Mamanuca Islands, Island group in Ba, Fiji
The Mamanuca Islands form an archipelago of twenty volcanic islands west of Nadi in Ba, Fiji, with seven submerged at high tide. White sand shores line the coasts and colorful coral reefs surround most of these islands in shallow turquoise water.
Fijian communities lived across these islands for centuries before they opened to outside visitors in the late 1960s. The shift accelerated from the 1980s onward with the construction of several resorts on previously uninhabited islets.
Fishing and growing tropical fruit sustain families across the archipelago, with outrigger canoes linking communities between the scattered atolls. In smaller villages you still see wooden boats built by hand using techniques handed down within families over many decades.
Boats and small ferries leave from Port Denarau and carry travelers to different islands within the group. Seaplanes offer a faster alternative for those wanting to reach more remote or smaller islands directly.
Monuriki, an uninhabited island within the group, served as the filming location for the 2000 movie Cast Away starring Tom Hanks. Visitors often recognize the rock formations and beach shown in several key scenes of the film.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
