji as “luxury trip”.

When you consider the cost of living in Fiji is actually pretty low, you know "only luxury trip in Fiji" is not entirely true. You can actually travel at budget to this amazing country and consider Fiji for a dive trip. You just need to prepare your mindset that travelling on budget or low cost always come with inconvenience and everything take longer time, but it is entirely feasible!
If you are still up for it, I am going to share some information and tips on how could you save some monies and make it happen.

Diving Price
Just to give you a rough idea of the diving price in Fiji. Multiple days diving is always cheaper, normally discount price start from 3 dive days. In most places in Fiji, like Rainbow Reef or Bligh Water or Kadavu Island or Coral Coast, you could get around FJ$ 700 - 800 for 3 days boat dive with 2 tanks and most of the dive shops include dive gear in that price. Some dive shops that based at the resort would require you to be the guest at the resort to use the dive service and those dive shops are typically more expensive. 

For some remote dive places or speciality dives, it would cost more, for example:
Nadi - FJ$ 410 (to be honest, I am not so sure why dive cost in Nadi are pretty pricey.)
Namena Island - FJ$ 350 per day (2 tanks) + marine park fees
Shark diving at Pacific Harbour - FJ$ 350 - 400 per day (2 tanks) 

A tips is to send an email to the dive shops to ask if they have any special price for multiple-day diving. Some dive shops offer discount price, particularly after the COVID situation.

Also, there is no tipping customary in Fiji, do not feel like you would need to add 10% tip on the price. Of course, it is totally fine if you want to tip for kind gesture.

Accommodation
Another major cost would be accommodation. You would find there is not much choice of hostels and budget hotels in Fiji except places which are more touristy like Nadi or Suva or Savusavu. In some islands like Taveuni, Kadavu, Yasawa where all the amazing reef are, there may be even no hostel option and you would be barely able to find any budget hotel.

In that case, homestay is another budget option in Fiji, however, it is pretty hard to find information of them and most of them only have contact with a phone number, no email, no social media. Yes, you would need to call them to enquiry availability and book through phone call. Even they have facebook, they typically do not reply, but it does not mean they do not operate anymore. Give them a call. 
Staying at homestay, your host normally provide meals with additional costs. Please do not expect too much for a homestay, it would be really local as it is a local home, so there may be no stable electricity, no hot/warm water for shower, no air-conditioning or no fan. My advice for you is to have some expectation of what you would get for a homestay. Also, please be respectful with the home rules if you stay at a homestay, eg alcohol consumption. 

Some budget options for your information, I only included places where options are a bit hard to locate. 
Actual price may be different than below, please double check. (as of early 2022)

Transportation
Inter-islands transportation
As Fiji has so many islands, transportation could be another huge cost that you could not imagine, particularly for inter-island transportation.
There are a lot of islands with great diving outside the main island - Viti Levu, such as Rainbow Reef at Taveuni, Astrolabe Reef at Kadavu Island etc... There are flights flying to those places, like Taveuni (Fiji airway), Kadauv (Fiji airway), Yasawa (with private jet), but it is pretty expensive, even though the price is relatively cheaper after the COVID situation. 

If you want budget inter-island travel, taking ferries with Goundar shipping. You need to prepare the transit time from 1 hour flight time to 15 hours plus ferry ride, but it is much cheaper. Most of the long journey ferries would start at evening and arriving the destination next morning. But some routes only go 1 or 2 times a week, so plan ahead with the transportation. 

Just give you a rough idea on the price:
Flight return ticket from Nadi to Taveuni costs around FJ$ 500 (cheapest I could find)
[Before COVID, it costs at least FJ$ 1,000, so I am not sure when would the price bound back.]
Ferry return ticket from Suva to Taveuni costs FJ$ 134 (normal seat price)

(Please be aware that Fiji Airway only allow 15KG for domestic flight, if you have your dive luggage, prepare to pay for extra weight. You may not need to pay for over-weight if you are lucky.)

Check Goundar shipping Limited Facebook for more detailed of the routes they go, some popular routes included:
  Suva - Savusavu - Taveuni Island (one way FJ$ 67)
  Suva - Kadavu Island (one way FJ$ 49)
  Suva - Lau Goup
You would need to get the ferry ticket(s) at their office, call them +679 3301035 for schedule if you can not locate in their Facebook.

Goundar shipping ferries also has cabins which will be nicer for overnight journey, the carbin will be a room with two bunk beds. It will cost more of course. 

Transportation to Yasawa Group
Sadly, Goundar Shipping does not provide service to Yasawa Group. Budget option to Yasawa Group is taking ferries with Taweva Seabus, they depart from Lautoka Wharf. 
One way fare costs FJ$ 120 
Other option is Yasawa Flyer. FYI Yasawa Flyer would be more expensive. 

Inter-cities Transportation on Viti Levu Island
For inter-cities transportation on the main island, my advice is to take local bus instead of taxi/ hiring private car. The price difference could be a lot, but local buses do not run very frequent.
Check Sunbeam Fiji, their Facebook post latest schedule. 
Rough idea on the pricing:
Sunbeam Bus price from Nadi airport to Suva is FJ$ 16
Private transport from Nadi airport to Suva is FJ$ 290

I hope the above information is helpful. My final advice is to bring enough cash to cover accommodation, transportation and other spending. It is really hard to find ATM outside main island and it is very common that there is no ATM in most of the islands. (eg. there is only one ATM in Taveuni Island in town) 

Considering how amazing the diving in Fiji, it should not stop you to consider it as an option for dive trip just because it sounds expensive. It is totally worth the afford to go and dive there.