Picture a seaplane banking low over the Yasawas, a ribbon of white beach and a line of smiling staff singing at the water's edge as you climb out. That is how a honeymoon on Turtle Island begins. For many couples, it is the moment they realize this place plays by different rules.
Turtle Island is a 500-acre private island in Fiji's Yasawa chain, home to just 14 bures and never more than 28 guests. Outside of a few designated family weeks each year, it is reserved for adult couples. The island wraps around the Blue Lagoon, the same bay where the 1980 film of that name was shot. Its roughly 12 beaches mean that on most days the two of you can claim one entirely for yourselves. Founded in 1980 by Richard Evanson and still run by his family, it is all-inclusive in the fullest sense. Travel + Leisure readers named it the top resort in the South Pacific in both 2019 and 2020.
Highlights at a glance
- Only 14 bures and a 28-guest maximum on 500 acres
- About a dozen beaches, with private beach days
- Genuinely all-inclusive, including drinks and most activities
- Personal Bure Mama for every couple
- Filming location of The Blue Lagoon (1980)
- Travel + Leisure's top South Pacific resort in 2019 and 2020
An Island That Belongs to Fourteen Couples
Nanuya Levu rises from the northern Yasawas in folds of grassland and forest, ringed by coral and white sand. The resort occupies one shore of the Blue Lagoon, but its 500 acres stretch over hills and around headlands to beaches you can reach only on foot, by horseback or by boat.
The Evanson family has spent decades reforesting the island, planting hundreds of thousands of trees, including mahogany. A solar farm now provides power. A five-acre organic garden supplies much of the kitchen. The effect is an island that feels lush, cared for and deeply private: with only 28 guests on 500 acres, you'll have plenty of moments when it feels like there's no one else around.
The Bures
All 14 villas are traditional thatched bures, handcrafted with timber and woven details. Each is set along the shore. Expect a handmade wooden canopy bed, a spa bath, generous living space and a deck or patio where breakfast tends to stretch into midmorning.
- Grand Beachfront Villas: The majority, each a little different, set right on the sand; some are step-free.
- Vonu Point Villa: Elevated above the water on a rocky point, with its own spa bath and garden; the most secluded and most requested by honeymooners.
- Water's Edge Villa: Slightly smaller and the closest of all to the lagoon.
Every couple is paired with a Bure Mama, a personal host who learns your preferences, stocks your favorite drinks and snacks and quietly arranges the details of each day.
Dining: From Communal Table to Floating Pontoon
Meals and drinks are included. The rhythm of dining here is one of the island's joys. Some evenings, guests gather at a long communal table, sharing stories with the other couples over fresh fish and garden vegetables. Other nights are entirely private: a candlelit dinner on your own patio, on a floating pontoon under the stars, or at Vonu Point, where a campfire and small pool set the scene for sunset.
Midweek, the island hosts a traditional lovo, a Fijian feast cooked in an earth oven. Staff often linger after dinner to share kava. Lunch might be a reef fish you caught that morning, grilled to order. And the signature picnic, a hamper with chilled Champagne delivered to a deserted beach, is the meal couples talk about long after they've flown home.
Why guests fall for it
Days on Turtle Island
There is no schedule, only possibilities. A typical day might begin with a dawn horseback ride along Long Beach followed by breakfast on the sand. Later you could kayak or sail across the lagoon, snorkel the reefs, or try hand-line fishing with a local guide.
Certified divers can enjoy a daily dive in a part of Fiji renowned for its soft coral. Mountain bikers and hikers can follow trails to the island's high point for long views over the Yasawas. Yoga, birdwatching, sunset cruises and visits to a nearby village round things out. Spa treatments are available too. Some stays include a pair of them, so ask your Bure Mama when to slot yours in.
Or skip all of it and let the boat drop you at a private beach with nothing but a hammock and a cooler.
What's Included
Turtle Island is about as close to fully inclusive as Fiji gets. Rates cover your villa, all meals and beverages, laundry, the services of your Bure Mama and most activities, including one daily scuba dive for certified divers, horseback riding and private beach drop-offs. Spa treatments are part of the package in some rates, so confirm the details when you book.
Because nearly everything is covered, the price tag is high, but there are few surprises at checkout, which many couples find liberating. It also means you can say yes to a second sunset cocktail without thinking twice.
Why Guests Fall in Love
Guests return again and again to one word when describing Turtle Island: family. Staff greet you with song, learn your names before you've unpacked and send you off with a heartfelt farewell. Reviewers rave about their Bure Mamas, whose anticipation of small wishes makes the island feel more like a beloved home than a resort.
The private beach days are the other recurring highlight. Couples love being dropped at a secluded cove with a picnic and a promise that no one else will appear. Many also mention the communal dinners as a surprise favorite, a chance to swap honeymoon stories under the stars with other couples. It is no accident that the island has topped Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards for the South Pacific.
Good to Know
There is a five-night minimum stay. With only 14 bures, peak months from June through October can sell out far in advance. If you're dreaming of Vonu Point, book as early as possible.
On a few designated weeks each year, Turtle Island opens to families, so check the resort's calendar to make sure your dates fall during couples-only periods. The seaplane from Nadi takes about 30 minutes and flies only in daylight, so schedule your international arrival accordingly or plan a night near the airport. Seaplanes carry luggage weight limits, so pack light, which is easy when you'll rarely wear more than a swimsuit and a sulu.
For the village visit, both of you should cover shoulders and knees and leave hats off; a sulu does the job. Dengue occurs in Fiji, so pack repellent. If you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices before you go.
Insider tips
- Request Vonu Point Villa for the most secluded, romantic perch on the island.
- Check the family-week calendar before you book to guarantee a couples-only stay.
- Book at least a year ahead for June to October; there are only 14 bures.
- Pack light for the seaplane and plan to arrive in Nadi early enough for a daylight flight.
