How to Experience the Adventurous Side of Fiji

Although Fiji is often seen as a beach-bum destination, ideal for sipping frosty pina coladas on pristine sands, more travelers than ever are arriving for its adventure offerings. This year, companies such as Skydive Fiji, Ecotrax e-bikes and Go Dirty quad biking are reporting record bookings. New Fijian-run operators are springing up to meet demand, such as Domoika Adventures, which offers rock climbing and a jungle hike to waterfalls.

So, for clients looking for an array of adventures, here are six resorts and operators offering can’t-miss outdoor experiences in the destination.

Vomo Island Fiji 

This five-star, all-inclusive resort is also a private island, and it’s just a 30-minute boat transfer from Nadi International Airport. Clients can glide on waves (even with zero surfing experience) on Fliteboards, which resemble mini surfboards but are propelled by battery-powered motors; they can whip up to 28 miles per hour, yet they are quiet and emission-free. Clients can also book fishing, hiking and diving excurions. The island has five scuba dive sites right around it, and many others can be accessed via longer boat journeys.

Go Dirty Tours 

This outfitter specializes in quad bike tours for clients staying in or around Denarau or Nadi. Riders don’t need experience to operate these fourwheeled, off-road vehicles, as Go Dirty Tours provides full training. Their most adventurous excursion is the Double Edge tour, which includes drives through cityscapes, mountains, beaches and plenty of mud puddles. It ends with an exhilarating zipline through rainforest treetops.

Wakaya Private Island Resort & Spa

This ultra-private island and five-star resort accommodates up to 32 guests (who reach it via a 40-minute Cessna flight from Nadi). The resort offers a guided and heart-pounding hike to the top of Chieftain’s Leap, a 650-foot cliff named for a leader who jumped off the precipice with his villagers to avoid capture by an invading tribe. Diving, sailing and kayaking are among other resort activities.

Adventures With Intrepid Travel 

Intrepid Travel has an eight-day tour in Fiji that starts from Nadi and traverses remote villages, waterfalls, white-sand beaches, national parks and jungles. Clients will raft at Upper Navua Gorge; spend a day boating, snorkeling or swimming around the island of Nananu-i-Ra in Northern Fiji; and trek 7 miles through grasslands en route to the village of Nubutautau. 

RELATED: 3 Ways to Get Out on the Water in Fiji

Domoika Adventures 

Indigenous Fijians are behind this eco-operator based in Waivaka Village. Off-the-grid tours include trekking, rock climbing and advanced hikes. Truly adventurous clients might try the six-hour Eco Challenge tour, during which they’ll participate in a sevusevu (a traditional welcoming ceremony), sip on kava (a ceremonial Fijian beverage), have a delicious Fijian lunch, hike about 2½ miles and cross the hanging Waivaka Bridge.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji

At this dive-focused and family friendly luxury resort, clients can go on an evening snorkeling adventure in Fiji’s Namena Marine Reserve. With marine biologists leading the way and flashlights in hand, clients are likely to spot colorful and wacky marine life that only venture out when it’s dark.