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The best family resorts in Fiji for a perfect getaway

Fiji is for families and these incredible resorts go above and beyond to ensure sun-kissed memories and good times.

With its cultural warmth, relaxed ‘island time’ vibes and saturated tropical beauty, Fiji is holiday perfection. The Fijians are well-known for their embracing style of hospitality, which makes everyone feel truly welcome, from the tiniest babies to parents who need a little downtime. When it comes to the best Fiji family resorts, the standouts are the ones that have carefully curated experiences for all ages. No matter which end of the budget you’re booking or whether you’re staying close to Nadi or island hopping, these fantastic resorts cater incredibly well to the needs of families looking for some quality time together – and, sometimes, apart.

Plantation Island Resort

Plantation Island Resort in Fiji
The beachfront accommodation is just steps from the white sand of Malolo Lailai Bay. (Credit: Plantation Island Resort)

Let your holiday unravel along 23 acres of soft-sand beachfront at this family-focused escape that also happens to be one of the most budget friendly options – particularly because kids aged under 11 eat and transfer for free. That’s pretty significant on the bank account given the ravenous appetites all that swimming and fun-having creates. You’ll find an array of accommodation styles that are spacious, if somewhat basic, but you’ll be spending so much time outside this hardly matters. There’s a creche onsite, as well as the Coconut Kids Club, and the list of activities takes in donut rides, an inflatable water park, fish feeding, crafting and cultural tours.

Address: Malolo Lailai, Nadi

Shangri-La Yanuca Island

Shangri-La Yanuca Island in Fiji
The five-star Shangri-La Yanuca is a private island resort with an inflatable floating waterpark and a range of family-friendly activities. (Credit: Escape Video / Tourism Fiji)

Stretching along the Coral Coast and hemmed by a pristine reef, the five-star Shangri-La Yanuca is palm-fringed and perfectly angled to meet the needs of families of all ages. Activities to entertain the whole brood are almost never-ending and range from horse-riding to mini golf, an inflatable floating waterpark that is almost too much fun, as well as pool games and ample watercraft to push out onto the shimmering lagoon. This is all even without entering the kids into the Little Chiefs Club, where small charges enraptured with activities, such as sarong dyeing and basket weaving, traditional ‘meke’ dance classes, movie nights, games at the larger of the two main pools, and even a babysitting service. The best part is the resort has an ‘adults only’ area with its own separate (tranquil) pool, so you never feel as though you’re disturbing someone’s quiet escape with your children’s thrilled squeals.

Address: Yanuca Island, Coral Coast

Taveuni Palms Resort

Fly into this private island resort on Fiji’s Taveuni, also known as ‘Garden Island’ for its lush vegetation. Secluded on the green northern tip of the island this all-inclusive, five-star experience is not an obvious pick for a family destination, but the resort welcomes multi-gen holidays in true Fijian style. Unlike many of the other resorts, there isn’t a kids’ club, however, each family is assigned a dedicated Fijian nanny as part of their stay, who will entertain children whenever mum and dad need a little quiet relaxation by the pool or in the spa. The extraordinary location is a playground in itself, anyway. Who needs an inflatable water park when nature is as high-achieving as this. Action-loving families will relish days spent snorkelling, kayaking, and exploring tropical hikes to the island’s thundering waterfalls. Back in your island-luxe two- or three-bedroom accommodation, delight in chef-prepared meals and a private pool.

Address: Matei, Taveuni Island

Malolo Island Resort

Malolo Island Resort
Settle into the serene surroundings.

With its colonial architecture and South Pacific beach cottage style, Malolo Island Resort is somewhat unique compared to other resorts in Fiji. Arrive to your family bure and settle into the serene surroundings, where golden curves of sand are lapped gently by crystalline waters that invite the entire family to exhale and settle into island vibes. The kids are well looked after with two clubs tailored to their age. For littlies from four to eight, head to Tali’s Treehouse set under a sprawling mango tree for fun and educational activities that are woven with Malolo culture. Meanwhile, bigger kids and ‘tweenagers’ from nine to twelve years old, head to Khali’s Club, where they’ll enjoy arts, crafts, games and dance.

Address: Malolo Island, Mamanuca

Nakelo Treasure Island Resort and Spa

Set on a coral cay in the Mamanuca Islands, Nakelo Island is haloed by sapphire waters and pearlescent white sands, making it a veritable treasure trove. On the island, you’ll find 78 traditional Fijian-style bures, some of which are interconnected to make family sleeping arrangements easy. While there’s loads to do on land, it’ll be hard to leave those gem-like waters, where kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkelling are all free to enjoy. You can also take fishing tours or hire a jet ski to fang about in the more open waters. While you hit the spa, send the small ones off to the Little Treasure kids club, where they’llimmerse themselves in local culture and learn about sustainability.

Address: Mamanuca, Lautoka

Castaway Island, Fiji

Castaway Island Fiji
Paradise can be found on this idyllic private island. (Credit: Matt C Bauer)

Hitting all the Fijian high notes with those dazzling waters, silken sands and palm swaying loveliness, the four-star Castaway Island, Fiji is just 90 minutes by boat from Port Denarau and yet, one does feel properly cast-away. There are 65 bures set on the property that meanders lushly for 174 acres, incorporating two pools, four restaurants, a house of massage, and a new floating waterpark. In the water, snorkel to the resorts Sculptural Coral Gene Bank, a marine-grade stainless-steel installation that encourages new coral growth and will create a seed bank for genetically resilient species. When you return to land, the kids will enjoy time in the Castaway Kids Club, while you pay a visit to the resort’s ‘house of massage’.

Address: Mamanuca

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji
Each bure is built with a traditional thatched roof. (Credit: Elliot Grafton / Tourism Fiji)

A multi-award-winning eco-escape, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort is an exceptional experience deeply threaded with local culture and the environment. With only 25 bures, the island feels wonderfully remote and is folded into the landscape like a traditional Fijian village. While here, discover the coral reefs strewn beyond the shore, and venture to the interior of the island to explore hot springs and waterfalls. At the Kids Bula Club, the youngest charges under five have their own nanny, while six-to-12-year-olds are guided through activities by buddies, and teenagers will relish more age-appropriate experiences. Throughout, they’ll learn about the area’s incredible biodiversity and engage with iTaukei culture.

Address: Savusavu, Vanua Levu

VOMO Fiji

the pool at VOMO Fiji
The palm-fringed outdoor pool.

A luxury resort that holds families warmly with joyful Fijian hospitality, VOMO has been bestowed many awards for its incredible offering, which extends to its childcare facilities. Amid the 233-acre private island sanctuary, you’ll find not just a kids’ club, but an entire Kids’ Village, which opens from 9am and continues until 10pm every day. Within the village are three clubs for differing age groups, while any child under four years old may be cared for by a ‘baby butler’. Kids may experience a range of activities from cooking lessons, to coconut husking, basket weaving, dancing, beach bonfires, disco nights and hermit crab hunting. Meanwhile, adults can enjoy an undisturbed meal together or time poolside at The Rocks, an adults-only ‘chill zone’. When it comes to family time, slip into shimmering waters for snorkelling, diving and day trips.

Address: Beachfront Vomo Island

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Sofitel Resort and Spa

the pool at Sofitel Resort and Spa, Fiji
The Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa features one of the largest lagoon-style swimming pools in the South Pacific. (Credit: Escape Video / Tourism Fiji)

With family rooms and suites on offer, the Sofitel knows why people come to Fiji. But it’s also aware that its five-star demographic has certain expectations of the luxury hotel brand, so the resort has neatly catered to both with a dedicated adults-only club and a separate Niu Beach Club for kids’. There’s even a ‘teen zone’ for ages 8 to 16, where they can settle in to play the latest arcade games. Outside of the clubs, the resort’s KaiWai watersports offers free non-motorised water activities for all guests, but for a truly memorable family bonding moment, you could charter a boat for a sunset or day cruise, island hopping or a fishing expedition.

Address: Beachfront, Denarau Island

Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort

the Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort
The garden-view rooms at Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort are set on lush, tropical grounds. (Credit: Escape Video / Tourism Fiji)

In the spirit of family togetherness, Sheraton has a program of family-friendly activities called Side By Side. It’s all about celebrating and creating moments with each other, such as crab racing, fire dancing and live music. But for those ‘away from each other’ times, there’s also a kids’ club, babysitting service and adults-only pool area.

Address: Denarau Island South, Denarau Island

Six Senses Fiji

the beachfront villa at Six Senses Fiji
Six Senses Fiji is designed for barefoot luxury. (Credit: Amber Toms)

With 24 generous pool villas and a collection of family-appropriate residences carefully spaced apart on a sweep of perfect sand, this exquisite luxury resort is the sort of place one wouldn’t expect to welcome families. However, welcome they are. There’s even the Grow with Six Senses kids’ club that has a rotating roster of sustainably-minded activities, from bracelet making to tree planting and solar oven-making. The resort is also home to a population of critically endangered Fijian iguanas, which is a fun and interactive way for kids to learn about conservation as they keep an eye out for the elusive lizards.

Address: Malolo Island

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Lara Picone
Working for many of Australia’s top publications, Lara Picone has had the distinct pleasure of writing, editing and curating content about the finer things in life for more than 15 years. Graduating from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, her editorial foundation began at Qantas: The Australian Way magazine, before moving on to learn the fast-paced ropes of a weekly magazine at Sunday Magazine and picking up the art of brand curation at donna hay magazine. Pivoting a near-problematic travel lust into a career move by combining it with storytelling and a curious appetite, her next role was as Deputy Editor of SBS Feast magazine and later Online Editor of SBS Food online. She then stepped into her dream job as Editor of Australian Traveller before becoming Online Editor for both International Traveller and Australian Traveller. Now as a freelancer, Lara always has her passport at-the-ready to take flight on assignment for the Australian Traveller team, as well as for publications such as Qantas Magazine, Escape and The Weekend Australian. As ever, her appetite is the first thing she packs.
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5 things every hotel needs for a more restorative stay

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
    Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

    The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

    1. Easy access to good food

    meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20
    Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

    One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

    In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

    In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

    Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

    At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

    While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

    It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

    2. Better sleep options

    Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room
    Sleep deeply with Novotel.

    There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

    For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

    The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

    3. More ways to move

    woman hiking around queenstown new zealand
    Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

    Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

    At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

    Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

    4. Better connections

    Novotel Sharm El Sheikh
    Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

    One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

    Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

    A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

    5. Location is everything

    Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld
    Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

    Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

    All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

    Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.