 Title Popular hommercial holiday resort destination Palm fringed coral islands and excellent beaches Sailing, diving, snorkelling, water-skiing, parasailing World-class surfing - Cloudbreak Numerous day trips from Nadi The Mamanuca group of islands, clearly visible from the west coast of the main island, is the main centre for a fiji vacation / holiday. The furthest of the islands, Tokoriki, is less than 20 miles from Nadi International Airport. There are almost 20 small island resorts to choose from and each has its own distinct market. What they all have in common is the vacation atmosphere - relaxation on the beach, water activities, the sunset bar and night entertainment. The group consists of a dozen or so small volcanic islands and many more tiny coral islands just large enough to support a small resort. The sea surrounding the islands is sublime: its colours are gorgeous and it's beautifully warm, excellent for snorkelling and diving, and full of sea life. Most Mamanuca resorts have excellent facilities for the water enthusiast, including PADI dive masters, sea kayaks, deep sea fishing and parasailing. This is the place to go to be pampered - a vacation to unwind. The group has two specific attractions apart from the island resorts - Malolo Lailai has a scenic and fully serviced marina which is very popular with overseas yacties from May to October. Surfers head for the world-famous breaks off Namotu and Tavarua in the south of the group but the breaks are also accessable from Funky Fish Resort which offers daily surfing trips. Overall, the Mamanuca Group has some of the best beaches in fiji and is excellent for diving and snorkelling. All resorts make sure there are plenty activities to keep tourists happy - kayaking, sailing, parasailing, jet ski boats, snorkelling and more... or simply relax and be pampered. Mamanuca Accommodation There are plenty of archetypal South Pacific islands in the Mamanuca Group - tiny coral islands covered in palm trees and encircled by white sand. Most of these charming islands have been claimed by the tourist industry. Resort locations include Beachcomber the young at heart party island and the more sedate family orientated Treasure Island Resort. Malolo Island, the largest in the Mamanuca Group, has several good beaches to explore as well as the sandy beach alongside the resort. There are several local villages on the island and trails throughout the island and to summits. It is also possible to wade across to neighbouring Malolo Lailai at low tide. Malolo Lailai hosts two of the larger island resorts in Fiji. The bay and marina are extremely scenic, particularly between May and October when many overseas yachts call in. The island has some excellent beaches as well as an easy trail to the island's summit for a great view. Along with Malolo and Mana islands, these are the only resort islands in the Mamanuca Group that offer good exploring. Mana Island has the largest resort in the Mamanuca Group. There are two good beaches, one with lots of beach and water activities and the other much quieter. The island can be easily walked around in a couple of hours making it an excellent destination for beachcombing. There are also several easy trails to the island's grassy hill summits for excellent views of the islands, best viewed at sunset or sunrise. Getting There and Around All island resorts can be reached by boat within an hour from Nadi. South Sea Cruises operates two fast catamarans to all resorts except those on Malolo Lailai which are served by Leeward. For a more casual transfer, join a day cruise to your destination seeing the sights on the way. Pacific Sun flies to Malolo Lailai and Mana every hour from Nadi - the views are excellent and fares cheap. Island Hoppers (helicopter), Turtle Airways (seaplane) or Pacific Island Seaplanes (seaplane) will charter you to wherever you want to go. |
