Get ‘Cast Away’ in Fiji

One of the many beaches to discover on Matamanoa Island

A little while ago (November) my boyfriend and I vacationed in Fiji. Both of us are more so the adventure travel type, but we always wanted to try the South Pacific islands, even though most days are usually spent on the beach, reading a book, rather than hiking and exploring local markets. However, as one would expect, we loved the relaxing vacation that Fiji offered, and would love to go back and explore more of the islands. Here are a few things to consider when travelling to Fiji.

Matamanoa Island Resort

Stay
We spent five nights at Matamanoa Island Resort, which was the perfect amount of time. We choose this resort for its recommended, beautiful location in the Mamanuca Islands, which are just over an hour ferry from Nadi. Side note, ‘Cast Away’ was filmed on one of the uninhabited islands here.

Inside our bure

We stayed in a beachfront bure (Fijian for hut), which was a bit dated, but impeccably cleaned. The fresh hibiscus and frangipani flowers throughout the room were lovely additions each day.

The view from our bure

One of the best aspects of the resort was the staff. They were very friendly, greeting us with song, shell necklaces, and local cocktails. We also really enjoyed the acoustic songs and activities every night. But the kava (South Pacific drink with sedative and anesthetic properties) was an acquired taste.

My daily essentials

Ultimately, the resort offered anything you could want from a resort. It is an adult only resort, with a restaurant, spa, and many activities.

Our new friends preparing fresh coconuts for us

Do
The spa is like a tree house on the edge of a tropical island, so I definitely had a massage there. And the complimentary foot ritual was nice too.

View from the highest point of Matamanoa Island

We tried to do at least one activity a day, some were complimentary and some were extra. The fishing activities were not so good, as they were understaffed in that department. But the hike to the highest point on the island, snorkelling in front of our bure, and coconut harvesting were great additions to our days. We also took part in the ‘Cast Away’ Island tour, where our guide showed us the various filming locations, but the real highlight was snorkelling off that famous beach.

Snorkelling off of the ‘Cast Away’ Island beach

Eat
We didn’t book a meal package, as we didn’t think we would eat all the food they were offering, and it was more affordable not to. But the food was amazing. The menu changed everyday and I tried to have the local seafood everyday.

Pre dinner drinks outside our bure

We also stocked up on duty-free wine at the airport and snacks at the marina to keep us satisfied in our down time.

Go
We flew into Nadi, took a taxi from the airport to Denarau Marina, and got the first ferry with South Sea Cruises to Matamanoa Island. The ferry operates two return trips daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The trip takes just over an hour, but be ready to get your feet wet. In the absence of docks, local aluminium boats met the ferry, as our luggage and us were loaded on for the short journey to the beach landing.

The ‘Cast Away’ Island

Nadi
We spent our last night in Nadi, to make it easier to catch our flight home. We stayed at one of the big resorts on Denarau Island, which was a complete different experience from our lovely island getaway, and not in a good way. To get the local experience we craved, we had dinner at Bounty Restaurant and Bar, which was a great local find. On our last day we hit the markets, but the local markets were hard to find, most catered to just tourists. However, when we stumbled upon the local produce market, we were amazed by all the kava. While in Nadi, taxis made it easy to get around, as the drivers were really friendly and helpful.