Fiji

With welcoming settlements, year-round warmth and genuine local hospitality, it’s not for nothing that Vanua Levu and Taveuni are billed as Fiji’s ‘friendly north’. The country’s second- and third-biggest islands, respectively, are clean, green havens languidly trapped in a time before ‘hectic’ was invented: even their epithets – Vanua Levu was once called Sandalwood Island and Taveuni’s nickname is the Garden Island – evoke the scents and sights of a land left wild.

Rugged, remote and more dramatic than the sugardrop islands of the Mamanucas, the mighty Yasawas were once off-limits to all but those determined to play out their Robinson Crusoe fantasies. Today, ferries, cruise ships and seaplanes make daily deposits of sun-and-fun-seekers keen to explore both its looming landscapes and eminently diveable depths.

Before you book your tickets, a word of warning: once in Savusavu, there is a very good chance you won’t ever want to leave. Preposterously picturesque and affable beyond all expectations, Savusavu is a swashbuckling throwback to the days of high-seas adventure and tall tales told in rollicking, rickety taverns. The storybook Savusavu Bay was once a gigantic volcano, and boiling springs still bubble up across town, perhaps accounting – at least in part – for the palpable energy that surrounds this enchanted outpost.

‘Tropical paradise’ might be the most hackneyed cliché in the travel-writing world, but there’s no getting away from it here: the Mamanuca islands tick every box, with brochure-blue seas and beaches so brilliant they’re Hollywood celebrities unto themselves. With romance, relaxation and a disproportional number of fantastic resorts on offer, the Mamanuca group is unsurprisingly one of Fiji’s most popular destinations.

Sigatoka (sing-a-to-ka) is the largest town on the Coral Coast and serves as the commercial hub for the farming communities that grow sugar cane and vegetables upriver in the fertile swathe of the Sigatoka Valley.

Despite its proximity to Viti Levu, the Lomaiviti group is often overlooked as a tourist destination in Fiji. Its residents may moan this is unfair, and if you make it here you'll understand why. It was in Levuka, the capital of the main island Ovalau, that the first Europeans settled and eventually made this the country’s first capital. Its wild and immoral colonial days are long over but you'll likely be seduced by its laid-back charms and welcoming atmosphere – not forgetting its historic centre that won Fiji's first World Heritage site listing in 2013.

Everyone passes through Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island, on their trip to the country, but too often it's looked at as just home to an international airport, an unavoidable transit stop for those en route to a palm-fringed resort. But those who skip the island too quickly are missing out, as there are plenty of attractions to make you linger longer.

Suva (soo-va) is the heart of Fiji, home to half of the country’s urban population and the largest city in the South Pacific. It's a lush green city on a hilly peninsula, that gets more than its fair share of rain, and has a vibrant cultural scene.

This small island (2.55 sq km) is laden with fancy resorts manicured to perfection with heavenly pools and designer suites. Although it’s only 6km west of Nadi town, the disparity couldn’t be starker: staying here offers little insight into everyday Fijian life. But to splash some cash, get spoiled and avoid Nadi, then Denarau is the place to go. Be warned – what the resorts don’t advertise is that Denarau is built on reclaimed mangrove mudflats; most of the beach has dark-grey sand and murky water unsuitable for snorkelling.

Most travellers go to Nadi (nan-di) twice, whether they like it or not: its indecently warm air slaps you in the face when you first step from the plane, and kicks you up the backside as you board for home.