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So your bags are packed, your tickets are printed, and your resort is booked. Whether you’re new to resorts or a seasoned pro, every resort will have its own secrets and freebies to make your stay more memorable. Our tips will show you how.

Know what’s on offer

Most resorts will offer different packages and activities, so do your homework and figure out what your ideal vacation looks like before you leave home. Whether you love snorkelling, kayaking and paddleboarding, nature and conservation, or lounging by the pool with a good book and a cocktail, there’s bound to be a resort package for you – so don’t settle for second best.

Make sure everyone’s entertained

If you’re travelling with the family or in a group, it can be hard to find activities that will suit everyone. Keep in mind that you don’t all have to spend every minute together, and put together a roster of activities that will keep everyone entertained, energised, and having fun. Many family resorts run kids’ programs and activities that will keep little minds occupied, such as waterpark access, mini golf, and conservation programs.

Befriend the concierge

I know it seems unlikely, but there may come a day in your vacation when if you look at one more tiny paper umbrella, you may scream. Pre-empt resort cabin fever by looking at tours and adventures outside the resort, and look to your concierge to hook you up. They can tell you what your resort has to offer, including free activities you may not have realised were included in your package.

Think outside the box

Resort vacations aren’t all about pre-planned activities and cocktails. They’re about fun, relaxation, and reconnecting with the people you love. Don’t fancy exhausting yourself on a paddleboard today? Don’t! Take advantage of room service and spend the day watching movies together in bed. Tired of the resort restaurants? Ask for a boxed meal and have a picnic on the beach. Your resort vacation can be anything you want it to be, so take advantage of where you are to create a vacation to remember.

Congratulations, you’re getting married! Your partner is perfect, your ring is perfect, and now you just need to find the perfect venue for your big day. But where to choose? Why not think outside the box and host a destination wedding? It’s not as daunting as it sounds – just follow these three tips and the ocean breeze will be gently ruffling your hair as you say, ‘I do,’ in no time.

Have someone on the ground

The internet is amazing – you can scope out your venue, research places to stay, and order everything you need to make your island wedding experience exactly what you want it to be. But what about the food and cake tasting? How will you know if Grandma can get her wheelchair up to that perfect, grassy knoll you’ve picked out? If you can’t be there yourself, it’s crucial to organise a local or someone you trust to be on the ground for you. They can verify details, make last-minute changes, and even pick out the perfect unique wedding gift for your partner. If you don’t know anyone local, ask your venue or caterer if they can recommend, or better yet provide, someone.

Know what you want

Do you want an intimate wedding, or are you inviting all your acquaintances and distant relations? Are you interested in local food and culture, or do you want a menu that will remind you of home? Having a clear idea of what you want will make the planning so much easier, and will help your person on the ground to be able to sign off on things much easier.

File your paperwork well in advance

In order for your Fiji wedding to be valid and recognised around the world, you need to ensure your paperwork is in order. In Fiji you need a local celebrant and a marriage license before you can get married, and you can only get those if you have the right identification documents. Make sure you know well before you leave home exactly what you need to file, and when, so that on the big day everything goes exactly to plan.

Plantation Island Resort is proud to announce the launch of its new coral gardening project. Aided by Dr Austin Bowden-Kirby of Corals for Conservation, Plantation Island’s coral gardening project aims to help restore and rebuild Fiji’s delicate coral reefs.

Fiji’s coral reefs hold great cultural significance to indigenous Fijians and are relied upon for subsistence fishing, coastal protection, and income generation. Fiji’s coral reef system is one of the most extensive in the world, no small feat for an ecosystem that sustains more than 25% of all marine species. Despite covering less than 0.10% of the globe, coral reef systems remain crucial to our understanding of the Earth’s oceans, and bring in billions of dollars in tourism every year.

Tragically, over the last few decades, the reefs surrounding Fiji have been damaged by coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, intense wave action from storms, fishing and tourism activities, soil erosion, and coral bleaching associated with abnormally warm sea water temperatures and periods of intense sunlight resulting from global climate change.

Plantation Island’s coral gardening project, in partnership with Corals for Conservation, aims to bring attention to these problems by getting guests involved in the restoration and protection of the coral reefs surrounding the Resort. Our new guest activities programs includes coral gardening for adults and for children, teaching guests how coral grows and propagates while encouraging them to get involved in rooting coral fragments onto artificial cords for propagation and replanting.

We’re also excited to welcome a group of USP Marine Biology students to work with Resort staff and guests on this program, one of whom will join Resort staff as a full-time Coral Gardener upon completion of their training.

There is much to be done to reduce the damage done to our precious coral reefs and restore them to the thriving underwater ecosystems teeming with flora and fauna that they once were. Plantation Island Resort is thrilled that with the launch of our coral gardening project, we’ll be contributing to the betterment of our beloved Fiji.