We are currently considering whether to visit Fiji with kids at the end of the year so when Kirralee from Escape With Kids offered to write about her experiences visiting Fiji with kids, I jumped at the chance! Below you can read her top 10 things to do with kids in Fiji as well as other information to help you plan your trip.

Fiji is the ideal destination for a relaxing family holiday.

We first went when our kids were 10 mths and almost 3 yrs old. Since becoming parents we had tried a variety of destinations, but those holidays had felt so similar to life at home, just in a different location. I was beyond exhausted and wanted to try Fiji, particularly because I’d heard how wonderful the kids clubs and nannies were.

That first visit was like a break from reality. We came home rested and rejuvenated, and hooked on Fiji! We’ve now been 4 times and the kids, at 6 and 8 yrs old, still beg to go back!

Below you will find my list of what to do in Fiji with kids, an introduction to Fiji and the best family accommodation in Fiji.

An introduction to Fiji

Firstly, the weather is awesome. Being around the same latitude as Cairns means lovely warm tropical days. The temperature ranges from 26 to 31°c year round, with the wet season in summer and the dry season in winter. Anytime from around April to October is the ideal time for the best family holiday in Fiji, but I recommend giving November to March a miss due to the occasional cyclone.

Fiji Map

For Australians, a big part of the attractiveness of Fiji is having an international experience with a short flight time – only around 4 hours from the east coast.

It is a quiet, relaxing place with very little nightlife outside the resorts, specialising in romantic and family holidays. And many resorts clearly market themselves as either one or the other, so there’s no surprises.

There are adults-only resorts, which would be perfect for a honeymoon or babymoon, and then there are the family resorts. These are filled with pools, water slides, family-friendly restaurants, kids clubs, nannies, playgrounds and rooms that will accommodate a family.

The Fijian people are what make the place truly unique. This is an incredibly family-focussed culture. Kids in Fiji are doted upon here. They are laid back happy people who seem to find such joy in life. It is a pleasure to be around them. Visitors are very welcome and they are proud to share their country and culture with you.

The best Fiji islands for families are Denarau Island (a 20 min drive from Nadi airport and only separated from the mainland by a short bridge), the Coral Coast (south coast of main island of Viti Levu, about 1.25 hour drive from Nadi airport) and the Mamanuca Islands (about a 1.25 hour boat ride from Port Denarau).

Top 10 things to do in Fiji with kids

1. Have a resort day

Fiji is home to the resort holiday. Relaxing and spending time together would be top of the list for every visiting family. Quite simply, it is why people go to Fiji.

Radisson Blu Resort Fiji – Main pool with sandy beach and swim up bar

Chances are you’ll have more than one resort day during your trip. In fact every day may well be a resort day. Relax. Enjoy. This is the whole reason why they build these beautiful resorts. The sun is hot, the water is lovely, and there are toddler pools, adult pools, water slides and spas. You’ll find vast expanses of water for a game of volleyball, as well as meandering rocky streams for little legs to explore.

Most likely playing in the water will be the highlight of Fiji for kids, so get in there with them. Throw a ball, brave the water slide, push the little ones around in something floaty. This is family bonding at its best.

2. Visit Kula Eco Park

The Coral Coast is home to several large, affordable and very family-friendly resorts, like Outrigger on the Lagoon Resort and Shangri-La Fijian Resort. If you’re based down this way, then Kula Eco Park should be on your list of things to do in Fiji for families. It is an easy outing for kids of all ages.

This is a wildlife park which specialises in birds and reptiles. It may not have the excitement of lions and tigers, but it is a very peaceful, lush environment, which the kids will love. While the attractive boardwalks through the forest have some stairs, if you stay around the animal enclosures the paths are quite pram-friendly.

Kula Eco Park – Reptile encounter

Kula Eco Park – The boardwalk is an easy and shady wander through the forest

Practical information
Entry is FJ$80 for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids. Read more about Kula Eco Park on their website.

3. Deliver supplies to a local school

Visitors joining students in a netball game at a Fijian school

Many resorts sponsor at least one local school and guests are encouraged to bring stationery or books from home to donate in person. This is greatly appreciated and the school is likely to have an assembly for the donations to be presented in front of all the students and teachers. When you see their basic facilities, you will know that you’ve done something really worthwhile in Fiji for kids.

Many children don’t have shoes, and they play netball and rugby with balls made from screwed up newspaper. But the students are joyful and excited to have you visit. You will feel so welcome and they will love to talk to you. Not such a bad thing for our privileged kids to be exposed to.

4. Enjoy traditional evening entertainment

After a day out and about or relaxing by the pool, your resort will offer a range of restaurants for dinner, often with entertainment too. Soak up the atmosphere at your own resort, or throw some variety into your holiday by sampling the offering at nearby resorts.

Traditional dancing at Outrigger on the Lagoon Resort

Traditional dancing and singing is passionate and heartfelt. Bare-chested warriors will fire up their aggression, while graceful ladies will sway their hips and tell stories with their hands. Their traditional songs are deeply evocative, with sorrowful farewell song, Isa Lei, bringing a tear to the eye.

Your resort may lean towards more dramatic entertainment, with a fire walking ceremony or spectacular fire dancing. Enjoy the convenience of having these traditional arts available on your doorstep and see as much as you can.

5. Take a boat trip to an island

Denarau is the most popular location to stay in Fiji, but you can still visit some of the Fiji islands for families in a day trip.

I highly recommend the Savala Island Day Cruise and will rave about it endlessly if you let me. This is where you will get that deserted tropical island experience. Picturesque, peaceful, but fully equipped.

Transferring from the cruise boat to Savala Island

Kayaking, snorkelling, stand up paddleboarding and canoeing are all available at Savala Island

There are lots of activities you can do while on the island, like snorkelling, glass bottom boat rides, feeding baby sharks in the shallows, and kayaking, but equally you can find yourself a shady spot and relax. They will cook you up a delicious BBQ lunch and share some of their traditional crafts with you. It is my choice of the best Fiji island for families looking for a day trip.

There is no minimum age and you can take your pram onto the boat and the island. The incredibly helpful staff will make it easy for you.

Or, if budget allows, you could skip the boat trip and go by helicopter!

Practical information
A full day cruise is FJ$619 for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids.

6. Visit a local village

There is often a close relationship between a resort and a nearby village where the staff live. Often there will be tours available of the village to encourage guests to find out more about life in Fiji beyond the resorts.

This is a great choice of things to do in Fiji with kids to get an insight into the Fijian culture and history. You can support the villagers by shopping at their jewellery stalls, appreciate their customs and rituals by taking part in a kava ceremony, or just have a chat to a local and let the kids play together.

A village on the Coral Coast

7. Indulge in a luxury day spa

Is there a better way to enjoy the best family holidays in Fiji than with a luxury spa treatment?

Many of the top quality resorts offer luxurious day spas. Facilities and prices are of a similar standard to day spas at Australian hotels, but a holiday is such a perfect time to enjoy a little indulgence and epic relaxation. Have a massage, get a pedicure or go for a multi-treatment package to truly leave the stresses of home behind.

Harmony Retreat Day Spa at Radisson Blu Resort

Some great choices:

• Bebe Spa at Outrigger on the Lagoon is an impressive structure sitting high above the ocean, with beautiful rooms and a hushed tranquility.
• Harmony Retreat Day Spa at Radisson Blu Resort is a more humble building than Bebe, but in my experience the quality of the treatments is better.
• So Spa by Sofitel and Heavenly Spa by Westin are both conveniently located at Denarau and were each finalists in the 2015 Fiji’s Best Hotel Spa awards.

8. Make use of the kids clubs

One of the great attractions of Fiji for families is the free kids clubs. Fijian people adore kids, and kids club staff will actively play with the kids rather than just babysitting. They will push little ones around the resort in a stroller to get them to sleep, they will cuddle kids on their knees indefinitely to comfort them, play with smaller ones in the sandpit, and lead older ones on adventures around the resort. This is one of the many reasons why Fijian holidays for families are so popular!

Kids Club at Outrigger on the Lagoon

The resorts’ kids clubs are universally great, but they will have minimum ages that kids can attend without a nanny. Check this table for the guidelines of a number of popular resorts.

We found spending the morning with the kids in the pool, then putting them in the kids club for the afternoon worked well. This way the kids got the best of both worlds. They spent quality time with us, plus met lots of new playmates at kids club.

The kids from Kids Club at Radisson Blu Resort joining in the torch lighting ceremony

Use your kid-free time however you would like. Take a nap, read a book, visit the day spa or the resort’s adults only pools or bars. Or enjoy a romantic meal like Lomani Wei at Radisson Blu Resort, where you sit at tables in a softly lit shallow pool.

The adult pool at Radisson Blu Resort

Lomani Wai romantic dinner at Radisson Blu Resort

9. Visit Garden of the Sleeping Giant

This peaceful, shady orchid garden is an easy Fiji tour with kids from Denarau. The kids will find plenty of space to run around and the beautiful scenery is a tranquil environment to lie in a hammock and relax on a hot day. Have a wander along the boardwalks through the rainforest. This garden used to be the private collection of late American actor Raymond Burr, star of Perry Mason and Ironside.

Garden of the Sleeping Giant

Practical Information
Entry is FJ$45 for a family. Read more about Garden of the Sleeping Giant on their website.

10.  Water sports

With the perfect combination of year round warm weather and island location, Fiji is ideal for water sports.

A seemingly endless variety will be offered at your resort or very close nearby. Adrenalin Fiji is the main provider of water sports on Denarau, at Radisson Blu Resort (which is a short walk from Wyndham and Sheraton Resorts) and at Sofitel Resort (next door to Westin and Hilton Resorts).

Introduce your kids to kayaking or sailing, go on a jet ski safari or a snorkeling trip, or get even more adventurous with parasailing or diving.

Kayaking in the shallows at Savala Island

Practical information
Read more about Adrenalin Fiji on their website.

Best family accommodation in Fiji

Outrigger on the Lagoon is the sort of resort you never need leave. It is located on the Coral Coast, which means a 1.25 hr drive from Nadi airport, but once you’re there you’ve got everything at your fingertips. The Mei Mei nannies are particularly well-regarded, and this rocky stream and the toddler pool make it very popular with the under 5s. Click here see the latest prices or read the full review.

Little ones will love exploring this stream at Outrigger on the Lagoon

Radisson Blu Resort is conveniently located in Denarau and is particularly popular with 5-12 year olds due to its fabulous water slide. There are also shallow toddler pools and a pool with a sandy beach. Click here to see the latest prices or read the full review.

Primary school aged kids will ride the water slide endlessly at Radisson Blu Resort

Castaway Island is a great alternative if you fancy more of a tropical island feel. Click here to see prices.

Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort is another top-rated Coral Coast resort. Click here to see prices.

Sheraton Denarau Villas is one of the more expensive Denarau resorts, but well worth it if budget allows. Click here to see prices.

Any of these resorts will help you have one of the best Fiji holidays for families. You can read more Fiji top family resort reviews here.

Our verdict?

Although our kids are both at school now and we’ve explored more of the world with them, Fiji is still the first place that comes to my mind when we are looking for a true break from the busyness of life. When we want to slow right down and enjoy this wonderful little family that we have created.

Outrigger on the Lagoon Resort

You can read more of Kirralee’s adventures at Escape With Kids and like her on Facebook.

Have you been to Fiji? Should we choose it for our next family adventure?

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