I’m sure that you already know about my disappointment when we first arrived in Fiji, but it got a lot better the next day. We got up insanely early to catch a bus and then the ferry from the mainland. It was time to explore some of the islands in Fiji!
Our first stop was South Sea Island, which is just a short 30 minute ferry ride from the harbor. It’s one of the first islands in the Mamanuca Island group and it’s really tiny. Imagine that you are standing in the middle of the island and can see the sea in 3 different directions. Now, imagine that you are taking a casual stroll around the ENTIRE island and realize that it has taken you less than 5 minutes (yes, I’ve clocked it). It’s that tiny. I thought that it would feel a little claustrophobic, but the island only resort is built in the middle so you can’t see the beach in all directions.
South Sea Island might be tiny, but there’s plenty of things to do and everything except the diving is free. There’s kayaks, stand-up paddle boards (it’s not as fun and relaxing as it looks), a sailing boat and snorkelling equipment to use whenever you feel like it. There’s even a free semi-submersible submarine and organized snorkelling trips to the coral reef to keep you busy. The island is located in the middle of a coral reef so there’s plenty to see under the surface. Our first snorkelling trip was really good since the weather conditions and visibility were perfect. We saw all sorts of weird looking fish and corals that I can’t name, pearl making oysters, sea stars and a few other bits.It was a perfect combination of a lazy holiday on the beach and fun things to do when we go bored of just lazing around.
We stayed there for 2 nights, which was more than needed and there’s only one resort to choose from. It’s a very basic dorm room (don’t think they have any private rooms at all) and all meals were included since there’s no other places to eat than the resort. It’s a very tiny island after all. Breakfast was served between 7-8 and was a little too British inspired for my taste with white toast, baked beans, scrambled eggs and tea. I went a little crazy with the food salad instead. Lunch is a big BBQ with different sides and a choice between meat, chicken and fish, which seems to be the standard lunch that are served every single day. There’s also dancers and a small craft market during lunch. Dinner was soup as a starter and, were partly leftovers from the BBQ. It was served on the beach for our last night which was really nice.
It was only around 15 people staying the night on the islands so the mornings and evenings were very quiet. But, and this is a big but, the island got completely invaded by day guests after breakfast up until 5pm. The island obviously can’t survive with just 15 paying guests per night, but the tiny island felt a little too crowded at one point. There’s a group in the morning, another group in the afternoon and there’s a third group that is staying the full day. There’s plenty of deck chairs and shady spots around the island, but a lot of them get taken by the day guests.
We booked a 5 days, 4 nights, 2 islands inclusive package with Awesome Adventures Fiji for about 550AUD/person. Fiji is not a cheap destination, but the package included the ferry (normally pretty expensive), accommodation and all meals so it was not too bad. The only things that are not included in the package is additional drinks and water at some of the islands. The South Sea Island doesn’t have its own fresh water source, so you’ll need to buy/bring your own water (tips: buying water at the islands are very expensive). Our next island (Kuata Islands) had free fresh water on the other hand so it all depends on the specific islands.