Fiji · Month comparison

November vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs November at #8. Dry season begins — 90mm of rain, 7 hours of sunshine, and the best diving conditions returning.

Fiji November — tropical rain shower passing over the Mamanuca Islands lagoon as the wet season returns

November

#8 of 12 months

Strong option

Wet season beginning — prices drop, showers return, and the cyclone season technically opens.

  • ↑Prices dropping meaningfully from October: November marks the start of the low season and accommodation rates fall 15–25% from dry-season levels — the best combination of still-reasonable weather and reduced cost in the shoulder window
  • ↑Sea temperature back to 26°C and rising: the warmest water since March is ideal for snorkelling directly off the beach at Mamanuca resorts
Fiji May — clear water around a coral reef in the Mamanuca Islands as the dry season begins

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Dry season begins — 90mm of rain, 7 hours of sunshine, and the best diving conditions returning.

  • ↑Dry season properly underway: 90mm versus 154mm in April — the pattern shifts to occasional light showers rather than heavy rain, and multi-day stretches of clear weather become normal
  • ↑Diving visibility recovering to dry-season clarity: 15–25 metres of visibility in the Somosomo Strait (Taveuni) and the Mamanuca outer reefs as river runoff subsides
FactorNovemberMay
Weather score
5
8
Value score
7
6
Crowd score
7
6
Events score
3
4
Atmosphere
7
8
Avg high temp29°C28°C
Monthly rain134mm90mm
Daily sunshine7hrs7hrs

November trade-offs

  • ↓134mm of rain: the wet season arrival is unmistakable — afternoon and evening showers are back as a regular feature, and the clear dry-season days are no longer predictable
  • ↓Cyclone season opens on 1 November: statistically unlikely in November but the risk is real from this point — travel insurance is essential and itinerary flexibility is strongly advisable
  • ↓Visibility deteriorating at dive sites: as rivers begin to run again after the dry season, coastal dive sites in Viti Levu's interior lose the crystalline clarity of July–September

May trade-offs

  • ↓90mm is still light rain: May is not reliably dry, and island transfers to the more exposed Yasawa Islands still carry occasional weather delays
  • ↓Cooler evenings by Fiji standards: 22°C lows mean a light layer is useful after dark — nothing dramatic, but a shift from the wet-season warmth
  • ↓Visibility still building toward its best: while dramatically better than March–April, May's visibility is below the July–August peak at many dive sites
See all 12 months for Fiji →November in detail →May in detail →
Scores compare months within Fiji. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →