Mana Island

Mana is a small island with a generous gift, which is three beaches on one short walk. It is barely over a kilometre long, deep in the Mamanucas, and it wraps a North Beach, a South Beach and a Sunset Beach around a green middle, so a couple can chase the calm water and the best light around the island through the day. The North Beach is the resort side, with a sea view pool and a long look out to uninhabited islets, the South Beach is more natural and sits nearer the budget rooms, and Sunset Beach on the western tip does exactly what its name promises. Wherever you stand, the water is clear turquoise and the reef is close, and on a calm day you can see the fish from a kayak before you even slip in.

What makes Mana work for two is variety and value. You are not locked to a single beach or a single price point, and the snorkelling is good enough that it can be the whole holiday. Spend the morning floating off the north reef, the afternoon in the pool out of the sun, and the last hour of the day on Sunset Beach with the sky going copper over the sea. It is the kind of island where you do very little and feel like you did a lot, and it costs a fraction of the overwater resorts a few islands away.

The honest catch is that Mana is two islands in one. A comfortable resort occupies the north, while a busier backpacker and budget scene gathers nearer the south, and the day cruises land here too, so the middle of the day can feel social and full rather than serene. That suits some couples perfectly and disappoints those expecting a private hideaway. The trick is simple. Base yourselves on the quieter north, time your swims for the soft ends of the day, and treat Sunset Beach as your evening room. If what you really want is silence and no other footprints, sail on to Likuliku or all the way to Yasawa Island. But for clear water, a true sunset and a price that leaves room for a longer trip, Mana is one of the smartest island picks in Fiji. Rates are to be confirmed.