Holiday destinations are a little like fashion – there’s always something new in style, with trends dictating consumer habits. But one place never goes out of favour with families – Fiji … and with good reason. Just a few hours’ flight from east coast Australia (four hours from Sydney, three hours from Brisbane), it’s an endurable journey for young kids perhaps taking their first international flight. Fiji is also a relatively easy place to visit, with English the main language, familiar food on offer, easy access to hotels and a favourable currency against the Australian dollar.
It also offers a touch of exotica with its infectious, vibrant culture, while its clean white beaches, swaying palm trees and balmy crystal waters are simply to die for. Add to that a wide choice of accommodation – from luxury to barefoot rustic – and the friendliest people on earth who love children, and Fiji is a lure impossible to resist.
But with 322 islands to choose from, where is the best place to go? Here’s a breakdown of each region and what you can expect once you’re there:
Denarau
Located on Fiji’s main island, just 20 minutes’ drive from Nadi airport, Denarau is a great choice for families wanting to minimise their travel time and be relaxing by the pool the same day as their flight from home. Its a gated community featuring five luxury hotels, a range of restaurants, an 18-hole golf course and a marina, and guests have the convenience of integrated resort facilities, (including access to each hotel’s pools and cocktail bars), all in comfortable strolling or shuttle bus distance.
While the grey-sand beach is not the most enticing, guests are never short of things to do, with an array of watersports on offer as well as day spas, boutique shopping, golf and other sporting facilities.
Families are a major focus at Denarau, with most of the resorts featuring kids’ club and babysitting services. Fijian nannies are second to none – attentive, fun loving and cuddly – and most children are more than happy to spend time with these adoring carers. This, of course, is a bonus for parents in need of their own relaxation and time out.
The international brands that call Denarau home are Westin, Radisson, Sofitel, Hilton and Sheraton, with self-contained villa accommodation available at Sheraton Villas and private apartments at Golf Terraces.
The newest hotel in the compound is the Radisson Blu Fiji Resort, with sunset views across the ocean and five fabulous resort pools including a lagoon pool that merges with a manmade beach and a kids-only pool complete with waterslide. Currently undergoing refurbishment (with two phases already completed), Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa features great traditional Fijian entertainment, while its Heavenly Spa is the largest and most sophisticated in Fiji.
With a Kids under 12 Stay, Play and Dine Free package as well as a great kids’ club, the Sheraton Fiji Resort is extremely popular with families; while a stylish, sophisticated choice is the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, which offers its own private beach as well as the largest lagoon pool in the Pacific. The resort’s Turtle Club for children aged two to 12 offers a combination of indoor and outdoor activities, including local arts and crafts.
The Fiji Beach Resort & Spa, managed by Hilton, is also designed with families in mind, with fully equipped suites and villas with everything a family needs, including luxury kitchens and private barbecues.
Footnotes:
Radisson Blu Fiji Resort,
www.radissonblu.com/resort-fiji
Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa,
www.starwoodhotels.com
Sheraton Fiji Resort, www.starwoodhotels.com
Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, www.sofitelfiji.com.fj
The Fiji Beach Resort & Spa, managed by Hilton, www.fijibeachresortbyhilton.com
Coral Coast
The Coral Coast on the main island of Viti Levu offers the best of both worlds – the convenience
of the main island (it’s about 90 minutes’ drive from the airport), along with tropical lushness and clear blue seas. Wrapped by the one of the largest fringing reefs in the world, it features 80km of beaches, jungle-flanked bays and quaint Fijian villages. One of the first areas of Fiji to open to tourism, the area features some well-known properties that have reinvented themselves over the years, but still offer great value for money.
Top of the crop is Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa, located on private Yanuka Island. To care for the fragile reef it overlooks, the resort encourages guests to partake in fish house building, which helps to preserve and grow the reef ecosystem. Kids can also get a taste of the environment and the local Fijian culture in Little Chiefs Kids’ Club, while a Children Stay and Eat Free program offers great value for families.
Another favourite is Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa located on a pretty golden sand beach overlooking a turquoise lagoon. All-inclusive packages make things simple for families watching their budget, with all meals, beverages, unlimited ice-cream for the kids, activities, entertainment and kids’ club all included in the cost. Sister property The Naviti Resort has a similar all-inclusive package, with the Rugg Rats kids’ club giving parents precious time to relax while their children are in the safe hands of friendly professionals.
Designed to resemble a Fijian village, Outrigger on the Lagoon offers supervised children’s activities, a nanny service and a kids eat free program. Located on beautiful, palm-fringed Natadola Beach, the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa combines luxury with authentic Fijian hospitality. It features five pools including a family activity pool, an 18-hole golf course, kids’ club and a sugarcane train that snakes its way through the property.
Footnotes:
Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa, www.shangri-la.com
Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa, www.warwickfiji.com
The Naviti Resort, warwicknaviti.com
Outrigger on the Lagoon, www.outriggerfiji.com
InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, www.ichotelsgroup.com
Mamanuca Islands
Located a short flight or catamaran journey from the main island of Viti Levu, the Mamanuca Islands are the picture-postcard Fijian dream of swaying palms trees, white sand beaches and fringing coral reefs. Although some of the islands in the group are uninhabited, there are almost 20 island resorts, each with something different to offer travellers.
For instance, one resort caters exclusively to surfers; others are luxurious, adults-only affairs.
With a private airport pickup, Treasure Island Resort is one of the only resorts in the Mamanucas to offer same-day transfers. Located in a marine sanctuary, the island’s fragile environment is the focus for many of the resort’s activities; it even employs a marine officer who leads guests (including children) in hands-on experiences with local wildlife. Accommodation is in traditional bures large enough to sleep two adults and two children, all located within 30 metres of the beach.
A popular choice is Plantation Island Resort, located a 50-minute catamaran ride from Denarau harbour on Malolo Lailai Island. A fun, casual and affordable resort with a relaxed vibe and family-friendly focus, Plantation’s beachfront location means parents can relax in a hammock while their kids run around under the supervision of friendly carers in the Coconut Kids’ Club.
Sprawling across 120 hectares of lush tropical gardens, Mana Island Resort is a blissful getaway, with families well catered for in spacious Ocean Front Suites. Fiji’s newest family-friendly resort is Bounty Island, with children under 12 half price and low-budget accommodation available in dorms.
Footnotes:
Treasure Island Resort, www.treasureisland-fiji.com
Plantation Island Resort, www.plantationisland.com
Mana Island Resort, www.manafiji.com
Bounty Island Resort, www.fiji-bounty.com
Vanua Levu
Fiji’s second-biggest island is Vanua Levu, a 50-minute flight from Nadi. Unlike the main island, however, you’ll feel like you have landed in a remote island paradise, with just a handful of resorts and a strong local flavour.
A great choice for families on a budget is Daku Resort, set in an old coconut plantation just a few minutes from the main town of Savusavu. Calling itself an ‘upscale budget’ resort, it features a range of accommodation including traditional bure, a family villa, a self-contained cottage, two brand new luxury villas with private pools, and a pool house that sleeps eight. While the property doesn’t have a kids’ club, there’s plenty for families to do together, including kayaking, snorkelling, yoga and massage, and hiking to nearby waterfalls.
Located on the coastline between Savusavu and Buca Bay is Koro Sun Resort, which offers all-inclusive packages including accommodation, gourmet meals, transfers and non-motorised activities such as golf, snorkelling and cycling.
It also has a kids’ club that will get your child out into the environment on rainforest walks and kayak excursions.
Renowned for its brilliant kids’ program, Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is a five-star resort where families can relax in true style. Recently voted the world’s number one eco-resort on TripAdvisor, its guest program includes daily cultural and environmental activities, including snorkelling trips with the resident marine biologist. Children are appointed dedicated nannies at the Bula Club, with the carers also accompanying
the family on excursions beyond the resort.
Footnotes:
Daku Resort, dakuresort.com
Koro Sun Resort, www.korosunresort.com
Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort, www.fijiresort.com
Taveuni
Fiji’s third-largest island, Taveuni, known as the Garden Island due to its lush tropical rainforests, is a destination for eco-adventurers and those in search of a rich cultural experience. The island is one of the northernmost islands, a 75-minute flight from Nadi.
Accommodation tends to be in small retreats, cottages or boutique resorts, though there are a few larger resorts that cater for families including Maravu Plantation Beach Resort & Spa and Garden Island Resort.
Footnotes:
Maravu Plantation Beach Resort & Spa, www.maravu.fiji-resort.net
Garden Island Resort, www.gardenislandresort.com
Kadavu
Located 90km south of Viti Levu, Kadavu is Fiji’s fourth-largest island yet one of its least developed. Rugged and remote, it’s considered an eco-adventure destination, with activities including sea kayaking, fishing, surfing, diving and trekking. Due to no roads on the island, the handful of boutique resorts on the island arrange boat transfers from Vunisea airport.
Waisalima Beach Resort & Dive Centre is a budget resort that offers ‘the real Fiji’ experience. Simple thatched bures are strung out along the beach, while activities include snorkelling off the beach, sea kayaking, diving at the Astrolabe Reef, visits to local villages and hikes to a waterfall. Families are welcome, with cribs available for babies.
Footnotes:
Waisalima Beach Resort & Dive Centre, www.waisalima.com
Yasawa Islands
The Yasawas are a remote island group, unbelievably beautiful, unspoilt and barely touched by the modern world. There are only two luxury resorts in the group (Yasawa Island Resort and the exclusive Turtle Island), plus a handful of budget accommodations on the 30 islands, which tend to appeal to backpackers. Access is via the catamaran Yasawa Flyer that departs daily from Port Denarau, stopping at all island resorts, or by seaplane.
While marketed as a luxury resort for couples, Turtle Island Resort holds ‘family time’ a few times a year so the whole clan can enjoy heaven on earth. During these weeks, each child under five is provided with a nanny, while older children have their own ‘Bula Buddy’ to be companion and playmate. Activities are tailored to individuals, ensuring each family member is having a great time.
Yasawa Island Resort & Spa is a barefoot paradise, with just 18 bungalows hidden among the palms just a few steps from the beach. A huge family bure with two bedrooms is also available. The resort is a 35-minute flight from Nadi, charter planes landing at the resort’s private airstrip.
With just four deluxe villas and eight traditional treehouse bures, Nanuya Island Resort is a relaxing choice for families who prefer unstructured days and simple pleasures. Blue Lagoon Beach Resort on Nacula Island also has accommodation suitable for families, with Garden Villas that sleep four, or Deluxe Beachfront Villas that have special bunk beds for kids.
Owned by Captain Cook Cruises, Barefoot Lodge offers budget accommodation in simple beachfront bures (accommodating two people only) with shared facilities.
Footnotes:
Turtle Island Resort, www.turtlefiji.com
Yasawa Island Resort & Spa, www.yasawa.com
Nanuya Island Resort, www.nanuyafiji.com
Blue Lagoon Beach Resort, www.bluelagoonbeachresort.com.fj
Barefoot Lodge, www.captaincook.com.fj
Cruising Fiji
Cruising is a great way to see Fiji, island-hopping in style and comfort on board a mid-sized cruise ship. Blue Lagoon Cruises and Captain Cook Cruises both offer multi-day trips around the pristine Yasawa Islands, with ever-changing vistas of white sands, coral cays and turquoise seas.
A variety of itineraries allows shore excursions including village and school visits, swimming, snorkelling and island exploration.
Heading off from Lautoka, Blue Lagoon Cruises sails through the Mamanucas before reaching the Yasawas, with three- to seven-day itineraries available. Families can book two cabins at a special rate, accommodating two adults and three children under 15, with kids under two years free. During school holidays, they also have a Kids’ Captain on board to organise daily activities.
As well as day cruises, Captain Cook Cruises offers three- to seven-night family cruises on board Reef Endeavour, setting off from Denarau and visiting islands and schools throughout the Yasawa Islands. There’s a freshwater swimming pool and a games room on board, and child minding is available for children aged five to 10 years (cruise not recommended for under fives). Family cabins and staterooms are available.
Footnotes:
Blue Lagoon Cruises, www.bluelagooncruises.com
Captain Cook Cruises, www.captaincook.com.fj |
