The Islands of Fiji

Fiji's secret lagoon

Located in Fiji’s Yasawa Islands, the Sawa-i-Lau Caves is so secluded, no satellite can pick it up. That’s because it’s hidden inside an island. Visitors are led up a stone path to find a small entrance to the cave. As you step inside, you’re greeted with almost mythical beauty; a pool of turquoise water sits inside an almighty cavern, with shafts of light streaming in from a crack high above. It almost looks too beautiful to disturb – but your guides then invite you all for a swim. There is a second hidden chamber – but it's only accessed by swimming through an underwater tunnel for a few seconds.

Gardens of the Sleeping Giant

Located about half an hour from Nadi in the foothills of the Nausori Highlands, The Garden of Sleeping Giant is an enchanting garden spotlighting Fiji's native plants. A covered jungle boardwalk takes visitors through the 20ha grounds, past large lily ponds, through native rainforest, and with plenty of opportunities to see the impressive orchid collection boasting more than 2000 different varieties. Kids love the manicured lawns, too. The entry fee a cool complimentary fruit drink.

Fiji's sweet ride

Ecotrax Fiji is not your usual cycle trail – and certainly not your usual bike. One of Fiji’s top-rated tourism experiences has you riding a modified electric bicycle carriage along an abandoned sugarcane railway along the coastline between Sigatoka and Suva. The beauty of the bikes is anyone can ride them, no matter your age or ability. There is no balancing involved because of the carriage – so you can even ride hands-free. Each carriage also has a rear bench seat and child seat attachments can be added for the little ones.

A thrilling but authentic experience

Fiji's award-winning jet boat tour, Sigatoka River Safari, takes visitors right up the heart of Fiji's longest river to experience a day in the life of the real 'kaiviti' (Fijian). The half-day guided activity combines high-speed boating with local knowledge and historic anecdotes, as well as a traditional kava ceremony and tropical lunch in one of 18 local settlements. Singing, dancing and 360-degree spins round off the thrilling experience.

Fly through the jungle

Fiji is home to one of the largest caves in the Pacific, and one of the best ways to see it is on a zipline adventure. Zip Fiji has 16 lines that zigzag through thick rainforest. After taking a few zips, the guides will invite you inside the enormous cave - which is like a giant air pocket inside the hill. This zipline course is also a little different than most. It requires you to slow yourself down – which involves a bit of practise with a specially designed glove. Don't worry if you brake too late; the guide will catch you at the end with a massive hug. The guides will even teach you to flip upside-down.

A thrilling sand experience

Those after a cheap thrill can't look past the Sigatoka Dunes on the Coral Coast. Some of these giant sand mountains reach up to 60m high so it's worth bringing along a boogie board to whiz down the sandy slopes. The Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park is also a place of great historical significance. Pottery, stone tools and even human remains dating back 3000 years have been found beneath the shifting sands.

Beach vibes for the day

Malamala Beach Club is only 25 minutes from Denarau, although it feels like another world. The island is for day-trippers only – unlike other resort islands, where day visitors can be treated with disdain by chardonnay-clutching resort guests. Turquoise waters lap around a perfectly circular white sandy island, lined with coconut trees. Technicolour cocktails are flowing at the infinity pool.

Snorkel with sharks

If you're after a snorkel trip you'll never forget, Fiji offers a rare chance to swim with sharks. The trip is quite the adventure before you even get to a secret reef, which is home to a population of white and black tip reef sharks. The blood pressure shoots up the moment you arrive, as fins begin to surround the boat almost immediately. You get almost an hour in the water with the sharks, and they'll come within a few metres of you – so it's more than enough time to gather an impressive gallery of photos.

Wild national parks

One of Taveuni Islands main attractions is its Jurassic-like hinterland, and the easiest way to get a taste for it is the Lavena Coastal Walk. This 5km hike following secluded coastline and sleepy villages can be hot work, but luckily, you'll pass dozens of empty beaches where you can take a quick dip. The spectacular Wainibau Falls is reached by swimming up a narrow gorge, surrounded by rainforest. You can either walk the return journey, or a boat will meet you on the coast to whisk you back for an additional fee.

Get down and dirty

Fiji’s tropical scenery is best seen on a guided quad bike experience with Go Dirty Tours Fiji. The off-road tours operate rain or shine, hitting the muddy terrain in Viti Levu's lush interior, zipping past cane fields and riding high up to a mountain viewpoint. Tours can be combined with village visits, mud bath pampering, ziplining and scenic helicopter flights.

There's room enough for all

At 44ha, Shangri-La Yanuca Island is Fiji's biggest family-friendly resort. It takes a couple of days to get your bearings around the sprawling Coral Coast property which features 443 rooms, its own nine-hole golf course, virtual reality arcade, five restaurants, and an exclusive adults-only area. Most guests congregate around the main lagoon where a massive kid-friendly pool awaits plus an inflatable obstacle course in the middle of the crystal-clear water.

Show off your creative side

In an assuming industrial building across the bridge from tourist island, Denarau, is Sigavou Studios, which specialises in traditional Fijian art practices on masi barkcloth. The Colours of Fiji experience gives visitors a chance to learn about ancient barkcloth traditions, tour the studio gallery, and unleash their inner artist by creating a contemporary barkcloth painting, colourful tote bag, or sculpted dish to take home.

Family-friendly luxury

If you’re wanting to go five-star, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, in Savusavu Bay is often referred to as one of the best places in Fiji for luxury family accommodation. With just 25 bures it’s not overrun with crowds and has multiple pools the kids will never want to get out of. The Bula Club is known for its variety of activities, which change daily. Jean-Michel is the son of environmental legend Jacques Cousteau, so the environmental focus has been deeply embedded in everything they do from day one.

Six-star service

Located on Fiji's garden isle, Taveuni, Raiwasa is a private resort which sleeps up to six. The world-class resort is designed around the view. The main deck overlooking the ocean transforms into your restaurant each night, and the infinity pool is the perfect place to watch the sunset. Meals are prepared by your own executive chef, you also get your own 24/7 butler service and a chauffeur at your disposal. Nothing is ever a problem.

No shortage of fun

With a kids club, seven pools and over two kilometres of private beach at your disposal, it can be difficult to pull yourself away from Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa. But if you do feel like a day trip, the family-friendly resort is handily located in the heart of Denarau Island, only five minutes from the waterpark and the local port for island excursions. Four on-site eateries will keep you going.

Affordable and authentic

Barefoot Manta Island Resort is located on Drawaqa Island. It’s affordable, authentic and perfect for families. The beachfront bures fit two adults and three children and they look right out onto white sands and crystal-clear waters. Over 4000sqm of coral has been planted by this team and huge amounts of important data on manta rays has been gathered. The centre is open to guests and there are plenty of opportunities to actively participate in the resort’s ongoing conservation programme.

The cheaper way to stay

A village homestay is a brilliant alternative to staying in a resort, a genuine encounter with locals, and a chance to spend tourism dollars where they matter. Arranged through Yasawa Homestays you'll be provided with meals, accommodation and small boat transfers from the ferry to a local village. All you have to do is follow cultural courtesies and present the village chief with a kava root on arrival - a non-negotiable part of the experience.

Jewel of the Mamanucas

Vomo Fiji is the jewel in the crown of the Mamanuca Islands. Golden beaches and a towering hill make this paradise look like it was created in Photoshop. Despite the private island being 87 hectares, it's only home to 28 villas – most of which are only a few metres from the sea. The resort's pièce de résistance is the adults-only zone with its sprawling infinity pool and bar. There are myriad relaxation zones with enormous day beds overlooking the pool.

Sleep over the ocean

Likuliku Lagoon Resort is the only resort in Fiji with overwater accommodation in the ocean. The string of villas atop a turquoise lagoon and set against a coconut-fringed white sandy beach are seriously opulent. Bathtubs sit against floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the ocean and you can also get straight in the water from your villa. The adults-only retreat is a palace of passion; there are so many places to enjoy doing absolutely nothing – the day bed, the beach, the bar, the infinity pool.

One of the Pacific's best-kept secrets

Matangi Private Island is one of the Pacific's best-kept secrets. Sitting off Taveuni it has an idyllic resort, with tree houses in the jungle plus nine bures overlooking sapphire waters. It's also home to an enormous secret cove, known as Horseshoe Bay – so beautiful it’s been named one of the top 1000 places to see in the world. If you're looking for a luxurious holiday away from the crowds, journey to this tropical paradise.

Your own private escape

Wakaya Club & Spa has room for only six couples, bunked down in enormous thatch-roofed bures beside a private beach with double hammocks tied between coconut trees. Located in the Lomaiviti archipelago, the only way to get to there is via propeller plane transfer from Nadi Airport. It sure makes for a hell of an entrance on a gravel airstrip cut between the thick forest. There are two restaurants and beside-the-pool dining despite there being a maximum of 12 guests. Even then, many guests prefer to picnic on their own section of a beach across the bay from the resort.

An idyllic, secluded location

Kokomo Private Island (on Yaukuve Island) is one of the latest, greatest offering to Fiji's impressive stable of private island retreats – is 45 minutes' flying time from Nadi Airport, or 25 minutes from Suva's. This means that though it feels as far-flung as the South Pacific gets, you can actually get there in a little over three hours from NZ. The island is protected by the world's fourth-largest reef and nowhere in Fiji offers better diving or fishing. There are 21 beachside villas and five private residences on the island.

Holiday like a celebrity

Adults-only Royal Davui Island Resort has a series of celebrity-style villas tucked away in lush tropical bush overlooking the Beqa reef. Most guests take the resort's private plane to the Pacific Harbour Airstrip, where you then transfer to a launch to reach the island. It’s a royal welcome that only continues when you arrive. Private villas come with a spa bath, lounge and a mini-bar stocked with unlimited beverages. The hotel has exceptional snorkelling just off its main wharf and a private sandbar just a few kilometres away for romantic picnics.

Take your time

Fiji Airways has a “Resort check-in” feature at some of its Denarau hotels, which means the airline has a counter on site at the resort. You hand over your passport, your luggage is weighed and checked through with an airline rep. You receive your boarding pass and your bags are then safely transported to the airport - slashing time waiting in a queue and giving you extra time to soak up the last little bits of your Fiji holiday. Resort check-in is available at the Sofitel, Sheraton and Hilton resorts.

Where everybody knows your name

The 200ha Turtle Island in the far-flung Yasawa archipelago has always maintained an exclusivity. A maximum of 28 guests at a time means that all the staff know guests by name. Each bure is managed by a Bure Mama who are more than butlers, but nurturing forces who arrange schedules and bring guests whatever they desire. Meals are communal, taken at a long table set in sand in the main bar/restaurant. There are many private dining options on deserted beaches or on a candlelit pontoon in the middle of the lagoon.

An adults-only overwater escape

Around a massive palm-fringed man-made lagoon on the main island of Viti Levu sits Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay. All 250 rooms have a water view, but only 22 branch out into the middle of the lagoon. Imagine jumping off your deck to cool off, then enjoying a glass of wine in the daybed as you hear the lap of the tide. The overwater section is strictly adults-only. If you find the desire to leave your overwater villa, the spa is the second best place to be, where couples treatments come complete with your own private plunge pool.

One of the world's best

Tokoriki Island Resort is nestled in the Mamanucas and has been named one of the best resorts in the world. The resort has 36 bures and villas, all with indoor and outdoor showers. The opulent beachfront villas come complete with a private infinity pool overlooking the water, cabana and double day bed. The luxurious pool villas are like a miniature resort in themselves, complete with a private cabana for daily massages. All rooms are designed to be a place to relax and unwind – none have television, internet or phones.

Affordable island luxury

Four-star Matamanoa Island Resort is one of the more affordable private island options in Fiji, with resort rooms starting around $450. The island is situated in an unspoiled marine sanctuary, meaning fantastic snorkelling just off the resort's main beach. You can also take a kayak or Hobie Cat to explore the surrounding area.

Magical on all fronts

Six Senses Fiji offers a beautiful experience from the moment you step off the boat to the moment you reluctantly leave this piece of paradise. Malolo is the largest of the Mamanucas. The resort is set on 48.5ha in lush vegetation and highlighted by a spectacular beach. There are 24 villas, all with private pools so it’s pretty hard to want to do any of the activities available when your accommodation is constantly trying to seduce you. There is plenty to do if you can tear yourself away – jet-ski safaris, scuba diving, snorkelling, island-hopping, local village tours - you name it.

For culinary exploration

The capital Suva is a great place to start any culinary exploration of Fiji. And no better place than the vibrant Suva Municipal Market, a wonderful scene of chaotic abundance and joy with tables piled high with local specialties. Pop into the food courts in places like MHCC and Tappoo City where you can grab basic plates of local and international food like a proper local. Or if you’re looking for something a little more upmarket, try KANU by Lance Seeto or Eden Bistro and Bar where fresh seafood and other local bounty are expertly cooked.

A beautiful floating bar

Imagine having a massage in the middle of a blue lagoon. You're surrounded by water so clear that it feels like you're staring straight into the soul of the ocean. Seventh Heaven is one of the newest escapes in Fiji and it's seriously good. The two-storey floating platform comes with a restaurant, pizza oven and sun loungers on the lower floor. Upstairs are more loungers and a "leap of faith" into the water. It's also where you'll find one of the most beautiful massage huts in the world.

Fiji's best brew

Down the Coral Coast is Bula Coffee, one of the most fascinating and inspiring food stories in Fiji. Kiwi Luke Fryett discovered that coffee was growing wild in the bush in this part of Viti Levu, and convinced locals to harvest it for him, creating new sources of income and empowering local families and communities. Book in for a tour where you’ll see coffee growing, drying and being graded - and will hear the full amazing story of how it all came about. Finish up with one of the best brews in Fiji, with a view of the beach.

More than a drink

The popular drink of kava is central to social gatherings across the islands of Fiji. The muddy brown liquid derives from the roots of the kava plant – which is ground up, mixed with water and strained to make an earthy-tasting brown liquid. Enjoyed with ceremonial clapping and singing, the bitter drink is known to numb the mouth, relax the body and calm the mind. It has been lauded for its potential to treat anxiety and stress, and some say you haven't been to Fiji unless you've tried it.

Fiji in a glass

Like Raffles has the Singapore Sling, the Grand Pacific Hotel has the G & Tea, a cocktail designed by the team at The Distillery Co. featuring their famous Blue Turtle Gin, Earl Grey tea, lemongrass, mint, cane sugar syrup and lime juice with a Batiri orange garnish - it's Fiji in a glass. Make sure you grab a bottle of Blue Turtle while you’re in Fiji - it’s made with local botanicals and is very easy drinking.

Pizza by the sea

Near the stunning Mamanuca Islands is floating sanctuary Cloud 9, originally built for surfers who wanted somewhere to take a break from riding the world-renowned Cloudbreak. The pontoon is in a lagoon, so on a fine day, it's very sheltered, and it only serves pizza, to keep it simple for their chefs and to reduce waste. There are two sessions each day.

Cheap and cheerful eats

Just out of Nadi, in Wailoaloa, don’t miss Vasaqa where you’ll find some of the best casual food on the mainland. Local kumquat juice is a must, alongside their low 'n' slow spit-roasted meats in a series of popular modern formats like bao, taco, burgers or full meals. If you’re there at the weekend, don’t miss Kusima Saturdays where all the local Fijian dishes come out to play.

Sipping on a sandbar

The South Sea Sailing day trip by South Sea Cruises includes a couple of stops on a 78-foot catamaran; a tropical reef teeming with sea life and a shallow sand bank in the Mamanuca Islands. The latter transforms into – quite literally – a sand ‘bar’. Guests lay about in the water, then line up to top up their drinks. When the wine gets low, a little boat heads over with fresh supplies. Before long, guests are called back onto the boat for a buffet lunch of delicious dishes like grilled wahoo with spicy coconut chutney, and lemongrass chicken.

The real deal

If you want a slice of real Fijian life you’ll find The Fiji Orchid in Lautoka where Chef Sewale serves up stunning food full of local flavour. Stay in the accommodation and do their market shop and cook, an incredible experience where you’ll witness fresh fish in all hues coming straight off the boats and get a full tour of the local market where you and Chef will pick up ingredients before making a glorious lunch.

For more information visit fiji.travel