Fiji Culture Village & Nadi's Best Authentic Cultural Experiences

Holiday beyond the beaches and support local communities as you turn a ‘fly-and-flop’ into a fabulous exploration of Fiji’s warm and welcoming culture through a cultural experience in Nadi. 

Whether it’s discovered on a walk through a tropical fruit market or through a dish of chilled kokoda, a flame-lit traditional dance or the harmonies of a church choir, there are plenty of ways to tap into Fiji’s culture, while supporting local communities. 

Discover eight ways you can support local communities and get your “Bula!” on during your trip to Nadi.

Feel the power of a warrior welcome at Navo, a village on the banks of the Nadi River. On this Fijian cultural village tour, you can try your hand at traditional crafts such as pottery making or weaving with grasses and leaves. Your guides will walk you through the village’s Bure Ni Kalou (temple) and the Bure Ni Turaga (chief’s house), and watch a joyous meke (dance), used to pass down Fiji’s legends and history.

The morning tour ends with a buffet lunch, or take the evening tour and dig into a lovo dinner, where meat and vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in the lovo, which is an underground oven. Both tours include a kava ceremony, used to welcome guests and cement friendships. Just follow your guide's example and enjoy one of Fiji's greatest cultural experiences.

The village tour includes hotel transfers from Nadi and Denarau hotels – the Fiji Culture Village is just 15 minutes’ drive from the Mercure Nadi.

Meet giants, shape-shifters and octopus gods, as the renowned Fiji dance company VOU performs its celebrated Fiji Untold story through contemporary and traditional dance and music. Established by Fijian dancers Sachiko and Eddie Soro, the artist-owned and run VOU Hub is a centre for Fijian performing arts in Nadi. It currently employs 70 people, aimed at preserving Fijian culture and retaining its identity.

Located between Nadi and Denarau Island, the Fiji Untold show is great for all ages, while its dynamic Island Adventurers show gets the little kids up singing and dancing. Keep an ear open to find out if its magical Fijian Flying Circus is back in town.  

Roll up your sleeves and help prepare a range of Fijian dishes for a feast, you’re a member of the Vavavi family now. Run by local Samu and his family, the show-stopper is undoubtedly the earth oven, the lovo.

This is no sit-back-and-wait tour; the day begins with a cool drink, a demonstration of the lovo, and then an introduction to such Fijian dishes as falawa, dalo and palusami, which you'll help prepare before heading to a local market for a tour while the lovo works its magic. After lunch, which includes local beers, the afternoon finishes with a kava ceremony.

Vavavi also runs an e-scooter version of the tour, with a scoot to the markets and Nadi city, a tour for over-18 (children 12-17 need parental consent). You'll find the Vavavi cultural experience in the Nadi suburb of Wailoaloa.

Sundays are a day of rest for most Fijians, and a day for worship for its many Christians. Everyone is welcome at Nadi's churches, which include the Catholic and Methodist faiths. Here, you'll hear services in Fijian or English, and the whole congregation joins in its superb, harmonious singing, often led by a choir. Remember to dress conservatively; trousers and long dresses are appreciated, with shoulders covered. 

The Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple in Nadi is hard to miss: one of the city's most distinctive buildings, the Hindu temple is open to all. Drop in to admire its candy-bright sculptures and learn about its role serving Nadi's sizeable Hindu community. As with going to church, make sure your shoulders and knees are covered - sarongs are a great option here, simply tie one over your clothes to cover your legs, and slip your shoes off before you enter the temple. Open daily, the temple can supply sarongs if you're underdressed.

One of the best ways to connect with Fijian culture is... shopping! As the main city on the west coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s biggest island, Nadi’s got all the best local Fiji markets, and they’re all hyper-friendly. Bring cash, bring your own shopping bag, bring your curiosity to explore FIjian life.

Nadi Municipal Market: Farmers and fishers come to town to sell vivid prawns and fish, and sweet, exotic fruits every day at the Nadi Municipal Market; get in early for the freshest produce, including delicious mangoes and papaya; local ladies also sell freshly made fruit bowls and cassava chips to snack on while you explore the market.

Nadi Handicraft Market: Fiji’s handicrafts are on display at this open market; snap up handmade soaps and oils made from coconut and hibiscus, perfect for instant transportation back to Fiji after your holiday has ended. This is the place to discover masi, the traditional tapa cloth made from bark, which is used for ceremonial clothing and gifts, as well as beautiful artwork. Made only by Fijian women, it's one of the best expressions of Fiji's traditional arts.

Namaka Market: Much quieter than the bustling Nadi Municipal Market, Namaka Market is a very local scene; think classic farmer’s market, but with extra Fiji zing. Sip on a fresh coconut to rehydate or get an energy boost from a plate of freshly cut pineapple while you wander the stalls selling waka roots, which are used to make the kava drink. Located just beside the airport, it’s only 4km from Mercure Nadi.

The best way to dive into Fiji's culture is to ask a Fijian - naturally! In Nadi, join a village tour to explore the warmth and friendliness of the locals. Visit a local market to see the blend of indigenous Fijian, Indo-Fijian, and Chinese and European influences all under the one roof. 

Nadi has several cultural tours for visitors: try a lovo dinner, cooked underground at the Fiji Culture Village, visit a local market to sample the fresh produce brought to market every morning by farmers and fishers around Nadi, or join a Nadi city tour to see how the city retains its traditional culture and values while being the country's main tourist hub.

Fijians dress modestly in their villages, and appreciate you doing the same. Make sure your shoulders and knees are covered before you enter – you can always wrap a sarong over short shorts – and take your sunglasses and hat off before you enter the village. Shoes and thongs are also taken off before you step into a house, and ask permission before you photograph anyone.  

Fiji’s national dish is kokoda (pro tip: it’s pronounced ko-KON-da), chunks of fresh fish, straight from the ocean, doused in lime juice and coconut milk and served chilled with salad. Cold and refreshing, you’ll find it in every restaurant. For a feast from the underground, take an evening tour at the Fiji Cultural Village, which includes a feast cooked in a lovo or underground oven, or do a deep dive and visit the Vavavi Cooking & Cultural Experience, where you prepare the dishes yourself, before going on a market tour. And always choose local restaurants to eat in over international chains, so you can explore Fiji's food while directly supporting its communities. 

Fiji has a great history of meke (dance), which you can see at cultural tours around Nadi, visit the celebrated dance troupe at Vou Hub for super-charged performances that share Fiji's culture and identity, or see dance performed and hear the warrior welcome at the Fiji Culture Village. 

Set amidst palm gardens just north of Nadi, Mercure Nadi has comfortable guest rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, and a spa with a menu featuring special Fijian-style massages with coconut oil. The atmosphere is laid back and relaxed – you’re on island time now – with families and couples in mind at this stylish, convenient hotel just 10 minutes from Nadi International Airport.