Fiji

Fiji has a liberal travel policy. Citizens of over 100 countries including Australia, Canada, China, countries within the European Union, India, the United Kingdom, and the US do not require a tourist visa. Most visitors are granted permits on arrival that last 4 months. The visitor permit may be extended for up to 2 additional months for a fee. All visitors receive entry stamps, but not exit stamps.

In Fiji the currency is the Fijian dollar, denoted by the symbol "F$" or "$" (ISO currency code: FJD). Wikivoyage articles will use $ to denote the currency. Bills include: $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. You may also encounter a $7 Fijian note, although you're better off keeping that rather than spending it as it is quite rare. Coins include: 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, $1, and a $2 coin. In some areas, the Australian dollar is also accepted, but unlike some other Pacific Island countries, AUD is not the preferred method of payment.

Fiji has a variety of public transport options, including buses, share taxis, and private taxis. Rates are very cheap: $1-2 (Fiji dollars) from Colo-i-Suva to Suva bus station by bus, $17 from Nadi bus station to Suva by share-taxi (share-taxis are usually white mini-vans that congregate and set-off when they reach their capacity of 6-8), or approximately $80 from Suva airport to Sigatoka by private taxi. On the main road circling Viti Levu buses run every half hour and taxis are a substantial proportion of traffic, while on western Taveuni buses make only a few runs per day and very little tr…

Fiji has three official languages, namely English, Fijian and Hindi. Fijian is the first language of the native Melanesian population, while a local variant of Hindi is mainly spoken by those of Indian descent. English is the lingua franca and medium of instruction in Fijian schools, and is widely spoken across Fiji. Residents of some remote islands may not be fluent in English, so learning some Fijian phrases will come in handy when travelling to those areas. Even in major cities, it is always…

===Crime=== Most crime takes place in the outer suburbs of Suva and Nadi, away from the resort areas. The best advice is to stick to hotel grounds after dark, and to use extreme caution in Suva, Nadi and other urbanised areas after nightfall. Travellers have been victims of violent crime, particularly in Suva. Travellers have reported the regularity of petty robberies, muggings, and also home-invasions/rape, etc. You will notice the predominance of bars on most peoples' homes. Economic and ethnic strife has led to a low-level hum of violent crime. Some resorts and hotels have more extensive se…

===Diseases=== Fiji is relatively free of disease compared to most of the tropics. Avoid mosquito-borne illnesses, such as dengue fever and even elephantiasis by covering up thoroughly or using repellents while outdoors at dawn or dusk.

There are two mobile phone companies operating on the island (Vodafone, Digicel) as well as an MVNO (Inkk) which resells Vodafone's network. Tourists are invited to use prepaid sim chips which can be found free or cheap in the mobile operator kiosks in the Nadi airport. You can top-up the balance online with a credit card, or by visiting a retail store that advertises top ups. The phone number is required to top up and is provided when signing up for the sim chip so please make a note of it.

===Religion=== Fiji, like many Pacific Island states, has a strong Christian moral society; having been colonised and converted to Protestantism by missionaries during the 19th century. Do not be surprised if shops and other businesses are closed on Sunday. The Sabbath starts at 6PM the day before, and some businesses celebrate the Sabbath on a Saturday instead of a Sunday. Many Indians are Hindu or Muslim.