Spending the Day in Nadi, Fiji with a Local

They say that some of the best days happen when they are unexpected. And they also say that often times, you meet the best people under these circumstances as well. . .

After 2 weeks of bouncing around the South Pacific countries of Fiji and (completely French speaking) New Caledonia (FYI: I. don’t. speak. French. #thestruggle), I was happy to touch down and to be back in Fiji. Only one sleep and 12 hours stood between me and being homebound on a plane back to the U.S.

Previously when I was in “Nadi” the week before, I wasn’t really in Nadi. Sure I flew into the Nadi airport in Fiji, but in all actuality, I stayed at a beautiful resort on the semi-private Denarau Island. Which ended up being the perfect Fiji resort for solo travelers like myself to rest, relax and recharge from the rigors of life. During my week long stay, my days were consumed with relaxing (a goal which I set forth and #crushedit), watching the sun majestically set over the South Pacific, swimming with sharks and jumping off perfectly good boats into the middle of the deepest bluest ocean. This truly was paradise.

But as wonderful as all of that was (and lemme tell you, it was pretty wonderful), I really wanted to see the local town of Nadi. I had bravely traveled all this way and around the world by myself. I bravely flew over 5000 miles. I bravely flew another 1200 miles to visit a country that truly only spoke French and had little to no cell phone or internet service (#GodsCountry). And even after all of that bravery and even after all the lessons I learned traveling solo, I still only managed to stay within the cozy confines of my little resort bubble. Lame. Lame. Lame as hell. Lame-ity Lame.

And truth be told, for all of that, I could’ve booked a room and done the whole rest & relaxation thing in the US for much, much, much cheaper.

M-o-n-e-y

After almost 23 continuous days of traveling abroad, I had virtually no Fijian cash left. And the local currency that I did possess, was a paper and metal menagerie of odds and ends I happened to find crumpled at the bottom of my suitcase from the week before. Not to mention, whose combined buying power would get me no further than a candy bar and a possibly discounted taxi ride to the airport only after smiling sweetly to the cabbie (and that was a stretch). Basically, I was broke. And with T-minus 12 hours until I departed the island, I refused to exchange anymore of my US currency. At this point in my nomadic journey, I was over currency exchanges with their rates and fees. And taxi fares had become the bane of my existence. . . all of which, were putting a major strain on my wallet.

It was then I decided: if I wanted to see the town of Nadi, I needed to learn how to ride the local bus. And I needed to learn how to ride the bus quick fast and in a hurry.

The "Perfect" Plan

I woke up early the next morning with the intentions of finally seeing the city of Nadi. I determined to make the day count. I even had a few places and landmarks picked out that I wanted to visit. And being that I'm so "on-top-of-things" (*cough, cough* OCD), I even planned out the exact order in which I wanted to see everything in. And after traveling to over 20 countries and just wrapping up a week long tour in a country that literally spoke little to no English, I was feeling a little cocky (not gonna lie).

I knew that "my plan" was solid and simple. I was going to get detailed directions on how to ride the city bus from the hotel concierge and be on my way.

I was feeling like a badass.

I was feeling strong.

I was confident.

And, I had this!

I mean really, how hard could it be?

I was (extra) WRONG!

So apparently. . . it was pretty hard. Because some where between me asking a trillion rapid-fire questions and then the confused look I displayed with every answer given, the ladies at the front desk took (much needed) pity on me. Seriously, I was a travel story waiting to happen.

Kindness and Thankfulness

It was then, that the stars aligned perfectly, the skies parted and the heavens shined down (ok, not that dramatic but you get the picture). . .

It just so happened that Lanny, one of the ladies who worked at the hotel, was just finishing up her shift and preparing to go home for the day. Even though her day was technically done, she still offered to show me (a complete stranger)around her town. Wow! How unbelievably kind of her. I was speechless. And not only did she make sure we saw the sites I had highlighted on my list, she also took me to her village to meet her beautiful family.

Honestly, the day couldn't have gone any better. And I'm truly and forever grateful to Lanny (and her family) for taking a chance on an unknown kid.

Through the gracious efforts of Lanny, together we filmed and photographed our day in Nadi. You can watch the video of "Spending the Day in Nadi Fiji with a Local" above.

beautiful local fiji girl at the farmers market in nadi | www.thisismeldrake.com | what to do in Fiji | beautiful Fiji islands people | local Fiji Island tour | 1 day in Fiji itinerary | places to vacation in the South Pacific.jpg

fresh kumquat juice at farmers market in nadi fiji | www.thisismeldrake.com | what to do in Fiji | beautiful Fiji islands people | local Fiji Island tour | 1 day in Fiji itinerary | places to vacation in the South Pacific.jpg

beautiful fiji islands family in nadi tribal village | www.thisismeldrake.com | what to do in Fiji | beautiful Fiji islands people | local Fiji Island tour | 1 day in Fiji itinerary | places to vacation in the South Pacific.jpg

Thank You

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading "Spending the Day in Nadi Fiji with a Local".

Feel free to leave comments below with any questions or share your own experience (I'd love to hear). Or just to say "hi", I don't bite (as long as I'm properly fed).

And if you found value in what I shared, share it with a friend, save it, or pin it. I greatly appreciate the love and as always, sharing is caring.

-XOXO (as always)

Melissa D.

Photography & Editing by: Yours Truly, Melissa Drake and Lanny

Video Editing by: High Five Media

Helpful Resources

Looking for discounts on hotel rooms? I use Booking.com for the availability and rates.

Ready to stay at an Airbnb? Get started with Airbnb with $40 off your first stay.

Don't forget Travel insurance (it’s not too late even if you are already traveling). I use and love World Nomads.

Using FREE wifi while traveling? Make sure to protect your personal data (passwords, email, credit cards and etc) with a VPN (Virtual Private Network). I use Nord VPN.

Disclosure: Keep in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Please know I link these companies because of their quality. I do not recommend any product or service I do not use.