Fly to Fiji (Nadi)

With starring roles in the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away and TV's Survivor: Fiji, the Mamanucas are a chain of 20 islands near Nadi and the resort hub of Denarau. Look forward to exploring an archipelago with gin-clear waters, palm-fringed beaches and colourful banks of coral. Snorkelling, diving, kayaking and surfing are all highlights of staying at laidback resorts, while other essential distractions include paddle boarding, windsurfing, parasailing and dolphin-watching from catamarans. Day trips are an option, but a few nights' stay is the best way to achieve a relaxed island state of mind.

Unlike its celebrated counterpart in Arizona, Fiji's 'Grand Canyon' – Viti Levu's waterfall-fed, rapids-rich Upper Navua River – carves a deep, volcanic rock-walled pathway through nearly 25km  of pristine rainforest that's alive with diverse birdlife before it finally flows into the ocean. Look forward to floating gently through quieter tree-shaded stretches of the river before transitioning quickly to exciting periods of negotiating surging rapids coursing through rocky gullies and improbably narrow river canyons. River tubing on the Navua's more subdued lower reaches is also popular.

Follow the Queen's Highway out of Nadi to the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park. Spanning a windblown and rugged coastal area almost 5km long, Sigatoka's dunes are up to 60m high. Scramble to the top for sweeping views of the Coral Coast, and carefully explore ancient archaeological sites around 2500 years old. Scatterings of centuries-old stone tools and pottery shards are evidence of the ancient Lapita culture who settled in Fiji on an eastward migratory journey through the Pacific from southeast Asia. Sigatoka is currently under consideration for inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage list.