10 islands to visit in Fiji
When it comes to paradise, Fiji has it in spades
1 Viti Levu and Denarau Island
This is your one-stop, fly-and-flop island, where you can take a sampler of Fiji’s offerings all within easy reach of Nadi International Airport. It’s a good spot for first-timers and fast-tracked relaxation without additional travel. The largest island in Fiji, Viti Levu is more than simply a gateway, here you’ll find the man-made, island-within-an-island, Denarau Island, which is dotted with sprawling, big-name resorts as well as shopping sites, restaurants and bars.
2 Mamanuca Islands
Cue a phantasmagoria of whitewashed isles with a trip to the Mamanucas cluster. Just an hour-ish boat ride from Viti Levu, here you’ll find castaway vibes paired with convenience and beauty so polished it looks like an Instagram filter. The 20 islands are popular with everyone from surfers to backpackers staying at party resort Beachcomber Island, and film buffs heading to Monuriki Island – made famous by Tom Hanks’ profound relationship with a volleyball in Castaway.
3 Kadavu Island
Lush, forested and volcanically tropical, Kadavu is the fourth-largest island on Fiji, yet her wild appeal remains unbridled by a pleasant lack of development. Despite this, the unkempt haven of Kadavu is fairly accessible from Viti Levu and, once you descend on the airstrip, you’ll be whisked by boat to your chosen resort, where you can set about ogling the inhabitants of the Great Astrolabe Reef, get twitching in the treetops, or anticipating the perfect wave.
4 Taveuni Island
Pristine and comprehensively green, Fiji’s third-largest island is also known as Garden Island. Although it’s more jungle vibes than quaint garden, Taveuni’s rampant vegetation underscores the island’s undeniable allure. It’s a place for nature lovers, ornithology enthusiasts and explorers. Come to dive and document fauna and flora, and hike to Bouma Falls.
5 Vanua Levu Island
Given its proportions (it’s Fiji’s second-largest island), Vanua Levu flies under the radar. Development is scarce but charm clusters around this sapphire-lapped island. There are bars and restaurants and many luxe resorts have set up shop here, such as ultra-eco Jean Michel Cousteau Resort. Divers are lured to the nearby Rainbow Reef and Namena Marine Reserve.
6 Yasawa Islands
Reach this smattering of 20-ish islands by ferry in under five hours and discover remote and barren beauty. Accommodation punctuates the sparse villages where traditional life carries on, despite the arrival of cruise ships. Amenities remain fairly rudimentary, but you’re coming to submerge in the blue: diving, snorkelling, and swimming in the chamber of Sawa-I-Lau Caves of Blue Lagoon fame.
7 Tavarua Island
Embark on a family surf safari on a heart-shaped island just a skip and hop from Viti Levu. Enclosed by a coral reef that is, in turn, enclosed by dreamy surf conditions, this island of seven breaks rolls out relentlessly favourable conditions.
8 Tokoriki Island
Divest yourself of all parental duties for a few nights and step this way to the adults-only Tokoriki Island. Glimmering in the Mamanuca archipelago like a portal to carefree days of old, this private island is free from daily negotiations with minors.
9 Ovalau and Lomaiviti Group
Fiji’s first capital, Lavuka, on the island of Ovalau is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that provides a glimpse into the country’s colonial past. The islands are overall less developed than nearby Viti Levu, but they’re still pin-dropped with great beaches, budget accommodation and luxury resorts.
10 Navini Island
The antithesis of bustling Viti Levu, Navini Island has a stringent no day- trippers policy and only 10 reef-facing bures. It’s like stepping into that tropical island screensaver you find yourself staring at blankly each day.