Exploring the remote islands of Fiji. Photo: Captain Cook Cruises
Fiji is one of those destinations that people spend their lives dreaming of visiting. White sand beaches. Swaying palms. Friendly people. A rich culture. Bustling tropical reefs. Perfect weather. Pumping waves.
Located in the South Pacific, Fiji is an archipelago comprised of over 300 islands. It’s main islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu house most of the country’s population, while many of the smaller islands are home to remote villages or are uninhabited.
During my visit to Fiji, I wanted to find a way to see as many islands as possible and do a lot of snorkeling and diving. And surfing. When I stumbled upon Captain Cook’s Mamanusa/Yasawa Islands seven-day small-ship cruise, it seemed like the perfect way to make the most of my time in Fiji. Unfortunately, the cruise didn’t offer much by way of surfing, so we decided to fly in a few days early to get our fix.
Surfing Namotu Lefts in Fiji.
A few months later, my boyfriend and I were on a red eye flight to my dream destination: Fiji. We touched down in Nadi and a quick taxi ride deposited us in Port Denaru, the country’s main port city. From there we motored to the Funky Fish, a small surf resort on Mololo island that provided easy access to the surrounding breaks.
Once at the Funky Fish, we changed into our swimsuits and waxed down our boards. We hopped on a boat, bypassing oversized Cloudbreak to surf Namotu Lefts. The lineup was empty and perfect 8–10-foot sets were rolling through. We strapped on our leashes and spent the next three hours swapping waves, thoroughly exhausting ourselves. Once we returned to the resort, we enjoyed a family style dinner with new friends before drifting off to the sounds of the waves.
A fun one at Swimming Pools in Fiji. Photo: Beau Blake
We quickly fell into a rhythm: surf all morning and hang at the resort in the evenings. When we weren’t surfing, we hiked, kayaked, and snorkeled around the resort, enjoying time together or with our newfound friends. The swell held throughout the duration of our trip and we logged countless hours at Namotu Lefts and Swimming Pools. On our final day at the Funky Fish, we bid our friends adieu and a small boat from the MV Reef Endeavor picked us up and shuttled us to the main boat for our highly anticipated cruise.
Once we were settled in, we wasted no time getting in the water. A couple hours into the trip, we took a small boat out to a sandbar that housed a bustling reef. We donned fins and a face mask and spent an hour exploring the underwater world before re-boarding the ship to get ready for dinner. That night, after glimpsing the most beautiful spattering of stars I have ever seen, we fell asleep to the gentle sway of the sea.
The first three days of the trip were spent exploring the Mamanuca Islands. Each morning, we had the opportunity to snorkel or dive and then spend some free to time kayaking, stand-up paddling, enjoying a glass bottom boat tour, or lounging on the beach. Around 11:30, we’d return to the ship, refuel with a gourmet buffet lunch, and spend the afternoon in much the same way we’d spent the morning. In the evenings, we’d enjoy a three-course, or themed buffet, dinner accompanied by live music, followed by dancing if you had enough remaining energy.
The vibrant reef. Photo: Captain Cook Cruises
On day four, we returned to the port where some of the passengers got off and others got on. We then set sail for the Yasawa Islands, which I quickly found to be my favorite. The Yasawas felt further removed from society and the reefs healthier and more vibrant.
During our time in the Yasawas, we stopped at some of the most stunning beaches and reefs I have ever laid eyes on. We visited a local village where we had the opportunity to participate in a traditional feast and kava ceremony. Another highlight was diving at Pinnacles where we navigated a maze through the reefs and swam through an underwater tunnel.
Something I really appreciated about Captain Cook’s cruise was the commitment to education and protection of marine life. Captain Cook has a “Buy a coral — build a reef” rejuvenation program on Tivua Island that allows guests to get involved with reef sustainability. Additionally, every trip has a resident marine biologist onboard that accompanies the group on snorkeling trips and is available to answer questions. On our trip, we were lucky enough to have special guest Dr. Penny Berents, a leading marine scientist from Australia, onboard.
A visit to a local school. Photo: Captain Cook Cruises
“Speaking anecdotally, my impression is the reefs are really healthy,” Dr. Berents told me. “There are some areas where you see damages from cyclones, anchors, or dynamite fishing, but overall, the live coral cover is great. Reef Endeavor is really trying — they’ve got local marine biologist onboard and I know their CEO is passionate about the coral rehabilitation project on Tavua.”
While snorkeling was easily our favorite activity, there were a few standout memories from the trip. We had the chance to visit Castaway Island where Castaway, starring Tom Hanks, was filmed as well as the island where ABC’s Survivor is filmed. Fitness gurus, we enjoyed the morning swims, hikes, and stand-up paddling and kayaking during our free time on the beaches. We thoroughly enjoyed swimming in Sawa-I-Lau cave, which we recognized from the film The Blue Lagoon. Another favorite experience was conversing with the staff onboard the Reef Endeavor as well as the locals in the villages. The Fijians are some of the kindest people you will ever meet and are extremely proud of their culture — it was fun to learn about their history and traditions.
Under the sea in Fiji. Photo: Captain Cook Cruises
The Reef Endeavor maxes out at 130 passengers, so we really felt like we got to know the other guests over the course of our trip. After an eventful week of incredible shared experiences, we returned to Port Denarau where we said goodbye to the staff and our fellow passengers with hugs and handshakes. Although the tan lines are already beginning to fade, the memories and friends we made during our time aboard The Reef Endeavor are sure to last a lifetime. And like a magnet, I have no doubt Fiji will draw us back to her salty shores once again.
