Family Vacation Balance

It can be hard for families on vacation to find the right balance between having enough to do, versus having too much to do, but Yasawa Island Resort seems to have it all figured out. Great snorkeling is just an easy swim off the shore. Stand-up paddle boards, glass bottom kayaks and sailboats are always parked in the warm sand, waiting to set a course. Go for a picnic on a deserted beach and spend hours searching for sea shells and sea life along the shallow shoreline. Add the pool, volleyball court and scenic short hiking trail to the list and you have a days worth of entertainment for even the pickiest of traveling kids.
There’s typically one main organized activity offered every day. Enjoy a boat ride to a popular snorkeling spot or tour the Blue Lagoon Caves with a snorkel and mask. Visit the local village of Bukama to meet local children or attend a church service and hear the amazing choir perform.

Bukama is the village where most of the resort’s staff comes from. It’s located on the other side of the airstrip. So enjoy the sense of excitement when your kids realize they’re driving across the same stretch of grass their plane landed on. For much of the trip you’ll bump along, with foliage often scratching along the side of the van. When you arrive, it will become clear how the village residents live with much less, and have little if any daily essentials to spare. But yet less seems to equal more. What’s viewed as poverty by many seems to have no effect on their happiness.

Kids 12 and older are welcome anytime at Yasawa Island Resort. Four weeks a year the resort opens its doors to families with kids of all ages, putting on an impressive array of activities that include the likes of ghost stories told around beach side bonfires and hermit crab races.

Getting There

With a great sense of pride, Fiji is about to reclaim its own national airline. Air Pacific is returning to its roots, reverting to its original identity of Fiji Airways with direct service from Los Angeles. Along with the name change, three new A330s offer more flight options for families looking to add Fiji to their vacation list.

For more family travel ideas, check out:

• Going Off the Tourist Map with Hawaii Travel
• Avoiding Crowds at Major Attractions
• Four Family Friendly Foodie Factory Tours
• G-Rated Family Adventures in Las Vegas

Text and photos by Dana Rebmann for PeterGreenberg.com. Dana’s trip to Fiji was hosted by Fiji Airways and Tourism Fiji, but as always Dana’s thoughts and opinions are her own.