Melanesia · Polynesia
The beach probably belongs to someone
Most land in the island Pacific is customary land held by groups, not parcels on an open market.
Across much of the Pacific, land is held under customary tenure by families and clans rather than sold freely. It is normally not possible for an outsider to buy it, and access to a beach, a waterfall, a reef or a track often needs the owning group's consent. A “no entry” sign is rarer than an unmarked expectation that you will ask.
Fiji
Native land is administered, and leases are how access works
The large majority of land in Fiji is iTaukei (native) land held by landowning units, administered through a statutory trust board rather than sold on the open market. Resorts, farms and businesses on that land operate under leases. As a visitor this mostly surfaces as: the path to the waterfall crosses someone's land, and there is a fee or a person to ask.
Reference: iTaukei Land Trust Board
Fees
A small charge at a track head is usually legitimate
Being asked for a modest fee to walk to a waterfall, swim in a river pool or cross to a beach is normal and generally goes to the landowning family or village. Pay it, ask for the going rate at your accommodation beforehand, and be sceptical only if the amount is wildly out of line with what your host quoted.
- Ask your accommodation what the usual amount is
- Carry small notes; change is often unavailable
- A receipt is unusual and its absence is not a red flag
Vanuatu & PNG
Custom ownership is the default, not the exception
In Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea the overwhelming majority of land remains under custom ownership. Tourism operations there run on arrangements with the custom owners, which is why an operator will often introduce you to the family whose ground you are walking on. That introduction is the permission.
Behaviour
Ask before you take anything, including pictures of houses
Shells, coral, plants and stones are not souvenirs to be collected — some are also restricted for export. Photographing houses, gardens and burial sites is different from photographing scenery. When in doubt the question is short: “Is it all right if I…?”
Questions visitors ask
Can a foreigner buy land in Fiji or Vanuatu?
Customary land is generally not available for outright purchase. Long-term leases are the usual mechanism, and the rules are specific and change — take current legal advice in-country rather than relying on general articles.
Is the beach public?
Access rules differ by country and the practical reality is that the land behind the beach usually has owners. Where a village is adjacent, ask.
Someone asked me for money to cross their land. Is that a scam?
Usually not. Landowner access fees are a normal feature of the region. Check the expected amount with your host in advance so you can tell the difference.
Revised August 2026. Protocol varies by island and by village; on the ground your host is the authority.