Overview
Gateway & Islands
Nadi Town & Temple
Nature Around Nadi
Fijian Culture
Nadi (pronounced 'Nandi') is the gateway to Fiji and, for almost every visitor, the start of a South Pacific holiday. It sits on the drier west coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's main island, and is home to Nadi International Airport, the country's principal air hub, which makes the town the arrival point and transit centre for the whole archipelago. Nadi itself is a workaday tropical town rather than a beach resort — the famous white-sand beaches are out on the islands — but it is the essential springboard, and there is plenty to enjoy in and around it. Just west, the purpose-built resort island of Denarau, joined to the mainland by a causeway, holds a cluster of large beach resorts, a golf course and Port Denarau marina, the main departure point for the catamarans and boats that whisk visitors out to the islands. Those islands are the reason most people come: the Mamanuca group, close offshore, is a scatter of small, picture-perfect islands and sandbars with resorts, day-trip beaches and the floating Cloud 9 platform; beyond them the more rugged, dramatic Yasawa chain stretches north, famed for the Blue Lagoon and backpacker-to-luxury island stays. South of Nadi, the Coral Coast runs along Viti Levu's southern shore with reefs, resorts and villages. In Nadi town itself, the colourful Sri Siva Subramaniya temple — the largest Hindu temple in the southern hemisphere, reflecting Fiji's large Indo-Fijian community — is the main sight, alongside the lively market and handicraft shops. Nearby attractions include the orchid-filled Garden of the Sleeping Giant, the Sabeto hot springs and mud pools, and the Sleeping Giant mountain range. Fijian culture is famously warm and welcoming — expect a hearty 'Bula!' everywhere — and centres on the kava (yaqona) ceremony, the meke song-and-dance, the lovo earth-oven feast and village life. The climate is tropical; the drier, cooler 'Fijian winter' from May to October is the most popular time, while November to April is hotter, wetter and the cyclone season.
Discover Nadi
Nadi's defining role is as the gateway to Fiji, and most visitors use it to reach the islands where the classic Fiji holiday happens. The hub is Port Denarau, on the resort island of Denarau just west of town, from where fast catamarans and boats fan out across the water. Closest are the Mamanuca Islands, a cluster of small, idyllic islands and sandbars ringed by reef — perfect for day trips, snorkelling, diving and island-resort stays, and home to the famous Cloud 9, a floating bar-and-pizza platform on the reef. Stretching north from them, the Yasawa Islands are wilder and more dramatic, a chain of volcanic islands with stunning beaches (including the Blue Lagoon), village stays and a range of accommodation from backpacker lodges to luxury hideaways, linked by the Yasawa Flyer ferry. South of Nadi along Viti Levu's shore runs the Coral Coast, an easy drive of reefs, resorts and villages. Whether you're heading out for a day's snorkelling or transferring to an island resort for a week, Nadi and Denarau are where the journey to the 'real' Fiji begins.
Nadi is primarily the gateway — it has Fiji's main international airport and is the launch point for the islands, rather than a beach resort in itself (the town sits a little inland and lacks the postcard beaches). Most visitors pass through Nadi to reach the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands or the Coral Coast, where the classic Fiji beach holiday happens. That said, Nadi and nearby Denarau have resorts, and the town, temple, gardens and hot springs are worth a day, especially if you have time before or after an island stay.
Most island trips leave from Port Denarau, the marina on Denarau Island just west of Nadi (a short taxi ride from town or the airport). Fast catamarans and the South Sea Cruises and Awesome Adventures boats run day trips and resort transfers to the Mamanuca Islands close offshore, while the Yasawa Flyer ferry serves the Yasawa chain to the north. Small planes and seaplanes also fly to some island resorts. Book island day trips or transfers in advance, especially in the busy May-to-October season.
In town, visit the colourful Sri Siva Subramaniya temple — the largest Hindu temple in the southern hemisphere — and browse the Nadi Market and handicraft shops. Around town, the Garden of the Sleeping Giant is a beautiful orchid-and-jungle garden, the Sabeto hot springs and mud pools make a fun, relaxing outing, and the Sleeping Giant range offers walks and ziplines. You can also take a 'Fiji Night' with a lovo feast and meke dance, or day-trip along the Coral Coast — plenty to fill a day on the mainland.
1 embassy based in this city, grouped by region.