Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Inland Mana
There are several nice walks along the hilly ridges inland. Signposted trails depart from the
Mana Island Resort
to
Sunset Lookout
and
Tuilawa Lookout
, both fifteen-minute ambles
through light forest to viewpoints with great sunset views. Another trailhead starts behind the
blue lodge at
Ratu Kini's
and follows the eastern ridgeline to the 60m summit of
Ului Koro
Navou
, with superb views overlooking the rocky islands of the Mamanuca-i-Cake Group.
ACCOMMODATION: MANA
Mana Island Resort
665 0423,
manafiji.com
.
With 150 rooms and bungalows, this is
the largest of the Mamanuca resorts, though you wouldn't know it, as it's spread out over
three hundred acres of landscaped gardens, fronting both South and North Beaches. There are
loads of amenities and water activities of
n offe
r, and a wide range of accommodation options
from rooms, apartments and bungalows.
F$420
Mana Lagoon Backpackers
929 2337,
manalagoonbackpackers.com
.
Cheerful back-
packers with a large and lively sand-floor beac
hfron
t restau
rant
and two rather stuffy dorm
lodges at the back. Rates include meals. Dorms
F$40
; rooms
F$99
Ratu Kini's Dive Resort
672 1959,
ratukinidiveresort.com.fj
.
Long-established back-
packer hostel. The restaurant and bar are right on the beach, with the units set in a cement
building 30m behind and the lodge rooms and dormitory right at the back of the village abut-
ting the hill. Interiors are clean and there's a lively atmosphere at night, with theme
d en-
tertain
ment i
including fire dancing. They also have a fully equipped dive shop. Dorms
F$35
;
rooms
F$250
The Mamanuca-i-Cake Group
Only two of the thirteen islands belonging to the enchanting
MAMANUCA-I-CAKE
GROUP
have resorts -
Matamanoa
and
Tokoriki
- and there are traditional fishing villages
on
Tavua
and
Yanuya
. Otherwise, the islands are completely uninhabited.
Modriki
and its
equally stunning neighbour
Monuriki
were made famous in the 2001 film
Castaway
star-
ring Tom Hanks, but the remote
Sacred Islands
remain well off the tourist trail, only visited
briefly by an overnight cruise company or by private yachts.
Matamanoa
Rocky
Matamanoa
is covered in thick forest, with a gorgeous beach on its eastern flank.
Bird Rock, a few hundred metres off the southern coast, teems with seabirds, mostly noddies,
terns and frigates, and is a fantastic spot for snorkelling and scuba diving; trips are operated
by
Viti Watersports
,
who are based on the island.
A steep
trail
from the
Matamanoa Island Resort
, starting behind the tennis court, winds its
way up to the island's summit where several huge boulders seem to balance precariously; it's
easy to scale these for one of the most impressive
views
in Fiji - a 360-degree panorama with
small islands in all directions. Directly north is
Tavua
, the third-largest island in the Mama-
