In the summer of 2017 the Michael W Travels family spent 5 Weeks In The Pacific.
During our trip, we had many flights in and out of Fiji. We wanted to check out some of the outer islands of the country. (Find out about how we saved around $300 for 1.5 hours of our time.)
A short time-share pitch got us a free trip to South Sea Island, Fiji!
What I liked about South Sea Island was that it was just a short boat ride away from Port Denarau. For someone who gets seasick I’m not sure that I’d take any chances with boat rides which last much longer.
The boat ride went really fast thanks to a good chat we had with another couple seated across from us. Many of us left the larger boat on tenders to get to South Sea Island while others remained onboard heading to other islands in the Mamanuca and Yasawa island chains.
Once we got on shore, we had to take a photo with this awesome sign.
After taking a seat by one of the picnic tables, there was a briefing about the day ahead and the various activities offered. Most things are included- snorkeling, kayaking, a ride on a submarine (kind of) and a barbecue lunch. There’s also a very small pool and a Kid’s Club which we thought Lucas would enjoy.
TIP Instead of waiting around for the welcome briefing grab a good spot by the beach. Kim I should’ve done this first but hung out by the picnic tables instead. By the time we looked for chairs, they were all taken. Rookie move on our part.
We left Lucas at the Kid’s Club and then went to check out the island.
South Sea Island is small, I mean really small. Kim and I walked around the whole island in under 10 minutes. This was one of the highlights of our visit- it is pretty cool to say we walked around an island!
Kim and I then went for a trip on the semi-submersible sub. Big mistake for me!
The water was pretty choppy around the island. On the short ride out to the sub, things seemed fine. Then we waited on the sub’s upper-deck for a while. Soon after people started coming out of a hatch. We then went down to the lower level which was tight and very warm. The viewing windows could use a cleaning and between the heat and movements of the sub, I definitely didn’t feel great.
Due to this, I didn’t bother to go snorkeling later on. (I felt a bit dizzy for a while after and the snorkeling area looked choppy too…)
The “Kids Club” was kind of misleading. Theo liked hanging out on the mats but as for Lucas, he wasn’t a big fan. There weren’t many kids for him to make friends with. The “Club” also didn’t offer much besides babysitting for the parents! We saw some sand toys in a small area and maybe some coloring sheets 
Lucas and I decided to wander around for a bit doing one of our favorite activities. We went searching for hermit crabs. It’s really fun to see the variety of sizes they come in as well as the different kind of shells they take up residence in.
Then it was time for lunch. A barbecue lunch is included along with drinks (some alcohol was included). The food was nothing to write home about, it was OK at best but the entertainment was much better. 
Men and woman played music and performed various dances. We’d seen similar performances during our trip and this one, which was included was a lot of fun.
At the end of the show, some of the performers hung around to take photos with guests. While the photo-ops were free, they were looking for tips.
Regardless of this, we got some awesome family photos during the visit.
Soon after, Lucas went in the pool for a while. He had fun here and lots of other kids were around to make friends with.
When checking in we were told that there was an early boat back if wanted. We had had enough of South Sea Island, so we decided to head back. This seemed like a great idea besides one thing…
The shuttle bus which was included from Denarau Marina only left at the regularly scheduled time. When discussing this option when checking in, Kim and I were told not to worry about the shuttle back to our hotel!
In the end leaving early cost us, we had to pay for a taxi since we didn’t feel like waiting. However, this was a small price to pay compared to what our trip would’ve cost if we didn’t go on the time share presentation mentioned above.
Overall, a visit to South Sea Island isn’t a bad option if you want a trip close to Denarau Marina. The views from the boat when approaching the island are pretty awesome and there’s enough to do to have a nice day on a tiny Fijian island!
