Getting to your final destination without any breaks is always going to have more appeal for the modern traveller. Yet I feel like the art of a well-chosen layover isn’t talked about enough as it should be.
To me, it all comes down to your buffer.
When you’ve worked in a layover on your way to your destination, then it’s probably because you want to either break the journey up into manageable chunks (maybe you can’t do ultra-long-hauls for health reasons or you just can’t stand being in Economy for that long), or you’re using layovers as a chance to “preview” another destination and seeing if you like it enough to return. You don’t need much to buffer against as you haven’t had your main trip yet.
But when it’s time to take the dreaded return flight, it pays to be smart about nonstop vs one-stop.
Fiji is the perfect “buffer”
I spent three months in the USA last year doing… everything. I’m not quite sure how I powered through over 90 days of absolutely not stopping (or sleeping properly), but the adrenaline of discovering a new city, or a new angle to a city you love, is always going to be energising, right?
I simply wouldn’t have been able to hit the ground running back in Sydney and I needed a few extra days to recover. But why waste it watching Netflix in bed when I could be soaking up another destination all together, and using that to re-pace myself after a chaotic few months?
That’s what made me realise the unquestionable value in having a stop-over on the way back from a big trip.
In this case, I flew Fiji Airways from Sydney to Los Angeles, via Fiji. It was a quick, two-hour layover on the way there, but on the return, I pushed the return flight out a few days and spent 4 nights in one of the world’s most beautiful archipelagos.
And I’m so glad I switched the blaring cab horns and constant hustle of New York City for the restorative embrace of island living amongst the most big-hearted people in the world.
Island Time is more than just a way of life
I always tell people that I’m not an “island person.” Throw me in warehouse in Brooklyn and put on some loud music, shuffle me around Bourbon Street or take me up to Whistler’s snowy peaks. That’s more my speed, which largely stems from how impatient I am. Far too impatient, as it turns out, for “island time.”
I’ve found that elusive concept has been used far too many times to excuse slow service, but practicalities aside, there’s a profound benefit of island time that reaches beyond land and sea.
Wellness is a multi-trillion-dollar industry in travel, and businesses are able to catch big bucks if they find a new way help people strip away their stresses and regrets and just focus on the present. Being present, after all, is the single most important ingredient that’ll help turn any trip into a bonafinde holiday.
There’s something about going to or coming from an island that puts everyone in a restful state. This matters a great deal when it comes to long-haul flights. This is why I imagine I’ve always had much better service on airlines like Fiji Airways and Hawaiian Airlines. It’s hard to be stressed when you’ve got an island in your orbit, which typically translates to more relaxed passengers. And this means better service overall.
If took me being able to juxtapose that feeling against the USA to realise just how valuable Island Time is as a mentality. Slowing down, resetting and keeping pace with the present is almost impossible when you’re strutting around big cities like New York and Chicago. In Fiji, being able to reposition yourself comes easy. And you want to be completely present in a setting like this, with endless natural views that massage the imagination far better than any skyline could.
The perfect layover
I’ve been to Fiji four times now and this was the only time where I’ve really fallen in love with the place. A big part of that could have been that I needed an island escape after spending so long in the USA, but another could be because I actually left Nadi this time.
Nadi is all cold utilitarian architecture and mid-level touristy hotels. Head on to the outer islands, however, and Fiji turns from a growing tourism product to a dynamic, postcard-perfect blockbuster.
First it was down to Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort on the southwest of the main island. The popular family-friendly resort has a firm grip on what separates good from great service. Immediately, I was greeted as, and treated like, family. The oversized breakfast buffet certainly helped take the edge off, as well as the generously sized grounds which have so many private nooks and crannies that it mattered less that this is a kid-friendly resort. If I wanted peace and quiet, I could easily find it.
The five-star Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island had an even more profound effect on my depleted soul. I’ve never seen a grown man cry at the thought of leaving a resort before, but as I had to check out from this heavenly section of Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands, I saw an elderly man burst out in tears as staff sang a farewell song. I don’t blame him; spending your time jet skiing, relaxing in your private plunge pool, and eating traditional Fijian barbecue is the kind of escapism that’s completely necessary before you barrel back into your day-to-day.
Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort was similarly restorative for me. As it was my last hotel before I was to fly out to Sydney. The final night of a big trip is always going to be emotional and riddled with anxiety, so being able to spend it in a relaxing environment helped offset the negativity for me. The warm, family-style service certainly helps, and I’m not ashamed to admit I shed a tear when I got to my room and saw “Welcome Home, Chris” in big lettering across the bed. Fijians know how to get return customers.
The Overlooked Pacific Route
When planning a journey to Los Angeles from Sydney, most travellers instinctively search for the quickest option—the 14-hour direct flight that catapults you from one metropolis to another with brutal efficiency. But efficiency isn’t always what the soul needs, especially after an intense American adventure.
Fiji Airways offers something different. Their Sydney-Nadi-Los Angeles route (and back) introduces a natural pause in the journey—one that can prove invaluable on the return: the smartest way to “do your buffer” so you arrive back in Australia actually feeling like you’ve been on a holiday.
After the intensity of American cities, a few days in Fiji isn’t merely a travel perk, it’s essential recovery.
Psychologists have long recognized that abrupt transitions between significantly different environments create cognitive and emotional stress. Going directly from the high-energy pace of Los Angeles back to your daily responsibilities in Sydney provides no buffer for psychological adjustment.
Travellers often underestimate how much mental processing happens after an extended international trip. Without adequate transition time, many people experience a prolonged adjustment period back home, affecting performance for weeks.
A Fiji stopover is what I guess you could call a “decompression chamber” between worlds. The island’s natural rhythm—slower, more deliberate, connected to natural cycles rather than digital ones—is the perfect way to avoid the whiplash effect of post-holiday blues.
Although an abstract idea, it’s not uncommon to feel depleted and drained for weeks after a big trip. That’s one feeling I was most scared of after three months in the USA, as it’s the longest I’ve been overseas to date. I get it constantly, but it just wasn’t as bad for this trip. I’m going to put that down to Fiji as well.
Not only did I board that flight back to Sydney feeling like I was systematically undressed from the stress that clung to me through my time in the US. I also left giving by body a few days to adjust to a time zone much closer to Australia’s, minimising the impact of jet lag so I could show up to the office the day after I got back as if I had never missed a beat.
Fiji Airways makes L.A very accessible
There are numerous carriers flying the long-worn Sydney to L.A route. Yet Fiji Airways is the only regular airline that flies nonstop from Nadi to LAX, so it’s the only smart option if you want to use Fiji as a buffer after the USA.
For full flight schedules and to make a booking head on over to fijiairways.com
The writer flew Sydney to Los Angeles as a guest of Fiji Airways.
