The Fiji resort one traveller has visited more than 50 times

November 4, 2026 — 5:00amMany travellers are driven by curiosity, forever looking towards the next destination, the next experience, the next place to tick off the list. But there is another, quieter breed of traveller who knows what fills their cup; who, like migrating birds, return instinctively to the same place year after year.For these people, travel feels like coming home. And for many Australians travelling to Fiji that place is Castaway Island. Located in the Mamanuca Islands, the much-loved Fijian resort celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Today, you can reach it in about 90 minutes on South Sea Cruise’s catamaran service from Port Denarau. However, a few decades ago, getting to the island was a far more adventurous affair.Home away from home: Castaway Island has a loyal Australian clientele. “Back then, you used to get to the island on a sailing boat from Lautoka, and it used to take four hours,” says Ian Branddock, who first visited in 1970. “And when the boat came around the point and was in view of the beach, 80 per cent of the guests would just dive over the side to get there.”Branddock is one of Castaway’s extended family: he has been more than 50 times since his first visit, with his next trip booked for later this year. “People say, why do you keep going there? Why don’t you go somewhere else?” he laughs. “The staff greet you like you’re part of the family. We are part of the family.”I’ve planned a visit to Castaway on my 14th trip to the South Pacific island group. For years, I’ve understood the quiet lure of Fiji: the genuine hospitality, the pristine waters, the way time slows down every time I visit, and stress melts away. But the devotion some people have to Castaway Island has always left me slightly puzzled. What makes people want to return year in, year out?Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletterGet exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.Originally cleared by hand from thick scrub, Castaway Island Resort had humble beginnings: just four bures were built on the 70-hectare island in 1966 to cater for visiting fishermen. Today, it’s operated by the Outrigger Resorts & Hotels chain. It says a lot that the island hasn’t received the same heavy-handed branding given to other properties in Outrigger’s global portfolio. While the Outrigger Coral Coast, Castaway’s sister property, is tech-forward and has undergone significant renovations, Castaway seems to exist as much as it ever has, with an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach that makes it much-loved by those who keep coming back.Known as “the barefoot island”, in many respects it has a scruffiness not found at other Fijian resorts of a similar price point: the main cluster of restaurants and buildings have been extended over the years, the adult and kids’ pools are within an inflatable beach ball’s throw of each other, and the bures seem to have been haphazardly scattered among thick tropical gardens. Yet Castaway’s less-polished feel only adds to its charm.There’s plenty to do in the water and around the island.Today, there are 65 freestanding bures, all recently renovated. Double doors swing open to a sitting area converted to twin beds, while the master king is separated by sliding doors. The bathroom is located at the rear, and there’s plenty of suitcase and wardrobe space in the main sleeping area. Traditional Fijian Masi prints adorn the vaulted ceiling and while we never use it, it’s also air-conditioned.It’s just the right fit for our family of four. Our bure is on the south side of the island, a much quieter refuge away from North Beach, the main swimming and snorkelling spot. A large timber seawall wraps around this side of the beach, with steps to the water below. At low tide, there’s a small beach where the kids play; at high tide, we wade in.The quality of snorkelling directly in front of our bure is genuinely surprising. One small bommie features a giant clam, the seagrass meadow is scattered with blue starfish, and in a small rocky outcrop, two bossy clownfish protect a clutch of eggs. Just as I begin to back off, I spy a tiny version of Nemo – no bigger than my fingernail – hiding below.One genuine part of the Castaway experience is that it’s incredibly family-oriented.Food is a cosmopolitan affair: there’s the Water’s Edge main restaurant and buffet, Nuku Marau Bar & Grill serving sushi by the kids’ pool by day, and an adults-only Fijian-Asian restaurant on the beach by night.But with two kids who can’t sit still, we opt for takeaway wood-fired pizza from the Sundowner Bar early each evening, watching the sun go down. We sit in the sand making a meal out of their discarded pizza crusts, while the kids sit in their cossies in just a few inches of water, snacking away. It’s an easy way to dine out. Back in the day, however, the resort had a strict dress code: No sulu, no dinner, referring to the traditional Fijian wrap skirt worn by both men and women.But on Castaway the trick is to do as little as possible, for as long as you can. Graeme Field, who has visited Castaway more than 40 times since 1980, recalls showing up to dinner on the island in jeans on his first day, only to be unceremoniously told to strip behind the bar by one of the island’s long-time staff members, Mere Kasaqa. “She said, ‘No! Jeans have to come off’,” he recalls. “And we went behind the bar, and she taught me to tie a sulu.”One genuine part of the Castaway experience is that it’s incredibly family oriented. Over the years, many of the staff working at Castaway have been second and third-generation staff members, forming tight bonds with guests. Field became best friends with Kasaqa’s brother, Nemani. Over the years, Nemani welcomed him into his village north of Suva; Field invited Nemani to be the guest of honour at his Australian wedding, and years later, attended Nemani’s funeral in Fiji. To this day, Field and Mere are in contact.I plan to ask Castaway’s General Manager, Steven Roberts, about the dynamic between staff and guests. However, our first meeting happens in the middle of a huge celebration: the Castaway Rugby team has won the inter-island rugby cup, and the entire island is celebrating on the beach.The next day we meet to chat, but an Australian jogs up from behind and throws his arm around the GM’s shoulders in a bear hug, and they embrace. A visitor for decades, he quickly asks me if he can steal him away: his dad has dementia, he explains cheerfully, and has been asking to see Roberts since they arrived that morning.“Dad’s always happy when he’s here,” the son beams.Of course, it’s a yes, and I slip away on my morning excursion to the resort’s newest attraction: the coral gene bank.Installed in partnership with non-profit Counting Coral, each offshore sculpture has been engineered using marine-grade steel, with 500 individual “parent” corals attached. The look is steampunk tropical: the five, truck-sized, domed metal sculptures sit in a few metres of water and are adorned with vivid corals: some thriving, others striking a lonely figure, while small schools of fish have begun to cluster around the artificial reef.There’s plenty to do in the water and around the island: bounce on the inflatables anchored just offshore, take out a paddleboard, or hike to the top of the island. But I work out quickly that on Castaway, the trick is to do as little as possible, for as long as you possibly can. And that’s more than enough to keep our family happy for days.When we gather our things to check out, we’re simply not ready to go. This place has gotten under our skin. Castaway is proof that a holiday isn’t just about a destination, and a place can be part of who you are. And now, having experienced this little slice of Fijian paradise myself, I have to agree with the long-timers: being here really does feel like coming home.DETAILS For 2027, Castaway Island rates start from $F1159 ($737) a night, plus tax (17.5 per cent). Depending on travel dates, all meals may be included. See outrigger.com; South Sea Cruises offers multiple daily transfers to Castaway Island Resort from Port Denarau. See southseacruisesfiji.comThe writer travelled as a guest of Tourism Fiji, Castaway Island Resort and South Sea CruisesFrom our partners