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The Fiji Culture Village is the perfect place to learn about Fiji’s people and their culture and history. A visit to the Fiji Culture Village includes trying a traditional Fijian meal, taking a village tour, and watching some live entertainment. If this sounds like fun to you, then this blog will give you all the details about visiting you should know before you book the Fiji Culture Village tour and experience!
Fiji is an incredible travel destination. With its pristine beaches, over 300 islands, and world-class diving it’s a common beach holiday for people from all over the world. But it isn’t just the beaches and scenery that make Fiji a worthwhile destination – the people and culture in Fiji are amazing!
On my recent trip to Fiji, I wanted to learn about the Fijian culture as much as possible. So I took the recommendation of a friend and decided to visit the Fiji Culture Village just outside of Nadi.
If you want to experience culture while in Fiji then a trip to the Fiji Culture Village might be the perfect excursion for you! It is something different than most of the tours in Fiji and one I personally really enjoyed.
But to be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect before I visited the Fiji Culture Village. So in this blog, I answer all of the questions I had before I went – these are questions you likely also have on your mind!
It’s my ultimate “know before you go guide” to the Fiji Culture Village!
What exactly is the Fiji Culture Village?
The Fiji Culture Village is a place for tourists to visit and get a taste of Fiji’s culture, particularly relating to villages.
While it isn’t a real village where people live today, there are demonstrations, artifacts, and buildings exactly how they would’ve been in villages many years ago, or in some cases, how they still are today.
A visit to the Fiji Culture Village promises a chance to be immersed in Fijian culture and history. Food, entertainment, and Fijian hospitality make this one experience that is unique and memorable.
To me, it is easily one of the most unique things to do in Fiji – and let me tell you more about why that is…
What to Expect When Visiting the Fiji Culture Village
When you go on a trip to the Fiji Culture Village, various activities are included that make up the entire experience. They are:
Guided Village Tour
Upon arriving at the Fiji Culture Village, you will be greeted by a guide. Your guide will take you around the village with a small group. This guided village tour lasts for about an hour and showcases different bures (traditional Fijian huts) each demonstrating a different part of village life.
Some of the bure demonstrations you can expect to see include fire making, creating traditional tools, pottery, weaving, and more! There is also the opportunity to enter the chief’s house and if you’re lucky, he will let you take a picture with him too!
During the guided village tour, I learned all about village life in Fiji. My guide was super friendly and knowledgeable. He also allowed us to ask questions and encouraged our interaction with the demonstrations.
Lovo
A “lovo” is a traditional way of cooking in Fiji. It involves cooking food like chicken, fish, and potatoes on hot stones covered in leaves and cloth in the ground.
At the Fiji Culture Village, you’ll get the opportunity to see your meal being uncovered from the leaves and being lifted from the hot rocks.
When I was there, the guides told us exactly how the “earth oven” works and how our food was prepared. We saw them remove the food from the oven before they began to prepare it for our dinner! That’s right, dinner was included on my tour of the Fiji Culture Village…
Food (lunch or dinner)
Any visit to the Fiji Culture Village includes a meal! If you visit in the afternoon, you will be served the lovo for lunch, and if you go in the evening (like I did), then the lovo is your dinner!
The meal included chicken and fish cooked on the stones. They also included other dishes like potatoes, cassava, sushi, rice, salad, desserts, and more! There is a ton of food and since it is served buffet-style, you can eat as much as you want and are guaranteed to leave stuffed!
Kava Ceremony
Before dinner, there is a traditional Kava ceremony. Kava is a traditional Fijian drink made from the powder of a plant root mixed with water. Historically, it was only drunk by a village chief in celebration. Nowadays, it is drunk by almost everyone, sometimes as a substitute for alcohol (which is very expensive in Fiji!)
At the Fiji Culture Village, you will have the opportunity to take part in a Kava ceremony as well as try Kava for yourself.
Now I’m going to be honest, it doesn’t taste good, but it is worth trying for yourself just to partake in this traditional ceremony.
The Culture Show
While eating, the Fiji Culture Village performers will entertain you with traditional singing and dancing. This show makes your dining experience more like a dinner theatre than a typical sit-down meal.
You’ll watch a variety of dances and hear lots of traditional music. Near the end of the performance there are opportunities to get up on stage with the performers and a lot of interactive entertainment.
Related Read: Visiting the Fiji Culture Village is one of the best things to do if you’re visiting Fiji on a honyemoon!
Fire Dancers
Part of the cultural show involves fire dancers – which are amazing! Three dancers are extremely talented and demonstrate the traditional way of dancing with fire. You just need to see it for yourself!
To me, the fire dancers were the highlight of my visit to the Fiji Culture Village! It is important to note that you must visit in the evening if you want to see fire dancers, they do not perform in the afternoon experiences.
Where is the Fiji Culture Village located?
The Fiji Culture Village is located a short 10-minute drive from Nadi, and as such, is one of the best things to do in Nadi. If you are staying in Nadi they offer a free hotel pick-up and drop-off, otherwise, transfers can be organized from pretty much anywhere for a small fee.
Alternatively, you can also organize your own transport and meet at the village for one of the scheduled tour times.
Type of Tours and Times
There are two different tours available at the Fiji Culture Village, a daytime experience and an evening experience.
The day trip runs from 8:30 am and goes until 12 pm or 1:30 pm (depending on whether you choose to stay for lunch or not.) I highly recommend booking the option with lunch as to me, the lovo meal is a great addition to the overall experience!
The evening tour goes from 5 -8:30 pm and always includes dinner. The evening experience is the one I did and I highly recommend it because you will get to watch fire dancers!
The short duration of the entire experience along with its close location to Nadi makes this trip very convenient, allowing you to do something else on the same day if you so choose!
There are a limited number of people who can visit the Fiji Culture Village each day. Be sure to book your spot in advance to secure your place!
Cost of Visiting the Fiji Culture Village
Prices depend on the time of year and the type of tour you do (day or night experience.)
The cheapest way to visit the Fiji Culture Village is to just make your own way there and pay the entrance fee of around $10 USD. This fee covers the village tour, do not expect lunch or a show for this price though. To me, the show and dinner are the best part, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
For around $70 USD you can join the evening tour including dinner and the show (with fire dancers!) To me, this is the best all-around experience. It’s the one that I did and really loved.
Where to Stay in to Visit the Fiji Culture Village
If you’re going to the Fiji Culture Village then you’re best bet is to stay in Nadi or Port Denarau. This way, hotel pick-up and drop-off are included in the tour price. Some great places to stay that I recommend are:
Nadi – The Ramada
Located right on Wailoaloa Beach, the Ramada is the most luxurious hotel in this area. It features an exclusive pool and restaurant for guest use only. It is the tallest building in the area offering incredible views of the coastline and sunsets!
Because of its close proximity to the airport (only a 15-minute drive), many people stay here for a night before or after their flight. It’s a good place to spend some time before catching a ferry out to an island.
A King Studio Room with a sea view goes for around $300 FJD.
Check availability and prices for the Ramada here!
Port Denarau – Radisson Blu Fiji Resort
The Radisson Blu Resort is just stunning, and for what you get, the price is very reasonable too. This resort is just huge offering tons of activities for both families as well as couples. There is an adults-only pool as well as an area specifically for kids. It is beachfront and offers spa services as well.
Rooms here range from standard hotel-style rooms with king beds or two queens, up to two-bedroom suites. Some rooms feature courtyard views while others had a view of the lagoon. All rooms have a balcony and minibar.
A two-person king suite will cost around $400 FJD per night.
Check availability and prices at the Radisson Blue Resort here!
If you’re looking for more info about where to stay in Fiji, be sure to read our blog. It includes detailed info on each area, the best things to do nearby, prices, getting to hotels, and so much more.
Before you go…
Overall, I really enjoyed visiting the Fiji Culture Village and would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to experience the true culture of Fiji!
I hope this blog has helped you prepare for your own visit to the Fiji Culture Village by answering any questions you might have! If you found this blog helpful, you might like some of our other Fiji travel blogs including some of our favorites:
13 BEST Things to do in Suva, Fiji
33 Unique Things to do in Fiji
-Bailey
bwildnfree
Wednesday 2nd of January 2019
OMG!!! it's my dream to go there!! I think it's the farthest destination from me I'm from Israel... but it looks amazing I will definitely go there thank you :)