Nadi Travel Forum

I have a eight hour layover in Fiji on my way to Tonga from LAX for a medical mission. Any suggestions of how to spend that time? We arrive at 5:30am, so perhaps a nice breakfast or brunch. On the return trip we have an 11 hour layover from 11am until 10pm.

One thing you could do is get a taxi to the nearby Tanoa Hotel for breakfast, and probably you could have a swim in their pool. Even better hotels are out at the Denaru area, if you want to travel further from the airport at Nadi, and these have beaches. There are some great gardens at the Sleeping Giant area, but this would require either a hired car, taxi, or tour. I consider the marketplace at Lautoka to be interesting, but it might not be to your taste, as it is very "local" and a bit grubby -- but that's also what you are going to find in Tonga, so it might be a good introduction to the region.

There are plenty of other things to do here when you have your 11-hour layover, such as river rafting and jungle hiking and small boat tours, so you could do some research on the internet to figure out what might suit you best, and what might fit your timeframe. Just keep in mind that checking back into the airport can be an unpleasant and time-consuming effort(no A/C!, long lines), so be at least 2 hours early. Bula! (welcome greeting in Fiji).