From mangrove nurseries to manta ray conservation, these six hotels invite guests to help protect the local environment and wildlife.
*By Bailey Berg
Fiji’s gin-bottle-blue waters, luminous sand and vibrantly colourful rainforests have long made it a dream destination. But even paradise needs protection — the archipelago faces significant threats from climate change, ranging from rising sea levels encroaching on low-lying habitats to coral bleaching damaging the reefs that sustain marine life and protect shorelines from erosion.
That’s why hotels across Fiji are inviting guests to be part of the solution, making conservation a hands-on part of the travel experience. Across the country, resorts have launched sustainability programmes aimed at guests keen to make a real difference — such as planting mangroves to strengthen coastlines, working alongside marine biologists to regenerate coral reefs, and rolling up their sleeves for beach clean-ups and restoration projects. And the momentum is only growing. On 7 April, Tourism Fiji will launch Loloma Hour — a new initiative rooted in the local concept of ‘loloma’, meaning to act with generosity, driven by love — designed to inspire travellers to give back to the environment during their stay.
Here’s where to go to experience Fiji at its most breathtaking – and most meaningful.
1. Kokomo Private Island
Situated in the heart of the Great Astrolabe Reef — the fourth largest reef system in the world — this ultra-luxurious retreat features villas with airy living areas, kitchenettes stocked with local fruit juices and chocolate-coated honeycomb, and a soaking tub in the master bedroom, as well as a garden featuring an infinity pool, sun-drenched patios, and swaying hammocks strung between coconut palms.
Beyond its luxurious comforts, Kokomo is deeply committed to conservation, and its most unique initiative invites guests to play a part in protecting the resident manta rays — endangered gentle giants with an average wingspan of over 18 feet. During snorkelling excursions, guests can photograph the creatures, capturing the fingerprint-like spot patterns on their bellies. When uploaded to a database, these photos enable scientists to track the rays’ movements, which helps with monitoring and protecting the fish’s habitats.
2. Six Senses Fiji
With pearlescent beaches, a jungle spa and a range of water-based adventures, deciding how to spend the day at Six Senses Fiji is no easy task. But after sunset, we’d say the best thing to do is join the sustainability team to track Fijian crested iguanas.
Once thought to be extinct on the island, more than 40 of these rare, mint-green reptiles now call the property home. At night, their scales reflect torchlight, making them easier to spot. Monitoring their population is essential — not just to count their numbers but also to assess their health, behaviour and breeding patterns. With this data, scientists can make informed decisions about habitat restoration and other strategies to ensure the species’ survival.
3. Nanuku Resort
With soaring thatched ceilings and intricate hand-carved woodwork, each of the residences, suites and villas at Nanuku Resort showcases Fijian craftsmanship, whilst floor-to-ceiling windows frame ocean views fringed by wax palms and birds-of-paradise flowers.
At the heart of the resort, the open-air lobby and restaurant area serve as both a gathering place and a hub for conservation. Just to one side, you’ll find Nanuku’s mangrove nursery — an incubator for one of nature’s most powerful carbon-sequestering trees. The tidal tree’s root systems create habitats for young fish and are essential for stabilising coastlines, acting as a buffer against erosion caused by the pounding of waves and currents. Once the seedlings have grown sufficiently, guests are invited to take part in replanting the young trees along the Serua coast. So far, Nanuku’s team has successfully transplanted more than 15,000 mangrove trees.
4. InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
Set along the powdery sands of Natadola Bay, the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa is a sprawling complex featuring a wide range of suites and villas, several specialist restaurants and bars, a full-service spa, and a lively children’s club. But beyond the luxurious facilities, one of the resort’s most dazzling features lies just offshore — a thriving house reef teeming with kaleidoscopic marine life (Fiji is home to more than 1,200 varieties of tropical fish, 75 types of sharks and rays, and five of the world’s seven species of sea turtle).
One of the reasons the underwater ecosystem is thriving is that staff and guests are actively tending to it. Travellers can play a direct role in reef restoration by collecting small, living coral fragments — often broken pieces that would otherwise be swept across the seabed — and carefully attaching them to specially designed coral frames or reef structures. These stable foundations allow the coral to regenerate, helping to expand the reef and ensuring that the vibrant marine ecosystem continues to flourish.
5. Tavarua Resort
Surrounded by eight world-class surf breaks — including the legendary Cloudbreak, one of the most iconic barrel waves on the planet — Tavarua Island Resort is a dream destination for surfers. But this heart-shaped private island isn’t just for those chasing the perfect wave. It offers beachfront bures (traditional Fijian wood-and-straw accommodation), a restaurant specialising in ocean-to-table dining, and spectacular snorkelling and scuba diving — made even more special by Tavarua’s pioneering giant clam conservation programme.
Across the Pacific, these reef-dwelling creatures have been overfished, putting delicate marine ecosystems at risk (they are, after all, a keystone species). But here, marine biologists are working to turn the tide with an on-land hatchery where juvenile clams are cared for until they are strong enough to be transplanted — first to a protected lagoon, then onto the surrounding reefs and beyond. Visitors can help by manually removing invasive snails and larvae from the clams — organisms that might otherwise decimate the population whilst they are being relocated — whilst learning about the clams’ life cycle, their predators and the vital role they play in maintaining the health of the reefs.
6. Turtle Island
Spanning 500 acres, yet accommodating just 14 couples at a time, Turtle Island’s intimate atmosphere makes it a favourite with honeymooners (here, they have their own secluded beachfront bure and can book an entire private beach for the day).
But it’s not just a romantic getaway — it’s also a sanctuary for endangered green and hawksbill turtles. Every year, the turtles return to lay their eggs on the shores of the island from which they take their name. By working alongside marine biologists, guests can help monitor the vulnerable nesting sites and protect hatchlings as part of the conservation efforts. Visitors can even help tag rescued, fully-grown turtles before releasing them back into the ocean.
Source: nationalgeographic.com