Fiji · Month comparison

October vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs October at #4. Dry season begins — 90mm of rain, 7 hours of sunshine, and the best diving conditions returning.

Fiji October — the Yasawa Islands from above showing the coral-fringed white sand beaches in late dry season

October

#4 of 12 months

Best match

Late dry season — still excellent conditions, prices further below peak, and the resorts emptying.

  • ↑Dry-season conditions with 20–25% savings over peak: October gives 89mm of rain, 7.5 hours of sunshine, and warm (28°C) days at genuinely accessible prices — one of the best value months
  • ↑Beach and lagoon conditions still excellent: the water is warming back up toward wet-season temperatures (23°C in October), coral reefs remain in peak condition, and flat-calm lagoons are common in the Mamanuca group
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
FactorOctoberMay
Weather score
8
8
Value score
5
6
Crowd score
6
6
Events score
4
4
Atmosphere
8
8
Avg high temp28°C28°C
Monthly rain89mm90mm
Daily sunshine7.5hrs7hrs

October trade-offs

  • ↓89mm of rain: the dry season is winding down — showers are more frequent than in July–August, though still far below wet-season levels
  • ↓Humidity rising toward wet-season levels: 75% is noticeably warmer and stickier than July's 72% — not dramatic, but the trend is clear
  • ↓Some resort closures for annual maintenance: October is when a number of mid-range properties close for 2–4 week refurbishment periods — check your specific resort

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 →October in detail →May in detail →
Scores compare months within Fiji. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →