One of the trends that grew with the onset of COVID-19 was the proliferation of digital nomads. Hawaii, as well as other locales outside the mainland, became popular with remote workers. Not needing much more than a laptop and internet access, technology workers opted for new cultures and locales to explore that allowed them to stretch their budgets. Post-COVID, the lure of being a digital nomad is still strong, and many countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, have created special visas to attract remote workers.
Where to go in the Pacific?
As a guidebook author and sometime digital nomad, I’m partial to Fiji, where I recently began a guidebook and website update.
Why Fiji?
It’s also a great way to immerse yourself in a thriving South Pacific culture. Locals are friendly, English is the lingua franca and it’s more affordable than the Aloha State (or Tahiti). Hawaii residents will be at home with the climate.
Fiji also has bandwidth. It’s coupled to the “Southern Cross,” a fiber-optic cable that stretches from Australia to the West Coast via Hawaii.
Although it doesn’t have the kind of ubiquitous Wi-Fi that Hawaii does, most accommodations (including short-term rentals and hotels) do have internet access. Outside of a hotel, your best bet is to head to a coworking center or create your own hot spot.
Upon arrival, Maria Ronna Luna Pastorizo-Sekiguchi, founder of Greenhouse Coworking in Suva, recommends getting a local SIM card at the airport. (Keep in mind that your phone should be unlocked.) Both local digital providers, Digicel and Vodafone, will be happy to sell you data plans. If you plan to spend serious time in Fiji, consider bringing a (second) phone to use as a hot spot and a dedicated “local mobile,” as they call cellphones locally.
I purchased a $20 data plan from Vodafone that was theoretically good for two weeks, but the plan was drained in just a few days. I found that if you’re using a phone as a hot spot and it’s not constantly monitored, you’ll rapidly run out of data.
If you’re going to be in Suva or Nadi and need fast, reliable connectivity, consider joining a coworking hub. You’ll spend about $16 per day as a walk-in.
My work dictated that I spend most of my time in Suva, so I migrated to Greenhouse Coworking, which is linked to a fiber-optic network. Pastorizo-Sekiguchi told me she got the inspiration to create Greenhouse Coworking after visiting Impact Hub Honolulu in Kakaako on an East-West Center fellowship in Honolulu.
If you need computer cables, batteries or other computer gear, she recommends a Suva store called Bondwell. For repairs to your Mac, Raymond Lui, who runs Mactronics, comes highly recommended.
If you’re in Nadi, near Nadi International Airport, mydesk, another coworking space, has a good reputation and, according to founder Dipti Sharma, is popular with digital nomads.
What about traveling or basing yourself outside of an urban area?
Stuart Gow, a digital-media pro based in Suva, said connectivity is “very good in Suva and Nadi but less so on the outer islands.” That could change as Fiji Telecom improves fiber-optic connectivity on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-largest island. In the meantime, if you plan to hang out on a neighbor island such as Taveuni or Ovalau, Stuart recommends Starlink, with a cost of $400 for the unit and $50 per month.
Pastorizo-Sekiguchi recommends that Fiji-bound digital nomads secure their accommodations before entering the country. You can always shift venues later, but Fiji’s immigration authorities will want to see your plans in place. (You can stay in Fiji for up to four months on a visitor’s visa.)
Where to stay? Pastorizo-Sekiguchi says short-term rentals are a good deal. They have blossomed in Fiji, and you can find decent private accommodation in Suva for as little as $44 per night. The strong U.S. dollar goes far in Fiji.
Local culture has a lot to offer. There’s also world-class surfing and great Indian cuisine. What more could a digital nomad possibly want?
Rob Kay, a Honolulu-based writer, covers technology and sustainability for Tech View and is the creator of fijiguide.com. He can be reached at Robertfredkay@gmail.com.
