Hotels in Nadi

Most Nadi area hotels are on or near the Queen's Road, either near the airport or in Martintar, a suburban area halfway between the airport and Nadi Town. An advantage of Martintar is that you can walk from your hotel to several restaurants and bars. Only the resorts on Denarau Island and beside Wailoaloa Beach actually sit beside a beach. Even if they do, runoff from the mountains, hills, cane fields, and coastal mangrove swamps perpetually leaves Nadi Bay less than clear and its beaches more gray than white.

This area has a host of backpacker hostels, all of them in fierce competition with each other. The Fiji Backpackers Association (www.fiji-backpacking.com) is an organization of reputable hostel owners.

On Denarau Island -- You timeshare owners can exchange your intervals at WorldMark Denarau Island Fiji (tel. 800/457-0103 or 675 0442; www.worldmarktheclub.com), a large complex on the beach next to the Radisson Resort Fiji Denarau Island. Known until 2007 as TrendWest Fiji, it has a huge rectangular pool with swim-up bar, a spa and fitness center, and the Seafront Restaurant, which is managed by noted chef Eugene Gomes.

At Wailoaloa -- Wailoaloa Beach, about 3km (2 miles) off the Queen's Road, is a long strip of grayish-brown sand fringing Nadi Bay. Although it was originally built as a tract-housing project, the area known as Newtown Beach is now host to both suburban homes and several budget accommodations.

North of Nadi -- The two resorts below are on the paved Vuda Point Road, which runs from the Queen's Road west to Vuda Point, the promontory where the first legendary Fijians came ashore some 2,500 years ago. Today, this is where modern Fiji's oil is imported, so the landmarks are large petroleum storage tanks. This also is home to Vuda Point Marina, the best mainland stop for cruising yachts. The lagoon up here is so shallow it can turn into a mud flat at low tide, but both resorts have removed enough of the reef to make marinas and swimming holes. You can base your Fiji vacation here and not have to pay extra for transportation, but, to my mind, these two resorts (as well Sonaisali Island Resort, above) are best for lagoonside layovers. Getting into Nadi Town requires a rental or taxi.

Check Hotel Websites for Rates & Specials -- Hotel room rates in Fiji have been in a state of serious flux since the coup in December 2006. Most resorts have been offering substantial discounts to lure business back to the country. The practice is so widespread that many large hotels were unwilling to tell me their rack rates. Therefore, the rates in these pages are useful primarily to tell if one hotel is more expensive than another. Frankly, you won't know what you will pay until you select a date and try to book a room. Be sure to check the hotel website to see if specials or Internet-only rates are being offered when you plan to visit.

Last-Minute Plans -- If you're making last-minute plans, contact Impulse Fiji, P.O. Box 10000, Nadi Airport (tel. 800/953-7595; 672 3952; fax 672 5064; www.impulsefiji.com), which sells "unused" hotel rooms at reduced rates. It saves you the trouble of asking the front desk for a discount on rooms that would otherwise go unused. You can also get discounts on airline tickets and hotel rooms if you book in advance on the company's website.