How To Get To The Coral Coast From Nadi Airport In Fiji

Here is a detailed guide for getting to the Coral Coast from Nadi Airport when you arrive in beautiful Fiji!

Fiji is a stunning island destination in the South Pacific.

It’s full of lush green mountains and jungles, quaint villages filled with smiling locals, and idyllic beaches fringed with coral reefs.

Fiji has over 300 different islands, with Viti Levu being the largest and most populated island. This island is home to Suva, the capital city of Fiji, and Nadi Airport.

Most travellers arriving in Fiji will fly into Nadi International Airport.

Nadi itself is a pretty hectic city, so most travellers prefer to head outside the city to spend their time in the tranquility of Fiji’s smaller islands and beach towns.

My family and I chose to stay on the Coral Coast, which is a few hours south of Nadi along the coast of Viti Levu.

For anyone else visiting this area, I’m going to outline exactly how to get to the Coral Coast from Nadi Airport!

sunset and palm trees on the coral coast of fiji — Sunset on the Coral Coast, Fiji

How To Get To The Coral Coast From Nadi Airport, Fiji

The main ways to get to the Coral Coast from Fiji are public coach bus, private transfer, or rental car.

All 3 are reliable, safe, and affordable.

I will break down each transport option, with details from my own experience and research. Then you can just choose which method best suits your travel style and budget.

Check prices for rental cars in Fiji!

My personal experience: Sunbeam or Pacific Transport Bus is the best way to get to the Coral Coast from Nadi Airport.

Before my trip to Fiji, I emailed the staff at my accommodation enquiring about how to get there from the airport.

I did a little internet research as well, but I find the locals always have the best advice.

I had booked a week-long stay at The Beachhouse on the Coral Coast. It turned out to be the most amazing, peaceful, and authentic little slice of paradise for my family and I to enjoy.

Back to the transport. The staff emailed back recommending the public bus, either Sunbeam or Pacific Transport.

The hotel staff also mentioned private transfers, but I soon realized the bus is very straightforward and so much more affordable. So that’s what we did and it was great!

palm trees and hammocks in front of a tropical ocean resort in fiji — **The Beachhouse on the Coral Coast** of Fiji – heaven!

Public Coach Bus from Nadi Airport

Sunbeam or Pacific Transport
Around 10-15 FJD one way (4-6 USD)
Cheapest option
Opportunity to meet locals
Times aren’t super reliable
Tell the driver your stop

Sunbeam and Pacific Transport are the two main public buses that run between Lautoka (north of Nadi) and Suva each day.

The buses are large and air-conditioned, with luggage storage below.

These coach buses travel between Lautoka and Suva multiple times a day. This route takes them along most of Viti Levu’s west and south coasts. On the way, they stop at Nadi Airport, Nadi Town, Sigatoka, and any hotels on the Coral Coast.

If you’re arriving at Nadi Airport and you’re traveling to a hotel on the Coral Coast, make sure you get a bus going towards Suva.

Depending on where your hotel is, the journey should only cost 10-15 FJD. My journey to the Beachhouse cost 12 FJD (5 USD).

Here are some other tips for taking the public bus from Nadi Airport to the Coral Coast.

Get the express bus, not the stage bus.

The express buses only stop at the major stops, which are Nadi Town and Sigatoka. They stop at villages and hotels if passengers request it.

The stage buses stop at every village, making the journey much longer. The screen on the front of the bus will say “Express”.

Buses travel on “Fiji Time”.

During your stay in Fiji, you’ll often hear people say “Fiji Time”. This means it’s a tropical island where people are relaxed and being on time is not always a super high priority.

My bus at the airport arrived basically on time, if not a few minutes late. But I was told the journey to the Beachhouse would take 2 hours and it took 3.

No big deal, just worth mentioning! Driving times may be longer than you expect. Keep this in mind when going back to the airport for your flight – it may be worth leaving a bit earlier.

ticket on sunbeam bus from nadi airport fiji — I didn’t get any photos of the Sunbeam bus, but here is my ticket!

Tell the driver/bus staff where you need to get off the bus!

Since the express buses don’t stop at every village and hotel, you HAVE to make sure the driver knows where to stop for you.

I told the driver my stop when I boarded the bus, but I don’t think he really listened. Then I realized there is usually another person sitting up front who checks tickets and tells the driver where to stop.

Look for the person who is checking tickets, and make sure you tell that person your stop so they can tell the driver.

Also, this person may change. I noticed the staff member who boarded my bus at the airport got off a few stops later and a different staff member got on.

So I recommend waiting until you are close to your destination, then reminding the staff member who is working that you are getting off soon. Just in case!

I always recommend travel insurance for a trip abroad. My go-to website is Squaremouth Insurance (for US residents).

Have an offline map downloaded so you can see where you are.

Another helpful tip for ensuring your bus journey goes smoothly – have some sort of offline map or data plan.

I find this so helpful when traveling for this exact situation.

I knew I had to get off the bus at Beachhouse, but I didn’t really know where that was exactly. I’m in a foreign country and I’ve never been here before!

To make sure the bus driver didn’t miss my stop, I just downloaded an offline Google Maps of Fiji when I was at the airport. You can also use an app like Maps.me, or purchase cheap data for your travels.

But an offline Google Map is completely free. Then you can just check the map to see where you are during the journey. Save your hotel on the map beforehand as well so you can see when you are getting close.

If I didn’t do this, there is a good chance I might have missed my stop as it was right on a tight corner. I might have forgotten to remind the bus assistant of my stop as well if I didn’t know we were close.

person looking at a map of fiji — A downloaded map of your travel destination never goes astray!

Chat with the locals.

Fiji has notoriously friendly locals. I heard this many times, and I found it to be true the first day I arrived here!

On my bus to the Coral Coast from Nadi Airport, there was a lovely Fijian woman sitting across from me. She was chatting with and smiling at every person who got on the bus. Did she actually know everyone, or was she just really friendly? I’ll never know.

When the bus was stopped for a while at Sigatoka, she started chatting with me and asked where I was going. I told her the Beachhouse, and she offered to personally tell the bus assistant and driver to remember my stop in their local language. I thought that was so nice!

On my return bus ride back to the airport at the end of the trip, I sat next to a sweet old Fijian lady.

We chatted about our travel plans (she was traveling from a small village on the east coast all the way to Nadi to cook for her daughter, and had been on the bus for 4 hours already when I got on).

When she got off the bus, she gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. It was just such a sweet encounter that I’m glad I had.

Sunbeam and Pacific Transport are basically the same.

If you’re wondering whether to catch the Sunbeam or Pacific Transport bus to the Coral Coast from Nadi Airport, they are basically the same. Just catch whichever bus arrives first!

I took Sunbeam when I arrived in Fiji, and Pacific Transport when I departed. I didn’t notice any difference.

locals and travellers at a fiji bus stop on the coral coast — With some friendly locals at a Coral Coast village bus stop during a jungle tour

Private Transfer from Nadi Airport

Most convenient option
Affordable for large groups
One way journey may cost around 150 – 200 FJD (60-90 USD)
Recommended companies:
- Pehicle Tours
- Uniquely Fiji on Booking.com
- Bookaway (compares multiple options)

Now that I’ve covered the public bus in detail, I’ll briefly mention the other ways to get from Nadi Airport to the Coral Coast.

Obviously I only took the bus, so my thoughts on these methods are from my own research and not personal experience.

Because I was visiting the Coral Coast with my mom and sister, I asked some private transfer companies for quotes out of curiosity. I thought it might be affordable if 3 of us split the cost.

The quotes I received were around 160-190 FJD one way, or 330 FJD return.

That’s about 150 USD return, or 60-90 USD one way. Not bad at all for a 2-hour private taxi, but still much more expensive than the $5 bus.

Obviously we opted for the bus. But if you have a larger group of friends to split the cost, it may be worth considering a private transfer.

You also just have it so easy with a private transfer! Exit the airport, meet your driver at the arrivals gate, get in the car, and go.

It’s definitely the most relaxed way to travel. So if you don’t mind spending a bit more money, this is a great option.

View private transfer options on Booking.com!

Rental Car in Fiji

Most freedom and flexibility
Explore more of Fiji
Great for families and groups of friends
Drive on the left side of the road
Check Booking.com or Europcar for prices

Last but not least, you can also easily travel from Nadi Airport to the Coral Coast with a rental car.

I’ve heard Fiji is a relatively safe and easy place to rent a car. Once you leave the airport, you basically get on the one main road (Queens Highway) that circumnavigates the island. It’s smooth sailing from there!

If you have Google Maps or you want to purchase some cheap data for Fiji, you can easily navigate with your phone without getting lost.

Some parts of Fiji have roads in worse conditions, with potholes and narrow passes. Or so I have heard.

What I personally saw on the bus was well-paved roads and lots of signage. It looks like an amazing place to rent a car and road trip around!

This is obviously still more expensive than taking the cheap bus. But if you want to have your own transport during your stay, a car is still pretty affordable here.

Having your own car makes it easy to leave your resort and explore as well. You can visit different beaches, waterfalls, shops, and attractions around Fiji.

Read my guide to eSIMs, which are a cheap and handy way to get data abroad!

palm tree on a tropical beach on the coral coast fiji — The Coral Coast of Fiji is a dream.

Is the Coral Coast worth visiting?

The Coral Coast in Fiji is definitely worth visiting if you want a convenient island getaway that combines local charm, rich jungles, and stunning beaches.

It’s so easy to get to the Coral Coast from Nadi Airport on the bus, with a private transfer, or with your own car.

It’s just a 2-hour journey from the airport, which can seem like a lot after your flight. But the trip is worth it for the quiet, peaceful, authentic local atmosphere of the Coral Coast.

If you want to be even closer to Nadi Airport, you can stay in places like Port Denaru or Nadi. But I’ve heard that there is a lot more hustle and bustle here, and the hotels tend to be more commercial and less unique or authentic.

On the other hand, you can also stay in even more remote areas of Fiji or on a smaller island away from Viti Levu. But these will require much more travel time and possibly ferries.

Since we only had a week, I found the Coral Coast to be right in the sweet spot of location, vibe, and travel time from the airport.

We got to explore the nearby villages and jungles. I shared coconuts with local kids, swam in a freshwater creek, and played with a litter of puppies on a little farm.

We also got to enjoy the coastline. There were sunrise walks, a day trip to Yanuca Island for snorkelling, and kayaking offshore from our hotel.

It was the perfect mix of culture, natural beauty, and relaxation. I highly recommend it!

View The Beachhouse, our Coral Coast hotel, on Booking.com for more details.