Nadi

So gorgeous that they starred in the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away and TV’s Survivor: Fiji, the Mamanucas are a chain of 20 islands near Nadi and the resort hub of Denarau. They are blessed with crystal clear waters, palm-fringed beaches and oodles of coral. The island chain is a resort paradise of restaurants, snorkelling, diving, kayaking and surfing. You can also go stand-up paddle boarding, windsurfing, parasailing, dolphin-watching, catamaran riding and sun worshipping. And any other beach-based pleasures you might want to dream up.

Scramble up dunes up to 60m high, explore archaeological sites 2000 years old, marvel at ancient artefacts and catch sight of rare birds in native dry forests. All this can be found by following Queen’s Highway out of Nadi to the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park. It’s first of its kind on the islands and a site that’s under consideration for inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

Actor Raymond Burr is best remembered as the star of late-night TV staples Ironside and Perry Mason, but this passionate horticultural hobbyist also left this gift to garden posterity. The Garden of the Sleeping Giant is located in the foothills of the Nausori Highlands, 6km north of Nadi airport, and its 2000 varieties of Asian orchids are the big drawcard. The garden’s huge expanses of manicured lawn and rainforest canopy-covered boardwalk make this the ideal spot for some serenity in the wake of an adrenaline-charged visit to the Mamanucas.

Unlike its celebrated counterpart in Arizona, Fiji’s 'Grand Canyon' – Viti Levu’s waterfall-fed, rapids-rich Upper Navua River – carves a deep, volcanic rock-walled pathway through nearly 30km of pristine rainforest that’s alive with wildlife before emptying into the ocean. Needless to say, a trip along this utterly breathtaking river gorge is a whitewater-rafting enthusiast’s dream.

There’s no shortage of dive sites in Fiji but the Bligh Water, off the glorious northern coast of Viti Levu, is in a class of its own. Reached via an unforgettable two-hour drive, the Bligh Water is home to strong currents that carry nutrients to the area’s soft corals. You’ll see why Fiji is known as 'the soft coral capital of the world'. Toss in huge schools of tropical fish, barracuda and turtles and you’ve got the diving trip of a lifetime.