The 10 best hotels in Fiji

Secluded beaches and a Fijian open-air spa and dining are just some of the reasons to stay at this delightful retreat comprised of 24 suites and villas that blend contemporary luxury with traditional Fijian culture, all of it set within gorgeous tropical gardens. As well as hanging out at the gym and the pool, the resort offers kayaking, snorkelling, paddleboarding, cultural and fishing trips to help while away the days delightfully. Want more thrills? At Pacific Harbour you can book activities like white-water rafting, shark dives and zip-lining.

Luxury beachfront suites and villas set amongst a mountain backdrop and exemplary service (with each guest assigned their own personal staff member) are two very good reasons to stay at Tides. The gourmet restaurant, beachfront deck and massages and beauty treatments are a few more. But perhaps best of all is what lies beyond the resort; Taveuni is Fiji’s third largest island, and is ideal for hiking as much of its coastal forest and ancient rainforest are national park-protected, providing scenic hikes rich with exotic and rare birds and plants. For a break from swimming in the Pacific outside your villa, the national park, Bouma, contains three waterfalls that have natural swimming pools.

Fiji is a bit thin on the ground for budget accommodation so if you’re looking for a (relatively) inexpensive base, this relaxed, down-to-earth resort bordering a coral sand beach fits the bill well. Properties vary from affordable tropical garden duplexes built of solid timber with polished timber floors and high ceilings, right up to luxury beachfront villas. They have a natural look, with homely touches like wooden walkways, while facilities include a spa, watersports centre, pool, beachfront restaurant and regular events such as Samoan fire-dancing, beach barbecues and traditional musical meke performances.

This adults-only secluded boutique resort in Fiji’s lesser-visited northern region has 17 thatched bures (villas) set among coconut palms and tropical gardens, against a backdrop of mountains. Rooms are simply but luxuriously furnished in Fijian style, and many have their own pool or whirlpool tub. As well as an excellent spa and restaurant, activities include snorkelling, coastal and mountain hikes, kayaking, paddle boarding, diving and surfing trips and boat excursions.

This spacious beachside retreat is ideal for those on a budget – as well as 24 comfortable standard and deluxe villas there’s a 20-bed treehouse-style dormitory, and you can even reach it by bus. Plus there are shops, cafes and a supermarket a short walk away if you want to further reduce costs. Don’t want to schlepp to the shops? Food and drink are good quality, and especially good value. Facilities include swimming pools and a good gym.

This charming century-old hotel steeped in history delivers a mix of old-world charm, South Pacific hospitality and contemporary service in a beautifully restored building. Located in the heart of Fiji’s capital, it has comfortable modern standard rooms with balconies or verandas, but we’d suggest you plump for the elegant, individually decorated Heritage rooms in the original building (also with verandas). Whichever you’re in, you get the use of a sea-view pool, sumptuous spa, gym and a choice of a fine-dining, as well as a casual all-day restaurant, bar, pool bar and cafe. Happy talk indeed.

A night here will set you back the cost of a second-hand car (a good one too) but hey, the understated luxury is on an industrial scale – and at least the wi-fi’s free. Each of the 25 Fijian-styled one-, two- and three-bedroom villas here has its own pool and is set so far apart from its neighbour’s that you need a golf buggy to visit. They’re all different, whether located by a deserted beach, on the rocks or amongst coconut plantations, but all share the top-notch facilities, among them five restaurants, a golf course, tennis courts, spa, riding school, deep sea fishing and numerous water sports.

You get a lot for your money at this good, unpretentious budget option that’s recently benefitted from some upgrading. Located right on the beach among 12 acres of lush rainforest, it has pleasant, spacious thatched beachfront and garden bures (Fijian villas) and dorms decorated with local furnishings and art. As well as the beach there’s a pool with a swim-up bar, paddleboards, kayaks and snorkelling gear – and you can arrange diving and fishing trips and other excursions too. Night-time activities are organised in the central dining area.

This all-inclusive adults-only luxury resort offers 19 private luxury villas with their own pools, two restaurants serving world-class cuisine using the freshest ingredients from local seafood markets and the resort’s own organic farm, and a large spa perched right on the edge of the Koro Sea. Activities include horse-riding, rainforest hikes, kayaking and scuba diving, and if you want to explore Fijian culture, excursions can be organised to such places as a local village, a church, a pearl farm and a farmers market.