Fiji or Bali

I Hope you can help me, it’s our 25th wedding anniversary and we would like to go somewhere special. I would appreciate it if you could give me advice on the questions below.

Will be flying in from Scotland UK.

Bali or Fiji
Bali Legian or Kuta
Fiji Nadi or Denarau

Like to do some tours but mostly relax by the pool,
Go for a leisurely walks.
Hotel preferably away from all the nightlife, but in walking distance.

Close to restaurants and take-away

Don't know about Fiji,but if you are going to Bali...both Kuta and Legian have loads of restaurants,nightlife etc. all over (they are next to each other...you can walk from Kuta to Legian in 10 minutes).

Legian is a bit more upmarket,with nicer hotels.Kuta is more of a backpacker place.Both have a LOT of young,heavy drinking Australian tourists.Not my idea of a wedding anniversary place,but maybe that appeals to you ;-)

mostly relax by the pool

Considering your activities list, my first thought was to make the choice based on how cheap the airfare is. Flying to Fiji will likely be more complicated .. via Hong Kong, via Singapore-Brisbane, or via Los Angeles .. via Hong Kong is probably the least expensive/least flying time.

You mention some other activities

Go for a leisurely walks. Hotel preferably away from all the nightlife, but in walking distance .. close to restaurants take aways

This list alone excludes Fiji as an option. People go to Fiji for other reasons.

The tourism infrastructure on Fiji isn't of the sort with tourism-oriented towns or built up centers with nightlife -- nothing compared to a Legian/Kuta type setup. Fiji is much more low-key, much less busy even in the busy parts. The tourism infrastructure tends to be self-contained resort complexes, and very rarely a 'nightlife' option outside of the resort grounds. No nightlife strips lined with cafes, restaurants etc. Of course there are a few towns/ villages with cafes and restaurants, but these are aimed at local use during the day, not for tourism nightlife.

Nadi is only a small village near the international airport, including one short main street with souvenir shops. It's not a place that tourists actually stay at. There is an area around Nadi and International airport where there are several resort hotels. Denerau is an unattractive island/lagoon nearby with a few top-end chain hotel resorts. Some people like that sort of thing. If you were to fly all the way to Fiji, it would be better to go to one of the small island resorts in the Mamanauca or the Yasawa islands .. but then you'd be left with (usually) one island with one resort on it, and nothing - not even a village - outside of the resort grounds.

If you wanted a nice holiday resort with a bit more surrounding you, an easier time of taking tours, then go to the coral coast on Viti Levu, near Sigatoka.

there are some nice 7 days cruises around the fiji islands, just google Fiji island cruises for the two main companies, not that there would be much hiking, but it is relaxing and the scenery is great, you are limited to the food on the boat but its quite varied, you can get to Fiji from Hong Kong via Fiji airways with reasonable fare, otherwise do a shorter cruise and spend a few nights at one of the resorts on the Coral Coast, forget about Denarau or Nadi

Having been to both twice and returning to Bali again next week, I found this to be a difficult question to answer. I would like to suggest you have a look at Sanur in Bali. It is quieter than the Kuta/Legian area but will have nice resorts where you can relax by the pool or on the beach and there are lots of restaurants/takeaways in the area. For walking there is a 6km boardwalk along the beach front. There are a number of bars and restaurants where you can enjoy music or dancing in the evening. There is ample opportunity to do day tours to other areas of the island by hiring a car with a driver for a half or full day. Bali does not have the beautiful beaches of Fiji(you have to travel to the offshore islands to see them) but has a rich culture, beautiful temples, picturesque rice fields and some of the nicest, humblest people we have met. On the other hand we love Fiji for it's water based activities(avid snorkelers), great beaches and friendly, joyful people. The other posters have given you great information about Fiji to which I cannot add more. When you decide please come back and let us know!

Take a 7 day cruise in the Yasawa Islands of Fiji.
The 'cruising' takes just a few hours each day. The rest of the time is on a new beach on a new island or visiting a new village.

Cheers,
Peter

Having been to both, and based on your description, I'd vote for Bali.

Fiji (and my visit is many years ago so things change) was very rustic once you left any main town. It had minimal dining opportunities in comparison to Bali. For me, the best things about Fiji were meeting the people in the villages, and the incredible scuba diving/water.

Bali, even with the development that keeps going, still has a magical charm that effects most who visit. My wife and I think it the most romantic place we've been. The people are beautiful, the temples everywhere, the culture still alive. Lots more restaurants and hotels to choose from too.

Have fun wherever you go, and congrats!