Mamanuca Islands vs. Yasawa Islands: Choosing the Perfect Fiji Family Destination

So, you've decided you want to go to the South Sea island Fiji for your family holiday. The kids are going to make some amazing memories, you're going to relax and unwind on a picture-perfect beautiful beach, everyone's a winner. Whether you choose to start your visit on Viti Levu, the mainland or main island of Fiji or head straight out on a boat, you are still left with your biggest decision: the Yasawa or Mamanuca islands?

To help you make this incredibly difficult decision, we've put together this quick overview of the comparisons between these beautiful island chains, both of which are easily accessible by boat. Read on to learn more about these destinations to make an informed decision that best suits your family!

Nestled off the coast of Nadi, the Mamanuca islands are among the top contenders for the most beautiful islands in Fiji and the world. With perfect white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, first-class island resorts and a famous history to back it all up, who wouldn't want to spend their holiday island hopping and exploring the 20 beautiful islands that the Mamanuca region has to offer? Boasting the prestige of being a wonderful filming location, Mamanuca has hosted stars such as Tom Hanks while filming Cast Away, and Jeff Probst for the ongoing hosting of the hit US TV series, Survivor. The Mamanuca Islands are situated near the western coast of Viti Levu and are one of the most visited island destinations in Fiji.

On the North-West coast of Fiji lies another strand of 20 incredible islands - the Yasawa islands. Here, you will find dramatic mountain ranges, white sand beaches, exotic beauty and scenic lookouts. While Mamanuca has fully embraced the resort style tourism retreat, the Yasawa islands have managed to remain relatively untouched by the commercialisation of the island. There is a distinct laid-back atmosphere on these islands, away from the crowds. Many of the resorts in the Yasawa islands offer Fijian cultural experiences, such as village visits, storytelling with the locals and traditional kava ceremonies. The southernmost islands of Kuata and Waya Lailai have dramatic elevations, honeycomb rock formations, and summits just short of 600 metres above sea level. The pristine beaches and dramatic landscape provide a beautiful environment in which to relax or enjoy the many activities on offer.

1. Family-friendly resorts

   Several of the resort scattered across the islands of Fiji offer kid-friendly amenities and activities to keep your children occupied and happy for the entirety of your stay, allowing you to slip away for some quiet time to yourselves on the resort grounds, at the Cloud 9 floating bar above the stunning RoRo reef. These resorts offer fun for all ages and are well known for their care and insistence on making your stay an experience of a lifetime.

2. Snorkelling and Dive sites

   With an extensive barrier reef providing protection to the crystal clear waters of the numerous lagoons throughout the Mamanuca islands, snorkelling and diving just got infinitely better. Boasting soft white sands, beautiful coral reefs, vibrant marine life and comprehensive underwater cave systems, this island chain is the perfect place to take your first scuba diving lesson.

3. Private Island Escapes

   For a day of private paradise, sail away from your resort on the mainland to your own slice of heaven. Take a leisurely boat ride on a sailboat from Vuda Marina or Port Denarau or get there on the double on a high-speed catamaran. Spend your day reef snorkeling, lounging on the beach or trying your hand at jet skiing and other fun watersports. Allow yourself to be pampered by the attentive staff as they ply you with delicious drinks and wonderful food. These remote escapes also offer accommodation options at an additional cost to keep the private island escape dream alive for as long as you need!

4. Adventures

   If you're an avid surf fan or want to try your luck at the waves yourself, the Mamanuca islands offer a range of fun waves, with some of the best surf resorts in the world located on Tiny Tavurua and Namotu. For hardcore surfers, Mamanuca boasts the home of the Cloudbreak's legendary 20ft swell. Viti Levu Island Pacific Harbour is the adventure capital of Fiji and is located just a 3 hour bus ride from Nadi Town. Here you can go kayaking or white water rafting on the Navua River, go ziplining over the Wainadoi River Valley, shark dive at Beqa Lagoon and more.

5. Day Trips

   While staying in the chain of Mamanuca islands, you will be sure to explore the region by doing some island hopping and engaging in a day trip or two to local villages! The most popular islands within the Mamanuca island chain includes Bounty Island, Mana Island and Malolo island, which boasts the Malolo group island resort, built in the character of Fijian Colonial past with grand designs interspersed amongst South Pacific beach cottage style. These islands boast beautiful beaches, opportunity for awesome adventures and exploring local villages, and are all a relatively short distance from where you choose to stay.

1. Sawa-i-lau Caves

   Tucked into the northern part of the Yasawa island chain, the Sawa i lau caves are a must visit. With two limestone caverns, dominated by luminous saltwater swimming pools, this mysterious location is steeped in local legends. The first, larger cavern is flooded with sunlight from an opening along its southern ceiling. The second, secret cavern is only accessible by an underwater tunnel. This dark, inner sanctum is considered by many to be the 'Heart of Yasawa'. Located near the Sawa i lau caves is also the iconic Blue Lagoon. Famous for its beauty, the area in the Yasawa Islands known as the 'Blue Lagoon', is ringed by islands with soft rolling peaks. Coconut palms line the white sandy beaches and the crystal clear water is a mix of aqua and turquoise, so stunning that you'll want to dive right in and discover the coral reefs below!

2. Vibrant Marine Life

   Not only do the Yasawa islands host beautiful and exotic fish, during the months of May and October, majestic manta rays gather in a small channel off Drawaqa island. As this amazing creature is extremely mysterious, there are only a few places in the world where you can swim with the gentle giants. The ceremony begins when the Watchers spot the rays arriving on the high tide. Once they begin beating the drums, people can begin entering the water to swim with the manta rays. A once in a lifetime opportunity. If you are looking for another day trip to add to the itinerary, a couple of fishing trips can be added to the list! Or you can immerse yourself in the marine life by diving straight into the snorkelling experiences on offer at the many resorts!

3. Volunteer and Conservation Opportunities

   If you're the type of family that loves helping out in the community, is passionate about the environment and immersing yourself into a cultural experience, the following opportunities are for you. While visiting the Yasawa islands, a number of unique experiences are on offer for passionate guests. Vinaka Fiji is a voluntourism charity organisation that provides aid to the locals on the Yasawa islands. Guests can also participate in a fun and sustainable volunteer program with the Barefoot Collection, where they are able to get hands on experience planting corals, cleaning clams in a nursery or hunting Crown of Thorns starfish pests on the coral reefs.

4. Hiking in Yasawa

   With rocky mountain ranges and 20 islands to explore in the Yasawa island chain, you're bound to have an adventure or two! There are deserted beaches to discover, scenic lookouts to admire and beautiful sunsets to experience. The Yasawa island resorts can point you in the direction of the best hiking trails or you can spend the day island hopping and exploring the most scenic islands, such as Turtle Island, Nacula Island and Waya Island. Whether you prefer a little group hiking based activity or would prefer a self-guided experience on a small island or a remote island, this slice of paradise in Fiji will have something for you.

5. Scenic Air Tours

   As if hiking and exploring throughout the Yasawa island chain to the west of mainland Fiji is not enough, you can also experience the remote beauty by air. Booking a scenic airplane or helicopter tour will reveal the jaw dropping views of the white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, small villages and rocky mountain ranges. Your pilot will fly over some of the outer islands remote beaches while pointing out all the iconic sites. A bucket list experience for many, soaring above paradise allows you to explore further than you thought possible and is an experience that your entire family is not likely to forget anytime soon.

So, now that you have a bit more information about what is on offer between the two island chains in Fiji, what else do you need to consider?

Fiji holidays at an island resort in the South Pacific is considered a trip of a lifetime for many people. It's important to take into account what will work for your family. Make sure you are choosing a Fiji resort that can accommodate the age of your children, how many you are bringing and if the accommodation style is suitable for them. It is also important to double check with tour agencies that activities do not have age restrictions, and if they do, that your children are able to participate in some other way to avoid disappointments.

Most importantly, when planning a visit to Fiji, make sure you get ready to rest, relax and enjoy your time!

Ready to plan your Fiji family escape?