RTW TP Run in Jan 2026: Day 8 – Day in Nadi, Fiji

By Nige on January 25, 2026 at 7:28 am
Type: Post
Story: Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026 Category: Travel
Tags: Fiji Gateway Hotel | Nadi

The flight arrived into a fairly basic boarding area, so as soon as I stepped off the aircraft I was hit by warm Fijian air — around 24°C — and it was only just after 5am.

I was very glad I’d already changed into shorts. A little earlier than planned, admittedly, as Shorts Season doesn’t usually begin until March.

Still, needs must.

The immigration hall was completely empty, so I went straight up to a Border Control officer, who immediately asked whether I’d completed a customs declaration.

I hadn’t.

I was slightly surprised that the airline hadn’t prompted me to complete one — or perhaps they had and I’d missed the announcement on board. Either way, it wasn’t an issue. The officer handed me a form and a pen, I filled it in, and after that the entry process was quick and painless.

The airport itself felt like a fairly typical tropical setup. There was a shared outdoor boarding area rather than airbridges, with numbered gates inside the departures lounge that simply led back out to the same open space. The arrivals area was similarly exposed to the elements.

Given that I’d arrived just after 5am and my day room wasn’t available until 10am, I had a few hours to fill.

I walked out of Arrivals and around to the check-in area to see whether I might be able to check in early for my flight to Auckland later that day. I briefly entertained the idea of heading through security and using the Fiji Premium Lounge to pass the time.

Unfortunately, that plan fell apart fairly quickly. Check-in didn’t open until three hours before departure, and online check-in wasn’t possible due to the complexity of my itinerary.

So much for that cunning idea.

Instead, I wandered across the road to the Fiji Gateway Hotel and enquired at reception. The young man behind the desk was hopeful he could allocate me a room fairly quickly, but explained that the hotel had been full overnight and he’d need to wait until housekeeping started releasing day rooms after 6:30am.

I ordered a large latte from the hotel bar and settled into the foyer, where I used a VPN to watch Sky’s coverage of Bournemouth vs Liverpool — a match Liverpool duly lost. Not long afterwards, I was shown up to room 308.

Wi-Fi in the hotel foyer was free, but access from the rooms cost an additional 15 FJD (around £5). A bit cheeky, if you ask me — especially given that the service itself was pretty poor — but needs must.

After settling into the room, I took a shower and finally allowed myself a proper sleep. I woke around four hours later, which was enough to give me an initial boost of energy.

By then, hunger was starting to make itself known. Around lunchtime, I headed back to the airport to sample the local cuisine — Burger King. I wasn’t after anything adventurous; I just wanted something simple, reliable, and inexpensive.

A double Whopper with cheese, large fries, and a strawberry milkshake came in at about £9 and hit the spot perfectly.

The afternoon passed in a series of short naps, all of which helped inch me closer to something resembling normality after the time-zone chaos.

I’d negotiated a 5pm checkout, which conveniently lined up with the opening of flight check-in. I dropped my key at reception and started walking back towards the airport when I heard a familiar call ring out behind me.

“Mr Nigel… Mr Nigel!”

The receptionist was calling me back to settle the bill for that questionable Wi-Fi service.

I decided that attempting a runner probably wasn’t the right move at that point.

Next up: My flight from Nadi, Fiji (NAN) to Auckland (AKL) on Day 8 of my Round The World trip of a lifetime.

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Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026