The inaugural Fiji Airways direct flight from Nadi, Fiji arrives in Vancouver, Canada on November 25, 2022 and provides residents of both Canada and the US with more options for a Fijian vacation. Especially ideal for those living near Vancouver, it’s also easier for Americans in the Pacific Northwest to fly to Fiji too because, up to now, connections were needed through San Francisco or Los Angeles.

Fiji Airways' new direct flight from Vancouver to Nadi begins November 25, 2022.

Stay tuned for more new non-stop flights from YVR too. Vancouver’s International Airport has been named the best airport in North America annually for the last 12 years and is expanding. Coming very soon is the first non-stop flight between North America and Thailand, for example. Beginning December 1, 2022, Air Canada has four weekly non-stop flights between Vancouver and Bangkok to get you that much faster to the Land of Smiles. The seasonal route will have you enjoying Thailand’s fantastic food and welcoming culture almost as soon as you touch down after the 17-hour direct flight.

And if you’re traveling from outside the Vancouver area, make your trip extra relaxing by adding a stay at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, a luxury hotel right inside the airport terminal.

After Fiji reopened to tourism on December 1, 2021, the South Pacific nation has been busy gearing up for visitors. The new Fiji Airways flight between Vancouver and Nadi is an 11-hour direct flight twice weekly, on Mondays and Fridays. Fiji Airways is certified as a Skytrax four-star airline.

Vancouver skyline in front of the North Shore mountains.

The new flight also makes connections to New Zealand, Australia, and many Pacific Island nations easier and entices travelers to make a vacation stop in Fiji a part of other travels. Fiji Airways flies to 108 destinations in 15 countries (direct and via code share) including Singapore, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu, the Soloman Islands, India, China and Hong Kong, the UK, as well as Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada.

The new flight also opens up the transport of goods between Fiji and Canada. Taro, cassava, kava, tropical fruits as well as frozen fish and crabs will come from Fiji and Canada will send salmon and northern clime fruits and vegetables back. Previously, it could take a week for goods to travel between the two countries and the new flight makes overnight delivery possible.

Fiji Airways flight crew ready for the new direct Vancouver-Nadi flight.

The November 25 inaugural flight to Vancouver has both Fijians making their first trip to Canada as well as those who haven’t seen friends and family in years, due to challenges of traveling the 6000-mile journey before there was a direct flight.

Fiji has 333 islands, with only about half populated. Viti Levu is the “mainland” island with Fiji’s main international airport in the city of Nadi. There are many Fijian islands to choose from for a South Pacific vacation, including private islands, or you can take a cruise to explore Fiji’s above-water and underwater delights.

Check out Tourism Fiji’s overview of where to go in Fiji. Most visitors opt to stay on Fiji’s main island, whether near Nadi or further away. Also easily accessible from the airport are the Mamanuca Islands, with some islands and beaches ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving and others better for surfing. Tom Hanks (and Wilson) filmed Cast Away on the Mamanuca island of Monuriki; the Yasawa Islands’ Nanuya Levu was the location for The Blue Lagoon; and many reality shows—from dating to adventure—film in Fiji.

Wakaya Club & Spa is a private island with waterfront bures (traditional Fijian cottages) hosting just 28 guests at a time. You’ll have all the expected luxuries at Wakaya, plus perhaps the most coveted—guaranteed early morning check-in (from 7 am) and late afternoon check-out (to 4 pm). That means that soon after you arrive via Fiji Airways’ nonstop flight from Vancouver, you can be napping on your Fili D’Oro 100% cotton sheets or playing on Wakaya’s white sand beaches.

Another private island resort is VOMO Island Fiji. In the Mamanuca Islands, the resort is on a 225-acre island with just 34 villas and private residences. The newest is Reef House, which opened in November 2022, plus Talei Taki which opens in March 2023. Brand new Reef House is VOMO’s largest villa and sits on almost 330 feet of pristine beach. It’s both spectacular and soothing, with five bedrooms and six bathrooms, a kitchen and indoor-outdoor relaxing space, and an 82-foot-long infinity pool. Stays include meals, non-alcoholic beverages, butler service, and access to resort activities.

Other private islands in Fiji include Kokomo Fiji, about an hour’s seaplane flight from Nadi. Ultra-luxe Kokomo Fiji is characterized by relaxed opulence and stays are in one- to three-bedroom beachfront private villas or five hilltop residences with three to six bedrooms.

Or, ideal for couples is the adults-only Royal Davui Island Resort with just four villas for barefoot luxury stays in Beqa Lagoon. Another adults-only option is Lomani Island Resort, on the second-largest of the Mamanuca Islands, Malolo Lailai Island. “Lomani” means “love” in Fijian, so it’s an ideal honeymoon spot.

Want to be closer to the Nadi airport plus have all the options of exploring Fiji’s main island? Familiar hotel brands include Hilton Fiji Beach Resort—it’s a 25-minute drive from the airport and has a private beach and a massive pool. On the same small peninsula as the Hilton is Radisson Blue Resort Fiji, which is a favorite of families. Another high-end international brand, about 45 minutes away from the airport, is Marriott Momi Bay which has the only overwater bungalows on Fiji’s mainland.