The Song of the South Pacific: Fiji & the Mamanuca Islands

The Mamanuca Islands are Fiji’s real idyllic paradise. Here’s how to get off the main island of Nadi and explore these sandy tropical gems.

“Ooohhh, who owns that yacht?” we ask with envy as our high-speed catamaran docks back at Denarau Marina.

“My 2nd husband,” jokes Ma, as laughter fills the Captain’s Lounge.

We’ve just returned from a day of sailing through Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands, most famous these days as the filming location for the popular reality show, “Survivor.”

Makereta (or just “Ma” as she prefers to be called) was the cheerful hostess and Cruise Director for the voyage. It has been a simply spectacular day and the Fijian people like Ma are a big part of the reason why.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to book through these links, I receive a small commission, which I will undoubtedly blow on more flights (it’s a vicious cycle).  All of this internet voodoo takes place at no additional cost to you. 

People often throw the word “paradise” around with reckless abandon (I myself have likely been guilty of that) but for me, the South Pacific truly defines the word.

What makes Fiji special?

I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of this region – Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, New Caledonia, Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, and Easter Island. But for my money, there’s no better overall South Pacific destination than Fiji.

With more than 300 idyllic islands to explore, there’s something for everyone – from backpackers to honeymooners to families.

The two primary island chains are the Yasawas and the Mamanucas.

And while there are plenty of lodging options on the islands, many prefer to stay on the main island where most of the larger resorts, restaurants, and shops are located. Luckily, it’s easy to visit the two outer island groups on day trips.

Arrival in Fiji

I arrived in Nadi, on Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu, yesterday after back-to-back redeye flights from Jakarta (via Seoul). It’s apparent on approach to landing that the island has recently been blanketed by rain.

On the drive to the Westin Fiji Denarau Island Resort, my driver confirms that the islands have seen significant rainfall in the previous two days. He doesn’t offer much encouragement for the coming days either.

I don’t have much planned for today, just some time to relax by the pool. But I do have big plans for the next few days that will require some sunshine.

My Fiji partner in crime

I have a few hours to kill before I’m joined in my Fijian adventures by my Aussie friend Angela (of Antarctica fame). You may recall that Ang joined me for part of my Asian trip last August and we had an amazing time exploring Myanmar.

Since our joint travel exploits have so far included remote and complicated destinations like Antarctica and Myanmar, it seems only fitting that we are due for a more relaxed holiday.

Which brings me back to Fiji…

3rd time’s the charm

This is my 3rd trip to the Fijian islands. Ater a less than exciting debut visit, I finally figured out how to do Fiji right on my 2nd visit.

On my first visit to Fiji (at the end of RTW #2) I was only on the island for two nights and never left Denarau. While the hotels were lovely, I didn’t get what all the fuss was about. The beaches were nothing like I’d seen in magazine images of Fiji.

On my 2nd visit (during RTW 5 ½ – The Oceania Edition), I again stayed on Denarau Island. But this time I booked day trips to the outer islands – one to the Yasawa group and one to the Mamanucas – and finally, found the real Fiji…and it was fantastic.

The plan for island hopping

This time, I know exactly what I want to do – see more of the outer island groups!

I perused the tour options with the primary tour operator in Fiji – South Sea Cruises – and sent the link to Angela to do the same. One of the most famous islands in the Mamanucas is Modriki island, the filming location for the popular Tom Hanks movie, Cast Away.

The 3 most popular island-hopping day trips in the Mamanucas are:

• Authentic Fijian Day Cruise, Best Day in Fiji (includes a visit to Modriki)
• Fijian Islands and Snorkel Full-Day Whales Tale Cruise including Beach BBQ Lunch
• South Sea Sailing Full Day Trip

We ultimately decide to do the sailing trip on Tuesday and then a day trip to South Sea Island on Thursday. In between the two, we’ll spend a day enjoying the variety of pools and facilities at the resort.

It’s a perfect itinerary, but I forgot to factor in the weather. And as I settle into the room, the rain begins to fall.

If the Weather’s not Sunny, I’m Probably Spending Money

With persistent clouds and intermittent thundershowers dampening my enjoyment of the Westin’s facilities, I head over to Denarau Marina for a little shopping.

Filled with restaurants, cafes, and shops, the marina is just a short drive from most of the major resorts on the island.

I grab lunch at the marina as the rain continues to fall and spend the rest of the afternoon shopping and praying to the rain Gods that this will all go away by tomorrow.

Angela arrives just in time for dinner and though we are slightly disappointed by the current weather conditions, we are excited to be in Fiji and determined to remain optimistic about our plans for the week.

A Spectacular Day on Seaspray

Note: South Sea Cruises doesn’t seem to offer the Seaspray sail anymore. Currently, the best day trip option for visiting Modriki Island is the Authentic Fijian Day Cruise, Best Day in Fiji.

When I awake the next morning and draw back the blinds, I’m relieved to see blue sky staring back at me. Not much of it, mind you, but enough to provide the necessary encouragement to get out of bed.

By 9am we’re back at Denarau Marina and boarding the Tiger IV, the high-speed catamaran that will ferry us to Mana Island where the Seaspray is waiting.

It’s a 90-minute ride with scenic stops along the way at the tiny little dots of sand known as South Sea Island, Bounty Island, Treasure Island, and Beachcomber Island (all as perfect-looking as they sound).

At each stop, passengers are transferred by jetty to and from the islands. Some for day trips, others to stay at the small resorts on each island.

The Captain’s Lounge upgrade

On my last trip, I learned that the Captain’s Lounge upgrade is well worth the small upcharge for access to the air-conditioned upper deck cabin plus free drinks and snacks.

As we enter the Captain’s Lounge we meet Ma, our hostess and Cruise Director for the ride out to and back from Mana Island. Along the ride, she gives some interesting history about the area and announces each island as we stop.

By 10:30am we arrive at the dock on Mana Island to the lyrical voices of resort staff welcoming us in song in the traditional Fijian fashion.

We disembark the catamaran and board a small transfer boat to reach the Seaspray.

We have a full day ahead that starts with a trip to the uninhabited island of Modriki, set for the Tom Hanks movie “Cast Away” and ends with a visit to a local village.

Once the 50 or so passengers are comfortably aboard, we begin sailing toward Modriki. The weather continues to turn in our favor as we sail and blue sky is quickly winning the battle with the clouds.

As we approach the deserted paradise of Modriki, I can’t understand for the life of me why Tom Hanks spent 2 hours trying to get off this gorgeous little island.

Swaying palms and white sand lapped by turquoise waters, it’s the stuff of pure South Pacific fantasy. (Sidebar: The American edition of the TV show Survivor has been filming here and on the surrounding islands regularly since 2016.)

We’re ferried to shore in two trips and have an hour or so to snorkel and enjoy the island.

On a hill just above the beach, is the only thing that still remains from the movie set, the words “HELP ME” spelled out in coconuts.

The beach is fantastic and we thoroughly enjoy our stay on the island.

A Village Visit

Next, it’s time to re-board Seaspray for a delicious BBQ lunch before sailing on to our next stop, the village on Yanuya Island. I’m excited at the prospect of seeing a Fijian village for the first time.

As we approach the shores of Yanuya Island, I’m blown away by what a beautifully serene place this must be to live. And that beauty is reflected in everyone we meet in the village, especially the school children.

As we wait for the second tender from the Seaspray to disembark on the beach, we notice the children in a nearby schoolhouse smiling and waving at us. We smile and wave back, completely distracting them from their schoolwork.

A Fijian Kava Ceremony

Once we’re all together, we walk through the village to the community center where we’re treated to a Kava Ceremony by the village chief.

Kava is a mildly narcotic drink made from the pepper plant and used on occasions both important and social. It’s traditionally accompanied by a ceremony to welcome visitors and when we arrive the village chief has prepared some for us to try.

We sit on the floor in a circle during the brief ceremony and then are given the opportunity to drink a bowl of the murky brown liquid. I tried kava on a previous South Pacific island and decide to pass but several of the Seaspray passengers give it a go.

After thanking the village chief and doing a little shopping in the craft market, we begin the walk back through the village to the boat. By this time the children are out of school and they run excitedly to the school’s fence line to greet us as we walk by.

Sometimes, in my travels, I get so depressed by children who’ve been trained to demand money when their photo is taken. Since it happens more often than not, I’ve become a little jaded and hesitant when taking photos of children.

But not here in Fiji.

Like the adults, the kids all seem so happy and welcoming. Smiling brightly at us as we pass and shouting the Fijian welcome that has become part of our daily jargon, “Bula! Bula!”

They pose happily for photos as we walk by their school, expecting nothing more than a returned smile and wave.

It’s obvious that the Seapray’s regular visits are a highlight of their day and they truly enjoy interacting with visitors to their village.

After leaving the village (my faith in humanity temporarily restored), it’s time to hit the high seas again for the cruise back to Mana Island. There, we’ll rejoin the Tiger IV for the ride back to Denarau.

Cold beverages flow and the crew again brings out guitars and ukuleles to serenade us as we cruise through the picturesque Mamanuca island group.

At Mana Island, we rejoin Ma and some of the other friends we made earlier on the Tiger IV to compare notes on our fabulous days over a chilled bottle of wine in the Captain’s Lounge.

It’s a completely wonderful day and we can’t wait to get back out to the islands again later this week.

Day 3 – Resort R&R

Since we knew our exciting day aboard Seaspray might leave us in need of a rest day between island adventures, we leave Day 3 open to relax.

The sun is again shining and the plan is to enjoy the many amenities of the Westin Denarau Resort complex which also includes the neighboring Sheraton Fiji Resort and the Sheraton Denarau Villas (guests of all properties can enjoy the amenities of each).

Of course, if we’re going to cover all three pools in one day, efficiency is key.

After breakfast, I have a little work to do so Ang grabs a shady lounge chair at the Westin’s pool while I head back to the room. We both got a little too much sun yesterday despite constantly reapplying sunscreen and carefully choosing seats in the shade on the boat when possible.

Fijian sun doesn’t seem to care about SPF factors, fair warning.

By mid-morning, I’m done working so we walk down the beach and check out the Sheraton Fiji’s pool for a while. We stop for lunch at the Sheraton Denarau Villas on the walk back and then spend a little more time on our home turf at the Westin’s pool.

It’s a perfectly lazy day and exactly what the doctor ordered.

That evening we get our first decent sunset of the trip (thanks to the previous days’ rain and clouds). We walk back down to the Sheraton with a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses and park ourselves in beachside lounge chairs to watch the show.

Later, we head down to the marina for dinner.

South Sea Island Day Trip

Day 4 in Fiji dawns with a brilliant blue sky and proves to be the sunniest yet.

The closest island to Denarau, uninhabited South Sea Island is the perfect choice for a shorter day trip. So today we’ve booked the Day Trip to South Sea Island with South Sea Cruises.

The plan for today is simple – relax on a gorgeous beach. That may not sound difficult but in Fiji, the hard part is narrowing it down to just one island!

There’s no resort on tiny South Sea Island, just a 32-room dorm for those wishing to spend the night. But at just 30 minutes by boat from Port Denarau, it’s the ideal place for a day trip.

The island has a pool, shady lounge chairs, a dive center, and any number of water sports activities available. There’s even a semi-submersible for those who want to experience the coral reef surrounding the island without getting wet.

And most importantly, there are half a dozen hammocks scattered around the island strung lazily between sturdy palms. It’s worth noting that I’m operating under a severe hammock deficit on this trip so far.

How to spend a day on South Sea Island

We arrive on the island with 40 or so other day-trippers and are again welcomed in song before being given a brief overview of the island and the schedule for the day.

We’re free to participate in as many activities as we like. Or simply take up residence in a lounge chair or hammock for the day.

We decide to split the difference.

The semi-submersible makes two morning trips – Angela takes the first and I take the second. Though snorkeling is possible right from the shore, I later decide to join an organized snorkeling trip to a reef a little farther out.

Again the recent rains have reduced visibility so there isn’t much to see. But I can tell the reef must be a stunning sight when the water is clear.

When I return from the snorkeling trip, the island staff begins serving lunch. We’re serenaded with more Fijian music while we eat.

The entertainment has been so terrific on our two day trips I’m beginning to wonder if it’s a job requirement to be a talented musician or singer to work for a tour company in Fiji.

But when I casually mention it to one of the staff members he just smiles and says they all grow up singing and playing music in the villages, it’s just how they’re raised.

That afternoon I take relaxation to a whole new level by setting up camp in a hammock for a solid 4 hours with a good book on my iPad.

Angela is kind enough to make the occasional drink run to the bar as getting into the hammock the first time proves a bit dodgy (I won’t go into details). Trying it while balancing an adult beverage and electronics seems ill-advised.

I realize that I haven’t spent nearly enough time on this trip just enjoying the beauty around me. I’m always on the move, trying to catch a flight here or boat there, dodging wayward goats or volcanic eruptions.

Fiji is the perfect place to right that wrong on my last full day of Round-the-World #9.

As the ocean breeze soothes my lingering Seaspray sunburn and the island music plays softly I look up at the swaying palms above – cold beer in hand – and think back to a conversation Ang and I had yesterday while walking amongst the barrage of palm trees lining the Westin Resort.

What is it about a palm tree, she asked, that screams, “Relax, you’re somewhere fabulous!” And it really is fabulous.

Simply, South Pacific fabulous.

It’s been a brilliant day and we cap it off back at the hotel with an awe-inspiring sunset and a chilled bottle of champagne. Absolute perfection.

Wrapping up a brilliant stay in Fiji

I have to say my four nights in Fiji just might be the best ending yet to a RTW trip. I don’t know how I’ll top it next year (Spoiler Alert: I manage to top it in spectacular fashion the following year with a Round-the-world Honeymoon!).

But for now, it’s a 28-hour travel day back to reality. Tomorrow, we’ll wrap up this global extravaganza but for now…

Next stop…Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Dateline: Winter.