IRRESISTIBLE RESORTS

You may not be able to venture beyond your chosen resort if you travel with the Luxury Vacation in Paradise program, but that doesn’t stop you from planning for when the world settles down. Whenever you are lucky enough to be embraced by Fijian smiles, here are our top tips for surf and dive spots as well as golf courses not to miss.

Top five surf breaks

Cloudbreak put Fiji on the map as a world-class surfing destination and was revered on the Championship World Surf Tour, but it’s just one of many surf breaks to visit.

1. 1. Cloudbreak. At the top of our list, it’s touted as one of the top ten waves in the world alongside Pipeline and Teahupoo. It holds up to 10-foot plus and is generally not for the beginner. Cloudbreak barrels – or tubes if you’re from the US – are one of the most unforgettable experiences you’ll have.
      

      No wonder the world’s best, Kelly Slater, counts the locals at nearby Tavarua Island as family.

   2. Frigates. The Coral Coast won’t be outdone by all the fun waves in the Mamanuca Islands. Frigates, an offshore reef break in the Beqa Lagoon, can give you the ride of your life given the right conditions. This long, mega left-hander rises out of the deep water at Frigates Passage and its secluded location means, like many of Fiji’s waves, you can avoid the weekend warriors. Expect a 30- to 45-minute boat ride to get there if you’re staying on the Coral Coast. Frigates is fun for everyone when small but gets seriously heavy over 6 feet.
   3. Namotu Lefts. Namotu Island sits alongside Tavarua in the scenic Mamanuca Islands. Namotu Lefts is a world-class wave that’s much easier to navigate than neighbouring Cloudbreak. It’s a fast, fun reef break that displays incredible water clarity and is a firm favourite with international surfers. You’ll see colourful corals and marine life below as you paddle into the line-up. Beginners to intermediate surfers can also find a safer yet suitably exciting wave zone just minutes away at Swimming Pools.
   4. Wilkes. As far as accessible, user-friendly waves go in Fiji, Wilkes is right at the top. It’s an easy-to-reach surf spot from the Mamanuca Islands or Nadi resorts. Plus, it attracts plenty of swell. Wilkes is a right-hand break that works best in a southwest to west swell direction. The take-off is pretty easy before the wave opens up to a long wall with fast sections that cater for a range of fun manoeuvres.
   5. Bula Bowls and Kavas. Qamea Island in northern Fiji is home to a whole host of relatively undiscovered reef breaks. Experts only on massive swell days, Bula Bowls is a user-friendly, left-hander wave that works best in southeasterly winds. Easily accessible by boat, it’s about 10 minutes offshore from the island. This fun, short ride suits surfers of all skill levels. Intermediate to advanced wave hunters would be wise to check out the nearby Kavas break. Kavas is where you’ll find a fast, long-walled left with hollow barrelling sections. It breaks on shallow reef, so only surf it on a high tide. Visitors should base themselves at either Taveuni or Qamea Island nearby. The region is also famous for its world-class diving.

Top five dive spots

Rated as one of the world’s top ten diving destinations, Fiji is also known as the soft coral capital of the world, offering divers some of the most colourful and intriguing dive sites.

1. 1. Rakiraki. A 2½-hour drive north of Nadi, diving off Rakiraki on Fiji’s Suncoast is one of Fiji’s not so best-kept secrets. This pocket of paradise promises pristine reefs and over 50 dive sites in the Bligh Waters and Vatu-i-Ra Passage. In fact, the waters off the Suncoast are considered the new soft coral capital of Fiji – a maze of barely submerged coral stacks and pinnacles adorned with soft corals brimming with brightly coloured fish. Black Magic Mountain is a classic Fiji dive site with beautiful, healthy coral. It’s best known for schooling fish like big eye jacks, fusiliers and anthias, as well as several different species of sharks and rays. Then there’s Instant Replay, the best feature of which is the deeper coral heads covered in yellow and purple soft corals. 
   2. Savusavu. Some of Fiji’s best diving can be found off Savusavu in Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-largest island. The waters off Savusavu are some of the most pristine in Fiji and home to one of the world’s finest pearl brands, J Hunter Pearls.
      

      Natewa Bay, the largest bay in the South Pacific, is also emerging as one of the north’s best-kept secrets with dive operators conducting exploration dives in the nutrient-rich and diverse waters.

   3. Taveuni. For a truly breathtaking underwater experience, there’s nothing quite like the pink, brown and orange soft coral blooms at Taveuni when the current is running. Located adjacent to the Somosomo Strait, it’s home to Fiji’s premier dive sites. Rainbow Reef is filled with almost every colour and type of coral imaginable and has 30 dive sites. Meanwhile, a wall and drift-dive with white, snow-like coral, the Great White Wall is arguably Fiji’s most famous dive site. For best visibility, visit between April and October.
   4. Kadavu. Kadavu, surrounded by the Great Astrolabe Reef, is one the largest coral reefs on the planet and the ultimate dive region for people seeking a dive experience undisturbed by mass tourism. The remoteness of Kadavu also makes for a smaller selection of dive accommodation compared to other areas in Fiji. Nevertheless, you can easily book ahead and find stunning, six-star luxury. Naiqoro Passage is protected from fishing and requires a permit to enter.
   5. Pacific Harbour. Beqa Lagoon’s soft coral reefs, intriguing wrecks and incredible fish diversity (over 300 species) make it one of Fiji’s diving hotspots. Still, it’s most famous for its unrivalled cageless shark dives with bull and other types of sharks. Only experienced divers can join these 18-metre-plus dives where eight shark species mingle with hundreds of other fish. The dives are popular and don’t happen every day, so plan ahead and book a spot.

Top THREE GOLF COURSES

For over 30 years, professional golfer Vijay Singh has been Fiji’s most famous personality. Winner of a Masters title and two PGA Championships, he’s won 34 events on the PGA Tour. Whether you’re a pro or just enjoy a social game, the following courses are all set against idyllic South Pacific backdrops, so there’s no better reason to get out the clubs.

1. 1. Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course. This stunning, world-class, 18-hole golf course offers manicured greens that gently undulate into sand bunkers and traps. Seven of the holes play down to and along the rippling edge of the ocean. A collaboration between golfing great and local Fijian Vijay Singh and world-renowned golf architect Greg Letsche, the result is a course that maintains the integrity of its Coral Coast location while remaining challenging enough for elite players of the Fiji International, a PGA Asia-affiliated golf tournament. 
   2. Laucala. Laucala is home to an 18-hole championship course designed by David McLay Kidd with a backdrop of volcanic mountains. The par 72 layout has been integrated into the environment with minimal impact on the old coconut plantation.
      

      Undulating fairways, challenging greens and strategic bunkers are offered with a signature hole that extends to the beach, which means wet feet at high tide! 

   3. Denarau Golf and Racquet Club. The South Pacific’s premier championship course is in the heart of Denarau, home of the Sheraton Fiji Resort. This course features water hazards on 15 holes and is fringed with giant coconut palms swaying in the breeze. There’s also a driving range, two putting greens, golf and tennis pro shop, adult and junior clinics as well as private lessons.

Quarantine aboard