I could only smile when the taxi driver who drove us to Nadi Market said:
Don’t go to Bali; come to Fiji instead.
I tried to remember where Jik said we were from when we entered the taxi that morning. Did she say Australia instead of Indonesia because we flew from Sydney airport? That must have been the case because he would be bold to ask us, two Indonesians, to abandon our Bali in favour of his Fiji.
Interestingly, “Fiji is better than Bali” is a statement I keep hearing from the locals throughout my stay there. Another taxi driver used, “Bali only has one I, Fiji has two Is, therefore, better” as a reason. This guy didn’t ask where we came from; he only asked whether we had been to Bali before and when we said “yes“, he, assuming we were Indians, proceeded with the above-unsolicited advice.
Bali vs Fiji (with the two Is)
If you asked me which one is better? I’d answer “Bali!” in a heartbeat.
Bali is Bali!
Pride for us Indonesian, Bali holds a well-oiled travel-culture ecosystem ━ rich in culture, tourism offerings, great food and the friendliest people.
But Fiji is fabulous too! It has a profound culture, breathtaking scenes, delicious food and kind people. I had many new irreplaceable experiences in Fiji that I will forever cherish. But Fiji’s tourism is still in the developing stage, and it is less strategically located geographically compared to Bali (though for people living in New Zealand and some parts of Australia, it’s closer to fly to Fiji than to Bali). And while Bali has a well-integrated local living and culture with tourism, Fiji’s tourism can feel a bit artificial and isolated. At least, that’s how I felt while in Nadi.
Saying that I am acutely aware that I could make this heavily biased comparison because I am privileged enough to have visited both places, whereas most locals wouldn’t have been.
I can only presume that their advice to come to Fiji (instead of Bali) is based on their love and pride for their beautiful country ━ , a country that dones the tagline “Open for Happiness”. Then there was undoubtedly a severe impact of Covid in the country, with tourism as their main export. This reminds me of Bali right after the 2004 Tsunami. There was a feeling of despair in the air, though the Fijian masked it well with their friendly demeanour and welcoming hands.
So should you go to Fiji or Bali?
I think you know the answer to this. If you have the means, do visit both of them. There are only a few things in life that are more precious than travelling and immersing yourself in the culture of a foreign land, and both Fiji and Bali offer a plethora of it.
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