Editor Charlotte Cowan shares her fun family getaway experience at Fiji’s Plantation Island Resort.

From sun-soaked days in the pool to tie-dye t-shirts at the Coconut Kids Club and family games at the Brigham Bar, Plantation Island Resort makes it easy to balance fun for the kids with relaxation for the grown-ups. With so many activities, dining options and room styles, it’s a holiday that ticks all the boxes.

Staying there

Plantation Island Resort has several different room options, all with air-conditioning and/or ceiling fans – including:

Both Fiji Airways and Air New Zealand offer flights out of major New Zealand cities to Nadi, Fiji, at various times throughout the day. Once you land in Nadi, you will need to either book an airport transfer (or snag a taxi) to Denarau Marina, which is about a 20–30-minute drive. From Denarau Marina, you will take the Malolo Cat ferry (which runs three times a day) to Malolo Lailai island – approximately 50-minutes away – where Plantation Island Resort is located.

Garden Bure (studio or two-bedroom)

We stayed in a studio Garden Bure, and it was perfect for our family of four. There are two single beds which double as couches and it was spacious and more than enough for us, especially because we spent barely any time there! Most of the Garden Bures are located near all the major amenities – such as the pools, restaurants and beach. If you can score one in the 300s, that’s even better!

Pros: Spacious, central and private and has its own clothesline!

Cons: Terrible shower pressure and you may experience some crickets interrupting your peaceful slumber!

Beachfront Hotel Room

These are located just a few steps from the beach. There are four rooms in each block (like a townhouse split into four) with either first floor or ground floor options.

Pros: Right on the beach with a gorgeous view and budget-friendly, and the showers have better water pressure than the other rooms.

Cons: Smaller than other options and not as private as they’re on a main thoroughfare, so if you’re on the ground floor, you’ll need to shut your curtains which takes away the view.

Beachfront Bure

Set right on the beach, these spacious bures have unobstructed views of the ocean and are located away from the main areas so are more quiet and serene.

Pros: Views for days, private and peaceful.

Cons: Further away from amenities and more pricey than other options.

Poolside Room

Stationed around the Oasis Pool (which is the most little-kid-friendly pool at the resort), these rooms are steps from a morning swim.

Pros: You can watch the children swim from the comfort of your own room!

Cons: The walls are pretty thin so it’s a more noisy option and depending on which room you get, some are a bit dark.

Garden Room

Location in a more secluded area of the resort, these rooms are larger than the Garden Bures and are definitely your quietest option (except for the crickets and birds!).

Pros: Spacious and comfortable.

Cons: A bit of a walk (or bike ride) to get to the amenities, so probably not ideal for little legs!

Top tips:

Take pegs! Lots of the rooms come with a clothesline outside where you can hang your towels and togs for the next day. We left ours out overnight and had no problems with anything going missing!
The rooms have a mini-fridge, kettle, mugs, teaspoons and not much else. No plates, bowls or glasses. If you have small children, it’s a good idea to take a few plastic bowls and utensils (and plastic wine glasses for the mummies!). I’d also recommend taking your own ice trays. You can also hire a microwave from reception if you need to heat up bottles, food etc.
Try not to brush your teeth with the tap water – they say you can, but it’s safer to use the bottled water provided.
There is no free Wi-Fi in the rooms but there is at and near the restaurants. You can pay for Wi-Fi in your room though, just ask at reception.

Eating and drinking there

Plantation has few places to eat throughout your stay, these are the best choices for families with young children.

Copra

This is the buffet which is open for breakfast and dinner. The menu for breakfast largely stays the same (cereal, bacon, eggs, spaghetti, fruit, pancakes… the usual fare) and dinner has a different theme every night – anything from curry to carvery. Children eat free with a paying adult which comes to approx. $130 per visit (when we stayed in July, 2025). This can add up if you’re there for a week and heading to the buffet for every breakfast and dinner.

Tavola

Tavola is located near one of the main pools and offers a la carte breakfast, lunch and dinner. This can be a slightly cheaper option, but you have to book for dinner as it gets really busy. They offer a kids’ menu of pizza, burgers, spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken salad, among other options. If you’re at the pool, you can choose to eat poolside for lunch – our kids loved that option!

Snack Bar

For something easy, or a takeaway option, the Snack Bar is great for salads, wraps, toasties, hot dogs, pizza and chips. Pizzas come in at FJD$35-39.

There’s also the Black Coral Grill (fancier), plus a coffee shop, ice cream shop, and poke bowl stand.

Top tips:

You can’t drink the water on Plantation Island, so make sure you drink the bottled water provided. There are refilling stations close to most eating establishments. Don’t eat the ice straight out of the buckets either, just to be on the safe side!
Food and drinks are the most expensive thing on the island, so take as much food as you can – especially kids snacks, noodle pots, crackers, drinks etc. You can take wine and spirits on the Malolo Cat, plus any soft drinks and water. There is a dairy and bottle shop at the resort but if you walk across to Musket Cove (about five minutes away), you’ll find some cheaper options. There is also a pizza place there which is a bit more budget-friendly than the resort.
Take some extra bread to feed the fish off the jetty, the kids loved doing this each morning!

Playing there

Pools

There are four pools at Plantation Island Resort. All pools close at 6pm and open at 8am.

Oasis Pool – this is beside the Poolside Rooms and is a great option for little kids.
Tavola Pool – this was our favourite, it’s typically quieter than the others and has cabanas and beanbags that face the gorgeous beach view. It’s deep (1.4m at the shallow end) but has a small paddling pool at one end for smaller children.
Ocean Pool – super-central to all amenities and has cabanas and a beach view.
Kids’ Pool – located beside the Ocean Pool and has two slides for the kiddos.

Inflatables

There is one large inflatable water park in the ocean and two smaller ones (including a trampoline). They are free to play on but close during low tide.

Jungle Water Park

This is a cool ‘playground’ a bit further out into the ocean, which includes trampolines, dive boards, a swim rope and other fun ways to throw yourself into the water! It’s suitable for ages six and up (my six-year-old loved it!) and you can buy a day pass for FJD$15, which gives you access to the four sessions during the day. If it’s too far for you to swim, they’ll take you out in a dingy.

Paddle boards, kayaks and snorkels

Paddle boards and kayaks are free to use, as are snorkels and life jackets. Make the most of the free stuff and the stunning crystal clear ocean! There are also two small boats which are free to use, you just have to book them in advance (and if there’s no wind, you might get a bit stuck!). At low tide, take the kids for a snorkel at the underwater museum, which is around by the Beachfront Bures.

Coconut Kids Club

Free for under 12s, the Coconut Kids Club runs three sessions during the day. With everything from cooking classes, to Fijian costume making, sandcastle competitions, arts and crafts and their famous tie dye t-shirts, there is something for every child to enjoy! Some activities like the t-shirt tie-dye and jewellery making cost extra, but you can pop the cost onto your room when you drop them off. They’ll also provide dinner for children booked into the evening sessions.

Paid activities

There are paid excursions you can book, including snorkelling tours (we did the sandbank snorkel, super-fun but not really for small children), the Shell Village Tour (which includes a visit to a local school), fishing, island hops, scuba diving and boat cruises, among others. You can see them all at plantationisland.com/activities.

Evening fun

Each night at 8pm is a different family-friendly activity in the Brigham Bar (which is the main, central bar). From Bingo (I won $10!), to Mr Plantation, cultural performances and frog races, it’s a great way to end the day. You can see the schedule, plus other free day-time activities at plantationisland.com.

Top tips:

Hit the beach at high tide as the water goes out pretty far at low tide.
The majority of the pools are pretty deep, so take swim vests for less-confident swimmers. You can also take pool rings and other pool toys and just leave them there when you go home for other guests to enjoy!
The large inflatable waterpark is pretty far out also gets pretty packed with teenagers, which can be bit scary for small children. The littlies are better to go to the other two for a more peaceful play!
The pool-side cabanas at the Ocean and Tavola pools are super popular, so try and get yourself sorted asap to nab one!
When the tide goes out near the Tavola pool there are loads of crabs and other marine creatures for kids to find. We inherited a ‘crab farm’ from another family that all the children loved to check out!

Extras and info

Getting there

Top tips:

Fiji Airways offers a heavier luggage limit of 30kgs per bag – so this is a great choice on the way over when you’ll have your food and drinks on board!
If your ferry to the island isn’t for a few hours, head across the road from Nadi airport to the Fiji Gateway Hotel. For FJD$40 per adult and FJD$20 per child, you can swim in their pool (beach towels included), and you can use that money as a credit for food and drinks. Plus, they’ll take you back to the airport for your Denarau transfer. It’s a much more enjoyable option than hanging around the arrivals gate!

Money

The majority of Plantation Island is cashless, meaning all your costs are added to your room. You can pay cash at the dairy and salon though, so it’s good to have some with you, and some bars will take a credit card. But it’s just easier to pop all the costs onto the room and pay at the end.

Braids

The majority of children will have some sort of braid in their hair. From mermaid, to corn rows, to box braids, they will set you back a minimum of FJD$25 and a max of around FJD$200. They have a dedicated on-site salon called Totoka and you can book online.

Medical Centre

Unfortunately my eldest daughter became acquainted with the medical centre. They have nurses on-site from 8am every day and they are lovely. Check out the printable for my travel first aid kit essentials.

Free Travelling First Aid Essentials Printable

Spa

For some adult time, treat yourself to a massage at the Senibua Spa. There are both indoor and beachfront massages available – but note that depending on the time, the beachfront version can get pretty noisy with all the kids playing around you!

Check out

Check out is 10am but if you’re on the early ferry, your bags need to be outside your room by 8am. If your boat is later on in the day, you can just store your bags, enjoy the pool and settle up your bill when you’re ready to leave.