Fiji Travelers Recommend

With three days to spend on Denarau Island, you have time to get out on the water to island hop and snorkel, tour Nadi’s cultural and historic attractions, and spend some time away from the beach for a different kind of outdoor adventure in Fiji. Here’s how to make the most of your three days.

Day 1: Sail, Swim, Snorkel

You haven’t seen Fiji until you’ve seen it from the water. While Denarau and Nadi might be the most developed areas of the archipelago, Fiji comprises some 300 islands, more than 100 of them uninhabited. Play Robinson Crusoe today by setting sail to one (or more) of these idyllic escapes. Spend the day basking on Fiji’s best beaches on the hilly Yasawa Islands, snorkel the coral reefs of the aptly named (and uninhabited) Snorkel Island, enjoy the water sports and amenities of Mana Island, or hop through the Mamanuca Islands to visit a variety of swimming and snorkeling spots. Finish off your day of sun, sand, and sea with a relaxed dinner at one of the resort restaurants on Denarau Island; many offer toes-in-the-sand dining, as well as nightly live entertainment.

Day 2: Around Nadi

You’ve experienced some of Fiji’s natural appeal, so today is all about enjoying the local culture. Start your day with a guided sightseeing tour around Nadi, Fiji’s tourist hub and fastest growing area. Many tours include stops at Vuda Lookout for views of the Yasawa Islands, the orchid-filled Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Namaka Market, and a local Hindu temple. Polish off your tour with a little relaxation in the thermal pools and mud baths of Sabeto Hot Springs. This afternoon, you may be ready for some time spent poolside, but for a deeper cultural experience, take a hands-on Fijian cooking class, which often includes a visit to a produce market to shop for local ingredients.

Day 3: Adventures on Land

If you can tear yourself away from the water today, your reward is a wealth of adventurous options on land. Depending on your interests and capacity for adrenaline, you might whiz down Fiji’s longest zipline, bounce through mud puddles and sugarcane fields on a guided ATV or quad bike tour, rappel in the Tau Caves, or, for the ultimate adventure, skydive above the archipelago. Finish your trip by taking a sunset dinner cruise on your final night in Fiji. Some cruises are followed by a beach bonfire and cultural performance featuring fire walking, music, and dancing.

Must-see Fiji combines a unique blend of cultures with the reefs, beaches and jungle you’d expect of a South Seas paradise. Come discover the best the islands have to offer.

Day 1: Mix and Match There are so many different facets to Fiji. What will your perfect day look like? You could spend the morning in Lautoka, center of Fiji’s all-important sugar industry. Visit the largest sugar mill in the Southern Hemisphere and see the temples, mosques and markets of this vibrant melting pot. Or get your gift shopping out of the way with a trip to Sigatoka, Fiji’s premier pottery destination. Or if you’re impatient to experience Fiji’s natural splendor, head to Sabeto Valley where you can see stunning orchids in the Garden of the Sleeping Giant before admiring the view from Vuda Lookout. Wherever the day takes you, be sure to take the evening dinner cruise with authentic islander songs and dances for entertainment.

Day 2: Town or Country Depending on your taste and energy levels, today can go either way. You could set off for a day of sightseeing in Suva and discover the colonial heritage of Fiji’s capital in its stunning harbor setting. History, shopping and the islands’ best restaurants are all waiting for you. On the other hand, what’s to stop you pressing the fast forward button on your holiday adventure and going on a heart-pounding raft excursion down the mighty rapids of the Navua River? Don’t worry, even amateurs will be safe on this jungle excursion, which includes a Fijian barbecue lunch. Alternatively, combine nature and civilization in a Navua River expedition which takes you into Fiji’s mountainous interior and includes a Kava ceremony in a Fijian village.

Day 3: Off to the Islands Venture off Viti Levu with a romantic tall ship cruise to the spectacular coral reefs of Tivua Island, with snorkeling, a glass-bottomed boat tour and a kava ceremony. Or upgrade to a full day of luxury, beginning with a champagne breakfast and continuing with a cruise around picture-postcard tropical islands.