Fiji's Mamanuca Islands

Until recently, backpackers heading up to the Mamanuca or Yasawa islands had to endure a two or three hour ride in a small boat, which usually left them wet and fearful for their life!

Now, however, there's a more comfortable boat service which takes travellers from island to island in the two chains, leaving from Denarau on the main Fijian island of Viti Levu.

Take a look at the weather in this photo - this is the dry side of Viti Levu, but it's still quite common for the weather on the mainland to be cloudy or even raining, while it's sunny just offshore.

Some of the islands in the Mamanuca group are high and arid like the ones shown here - Malololailai, Malolo, and Mana. Any forest these islands had has been stripped by goats and other introduced animals.

The resorts on these islands are usually very expensive, but they are surrounded by magnificent stretches of healthy coral reef.

However, many of the islands are tiny, and it's entirely beyond my understanding why anyone would spend their entire vacation here.

As you can see, it certainly is sunny, the beach surely is great, the water definitely is magnificent, and there is even some coral down there, but if someone comes here and thinks they've seen Fiji then they're delusional!

These places are so small than it wouldn't be at all surprising if a cyclone or hurricane wiped them off the planet. Even their names are transitory - every time ownership changes they change the English name of the island. I think this is Navini, but I'm not sure if it's also called "Bounty Island" or "South Sea Island".

This one is Beachcomber, it has a reputation as a party island

It caters for 200 guests at a time, plus day visitors.

The nearby Treasure Island is a bit bigger, and caters more for families.