The best Fiji island day trips to add to your itinerary

Castaway for a Fiji day trip to one of these dreamy tropical islands hemmed by pristine sands and glassy reefs.

An archipelago of more than 330 islands, Fiji is bestowed with idyllic white-sand beaches encircling beautiful little cays that seem purpose-made for relaxing. From the Yasawa Islands to the Mamanuca Islands, discover these palm-fringed Fijian isles on easy day trips from Port Denarau. Just a fast catamaran away, you’ll find South Pacific gems, from uninhabited islands to world-class resorts that welcome day visitors. Be it an excursion to swim with manta rays, chill in a poolside cabana or engage with local culture and traditions, these are the best Fiji islands to add to your itinerary.

In short: If you only have time to visit one Fiji island on your next holiday, make it Kuata Island. This uninhabited gem offers the best of Fiji in a single day trip, from extraordinary underwater experiences to a chilled day centre where you can relax by the pool, and rich cultural activities.

1. Malamala Island

Malamala Beach Club is the world’s first beach club on its own private island. (Credit: Escape Video/Tourism Fiji)

Best for: Island time within easy reach

Self-proclaiming to be the world’s first beach club, Malamala Beach Club certainly is a standout of the genre. A circular rise of sand girt by a turquoise reef from which juts a long jetty that welcomes day-trippers, this idyllic spot is only 30 minutes by boat from Port Denarau. Set yourself up for a day sipping cocktails in a cabana and flitting between the infinity-edge pool and the beach. There’s an adults-only area complete with plunge pool, if you prefer a more refined vibe, otherwise, all are welcome in the main area.

2. South Sea Island

Stay overnight in a beachfront bure on the coral-fringed South Sea Island. (Credit: Escape Video/Tourism Fiji)

Best for: Family excursions

Arriving by high-speed catamaran from Port Denarau, you can spend a full day, a half-day or even stay overnight in a beachfront bure on South Sea Island. One of the highlights, particularly for kids, is the semi-submersible submarine that showcases wonders underwater. Once you’ve ricked that off, frolic with the fish by enjoying complimentary use of all non-motorised water equipment. Lunch is an outdoor extravaganza that concludes with a traditional meke performance. For families with young kids, the Finding Nemo day trip gets you to the island early before the full-day trip guests arrive. You’ll have the island mostly to yourself before returning to Port Denarau in time for lunch.

3. Tivua Island

The kava ceremony on Tivua Island is a signature cultural highlight of the Captain Cook Cruises day trip. (Credit: Tourism Fiji)

Best for: Feeling like the rich and famous

This private island is just a 45-minute cruise from Denarau Marina, and yet it feels as though you’ve been cast adrift in a hyperbolic paradise. Encircled by impossibly clear waters festooned with 500 acres of coral, Tivua invites you to plunge below either on a dive, snorkel or in a glass-bottomed boat guided by a marine biologist. On land, you can unfurl under a thatched-roof bure, book a massage at the SenakaiDay Spa, take a medicinal plants walk and enjoy a kava ceremony. As part of the island’s sustainability activities, you’re able to participate in planting coral and, if the time is right, you might even glimpse turtle nesting in action.

4. Monuriki Island

This uninhabited paradise in the Mamanuca Islands was the filming location for the film Cast Away. (Credit: Awesome Adventures)

Best for: Hollywood-style location

A day trip worthy of a movie script, this award-winning Cruisin Fiji full-day excursion to the Mamanuca Islands includes time revelling in the blockbuster beauty of Monuriki Island (sometimes, confusingly, written as ‘Modriki’). The island is best-known for backdropping the Hollywood film Cast Away starring Tom Hanks, but has also made appearances in the US version of Survivor. It’s not a stretch to see why this uninhabited island, with its lush peak rising from the cerulean waters, has been typecast for tropical maroonings. But fear not, you won’t be left to converse with a coconut, instead, relish snorkelling and swimming in the pristine waters and finish your time on the island with a traditional lovo lunch before returning to Port Denarau around 5pm.

5. Kuata Island

A day trip to Kuata Island offers a more rugged alternative to the Mamanuca Islands. (Credit: Brook Sabin/Tourism Fiji)

Best for: Close encounters of the shark variety

On this day trip, you’ll cruise through the Mamanuca Islands and Yasawa Islands to idyllic Kuata Island, where a variety of expeditions await, many of which involve sharks. Book into the Awakening Shark Experience, Reef Shark Discovery Expedition or Snorkelling with Sharks, or for those less inclined to get too close, go for a marine conservation or island cultural experience. Uninhabited Kuata is under the custodianship of traditional landowners and has deep cultural significance. Much care is taken to protect the marine environment encircling the island and keep the reef healthy, ensuring truly enriching underwater discoveries. On the island, there’s a purpose-built day cruise centre, where you can relax by the pool and enjoy lunch and cocktails.

6. Manta Ray Island

Best for: Swimming with manta rays

Between May and October, cruise to Manta Ray Island for the chance to glimpse these majestic and rhythmic creatures. Departing at 8.45am, it’s a three-hour cruise from Port Denarau through the Mamanucaand Yasawa Islands to Mantaray Island Resort, but once here, you’ll have the rare chance to swim among these gentle beauties. Should the rays not be forthcoming that day, you’ll be well consoled by one of the region’s most spectacular reefs, teeming with reef sharks, octopuses, starfish and butterfly fish. You’ll also be able to book a return trip to try your luck again at a reduced rate of FJ$85.

7. Beachcomber Island Resort

Yachts anchor in the deep blue waters just outside the island’s protected marine sanctuary. (Credit: Tourism Fiji)

Best for: Exploring Fijian culture

Departing at 10am daily from Port Denarau Marina, this seven-hour day trip to Beachcomber Island Resort is an easy way to experience Fijian culture without drifting too far from the mainland. Spending the day here, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the resort facilities and participate in a range of activities, such as cooking the traditional Fijian dish of kokoda (fish marinated in citrus and coconut), feeding turtles and fish, basket-weaving, snorkelling and paddleboarding. Included is a barbecue lunch, local beers, house wine and soft drinks, and boat transfers. Kids under two years old are free.

8. Malolo Island Resort

Best for: Colonial cottages and beachfront chilling

Taking you to one of Fiji’s best resorts, this day trip departs Port Denarau at 9.30am and returns by 6pm – giving you five hours to bask in this island beauty. The resort facilities are at your disposal, from the lagoon-like pool to the waterside bures, and you’ll also enjoy lunch and one complimentary drink at The Terrace Restaurant.

9. Mana Island Resort

Spend laid-back afternoons splashing in the warm waters. (Credit: Tourism Fiji)

Best for: Lazy days

Spend six hours plunging into the lagoon, North Beach and Sunset Beach when you cruise to Mana Island Resort from Port Denarau. With full use of the resort, choose to be as lazy or as active as you like, opting to lounge poolside or dip into those glassy waters. A full buffet lunch is included for both half- and full-day tours and you’ll return to Port Denarau by 6pm.

10. Champagne Beach Club

Best for: Luxe lounging

Set within Paradise Cove Resort in the Yasawa Islands, the name of this beach club suggests a certain kind of relaxation. So settle into a shaded pool- or beachside cabana and order a bottle of bubbles as you let the day unravel in a procession of enlivening dips in the serene waters. You are also welcome to join the resort’s daily activities and tuck into lunch at one of the two restaurants, Black Rock or Donu. Onsite you’ll find a day spa and a PADI dive shop, and if you’re visiting between May and October, you may just be lucky enough to snorkel with giant manta rays. It’s a full 7-hour day of chill time, returning you to Naisoso Marina by 6pm.