7 remote Fijian villages most people have never visited, but should

Step aboard the only next-level expedition cruise line to visit the off-grid untouched wonders and magnificent islands of the real Fiji, before MS Caledonian Sky departs the region in November.

Venture to pockets of Fiji that are otherwise unreachable with Captain Cook Cruises Fiji – multiple itineraries that help guests discover a deeper and more authentic connection to the island nation we all love but haven’t truly explored.

Relax in style on board MS Caledonian Sky.

Dig a little deeper on your next holiday to Fiji with an exploration of outlying islands that very few have stepped foot on. Visit remote, rarely visited villages where time ticks at a more languid pace and life is still rooted in tradition. Bask on empty white-sand beaches fringed by reefs thriving with tropical fish and coral gardens. And meet islanders who welcome you with open arms and provide an authentic connection to Fiji you won’t get poolside.

Reach these seven isolated islands (and plenty more), scattered on the outskirts of the mainland, on a Captain Cook Cruises Fiji expedition onboard expedition small ship MS Caledonian Sky. With two excursions per day, you’ll explore these remote pockets of Fiji by zodiac. Best of all, you’ll be accompanied by an all-Fijian team of 10 marine and cultural experts who will make the experience even richer with their local knowledge and warm disposition.

Bask on empty white-sand beaches.

1. Makogai

North-east of Viti Levu lies an island blanketed in jungle and surrounded by fringing reef where giant clams and turtles thrive. This unique marine biodiversity has made Makogai a centre for conservation, with a clam research station and hatchery established here in the 1980s. But rewind a few decades and life on the island was a little more sombre, operating as a leper colony owned by the colonial government of Fiji. Opened in 1911, the leprosarium housed 700 patients by 1950 – mostly from British and French colonies and New Zealand – who were looked after by Catholic sisters. You’ll find many original buildings nestled in the jungle, as well as the graves of more than 2000 souls who lost their lives here.

Visit Makogai on a seven-night journey.

Visit Makogai on the last seven-night journey, taking your pick of the Remote North Discovery, Northern Lau Expedition and Ultimate Lau & Kadavu cruises before they end in October 2024.

Guests of Captain Cook Cruises Fiji will be treated to a choral performance and can attend a church service, take a glass-bottom kayak tour to see the giant clams or snorkel over the underwater gardens and turtle sanctuary. There’s also a one-hour walking tour through the jungle to Makogai’s historical graveyards and leper colony.

2. Fulaga

Time stands still on this tiny island in the Southern Lau group, south-east of the mainland. Fulaga (or Vulaga) is an extinct volcano crater, surrounded by crystal-clear lagoons filled with technicolour tropical fish and corals. Locals live much as their ancestors did, with fishing and farming their lifeblood, and they practise traditional crafts such as weaving, carving and making mago mago, a rope woven from the fibres of coconut husks. These local artisans are considered some of the most skilled in Fiji.

Guests on Captain Cook’s seven-night Southern Lau Expedition or seven-night Ultimate Lau & Kadavu cruise will have the chance to appreciate this skilled work at a handicraft market. They will also have the opportunity to slip on a mask and snorkel to explore the aquamarine waters.

Explore the aquamarine waters of Fulaga.

3. Beqa

Located 10 kilometres from Viti Levu (Fiji’s mainland), Beqa – pronounced ‘Mbenga’ – is a striking paradise clad in forested mountains. Protected by a 30-kilometre-long barrier reef, the island is known for excellent deep-sea game fishing and shark diving (with eight species frequenting the surrounding waters), and is also home to renowned surf break Frigates Passage. Its pristine lagoon is idyllic for kayaking or snorkelling among some 300 fish species.

Steeped in history and traditions, Beqa is the birthplace of Fiji’s legendary vilavilairevo (firewalkers). According to a 500-year-old legend, a young warrior named Tuinaiviqalita accidentally captured one of Fiji’s elusive ‘little people’, a spirit god known as veli, when he was hunting eels. For his freedom, the veli promised the man immunity to fire – incredibly, when he leapt across hot stones, he wasn’t burned.

Guests on the Southern Lau Expedition itinerary will enjoy a firewalking ceremony, performed by Beqa’s Sawau tribe. There’s also an opportunity to go swimming and snorkelling in the lagoon.

Marvel at Beqa’s legendary firewalkers.

4. Vatulele

This coral and volcanic island 32 kilometres south of Viti Levu possesses heavenly beaches and a sparkling lagoon, as well as ancient rock art that dates back some 3000 years. In its surrounding waters you’ll find the sacred red prawn, ura-buta, which is protected. Legend has it that anyone who harms these prawns will suffer a shipwreck.

Vatulele, however, is best known for masi (tapa or bark cloth). These intricately patterned cloths are made exclusively by the women of this region using the bark of mulberry paper tree and natural dyes. You’ll spot plantations of the trees across the island.

As part of the Southern Lau Expedition cruise, local women will share their masi knowledge and teach guests how it’s done. Guests can also snorkel in the aquamarine lagoon.

Watch the local women creating masi.

5. Totoya

A mecca for snorkelling, diving and surfing, Totoya – a tiny horseshoe-shaped island south-east of Viti Levu – has a deep-water volcanic crater, is surrounded by high reef and boasts a coveted surf break, Typhoon Alley. The main source of income for locals is from coconut farming, with trees found all over the island. The channel leading to the island is considered a sacred passage named Daveta Tabu; if anyone wants to cross, they must follow protocols such as maintaining silence and sitting in a traditional manner.

The Southern Lau Expedition and Ultimate Lau & Kadavu cruises both stop at the local school, and guests can snorkel and dive the outstanding coral reefs.

Stop at Totoya’s local school.

6. Kadavu

Fiji’s fourth largest island is a volcanic landscape of dense rainforest and spring-fed waterfalls, rocky headlands, isolated beaches and deep bays. Despite its proximity to the mainland and its location on the Great Astrolabe Reef, Kadavu remains off-grid and rugged, with few roads. It retains a culture rooted in Fijian heritage, including the use of traditional fishing traps and the preservation of clay pottery; using a combination of clay and sand, the latter is rarely seen elsewhere in Fiji today.

Visit Kadavu on the Ultimate Lau & Kadavu itinerary. Guests will visit the village of Nalotu, where local women demonstrate how they mould the clay into intricate shapes for decorative purposes and practical uses.

Discover the beauty and cultural heritage of Kadavu.

7. Kioa

Located off the coast of Vanua Levu, Kioa offers an authentic Polynesian experience. The island is home to a community who were displaced from their former home on Tuvalu (Ellice Island) due to rising sea levels – the Tuvaluans travelled here by canoe in the 1940s and brought their cultural heritage with them. While Fijian and English are spoken here, Tuvaluan is the primary language and continues to be taught in schools, playing a crucial role in the preservation of the shared cultural identity. Traditional dancing and Tuvaluan music, played on the ukulele and guitar, are integral parts of life here, as a way of passing on the myths and stories of their people.

Guests will be met by locals and treated to a cultural performance on the seven-night Remote North Discovery itinerary.

Be greeted onboard by locals of Kioa.

Plan your trip with Captain Cook Cruises Fiji before the ship departs the region in November.