Fiji offers idyllic islands, excellent snorkelling and friendly locals, all at a pace you can’t resist. For a truely relaxing holiday it’s hard to go past this wonderful country.
Having previously stayed at the Mana Island Resort, which was very expensive, we were determined to find a cheaper alternative. After eating at the restaurant attached to Ratu Kini’s Dive Resort one evening we noticed they also offer basic dorm accommodation, and a few huts for rent on the beach. So a couple of years later we booked another trip, this time staying at Ratu Kini’s.
Sigatoka
If you’re staying on the mainland for a few days before going across to Mana Island, check out Tambua Sands Beach Resort. It costs around AU$100 p/n for a family of four. When we were there a few years ago we stayed at Gecko’s Resort and were able to walk to the Shangri La and use their facilities for free, but Gecko’s is no longer a cheap option.
GETTING AROUND
Hiring a car at the airport does allow you more freedom to explore and it isn’t hard to drive around Fiji. Just watch out for people and animals on the roadside. There are many different rental car companies at the airport. We have used Avis before and everything ran smoothly. If you’d rather not drive most resorts provide airport shuttles and you can also use taxis.
THINGS TO DO ON THE MAINLAND
Kula Wild Adventure Park
Kula Wild Adventure Park offers great hands-on animal experiences. We were able to hold iguanas and snakes. It has also added new activities such as a water slide, splash pool and canopy flier.
Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park
This park is located at the mouth of the Sigatoka River. The area is famous for it’s archaeological history. In the late 1980’s a team of archaeologists uncovered an ancient burial site. Over 50 individuals have been excavated and dated at approximately 2600 years old. Scatterings of pottery shards and other cultural materials can still be found here. The kids had fun sliding down the sand dunes, some as high as 60m. The day we visited we were the only people on the beach. Perhaps this was due to the impending storm.
Driodrio Forest Walk
This dry forest called driodrio (or darkness) is believed to be the gateway to the spirit world. The tree canopy provides cool shaded areas with lush undergrowth. As we wandered along the path we happened upon figures made of sticks and vines, hugging trees. It made for an eerie Blair Witch kind of feeling. The sculptures are in honour of a group of Indian women from the village of Reni, where in 1973 loggers came to chop down the many Ash trees in a nearby forest. The women protested by surrounding and hugging the trees until the loggers left.
Ecotrax
We personally haven’t been on the Ecotrax. Unfortunately it wasn’t built when we were there, however friends of ours have and they highly recommend it. It’s a fun 3 hour adventure, cycling on modified electric bicycle carriages mounted on the old sugarcane railway. You pass through villages, rainforests and arrive at a sheltered beach. The cost is around AU$300 for a family of four. Check out the great reviews on Tripadvisor.
Mana Island
Ratu Kini’s will organise return transfers from your hotel on the mainland. They don’t have a large catamaran, only a small boat, but it’s adequate. It takes 45 minutes to get to Mana as they make brief stops at other islands along the way.
ACCOMODATION
Ratu Kini Dive Resort AUS$220 p/n.
This is not a 5 Star Resort, but it does have incredible ocean views, snorkelling 20 metres from your doorstep and a small village nearby. The huts are very basic. The main bedroom comes with A/C, there are bunks and a single bed in the living area. The bathroom didn’t have any water pressure, but it didn’t bother us that much. There is a bar fridge which was just big enough for our needs. The large deck, with table and chairs is a great place to relax. This is where we spent most of our time.
FOOD
Ratu Kini’s Restaurant has a pretty good meals, but the service can be a little slow. If your family is not too fussy you could sign up for the meal plan option. These meals always come out first. Breakfast is included and usually pretty good. There’s cereal, fruit and toast, tea or coffee, and sometimes even pancakes.
TIP: Stock up from a supermarket on the mainland before catching the ferry. The fast cat brings supplies every day to the island and the tiny store behind Ratu Kini’s gets bread and snacks delivered. You can place an order with them for a daily loaf of bread. There is now a café that is attached to the Mana Island Resort that makes pretty good coffee and offers yummy snacks, but it costs.
THINGS TO DO ON MANA ISLAND
Kiteboarding
You will have to bring your own gear. Mana definitely attracts it’s far share of windy days, although I don’t think many people kite here. Perhaps it’s because there are a few obstacles. Pete only went out the once in Fiji, and it wasn’t the experience he was hoping for. He had fallen off his board and was in the water when the banana boat went screaming past, collected his lines, dragging him along behind. Half underwater and heading for the pier, he managed to release his kite just in time. The banana boat driver, realising his mistake, drove “over his lines again” to ask if he needed help.
Snorkeling & Diving
Ratu Kini’s offers dive excursions, although we didn’t go diving I think their prices are pretty competitive compared with larger resorts. The snorkeling on Mana Island is great. Ratu Kini’s will supply you with good quality snorkeling equipment. There is plenty of coral and fish. The best snorkeling can be found at the Northern Beach where you can follow a rope line out to the ‘drop off’. Make sure you go when the tide is in.
You can also snorkel at the South Beach where the huts are, so if the tide is not good at one (which is often the case) just go to the other. There is also good snorkeling around Mana Sandbar and Monuriki Island.
Mana Island walks
Choose a trail and explore the island. Walk to the highest point on Mana. This is a great walk that goes via a Robin Crusoe style tree-house.
Get to know the locals
Our girls played with the local kids and even visited the school. Nothing like a dirt floor in a classroom to stop your kids complaining about not having the latest laptop.
The lovely principal even showed us the village lali. Traditionally a lali is beaten in different rhythms to send messages such as the announcement of births, deaths and wars to nearby villages.
Day trip to Castaway Island (Monuriki)
Take a day trip to Monuriki Island where they filmed Castaway. You can even mimic some of the things Tom Hanks did while he was marooned there. Throw coconuts at the slab of rock or hike to the highest point on the island and take in the view.
We found Wilson!
The next day, while walking along the beach we spotted an old soccer ball floating in the water. “It’s Wilson”, Pete said. We all thought this was hilarious, so we added some features to him and propped him on a bush outside our hut, but Wilson didn’t last long. “Hey, that’s my ball, I’ve been looking for that”, said one of the local kids and they snatched him up and ran off.
Night-time Entertainment
Some nights we listened to the local children sing to us at dinner and afterwards the whole restaurant played Trivial Pursuit. Molly, who was seven at the time, thought she knew the answer to this question. “What is Fiji’s national drink?” She shouted out excitedly “Fiji Gold” (the local beer that we may or may not have been drinking most nights). This sent the whole place into fits of laughter. The answer of course was Karva. There’s also free fire-dancing on certain evenings.
If you prefer some quiet time take in a Mana sunset. They are especially stunning from Sunset Beach.
Day trips are a lot of fun, but in all honesty the kids were just as happy playing with the puppies living under the restaurant and the hermit crabs on the beach, or sneaking off to the pool at the Mana Island Resort.
