The Mamanuca Islands lie in a majestic arc only a short distance from the coast of Nadi, curving northwest, and almost touching the Yasawa chain of islands.
There are 20 islands and they all share in common pristine white sandy beaches, waving palms, crystal blue waters and, at night, the cooling influence of the trade winds.
The Mamanuca Islands (pronounced Mah-mahnoo-tha) are essentially volcanic outcrops pushed up from the ocean floor in a gigantic earthquake thousands of years ago. Some are especially significant in Fijian folklore.
Most islands in the Mamanuca group have resorts. Malolo hosts a handful but so does Mana and Tokoriki and smaller satellite islands like Matamanoa, Castaway, Namotu and Tavarua. Each offers bure accommodation, a relaxing holiday atmosphere and a range of water activities.
There are boat excursions, fishing trips, and watersports including surfing, SUP, jet ski safaris, parsailing, kiteboarding, kayaking and coral viewing for the kids. The islands of Malolo are the centre for most tourism to and from the Mamanucas. Because of their proximity to Nadi and plethora of watersport activities, the Mamanucas have become a day tripping hub.
There is safe anchorage at Vunabaka Marina and the Musket Cove Marina, a cosmopolitan community and an airstrip. The movie Castaway was also shot on Monuriki Island in the Mamanucas.
At the southern end of the chain, Cloudbreak is a world-class wave that hosts the WSL Fiji Pro International Surf Competition. Nearby off Malolo Island, on stunning RoRo Reef, there are two floating bars – Cloud 9 and Seventh Heaven.
The Yasawa Islands have a different ambience and are dotted with small resorts and backpackers’ accommodation. They are a chain of 16 volcanic islands and dozens of tiny islets stretching 80 kilometres in a northeast direction off the west coast of Viti Levu. They are special because their beautiful, isolated beaches, cliffs, bays and reefs and are less commercialised than the neighbouring Mamanuca Islands.
Islands in the group include Waya, the highest with amazing scenery and Tavewa, a strikingly beautiful, small island that is about two kilometres long. In 1972 Richard Evanson bought Turtle Island while others in the group include Sawa-i- Lau Island with ancient limestone caves and Yasawa Island that has small villages and a five-star resort. Naviti is the largest island while Viwa is the most remote, sitting alone 25 kilometres northwest of Waya. The Blue Lagoon movie was filmed in the Yasawas.
The limestone caves of Sawa-i-Lau is a very popular day trip as are diving with manta rays and snorkelling with sharks. There are also multi-day island-hopping small ship cruises to the Mamanucas and Yasawas with three- and seven-day itineraries.
