Fiji Local Customs

 
by globetrott
 
  •   Local Customs
    by globetrott
  •   Local Customs
    by globetrott
  •   Local Customs
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  •   Local Customs
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  • Fiji - museum in Suva : a local hat, très chique !
      Fiji - museum in Suva : a local hat,...
    by globetrott
 
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Five Fun Fiji Facts

by etfromnc

1. There is an unwritten rule that no building should be taller than a coconut tree, so you will not find any skyscrapers on Fiji.2. Tipping is not required, nor even expected, in Fiji.3. Kava is the national drink of Fiji and a pill form of it is marketed widely in Europe as a "stress buster pill."4. The traditional firewalking ceremony, involving men walking over red-hot stones, can only be performed by male members of the Sawau tribe from the island of Beqa.5. The lively Meke Dance is the traditional dance of Fiji and each Meke tells a distinct story.

Drinking Kava with the locals

by mashed_NZ

This is a must do as there is a whole ceremony that takes place. Its a lot of fun and you simply cannot leave fiji without having some kava with the locals.A point to note is that there is two types of kava. The packet stuff....and the REAL stuff.The packet stuff is powdered down and I found it nowhere near as strong as kava made and drunk directly from the kava plant roots.If you get a chance to watch someone making kava, then hang around and ask some questions, because not only will you learn something, but most likely the person making it will invite you to have some when its ready.Enjoy!!

fire walking

by Alicja1

About 500 years ago, an old man in the village, Dredre (meaning love), told stories to the people but only after they first gave him a gift. Tunaiviqalita, promised to give Dredre a fresh eel as a gift and Dredre agreed to tell him stories once he gave him the eel. Tunaiviqalita followed a small stream near the village in his search for an eel. As he moved upstream he came across a big rock i. He put his hand under the rock hoping to catch an eel but instead felt something soft and warm, so he pulled it out. In his hand was a perfect tapa cloth undamaged by the water. The tapa cloth was wound around something that he could feel moving inside. He unwound the tapa and a small man jumped out shouting "Don't kill me, give me life, I will make you the strongest man on the island." Tunaiviqalita replied "I am already the strongest man on the island and I will kill you".Then the small man said,...

Tip Photo
Kava

by globetrotter06

Kava is a local drink made of the root of tree. Nowadays they extract a powder from this root and mix it with water. It is not an alcoholic drink, but depending on how strong it is mixed your thong or lips may feel numb. If visiting a local village, you will probably be offered kava.

Tip Photo
Bribes

by reshmi

Bribing people is a part of the culture in Fiji. Although I don't at all condone this sort of behaviour, it may be handy for you to know if you need to get yourself out of a sticky situation.Eg. If you get pulled over for speeding, you can hand the police officer F$10 and he'll let you go without a fine.

Shopping

by andreaarp

I learned while in Fiji that store owners or tour companies may offer you something for free, they may be very persistant and insist that you take whatever they want to give you. Even if you are not interested they will continue to try to "give" you the item. After you accept the item they will insist you pay for it. We went horseback riding- the horse owner- wanted to give us a free ride he said. He insisted that I did and I took one to stop him from bugging me. After the ride was over and I had no money to pay he made my cab driver that was waiting for me at the beach pay him and I had to pay him back. Just be cautious.

Village etiquette

by Ela_S

Cities and tourist destinations are not that strict about the rules of behaviour. But when you enter Fijian village, remember that you should stick to the protocole. First of all, don't enter the village without the invitation. Ask someone living there if you can take a walk around or stay. The chief may come to welcome you and you're expected to have a gift. If you stay overnight you should also have a gift for your hosts. Kava powder is always a good idea in such cases. You should dress modestly, avoiding shorts or bare shoulders. Ladies should wear a sulu (traditional "skirt"). Actually, Fijian men also tend to wear it. When you walk through the village, avoid wearing a hat or sunglasses, as it shows disrespect. Always take your shoes off when you enter someone's house. If you break one of those rules, you'll obviously not be kicked out. Fijians are very polite and carry a lot of...

Tip Photo
Fiji time

by Ela_S

On our second day in Fiji we decided to catch the bus to go for a day trip. We rushed to the bus stop but found no timetables. So we asked a lady standing next to us, what time is the bus coming. She said: "maybe 11 o'clock, maybe 1 o'clock...."Friends of ours made many Fijieans laugh just because they ran to a bus which was about to leave. Normal thing , but not in places like Fiji, where they have totally different attitude.What's the point? You'll not make it to this bus, you'll take the next one. You'll not do something today, you'll do it tomorrow. You may be late somewhere but why should you worry? There's absolutely no rush, no timetables, no deadlines. Full relax. I recommend:)

Kava

by Ela_S

You'll get to drink lots of it in Fiji! This mixture of water and powdered root of some plant (Piper methysicum) makes a national drink for the locals. Kava drinking can rise to a ceremonial act (organized in significant moment of village life) but also plays important role in everyday life. Families or friends get together, sit in a circle with a big bowl of kava in the middle and talk, sing, laugh. Usually one person fills in a little bowl, which circulates around the participants. You need to drink it in one go, and clap your hands afterwards (sign of respect). Kava ceremonies are often organized to welcome guests and to create a bond of friendships with them. This is why you taste it so frequently on different occasions. It tastes like some kind of muddy medicine, looks like mud, makes your tongue numb but after a couple of bowls you sleep very well:) Refusing it means refusing of...

Tip Photo
Fiji Time!

by sunshinejo

The phrase "relax... it's Fiji Time" is probably one you wil come to hear a lot during a stay in Fiji! The basic concept of "Fiji Time" is that things will happen when everybody is good and ready for them to happen! If somebody says "The snorkelling trip will leave at 10am." then you will probably be lucky if it's left by 10.30am! To most people this sounds like a complete nightmare, as you're always waiting around for other people. However, I found it helped to remember that you're in Fiji, and they just do things differently here. There is a slower pace of life here, and leaving to do things right on the dot of time just isn't a priority to them. At the end of the day, is it really the be all and end all if the boat doesn't leave exactly when it says it should? My advice, if you're struggling to adjust, is to banish you're watch - you'll only get a nasty tanline anyway! - and think of...

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Local Customs: Cities in Fiji
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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Something snapped in us a few days ago in our family of 5 and now everyone can't stop talking about Fiji. We're from Seattle and... 

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A: Correction. My wife is an Economics professor for a college here in the Pacific Northwest and is exploring teaching opportunities in universities like University of Fiji... 

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