Why Honeymoon in Northern Fiji
Northern Fiji suits couples who'd rather explore than lounge, though there's plenty of lounging too. Days can include hiking to waterfalls, diving walls draped in soft corals, swimming in clear rivers and birdwatching for brilliantly colored parrots and doves, all without crowds.
The region also offers some of Fiji's most exclusive stays. Because resorts are small and spread out, privacy is built in and service tends to be deeply personal. A honeymoon here feels less like a resort holiday than an expedition with excellent food and a very comfortable bed at the end of each day.
When to Go
As elsewhere in Fiji, May through October is the driest and most comfortable season, with cooler nights and calmer seas. It's also prime diving season, with good visibility on the reefs of the Somosomo Strait.
Northern Fiji is lusher and wetter than the west, so expect some rain year-round. November through April brings heat, humidity, heavier downpours and a risk of cyclones. The upside is that waterfalls are at their most powerful and resorts are quieter. If diving is your priority, the drier months generally offer the most reliable conditions. The currents in the strait that feed the soft corals are best timed with an experienced local operator.
Where to Stay
Our featured property is Laucala Island, now operated by COMO Hotels and Resorts as COMO Laucala Island. Created by Red Bull cofounder Dietrich Mateschitz, it covers about 3,300 acres, most of it untouched, with just 25 residences, each with a private pool and personal host. Everything is included, from meals and drinks to golf on an 18-hole David McLay Kidd course, horseback riding, diving and water sports. Guests fly in on a private charter to the island's own airstrip. Expect several thousand dollars a night for two (approximate), with most minimum stays running to several nights.
The broader region offers a handful of other intimate options: kid-free boutique resorts on neighboring Qamea and Matangi islands, small lodges on Taveuni itself and a family-friendly eco-resort near Savusavu on Vanua Levu. The boutique island resorts typically run roughly $800 to $1,500 a night for two with meals; Taveuni lodges cost much less (approximate). Accommodation is limited overall, so book early, especially for the dry season.
Romantic Things to Do
Diving and snorkeling top the list. The Rainbow Reef, on the western side of the narrow Somosomo Strait between Taveuni and Vanua Levu, is known as part of the soft coral capital of the world. Its most famous dive is the Great White Wall, a sheer face covered in pale soft corals.
On land, Bouma National Heritage Park covers about a third of Taveuni and protects rainforest and the island's best-known waterfalls; the hike to the Tavoro Falls ends with a swim in a jungle pool. Waitavala's natural rock waterslide is pure fun. Hikers can head up to Lake Tagimaucia in a volcanic crater, home of the rare tagimaucia flower. And don't miss a photo straddling the 180th meridian.
Getting There & Around
International flights land at Nadi International Airport (NAN). From there, domestic flights connect to Taveuni's Matei Airport and to Savusavu on Vanua Levu, taking around an hour or more. Small-plane schedules can change with the weather.
Laucala guests travel differently: after a private lounge at Nadi, a charter flight of under an hour lands directly on the island's airstrip. For other private-island resorts, expect a flight to Taveuni followed by a boat transfer. On Taveuni itself, roads are limited, partly unpaved and slow, so a drive across the island can take longer than the map suggests. Lodges arrange guided excursions and taxis with drivers are the usual way to get around. Allow a night in Nadi on arrival if connections don't line up.
Food & Drink
Northern Fiji is a farming region and it shows on the plate. Taveuni's fertile volcanic soil grows taro, cassava, coconuts and a profusion of tropical fruit. Resorts make the most of it. Laucala goes further with its own farm and garden, raising poultry and cattle and growing much of the produce served in its five restaurants and bars.
Seafood is outstanding: reef fish, mud crab and lobster appear on menus, often prepared simply over the grill or in coconut cream. Try palusami (taro leaves baked with coconut cream) and rourou, a soft dish of taro leaves. As everywhere in Fiji, kava is the drink of welcome and conversation.
Honeymoon Tips
- Plan at least five nights. Laucala and other remote resorts often have minimum stays and the journey deserves it.
- Pack for wet weather and hiking: quick-dry clothes, sturdy sandals or trail shoes and a light rain jacket.
- Divers should bring their certification cards and log books and book specialized dives, like the Great White Wall, in advance.
- Bring insect repellent for rainforest hikes. Dengue occurs in Fiji, so if you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices before you go.
- Visiting villages near Bouma? Cover shoulders and knees and ask before swimming at falls on village land.
- Pair Northern Fiji with a few nights in the sunnier Mamanucas or Yasawas for a contrast of rainforest and beach.
