Experience: Visiting A Private Island Via Boat In Fiji 🇫🇯 (Shared Trip)
- Konrad Tillman
- Jun 22
- 8 min read
Intro
During my trip to Fiji, there were plenty of activities that were simply amazing, but the most extraordinary activity throughout my time on these islands was going on a group cruise out for the day to a private island.
Why? Well, you can find out more below, but it was equal parts beautiful and equal parts degeneracy behaviour while sailing the high seas. It made my inner Jack Sparrow come out just a touch, and it wasn't just me...
Booking
Those looking to head out on a shared boat (don't ask me about private, I am too poor for Fiji 😅) have the option of many different companies.
After heading out on an ATV the day prior, I sat down and decided to splurge a little bit on the company called "Captain Cook Cruises". For a total of 117$ USD: I booked the following:
Free water and Kava
A seat on the boat, round-trip
4 hours on the private island
Free snorkeling gear
Free lunch
Free beer when on the island
The option to purchase alcoholic beverages on the boat
I feel like for 117 USD, this is pretty good value. If you want the link (I am not affiliate), I'll attach it here for their website.
Location+TSA (Jokes)
Waking up in the morning, I was a little bit confused about where to go for this day cruise. I had checked the map earlier, and apparently I had to head to the meeting point in Denarau Island.
By about 8:40 am, I started to get a little panicky, but as per usual, I had faith that the universe (gosh, I sound like a little guru who lived in North Bali for 2 years) would take me to Denarau Island. Sure enough, a taxi appeared!
Agreeing on 30 Fijian (yes, I get ripped off all the time hehe), it was more than just a taxi. The driver began telling me about Denarau Island, and how it is basically like Florida. Expats move here, there are golf courses, and it feels a lot less like Fiji, and more "rich," to quote him.
About 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure, we arrived at the check-in counter. At the very end of the complex is the place where I found check-in, and if you are wondering where it is, it is hard to miss. More like, if you miss it, you should probably go get your glasses checked 😅
Speaking of glasses, there were a couple of shops next door selling last-minute supplies, at last-minute prices 😅. There was this shop, a grocery shop (you cannot bring booze onboard), a coffee shop, and a couple of more bits and bobs.
The Boat
With boarding set to commence at 10 am local time, my 1K or Platinum status didn't allow for preboarding. Ridiculous 😅. It was a beautiful boat, approximately 70 feet, with the ability to accommodate around 65 passengers, I would estimate.
You could tell from the second we got onboard that this was going to be an exceptional day. What started with a quick safety briefing quickly turned into getting everyone on the boat engaged. The woman in charge today was amazing, shouting "you ready", "I didn't hear you", etc, etc. It sounds cringy on paper, but once you get engaged and meet some people, it is quite fun.
The Sail Out
Okay, so I haven't actually discussed the point of the tour. Captain Cook owns an island about an hour sail away, so you sail out, spend some time on the island, and then come to Denarau Island.
The way out wasn't as special. People were still warming up, getting to know each other, and I think we were just ready to relax on a pristine beach. However, the staff in charge would frequently offer activities, such as a Kava ceremony, and offer to bring about drinks. I bought a couple of beers onboard (5 USD a pop).
I started chatting with the captain a little bit, the first mate, and that is when I started to learn about the true Fiji. Not the glossy pics with drone shots, the real Fiji. What is life like for the people who are born here...
Until we saw this... Oh. My. God. Wow.
Good gosh, as we came ever closer, the island we would be spending the day on just looked more and more beautiful.
As I shut up and let the captain dock the boat, I was ready to embark on the island, and so was everyone else. It was quite funny to see everyone standing up in a formal line, not one of those lines at immigration in Islamabad.
The Island
I'm not going to divulge too much about the island, since the pictures speak for themselves. However, on the island, you can find a variety of activities, both inclusive and non-inclusive.
The inclusive activities are as follows:
Guided snorkelling at set times
Free snorkelling gear
Free water, beer, and soda
Free lunch
Free cabanas, where you can place your stuff with safety (what is someone going to do, swim to Nadi 😅)
Volleyball, football, and other beach games
Now for the non-inclusive
Massages (not sure the price, sorry)
Private snorkeling tours
Cocktails (they have hard liquor on the island)
With that being said: enjoy the picture!
Throughout the day, I just sort of lounged around and enjoyed walking through the ocean, drinking some beer, playing some volleyball on the beach wih people, and went for a snorkel to see some fish. It was peaceful...
Around 1 pm, midway through lunch was called and there was a grand buffet. This isn't packaged stuff; they cook it all right in front of you. From grilled meats to salad to bread, it was all super tasty.
Another side note: they do try to accommodate allergies if you let them know in advance. I have an allergy to nuts, and was completely fine.
There are a couple more things I wanted to add about the island:
Whether you are just looking to relax or looking to make new friends, there are different options for different people. In the back of the island, there are cabanas, and you can barely hear a peep. However, towards the main dining area, there might be a little more group interaction with people playing games.
Lastly, the staff: the staff went truly above and beyond the whole time we were on the island. They were extremely fun, engaging in games, and making sure everyone had a great time. I don't say stuff like this lightly (people call me a harsh reviewer), but they were exceptional.
The staff also might have cheekily brought a couple of beers onboard for me, even though it wasn't technically allowed. More on that in a bit...
The Sail Back
With the boat set to depart at 3:00 pm, and boarding commencing at 2:30 pm, I made my way over just before to chat again with the captain and first mate. We just began laughing the whole time, and talking about fishing. I am a huge fisherman, and so was the first mate (we still stay in touch to this day), so he was telling me about a marlin he caught not too long ago etc.
He ended up snapping a couple of pics of me on the boat (my Jack Sparrow era).
Anyways, we continued chatting away until everyone had eventually boarded. I took my seat at the back, right next to the ship's engineer, and we began sailing away.
Interestingly, the best part of the trip was this sail back. I got into a long chat with this man who was from a very small island in Fiji. As we chatted away, he began saying that he wanted to take me to his island to show off their way of life. He wouldn't let me pay for anything, but wanted me to go out with his family fishing.
I simply find moments of generosity like this astounding. I have taken him up on this offer yet, but I will. We talk on Facebook from time to time, so that helps.
With ship festivities booming, I ran into this family from Fiji. We began chatting about life, and this mum offered to braid my hair. It just shows: everyone in this world comes from such different backgrounds, and if we could just show a little bit of kindness to one another, life would be far more beautiful ❤️.
The whole way back, it was just chat, chat, chat away. I honestly thought my mouth would run out of energy (okay, wait, pause, that's not what I meant 😂). It's these types of moments which are so special in life, and that hour sail back, with everyone in high spirits, was one of the highlights of my year.
We arrived back around 4:15 pm ish, and it was off for the next adventure, which would somehow see me end up in a Burger King playground with a crown on my head at 11 pm. Huh 😅.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking at heading out for a day from Nadi, Fiji, on a boat somewhere, I cannot recommend Captain Cook Cruises highly enough (I AM NOT AN AFFILIATE). Put aside the beautiful island, the free lunches, the reasonable prices, the free beer, and the amazing beaches; what stood out to me was the kindness of everybody at this company. I've been on quite a few things like this, but it felt more like a family you never knew you had than a company.
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