How to spend 17 hours in Fiji

I flew with Fiji Airways when I visited Australia and I happened to find a flight with a 17 hour layover in Fiji. Extended layovers are best during international travel, it is a 2-for-1 vacation!

After all that time on a plane flying from Los Angeles, I knew I wanted to get in the water!  After all, Fiji is known for pristine waters and reefs.  I checked Viator – a great spot to find day trips for destinations all over the world – and found lots of options.  I did a full catamaran sailing and snorkel tour, lunch included. It was also my first time on a sailboat, so I was excited.  After I landed at Nadi International (NAN), I exchanged some U.S. Dollars into Fijian Dollars.  I grabbed my bag and left it in luggage storage and took a cab to Port Denarau.  Just my checked suitcase, I packed what I needed for the day cruise (swimsuit, wet clothes bag, sunscreen, camera, wallet, IDs, etc) and took it with me.  

At the port, I checked in for my cruise, just by showing my confirmation from Viator. I was about an hour early so I changed into my swimsuit and threw my clothes in my day bag.  While I waited for boarding, I walked around the port and adjacent shopping area, grabbed some coffee and a light breakfast. Fijian money is so colorful, it looks like a rainbow. I ended up saving some to take home!  The weather was also perfect, warm, clear skies, and sunny.  

During this trip, I knew I would be in the water a few times. I brought my Go Pro camera, I have never used it underwater before.  I practiced a bit at home in Laguna Beach before.  Let me tell you, balancing and controlling yourself in the water is a completely different story when you are also holding a camera and trying to take photos!  I sort of got the hang of it, here are a few underwater photos I took.

Since I was only in Fiji for 16 hours, I didn’t get to visit the more remote islands and reef areas, but it was still awesome!  The water was warm and clear, especially with the sun glowing from above.  Lots of fish and corals!  I saw sea turtles and bright blue starfish.  

The lunch was buffet style, with everything…lots of fresh tropical fruits, grilled meats and seafood, a couple of desserts, lemonade, and other soft drinks. Cocktails were available for purchase, the coconut martini was great.

My tour probably had about 40ish people total and took us to a few different snorkel sites.  At the last location, I only stayed for part of the allowed time.  I changed back into my normal clothes and laid out my swimsuit to dry as much as possible.  It was 90% dry by the time I had to pack it up again.  

I made some friends, a couple of local girls, and we hung out during the cruise and a little bit after exploring the shops at the port.  They helped me grab a cab. We ended up staying in touch via social media.  When I arrived back at Nadi Airport, I grabbed my suitcase and checked in for my short flight to Brisbane.  It was an amazing adventure, and I had no trouble falling asleep on the plane!