Fiji is opened to tourists again what my visit was like + photos – Insider

I was one of the first international travelers to arrive in Fiji since the islands' borders were closed to foreign nationals in March 2020.

Shutting its borders early helped Fiji avoid the ravages of a pandemic that could have wreaked havoc on a remote archipelago. Twenty months later, the nation is taking precautions to try to safely welcome international visitors again.

Here's what it was like to visit Fiji after its almost two years without tourism.

On November 30, I set out from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to get to Los Angeles International Airport for the inaugural flight to Fiji with my vaccination cards, a negative COVID-19 test, and hotel reservations for my stay.

I downloaded the CareFIJI contact-tracing app for use during my stay and had gotten my booster shot two days prior.

I took these precautions because I know Fiji is trying to safely welcome tourists back and the majority of its population is fully vaccinated. As of December, all travelers going to Fiji need a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 24 hours before the flight.

I was invited to be one of a handful of US journalists on the first Fiji Airways flight from the US to Fiji in almost two years. My round-trip business-class ticket from LAX to Nadi International Airport was covered.

A business-class round-trip ticket typically costs about $4,500 to $5,000. Round-trip economy-class tickets can be about $720 to $800.

It was nearing midnight when I boarded my long-haul flight to the South Pacific. By the time I arrived at my destination, an entire day had evaporated.

The entire travel time from leaving for Newark to checking into my Fijian hotel room was 23 hours.

But the energy and excitement awaiting me at Nadi International eliminated any time-zone-induced grogginess.

Fire engines flanked the runway, greeting our plane with a water salute. Grass-skirted musicians and dancers serenaded the arriving guests as they exited past security I was even pulled into an early-in-the-morning dance in front of a crowd of strangers.

A marching band performed outside the arrivals terminal as Fiji tourism representatives handed out traditional Fijian gifts to guests. News cameras lingered by the exit doors to interview the jet-lagged and unsuspecting arrivals about their experience aboard Fiji Airways which is how I found myself, completely disheveled, broadcast on the evening news.

As we drove toward the roundabout leaving the airport, people danced along the periphery of the road, cheering and waving to our vehicle.

Of Fiji's 300 islands, only about 100 are inhabited, and where you choose to stay can drastically affect the landscape, culture, and weather of your trip.

The western side of the archipelago is sunnier with bluer waters, and the northern side is more rustic and remote.

On Viti Levu, which is more central, I stayed at a beachfront bure (a Fijian word for a wood-and-straw hut) overlooking a lagoon at the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay.

After two days I headed northeast to Vanua Levu, home of the seaside town of Savusavu, described as Fiji's "best-kept secret."

"Oh, now you've really been to Fiji," my driver told me when I landed on the remote, mountainous island after two Fiji Link flights from the mainland.

I stayed at a beachfront bure at Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, an eco-luxury resort surrounded by tropical forests, overlooking Savusavu Bay.

In the morning I boated out to the uninhabited private island of Naviavia for a Fijian breakfast of champions that included papaya fruit, pineapple, soursop, watermelon, and coconut juice.

After breakfast I explored the famous reefs that are known as the "soft coral capital of the world."

I saw the bright, lush corals and tropical fish that populate the giant gorgonians beneath the water. The diving reminded me of exploring an underwater mountain, as the drop-off was spectacular, and when you looked down it felt like you could see forever.

Later I went on an excursion to swim beneath the jungle pools of Nakawaga Waterfall and learn about the history of the land and the medicinal properties of the flora and fauna with a local healer.

On Monday, December 6, I headed south for the Kadavu Island Group to visit Kokomo Private Island, one of the most luxurious resorts in Oceania.

The trip required a 45-minute flight from Savusavu to Nadi, then another from Nadi to Nausori, where I was collected via helicopter to arrive on the private island.

The 45-minute helicopter ride took me over the Astrolabe Reef, said to be the fourth-largest barrier reef in the world.

When I went diving there later, I was so entranced by the underwater mountains that extend over 62 miles across the South Pacific that I nearly descended too far into the watery depths. My diving guide had to instruct me to come up for air.

The Kadavu Island Group is famous for the diversity of its underwater corals and sea life.

On land, the island was an explosion of tropical flowers. It's home to the Kadavu parrot, a protected species.

After a couple of days of reef fishing, spa treatments, and beach hopping, I boarded a seaplane for Port Denarau and spent a night drinking rum at Suka Bar in the Sofitel Fiji.

The next morning, I boarded a high-speed catamaran to Castaway Island in the Mamanucas.

The catamaran, which transports passengers to different islands and resorts, reminded me of a school bus except everyone is thrilled to begin their vacations and there's a wet bar.

The first morning at Castaway, I visited the Supermarket, the famous dive site along the Malolo Barrier Reef.

At one point during my dive, a blacktip reef shark swam directly toward me. The shark, which was over 6 feet long, started circling me at one point.

He seemed curious and friendly (and distinctly masculine, I've decided). The shark followed us for the rest of our dive and even came up toward the surface for our safety stop.

The Mamanuca Islands, which consist of about 20 islands along the western side of Fiji, are pretty popular with travelers. That's also the part of Fiji where shows like "Castaway," "Survivor," "The Bachelor," and more were filmed.

Fiji's west side is sunnier and famous for its blue water, white-sand beaches, and great waves for surfing.

I wasn't able to surf at the time, so I hit up Cloud 9, a floating bar in the middle of the South Pacific that overlooks Cloudbreak.

My final stop was Turtle Island, in the Yasawas of northwest Fiji.

I reached Turtle Island after five hours at sea and was greeted with singing and dancing, as well as a traditional kava ceremony.

There I went on daily excursions to the island's 12 private beaches, including Devil's Beach, where the 1980 drama "The Blue Lagoon" was filmed.

I spent afternoons riding horseback to the mountaintop to view the sunset and gathering around communal tables with other guests.

Best of all, I learned how to go crab hunting in the Fijian bush after nightfall, mastering the two-step method of capturing a crab with my bare hands. (I caught three.)

I boarded my flight home tanner, calmer, and happier than I was before I departed. The kindness and beauty I experienced made it clear to me why Fiji has been called one of the happiest nations on Earth.

I also couldn't believe how much transportation I took while exploring Fiji's many islands. Aside from the four long-haul flights (transpacific and transcontinental each way), my 12-day trip required four water taxis, three Fiji Link planes, three speedboats, two high-speed catamarans, one seaplane, and a helicopter to navigate the Fijian archipelago.

Overall, it was amazing to be able to visit Fiji after months of it being closed off to international visitors.

With all the precautions in place, I felt safe in this South Pacific paradise, and I can see why it's on so many bucket lists. Just note that it's important to check the latest safety guidelines if you're planning a visit.

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Fiji is opened to tourists again what my visit was like + photos - Insider