Our favorite Fiji meal came from a little cart on the beach. At sunset, we watched thousands of bats fly along the coast. A few days later, we were perfectly happy spending four days without leaving a resort. That mix shaped our Fiji itinerary: explore the Coral Coast by car, take a boat day in the Mamanucas, then slow down at two very different resorts. Here’s how the stops fit together and what each one was like.
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Itinerary at a glance
- Coral Coast, three nights: a budget-friendly hotel on Viti Levu, with a rental car from the airport
- Boat day: a one-day Mamanuca Islands tour from Port Denarau, before checking into the InterContinental
- Natadola Beach, four nights: InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
- Tokoriki, four nights: Sheraton Tokoriki Island Resort, by ferry from Port Denarau after the rental car goes back
The route: rental car first, ferry last
We landed in Fiji and picked up a Budget rental car at the airport. Our first stop was three nights at a budget-friendly hotel on Viti Levu’s Coral Coast. Before checking into the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa for four nights, we took a Mamanuca Islands boat tour from Port Denarau. After the InterContinental, we returned the car and headed to Port Denarau again, this time for the boat to Sheraton Tokoriki Island Resort for four nights.
We had the car for the first seven days. It gave us the freedom to pull over at beaches and try restaurants along the coast; once we were ready for the island resort, we no longer needed it.
Three nights exploring the Coral Coast
The drive from the airport to our first hotel took about an hour and a half. It was the most budget-friendly stay of our trip, but the room was clean and comfortable, with an ocean view. There was a pool, a restaurant and a bar. The little beach across the street wasn’t our favorite, so we spent most of our time driving along the coast.
About 15 minutes down the road, we pulled off at a beach with nobody else around. We spent the next few days driving along the coast, finding places to lounge while we got over our jet lag, and eating at small roadside restaurants.
Our favorite food stop was Crab Shack Fiji, a little cart on the beach along Sunset Strip. We liked it enough to go back two nights in a row. On one visit, we ordered tacos and a starter of white fish marinated with citrus and coconut cream. The sunsets there were incredible, and then came all those bats flying along the coast.
A Mamanuca boat day between hotels
Before checking into the InterContinental, we booked a one-day boat tour to the Mamanucas through GetYourGuide. We met at Port Denarau at 8:30 in the morning for a 9:00 departure. This was probably our favorite day of the trip.
Our first stop was a sandbar surrounded by incredibly clear blue water. The tour had snorkel gear, but the sandbar itself was what had us excited. Next, we stopped beside a rocky island to swim and jump from the top of the boat. We weren’t allowed to set foot on that island, so we stayed in the water.
The final stop was Monuriki, the island featured in Cast Away with Tom Hanks. We had lunch in a shaded spot on the sand, explored the island, and even found Wilson. It’s a small island, about a five-minute walk to the other side, and the walk is all in shade. Then we headed back to Port Denarau.
Four nights at the InterContinental on Natadola Beach
We had planned to explore more around Natadola Beach. Instead, the InterContinental was so comfortable that we stayed on the property for our entire four-day visit. The pools were really nice and the food was good. The cabanas near the beach and lagoon were first come, first served, with no need to reserve or pay, and you can order to one using a QR code.
Even the fine-dining restaurant won us over with flavorful food, homemade bread, an unexpected board of salts and a song at the end of the meal. I had a really unique spa experience, with a milk and honey bath and a hot-and-cold treatment. There was also a birthday surprise back in the room, with rose petals and cheesecake.
For the room, pools and dining in more detail, see our InterContinental Fiji review.
By ferry to Sheraton Tokoriki
From Port Denarau we took the public ferry to Sheraton Tokoriki Island Resort. Our ride took about an hour and 45 minutes, including a couple of stops along the way. The padded seats and air conditioning made it a comfortable trip, and we were checked in individually before being taken to our room by buggy.
Tokoriki is a small island with only two resorts. We were tired by then and wanted a few quiet days. We spent plenty of time by the pool and on the beach, where the cabanas faced west for sunset. There was also shallow water and a reef for snorkeling right off the resort beach if we felt like doing more.
We had brought snacks, and were glad we had: there wasn’t a convenience store or another restaurant to wander off to once we reached the island. The resort did have dining options, including an Indian restaurant where we had butter chicken on our first night. For current tour and ferry details, check directly with the operators before booking.
What we’d tell a friend planning this route
Keep the car for the exploring part. It let us turn a hotel with an okay beach into a base for finding emptier ones. Make room for a boat day, too; the sandbar-to-Monuriki trip was probably our favorite day. And if you’re headed to Tokoriki, pick up any snacks you want before leaving Port Denarau.
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If you are packing for this route, we wrote down the few things that mattered for us: sun cover for the boat day, something for the rain, and the right plug. Here is our Fiji packing list.
Food at the small Coral Coast restaurants was easier on our budget than resort dining, but we enjoyed both parts of the trip.
Image credits: the photo of a Mamanuca beach used as the featured image is by BryanDavis, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source). That photo was not taken on our trip. The other photos are stills from our own videos of Fiji.
