Set sail by tall ship to the island sanctuary of Tivua, a small but pristine tropical island in Fiji. Be greeted with a kava welcome ceremony, then spend plenty of free time sunbathing, snorkeling or exploring the tropical waters by canoe or on a glass-bottom boat tour. Morning and afternoon tea, a barbecue buffet lunch, plus unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks keep you fortified all day. This full-day trip includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Nadi, Denarau and Coral Coast.

• Includes a glass-bottom boat tour
• Join a guided snorkeling tour and free use of canoes
• Participate in a kava ceremony and enjoy a buffet lunch
• Includes hotel pickup and drop-off

After a successful day trip to Malamala, we were eager to explore more islands so we decided on Tivua because of the chance to see reef sharks. Upon boarding the ship, we were greeted with singing and the crew served us a glass of juice as a welcome drink. The ride to the island takes about one hour and it was glaring on one side of the boat. We were served biscuits and tea or coffee. Alcoholic drinks are chargeable on the boat, so it is better to wait until you reach the island.

Tivua Island is the perfect day-trip destination in Fiji. Encircled by white-sand beaches and surrounded by coral reef, the pristine tropical island functions as a sea turtle sanctuary during nesting season.

Once we reached the island, we grabbed some beach chairs to put our stuff. Then we headed off to change to our swimwear and went out for snorkelling. We also had some time to chill on the beach littered with some stones and rocks.

Lunch buffet consisted of barbecue chicken, fish, salad, bread, pasta. I had forgotten to take a photo as we were famished after snorkelling. Not forgetting our free flow package, I downed two beers during lunch. For kids, they can get soft drinks or water.

In the afternoon, we took a kayak to go around the island. Here, there were not many staff to take care of us, so we had to drag the kayak from the beach to the sea on our own. Malamala Beach Club does offer better service. Someone shouted that there were reef sharks so we all went to the beach quickly.

It was magical to see so many reef sharks swimming so close to the edge. There was a girl who was feeding them bread pieces so this attracted the sharks to surround her. Don’t worry, reef sharks are not dangerous and they do not attack humans.

We also went out on a glass-bottomed boat which was highly advertised on the tour. However, it was much of a disappointment because the boat was flooded and one of the glass panels had been removed. It was not as crystal clear as what we saw in the photos due to the glass on the bottom of the boat to be covered with scratches.

The staff were lovely; very hospitable and welcoming. For those who would like a massage, they can do so in one of the huts. During our time there, the business for massage was quite bad as most people were busy engaged in the water activities. Watch the tides, if your time on the island coincides with low tides the snorkelling/kayaking/SUP is limited.

The turquoise waters, with the sandy beach really look so perfect when taken from the pier. Soon, it was about 3pm and time to leave the island. There was no bill to settle as everything was included in the tour price. On the way back, the crew served us some pastries and coffee or tea as part of the afternoon snack. The weather was perfect for us and we also got a little sunburnt. The highlight of this island hopping trip is the variety of wildlife that we saw during snorkelling, as well as the free flow beer/ wine for me. Tivua is a beautiful getaway, the sea and the views of the nearby Mamanuca Islands are stunning.

The main crew also explained to us that there is a marine biologist attached to the crew, who will carry out the coral rehabilitation work when they reach the island. This is a good step in helping to conserve the environment and to slow down the effects of global warming. Due to climate change, many corals around the world, including Fiji, have been bleached and if there are too many tourists, they would also damage corals with their flippers.