Which island/island chain to stay on in Fiji?

Hello! My fiance and I are going on our honeymoon in August and will be in Fiji for five nights. We've been doing a lot of research and feel torn regarding where to stay. We want those white sand beaches, but would also love to have a rainforest and waterfalls to explore. We want to be off of the main island. From what we've read, it looks like Taveuni's beaches are not the beautiful white sandy beaches, but they have beautiful waterfalls and rainforest to explore. We're drawn to the Yasawa's or Mamanuca's for the beach though, but don't want to be bored after a couple of days. We also want to get the most bang for our buck in terms of seeing all the best stuff!

Any help or clarification would be great! We are looking for a nice place as it is our honeymoon. Would like to keep it under 3000 including flights and transfer within Fiji, but not to and from Fiji.

Thanks!!!

Taveuni is awesome, and has fantastic hikes through rainforest, with waterfalls and rock pools to swim in. Definitely more interesting and a lot more "Fijian" than the yasawas /mamanucas. The beaches were plenty nice enough for me... you just need to pick a good spot.

Edited by: emd_four on Mar 29, 2013 11:06 AM

Under 3,000 what?
3,000 anythings is plenty to do pretty much whatever takes your fancy, but 5 days is not enough. :-(

Choose best beaches (Yasawas) or best rain forrest (Tavenui). Either will be great.

Cheers,
Peter

Agree with Peter and Margaret- five days for Taveuni is simply not ample time. And the return airfare
from Nadi to Taveuni is something around US$400. Yasawas are awesome but don't know of any
sizeable waterfalls there.

Thanks for the advice! That's $3000 USD. Five days is a short amount of time, but we get in at 5:30 am and will be either flying to or boating to our destination that morning. We then have five full days and nights and will be leaving the 6th morning we are there. Since we are not missing a night at where we go by doing a night in Nadi, hopefully it will be enough time! The flight to/from Taveuni is expensive, but it's either that or charter a plane back from the Yasawa's or Mamanuca's the morning we leave, which seems to be the same price pretty much. And additional advice would be much appreciated!!

Thanks Becks! Where did you stay in Taveuni, or do you have any recommendations?

I'd suggest staying near Matei. It has accoms in the forest so you have dining/nightlife options.
Have you researched Taveuni Island Resort and Spa?

We stayed at Coconut Grove (http://www.coconutgrovefiji.com). A bit more budget friendly than some places around. The staff were really friendly, and arranged transport and tours around the island at short notice, and there's only a few cottages so felt very personal.

If five days is what you have, you can pack a lot into Tavueni. Would recommend the Lavena coastal walk, Bouma waterfalls trek, snorkelling at the Waitabu marine park and a couple of days to chill out and relax.

What was your opinion of Coconut Grove? It seems so inexpensive compared to the others. My fiance is worried that it won't be luxurious enough, since it is our honeymoon he wants that luxury...

We are also going to Fiji, staying at The Warwick for 5 nights in January. Can anyone give me an idea of the meal prices since our deal only includes breakfasts? Thankyou!

Savusavu, about 25 miles from Taveuni on the island of Vanua Levu, has a great honeymooner
spot also. Placed atop oceanfront cliffs is the Naveria Heights Lodge (www.naveriaheightsfiji.com)
Has waterfalls and this area is as incredibly beautiful.as Taveuni. In fact, Jacques Cousteau;s son
placed his dive resort in the Savusavu area for its beauty and access to the Rainbow Reef in the
strait between the two islands.

@Rachelschoolman - ahh, but does he want to pay for that luxury? I'm sure that the pricier places are more luxurious, but I though coconut grove was great, and great value for money. Staff were attentive without being obtrusive, nice little touches like coffee and homemade biscuits every afternoon, the staff all came to sing isa lei when we left etc.

@Kenko - Savusavu is great, but having spent more than a week in both, I'd say Taveuni is more beautiful and honeymoony. The hikes around boumba and lavena are the most beautiful places I've been in fiji.

Becks- The Lavena Coastal Walk and Bouma Falls are really beautiful. I actually stayed at Karin's
Garden on a scuba trip. What is now the Taveuni Resort is right next door. I am astonished
at the prices of the place. As I've posted before, you can have a great honeymoon as I'm
sure you did, without paying $800 per night to a resort. Lots of places in the $150-$250 range.
Best Wishes!

Bula Bula! You've picked a great country to visit for your honeymoon. The other bloggers have contributed well. Taveuni is certainly beautiful. Another option that someone suggested was Savusavu on Vanua Levu. This quaint little town on the bay has a lot of character and is full of friendly people. The description on Lonely Planet for "Vanua Levu/Savusavu" is very realistic in my experience.
Forgive me for appearing to be selfish about my recommendation to you. But I was checking out a recent guest review and saw your blog. There happens to be a place just 10 minutes from the Savusavu airport that sounds to be a good fit for the two of you. SigaSiga Sands is a 116 acre property that fronts on a WHITE SAND BEACH and includes nature trails that go up into the rain forest canopy and along streams. You just walk out your back door to get there. (no waterfalls there. but there are some nearby.) There's only 3 units on the entire property. The caretaker staff will meet your every need and then some. Learn a lot of the Fijian and Indo-fijian culture, enjoy world class snorkeling in front of your "Bure", or stay home for a movie. DVD library and Wi-Fi internet are complimentary. The on-site menu offers delicious food. You don't need to rent a vehicle because buses and taxis are cheap and easy to catch. The 2 BR Villa is only US$175/night. Or, you can be quite comfortable in the more modest Bure for only US$75/night. Both are nicely furnished, very clean, and have nice ocean views. What a great place and time to begin your lives together!! Have a fantastic time where ever you end up going.
www.theultimateparadise.com

Pardon me. I forgot to mention that there are ferries that run from Vanua Levu to Taveuni almost daily. They leave early in the morning. So it's easy to make it a day trip or an over-nighter to experience Taveuni. The island is quite small and you can do most of the unique activites in a day or two. Then you could be back at your beachfront bungalow at SigaSiga Sands and leave from Savusavu back to Nadi. All the best!