Fiji Island Hopping: Mamanuca & Yasawa Islands

This morning you board a catamaran at Denarau Marina for the scenic cruise out to the Mamanuca Islands, a scattering of postcard-perfect islets ringed by white beaches and turquoise lagoons. As the mainland recedes and the islands rise from the brilliant blue sea, the sense of arriving in paradise is complete. On reaching your island, you are welcomed with song and a fresh coconut and settled into your beachfront bure, opening straight onto the sand. The rest of the day is yours to sink into island time, swimming in the warm, clear lagoon, snorkelling the coral off your beach, or simply lazing in a hammock as the palms sway overhead. Tiny, sleepy and unspoiled, the Mamanucas are the very picture of a tropical island, and as the sun sets in a blaze of colour, you settle in for a few days of pure barefoot relaxation before venturing to the wilder Yasawas.

A day of island bliss in the Mamanucas, with the warm, clear lagoon at your doorstep. The snorkelling here is superb, and you can drift straight off the beach over coral gardens alive with rainbow fish, giant clams, reef sharks and turtles, or join a boat trip to a pristine outer reef or a tiny deserted sandbar. Between swims, you might kayak or paddleboard the calm lagoon, sail across the water, or simply relax on the sand with a cocktail, watching the endless colours of the water. The pace is gloriously slow, and the beauty of the surroundings is intoxicating. As the afternoon fades, an optional sunset cruise glides across the lagoon with a drink in hand. It is the pure, barefoot island pleasure that draws travellers to Fiji, and a gentle, relaxing introduction to island life before the wilder beauty and adventure of the Yasawa Islands.

A free day to enjoy the Mamanucas at your own pace. You might take another snorkelling trip, try an optional dive, sail or jet-ski across the lagoon, join a Fijian cooking class or basket-weaving session, or take a scenic seaplane flight over the islands. Equally, you might do nothing more strenuous than move from hammock to sun lounger and back, cocktail in hand, watching the light shift across the water. The Mamanucas' easy-going beauty and warm welcome make even a lazy day a pleasure, and there is always time to swim, snorkel and relax by the sea. As the sun sets, enjoy a relaxed island dinner beneath the stars and rest ahead of tomorrow's cruise north into the Yasawa Islands, a wilder, more dramatic chain famous for the Blue Lagoon, limestone caves and, in season, the chance to swim with giant manta rays.

This morning you board the catamaran and cruise north into the Yasawa Islands, a rugged, dramatic chain of volcanic islands stretching through brilliant blue water, fringed with white beaches and cloaked in green hills. Less developed and more remote than the Mamanucas, the Yasawas offer a deeper sense of escape, and as your island rises from the sea, its soaring peaks and hidden bays are strikingly beautiful. On arrival you are welcomed warmly and settled into your beachfront accommodation, opening onto a pristine lagoon. The rest of the day is yours to explore, swimming in the warm water, snorkelling the reef, or hiking to a hilltop viewpoint over the island chain for a spectacular sunset. This is where 'The Blue Lagoon' was filmed, and the islands retain a timeless, unspoiled beauty. Settle in for a few days of wilder island adventure in one of the most beautiful corners of Fiji.

Today you experience two of the Yasawas' most magical highlights. A boat carries you to the Blue Lagoon, a stretch of impossibly clear, luminous turquoise water enclosed by white beaches and green hills, where you can swim, snorkel and simply float in the warm, brilliant water or laze on the perfect sand. Then you visit the extraordinary limestone caves of Sawa-i-Lau, a great domed grotto where you swim in a pool of clear water lit by shafts of sunlight, and, for the adventurous, duck beneath the rock to a hidden second chamber, steeped in local legend that your Fijian guide brings to life. Along the way you might stop at a traditional village for a warm welcome and a glimpse of island life. This magical blend of swimming, snorkelling, adventure and legend, set against some of the most beautiful scenery in Fiji, is a highlight of any island-hopping journey through the Yasawas.

A day exploring the pristine reefs and marine life of the Yasawas. Between roughly May and October, the highlight is the chance to swim with giant manta rays, which gather to feed in the channels between the islands; when they are spotted, a boat carries you out to slip quietly into the water and snorkel alongside these gentle giants, an awe-inspiring, unforgettable encounter as they glide and soar beneath you. Outside manta season, or alongside it, you snorkel the Yasawas' pristine coral reefs, alive with rainbow fish, turtles and reef sharks, or take a village visit and cultural experience. The Yasawas' remote, unspoiled reefs offer some of the best snorkelling in Fiji, and the warm, clear water makes every swim a pleasure. As the sun sets over the island chain, a relaxed dinner rounds off a day of wildlife, reef and island adventure in this beautiful, timeless corner of the Pacific.

A final full day to savour the wild beauty of the Yasawas at the gentlest of paces. You might hike to a hilltop viewpoint over the island chain, take a last snorkelling trip to a pristine reef, visit a village for a kava ceremony and, on Sundays, a church service to hear the extraordinary hymn singing, or simply relax on a deserted beach with nothing to do at all. The Yasawas' remoteness means empty beaches, quiet lagoons and a profound sense of escape, and the warmth of the island welcome is as memorable as the scenery. As your island-hopping journey draws to a close, a farewell island dinner beneath the stars celebrates the days of reef, adventure and barefoot bliss, and you watch one last spectacular sunset over the water, deeply rested and reluctant to leave this beautiful, timeless corner of Fiji.

After a final barefoot morning in the Yasawas, perhaps a last swim in the Blue Lagoon or a snorkel over the reef, you transfer by catamaran back to Denarau and on to Nadi airport for your onward international departure. You leave with sand between your toes, a shell necklace around your neck and the beaming 'Bula' of the Fijian people ringing in your ears. The days of island-hopping, from the postcard bliss of the Mamanucas to the wild beauty of the Yasawas, have delivered the full magic of Fiji, and the warmth of the welcome stays with you long after you return home. You depart already dreaming of a return to these beautiful islands, their turquoise lagoons and famously friendly people.