One day in Fiji

Day by day

1. Day 1: Mamanuca island day cruise and Monuriki

   Mamanuca island day cruise, Monuriki, Blue Lagoon and Sawa-i-Lau Caves, then Adults-only island resort in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Mamanuca island day cruise

      Choose a trip with a long stop at one island rather than several short ones, and pack reef-safe sunscreen and a rash vest. Allow Full day.

   2. Late morning

      Monuriki

      Combine it with snorkelling on the reef in the lagoon; landing depends on sea conditions. Allow Half a day.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Kokoda

      Resort restaurants, cafés in Nadi and Suva, and village feasts.

   4. Afternoon

      Blue Lagoon

      Stay a night or two on Nanuya Lailai or a nearby island rather than visiting on a short stop from the catamaran. Allow Half a day to a full day.

   5. Late afternoon

      Sawa-i-Lau Caves

      Only swim into the second chamber if you are comfortable holding your breath briefly underwater; the first chamber is worth it alone. Allow Half a day.

   6. Evening

      Adults-only island resort

      Several Mamanuca and Yasawa islands have small adults-only resorts with beachfront bures.

If it rains

• Swap in Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple (Nadi): Remove shoes, cover shoulders and knees, and ask before taking photos inside.
• Swap in Fiji Museum (Suva): Allow time for the botanical gardens around the museum, then walk along the harbourfront to the Grand Pacific Hotel.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–20 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.1 hours in June to 13.2 hours in December.

Getting between stops: Ferry. High-speed catamarans from Port Denarau serve the Mamanuca resorts several times a day and run the length of the Yasawa chain daily, dropping passengers at resorts by small boat.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Fiji
• 3 days in Fiji
• 5 days in Fiji

Questions travellers ask