Castaway Island Fiji .. an island family favourite

When you first step off the boat and onto the beach you are surrounded by the always happy and smiling staff at Castaway Island.  You touch on the white sand beach surrounded by tropical aqua waters and lush rainforest.  You are taken to the lounge area for a cool drink whilst the front office staff process your reservation.  The lounge, dining, bar area is all in one area which is a traditional Fijian thatched building with a beautiful roof covered in Fijian print.  This is where all meals are served.  And the food is divine!  The chef takes a very ‘hands on’ approach to using the best of traditional and local produce to create amazing meals.

This resort is the ultimate for parents and kids.  The children have their own dinner time from 1730-1830 with their own buffet to choose from… And even hot chips for the fussy ones!  The kids club is then open from 1830 which you drop the kids off for an evening of fun and games. The only TV on the Island is in the kids club.  If your little ones go to bed early, you can book a babysitter for FJD20.00 to come and look after them, which both the littlies and the babysitters- all permanent staff on the island, take great delight in.  Now the kids are taken care of, it’s back to the dining area for an adult’s a la carte menu.  Everything is delicious!  Or if you prefer something a bit simpler, the sundeck Pizza Bar is open.  (Also available at lunchtimes).

Throughout the day there are many activities to participate in from diving to snorkeling, kayaking, Catermaran sailing, and bush walking to name a few… Make sure you join chef on his talk of local produce and his island tour.  It’s very informative and gives an outsider a great insight to the local way of life and how the island operates.

All rooms on the island are individual Bures. All Bures have the same interior. They have 2 single beds for the Kids, with a fridge in the room, and a screened off King bed for the Adults. The bathrooms have a separate toilet & shower area, with a large vanity/basin area inbetween. All Bures are fully air conditioned. The Island Bures are set amongst the lush gardens, are very private and quiet.  There are a few Ocean view Bures which are slightly set back from the beach, with a beach view but located in the gardens.  Then the piece de la resistance is the Ocean Front Bures that overlook the amazing tropical waters.  You can sit on your verandah and watch the kids on the beach or in the water from your room.  They are not very private though as you have other guests in front of your room all day.  For those in the Island Bures, you can have a sun lounge on the beach to base yourself on , either under the trees or in the sun.  An afternoon floating in the lagoon with a drink in hand is a very easy thing to do…

To mix it up a bit we took a speedboat tour whizzing around the neighboring islands.  We passed by Plantation Island Resort which is huge.  They have the most amount of Ocean Front Bures of any resort.  They also have a hotel room block which is also on the beachfront.  They have water in front of the resort even at low tide.  (No snorkeling in front of the resort though).

We then stepped off at Muscat Cove Resort.  The resort has a Marina attached and a General Store.  The resort itself is quiet location with the Ocean View Bures having fully enclosed verandahs to keep the mozzies and sandflies out.  There are lots of grassed areas around the rooms for kids to run about.  The garden Bures also have a lawn for the kids to run around on.  There is a swimming pool with a restaurant attached.  This is the only option for dining.  At low tide there is no water in front of the resort, only reef flats.

The next island was Malolo Lanai Resort.  We only viewed it from the water, however, it looks to be more of a Western style resort with colourbond replacing the thatching on the Beachfront Bures.  The front is shiny glass and has a more polished look to the whole resort.  There is deep water in front of the resort even at low tide.  Snorkeling off the beach is available.

After looking at the other resorts, that all offer different things for different families, Castaways Island Resort offers an atmosphere that sets it apart from the rest.  The staff are always happy; singing and smiling all the time. And the families staying there could not even think of a negative comment about the resort.  Overall a very high BYO recommendation from me!  Review thanks to Georgie.

BYOkids have packages perfect for families to this beautiful resort call us now 1300 296 543 or enquire online here for more information, pricing or to book

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