Today I want to bring you my itinerary for spending 11 days in Fiji. If you’ve ever dreamed of paradise in the South Pacific, this is it. Fiji is known for its stunning beaches, friendly locals, and relaxed pace of life. It’s the perfect destination if you want to get away from it all. I’m here now and I’m excited to share my itinerary with you. I’ve included a map, too.
11 Days in Fiji
Fiji is the stuff of dreams. With its natural beauty, warm hospitality, and abundant marine life, this island nation offers a genuinely unique travel experience.
I’ve come here with a friend on a girls’ trip. We’re spending 11 days across two different resorts, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for us.
We’ve purposely booked two very different places to stay, both in terms of geography and in terms of size. They were a splurge, but we’re confident they’ll be worth every penny. Spoiler alert: they are.
Day 1
When our flight lands at Nadi airport, we speed through passport control. People with immediate domestic connections get to use a special lane, and in no time we’re walking over to catch our next flight.
Said flight is on a small 5-seater prop plane. We pile in with our luggage, enjoying spectacular views of the coast on the 30-minute journey.
After landing, we’re met by a van that drives us a short distance to a hotel with a marina. From there it’s a 30-minute boat ride to our first hotel: Royal Davui Island Resort.
Royal Davui Island Resort
Located just south of the country’s main island of Viti Levu, the resort is in the Beqa Lagoon. Set on a small island with tropical greenery perched over sandy coves, it’s a little slice of paradise.
We’re met by the owners, who welcome us on the island’s pier. They take our bags and show us up a flight of stairs, where we’re greeted with a song sung by some of the staff. It’s a great arrival.
Soon we’re sipping a refreshing welcome drink at the open-air bar. When we finish, we’re shown to our room. It’s one of just 16 on the island, and it’s a free-standing bungalow nestled in the trees.
Bungalow
As soon as we walk in, we fall in love. Room 11 has a wonderful indoor-outdoor feel, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto spectacular views of the ocean.
Outside is a terrace with chairs and sun loungers, not to mention our own private plunge pool.
Next to the living room is the bedroom. It’s delightfully air conditioned, and comes with a huge bathroom with a shower and tub. It’s one of the nicest rooms either of us has ever stayed in, and we feel like we’ve won the lottery (if one with pricey tickets).
Lunch
After getting settled in, we walk to lunch at the restaurant. It has a partially covered dining area in the back, and a big deck overlooking the ocean in the front.
We settle in on the latter, enjoying waterfront views as we tuck into local fish and other specialties. While we eat, we’re given a menu to order our dinner for the evening.
Island Exploration
After lunch we explore the island. Smooth paths wind through the lush vegetation, leading us to everything from the spa to small inlets with white sand and turquoise water.
We also discover the gym, library, pool, and private dining areas. They’re all impressive, and we feel like we’ve picked a winner of a resort.
Dinner
In the evening we head to the bar to watch the sunset. It’s a spectacular backdrop to a private dining table on the island, and we enjoy cocktails as we take in the colors in the sky.
When darkness sets in, we walk a few steps over to the restaurant for dinner. The dining room is pleasantly full, and we sit at a table on the terrace.
The meal is every bit as good as our lunch was, as is the service (in fact, the service at this resort is excellent all around). We tuck into local and international dishes, all while being serenaded by the staff choir.
Day 2
The next morning our trip continues with breakfast at the restaurant. There’s an a la carte menu with everything from egg dishes to pancakes. With a pot of fresh coffee, it all goes down a treat on the sunny terrace.
As we eat, the staff takes our lunch and dinner orders for the day. There’s a rotating menu as well as a dedicated vegetarian one, so there’s enough choice to keep things interesting.
Island Tour
After the meal we take a walk around the island. At low tide it can be circumnavigated on foot.
We spend 20 minutes strolling along the white sand beaches, checking out the small coves, taking in the dramatic rock formations, and admiring the views of the other islands in the Beqa Lagoon.
We’re surprised how quickly we make it back to where we started. The island is smaller than it looks, but it has everything we need for a relaxing stay.
At the end we sit in a big swinging chair on the beach. We take in bird life, hermit crabs, and even a small shark swimming right next to the water line.
Bungalow
Afterwards we enjoy lunch at the restaurant before heading back to our bungalow for the afternoon. We sit in the open-air living room, enjoy the feel of the breeze on our skin, and take dips in the plunge pool.
It’s the perfect relaxing experience, and a nice break from my normal action-packed itineraries (that said, the resort has a range of daily activities and excursions on offer, so it could be busier if we wanted it to be).
Cocktail Tasting
In the evening we head to the bar for a cocktail tasting. The resort hosts it once a week, and we’re treated to a demonstration followed by small tastes of three tropical tipples. It’s a fun way to kick off the night.
Crab Race
Even more fun is the crab race. As we sip cocktails, the staff comes around with a bucket of small hermit crabs. We each choose one. After drinks we gather around a chalk circle on the floor of the restaurant to watch our crabs scuttle out from the center.
After three heats, my crab wins. I’m treated to a voucher for two complimentary cocktails, and my friend and I tuck it away for the following evening.
After the excitement of the crab race, we head to a table in the restaurant for dinner. It’s another excellent meal, and a great way to cap off our second day in Fiji.
Day 3
The next morning our trip continues with a delicious breakfast of omelets and croissants. It sets us up well for another day of relaxation.
Pool
After breakfast we head to the pool. It’s right below the dining area and next to the island’s activity center and helipad.
Lined with lounge chairs, it’s the perfect place to relax. There are great views of the ocean, too.
Massages
At 1pm we have lunch at the restaurant, then get ready for massages at the spa. Confusingly, they’ve booked us into a couples’ room even though we booked individual treatments. We go with it, and still enjoy the massages.
Kava Ceremony
In the evening we watch another spectacular sunset before heading into the restaurant for a traditional kava ceremony. Kava is the national drink of Fiji, and it’s made from the ground roots of the Piper methysticum plant (a member of the pepper family).
Along with staff and other guests, we sit on the floor in a big circle. The staff walks us through the kava-making process, then comes around to fill our coconut bowls with the brown drink.
It tastes earthy and I’m not sure I love it, but I’m glad to have tried it. They come around to fill our bowls again, and I sip it along with the others.
Afterwards we enjoy dinner in the dining room as we’re treated to fresh seafood and delicious tropical desserts.
Day 4
The next morning we enjoy a leisurely breakfast and another stint at the pool. We’re getting the hang of the relaxation thing, and I’m loving the slow pace of life here.
Snorkeling
After lunch I head into the water to go snorkeling. I pick up a mask and fins at the activity center, then wade out from the beach to swim with the sea creatures.
The coral is a mix of live and dead, and there are more fish in some areas than others. It’s nice to see a variety of familiar and new-to-me sea life.
Walk
After lunch we take another walk around the island. We explore the sandy coves, spot a few crabs the size of our hands, and take in the views of the islands in the distance. The resort offers free kayak, boat, and SUP rentals, and we spot some off the shore.
Dinner
When the sun starts to sink, we make our way to the bar for sunset cocktails. There’s a staff choir concert going on, too, and we enjoy hearing the songs before we find a table for dinner.
Day 5
The next morning we enjoy a breakfast of omelets and toast. Today’s meal isn’t a long one, though, as I have an activity booked.
Hike
Given my love of walking and hiking, I’ve booked myself on the resort’s weekly hike. After boarding a boat to a nearby island, my group alights and meets our guides.
They lead us through the local village, which is dotted with colorful houses, a school, and a church. From there we head up a hill through dense groves of mango trees and other tropical flora.
After the initial ascent, the trail levels off and the vegetation clears into an area that’s been burned for agricultural purposes. Soon we find ourselves taking in spectacular views of both sides of the island.
There are beaches and coves galore, and we can see all kinds of neighboring islands in the distance (including the one Royal Davui uses for sand caye picnics).
Snorkeling
Back at the resort, I meet my friend for lunch before heading off to go snorkeling again. This time I go to a different part of the island, and there are more fish and more live coral here. It’s great to see all the marine life.
Dinner
In the evening we head to the bar to watch our last sunset at Royal Davui. It’s a beautiful one, and we follow it with an excellent dinner.
Day 6: Travel Day
The next morning our 11 days in Fiji continue with a quick breakfast and a send-off serenade. We board a boat to the main island, hop on a van for the quick ride to the airstrip, and fly back to Nadi airport.
From there we get a taxi to Port Denarau. A 20-minute drive from the airport, this marina is home to everything from houses to resorts and restaurants. It’s also the departure point for many ferries.
We arrive with 30 minutes to spare before the boat to our next resort departs. We grab sandwiches at a coffee kiosk called Lazy Beans and pick up some snacks at a local grocery store before queuing up for our ferry to the Mamanuca Islands.
Likuliku Lagoon Resort
The Mamanuca Islands are an archipelago situated west of Nadi and south of the Yasawa Islands. Our 2-hour ferry ride takes us past a number of them before we arrive at Malolo Island, the home of our next resort.
A small boat pulls up alongside the ferry, and my friend and I hop on along with a few others. The boat whisks us off on a short ride to Likuliku Lagoon Resort.
As with Royal Davui, we’re welcomed by a staff serenade. From the pier we’re shown to an outdoor seating area where we’re given passion fruit iced tea (delicious!) and told to use the resort’s app to check ourselves in.
Checking ourselves in is a bit of a strange start to a stay at a high-end resort, but soon we’re being driven to our over-water bungalow (called a bure in Fiji) on a golf cart.
The bure itself is one of 10 over the ocean, and it has traditional Fijian decor. There are several glass panels in the floor that we can watch the sea life through, and windows looking out across to other islands.
While not open-air like our bungalow at Royal Davui, it’s still amazing to be right over the water. And that’s to say nothing of the bathroom, which comes complete with a huge stone tub.
Outside the bure is a large deck with lounge chairs and a lower deck with a ladder going into the sea. It’s ripe for snorkeling, and I make a mental note to go when high tide comes.
Dinner
After getting settled into our room, we head to one of the island’s bars for sunset cocktails. The bar is on a small island off the coast, complete with a wooden walkway to get to it. It’s a great place for drinks with a view.
Afterwards it’s time for dinner. We walk to the restaurant, where we learn that our evening meals each night have to be booked for a specific time. We’re told we can use the app to book, but like most resort apps, it never seems to work.
It’s a bit of an adjustment from the more relaxed style at Royal Davui, but given this is a larger resort, we understand why they need to stagger meal times. It doesn’t take long for us to adjust to the new routine.
We sit down to dinner at the open-air dining room, enjoying a 3-course meal of local fish, shellfish, and delicious sorbet as a friendly server takes our orders. It’s a great way to end our first day at the resort.
Day 7
The next morning our trip continues with a leisurely breakfast at Likuliku. We sit out on the terrace, enjoying views of everything from neighboring islands to a hammock in the ocean as we taste food from both the buffet and the a la carte menu.
I love that they have fresh coconuts we can drink from. The coffee is less exciting (a woman on the plane told me to bring my own coffee to Fiji, and now I understand why).
Island Exploration
After breakfast we explore the island. This one is much bigger than the one Royal Davui was situated on, but we stick to the area the resort is in. In addition to the over-water bures, there are rooms lining the long beach at Likuliku.
On one end of the row of bungalows is the spa, which we’re excited to experience. In the middle is the A-frame reception area, restaurants, and bar. In front of them is the island bar, and next to them is the pool.
Behind it all is a garden, an iguana conservation area, and trails leading through the lush vegetation. There’s also an activity center, where we learn that the resort has a range of daily activities and excursions guests can book, not to mention free snorkel, kayak, boat, and SUP rentals.
Lunch
After exploring the resort, we settle in for lunch at the restaurant. The food is delicious (I can’t get enough of the seafood and sorbets), and we like that the menu changes daily.
While Royal Davui had a rotating menu for lunch and dinner, there weren’t as many choices as there are at Likuliku. It’s likely a function of the resorts’ size, and we appreciate the greater variety here.
Spa
After lunch we head to the spa. The resort gives a 15% discount for spa treatments booked within 48 hours of arrival, and we’re excited to take advantage of it.
As with Royal Davui, they show us to a couples’ treatment room even though we’ve booked separate ones. We ask for individual rooms, which they agree to, and soon we’re each off enjoying our massages.
The treatments are both great, and we agree afterwards that they’re better quality than the ones we got at Royal Davui. My friend signs up for two more before we leave.
Dinner
In the evening we return to the island bar for sunset cocktails and the nightly torch lighting ceremony, then head to dinner.
We’ve pre-booked an outdoor table on the terrace, and we enjoy the remnants of the sunset as we tuck into another delicious meal.
Day 8
The next morning our Fiji itinerary continues with another relaxing breakfast at Likuliku. We sip coconut water straight from the source, enjoy the buffet, pastries, and crab omelets, and soak up the turquoise water and white sand in the distance.
Pool
After breakfast my friend heads off to get another massage while I settle in by the pool. With palm trees galore and stunning ocean views, it’s so beautiful and relaxing I lose track of time.
Only when my stomach starts to growl do I realize it’s lunch o’clock.
Lunch
I meet my friend at the restaurant. She reports back that the spa treatment was excellent, and we catch up over a 3-course meal of fresh seafood and delicious desserts.
Snorkeling
After lunch I pick up snorkeling gear from the activity center and wait for high tide to arrive. When it does, I climb down the ladder of our bure and check out the marine life.
It’s similar to Royal Davui in that there’s a mix of live and dead coral. I see more fish here, as well as starfish, sea slugs, and other creatures. I even spot a turtle. It’s a great way to explore Fiji below the water.
Dinner
After another round of sunset cocktails at the island bar, my friend and I head to a special dinner at Saluwaki. This restaurant serves Asian tapas made with local ingredients alongside a hand-picked cocktail list.
Guests can dine here once during their stay, and we’ve chosen tonight because it’s my friend’s birthday. We start with cocktails, then enjoy six small plates of everything from sashimi to steak.
At the end of the meal, the staff comes out to sing a happy birthday song and deliver a special slice of cake. It’s a great celebration.
Day 9
The next day is a special one. We’ve inadvertently booked our trip to coincide with Fiji Day. A celebration of the country’s independence, it’s an action-packed one.
Likuliku Island Resort celebrates Fiji Day with a range of special events and activities. It starts with a welcome speech, hymn, and prayer after breakfast. That’s followed by a Fijian traditional costume parade and flag raising ceremony.
After lunch there are games. Volunteers from both the staff and the guest population divide up into four teams and compete for a trophy. From an egg toss to a sack race, coconut relay, and tug o’ war, there’s a fierce battle for first place.
At the end of the afternoon, one team is crowned the winners. Afterwards there’s a cake for everyone to enjoy, and a cocktail hour hosted by the management. The evening ends with a traditional Fijian dance show before dinner.
Dinner
Dinner is another special one. Every Friday Likuliku hosts a Fijian lovo (earth oven feast) and South Pacific barbecue. Instead of an a la carte menu, there’s a big buffet for everyone to enjoy.
My friend and I tuck into everything from lobster to sushi and chicken, enjoying the atmosphere as much as we relish the food.
Day 10
The next morning our trip continues with a leisurely breakfast at Likuliku. Afterwards my friend is off to the spa for her final treatment, and I head to the pool. I spend most of the day here, taking a break for lunch when my friend is done.
In the evening we repeat our now-loved ritual of sunset cocktails at the island bar, followed by a surprise dinner. The staff has reserved one of the private beachfront tables for us.
We enjoy our evening meal at a special table on a raised platform right above the beach. It’s a memorable way to spend our last night in Fiji.
Day 11
The next morning we have a relaxed breakfast before packing our bags and checking out of our room. We spend the afternoon by the pool, ordering lunch there instead of at the restaurant.
We check out the resort’s gift shop and take a quick shower in a bathroom by the reception area before our ferry departure at 4:05pm.
The 2-hour ride back to the port is a scenic one, and we arrive with enough time to have dinner at one of the restaurants before our flight.
We settle in at Nadina, the only Fijian restaurant in the area. We order kokoda, a Fijian dish of raw fish marinated in lemon and lime juice and served in coconut milk. It’s delicious, and it goes down a treat as we watch our final sunset of the trip.
11 Day Fiji Trip
After a 20-minute taxi ride to the airport, we’re on a plane and waving good-bye to paradise. We’re already dreaming of our next trip, and I hope my itinerary has inspired you to do the same.
Fiji Map
As promised, I created an interactive Google map of all the places I went on my trip. You can find it here. I hope it helps you plan your own visit.
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