The Mamanuca group is an archipelago of around twenty small coral islands scattered off the western coast of Viti Levu, reached in a little over half an hour by catamaran from Nadi and Denarau. This is the postcard face of Fiji: spits of white sand, coconut palms and turquoise lagoons sheltered by a reef that stills the swell and leaves the water calm and crystal-clear. Each island typically hosts a single resort, from budget bure villages popular with backpackers to more refined properties, so the choice of island shapes the character of the holiday. Snorkelling is done straight off the beach among corals, parrotfish and turtles, while dive centres run out to the offshore reefs; there is also kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing and trips to uninhabited islets for a picnic on the sand. The islet of Monuriki was a filming location for the movie "Cast Away" and is now a favourite day-trip destination. Evenings gather around the kava ceremony and the songs of the Fijian staff, with a warm hospitality that is the archipelago's true hallmark. The Mamanucas remain the easiest gateway to the Fijian dream: close, simple and unforgettable.
Volo
Giorno 4 — Mamanuca Islands → Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of the most extraordinary metropolises on the planet, a place where vertiginous skyscrapers are reflected in the waters of Victoria Harbour and tropical forests cover the hillsides just outside the city. The skyline of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island is among the most photographed in the world, and the spectacle is as overwhelming by day — when the Star Ferry crosses the harbour — as by night, during the Symphony of Lights that illuminates the skyline every evening. The nerve centre is the Central District, where investment banks and colonial British buildings coexist with Michelin-starred restaurants and shopping malls; the Peak Tram climbs in minutes to Victoria Peak, offering a 360° panorama over the bay and surrounding islands. Wan Chai and Mong Kok harbour unforgettable open-air markets — the Ladies' Market, the Temple Street Night Market — where the range spans electronics to spices, fabrics to handicrafts. The Sheung Wan neighbourhood and Hollywood Road are the territory of art galleries, Chinese antiques and Taoist temples such as Man Mo Temple. Hong Kong cuisine is an entire universe: from morning dim sum restaurants — where carts circulate laden with har gow and siu mai — to street food stalls in popular districts, through to the fine Cantonese dining that has made the city one of the world's gastronomic capitals. The islands of Lantau, Lamma and Cheung Chau offer a respite from metropolitan frenzy: fishing villages, quiet beaches, the Tian Tan Giant Buddha on the Ngong Ping plateau. Hong Kong is also the natural jumping-off point for excursions to Macau and for crossing into mainland China via the Shenzhen border. A city that stays with you.
