Chilling out at Castaway Island with kids
 |
| Castaway Island...a slice of paradise. |
Fiji is about 3hrs from Brisbane and Castaway Island another 1.5hrs by catamaran from Port Denarau in Nadi. Depending on when your flight arrives, you may need to spend the night at one of the gorgeous hotels at Denarau before taking a ferry the next day. The Radisson Blu and Sofitel Fiji Resort are both great choices for a short stay, very family-friendly and both have a water slide in their pool!
 |
| Our bure, with hand painted ceiling |
Castaway Island is designed with families in mind. The traditional-style bures are air conditioned, have a sliding divider privacy screen between the main bedroom and the second bedroom and the showers are divine.
As a family-friendly resort, the kids club is free and offers daytime and night sessions. Our boys enjoyed the kids club each morning, preferring to spend afternoons with us at the pool. A couple of times they went to the evening session to go spotlighting for animals and build a bonfire on the beach. By the way, there are two pools to enjoy at Castaway Island. One for families, which is also home to the pool cafe and ice cream bar, and a deeper pool that's adults only and includes a swim-up bar.
There is also a great range of watersports to explore including snorkeling, scuba diving, canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding, The water surrounding Castaway Island is crystal clear - you can see small reef fish in the shallows and snorkel straight off the beach. Snorkeling gear, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are free to use, with scuba diving and snorkeling tours an additional cost.
It's not just the setting and accommodation that are five star. The food is excellent. The award-winning 1808 restaurant on the beach offers delectable meals which are a fusion of Fijian and Asian cuisine. There's nothing like eating beautiful food, with a gentle sea breeze and your feet in the sand.
If you include the meal package in your booking it allows you to dine at both restaurants, the pool cafe and the pizza bar, which is good value. And it's a la carte - apart from breakfast, not a buffet in sight. You can include the meal package when you book or just add it to your account when you arrive.
The great food on offer isn't just for the grown-ups. A separate dinner session is provided for kids before the evening kids club session. As a bonus, the kids dinner time coincides with cocktail happy hour. Lots of happy parents enjoying cocktails at sunset whilst the kids are munching down pizza, spaghetti and other kid-friendly food.
As a family-friendly resort, the kids club is free and offers daytime and night sessions. Our boys enjoyed the kids club each morning, preferring to spend afternoons with us at the pool. A couple of times they went to the evening session to go spotlighting for animals and build a bonfire on the beach. By the way, there are two pools to enjoy at Castaway Island. One for families, which is also home to the pool cafe and ice cream bar, and a deeper pool that's adults only and includes a swim-up bar.
There is also a great range of watersports to explore including snorkeling, scuba diving, canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding, The water surrounding Castaway Island is crystal clear - you can see small reef fish in the shallows and snorkel straight off the beach. Snorkeling gear, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are free to use, with scuba diving and snorkeling tours an additional cost.
 |
| Come on in, the water's great |
It's not just the setting and accommodation that are five star. The food is excellent. The award-winning 1808 restaurant on the beach offers delectable meals which are a fusion of Fijian and Asian cuisine. There's nothing like eating beautiful food, with a gentle sea breeze and your feet in the sand.
If you include the meal package in your booking it allows you to dine at both restaurants, the pool cafe and the pizza bar, which is good value. And it's a la carte - apart from breakfast, not a buffet in sight. You can include the meal package when you book or just add it to your account when you arrive.
 |
| Magical Sunsets at Castaway Island |
The great food on offer isn't just for the grown-ups. A separate dinner session is provided for kids before the evening kids club session. As a bonus, the kids dinner time coincides with cocktail happy hour. Lots of happy parents enjoying cocktails at sunset whilst the kids are munching down pizza, spaghetti and other kid-friendly food.
Castaway Island isn't for the budget conscious nor is it an exclusive luxury resort. It's for families who want to enjoy a bit of luxury with all the convenience of a family resort. It's also very popular. I made our booking twelve months in advance and secured one of the last bure's.
The best bits: the food, beach, pools, snorkeling, bures, kids club and cocktails. Most things really!
The so so bits: the cost and there's limited free wifi (though that could be a best bit for some).
The best bits: the food, beach, pools, snorkeling, bures, kids club and cocktails. Most things really!
The so so bits: the cost and there's limited free wifi (though that could be a best bit for some).
Castaway Island....it's definitely worth exploring further if you're looking for a great family vacation.
Looking for ideas and inspiration for your next holiday adventure? Head over to read my Travel Tips then check out Travel Planning for tips on planning your next family vacation.
I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.
0 comments: