Robinson Crusoe Island (Fiji)

Robinson Crusoe Island is a small island off the southwest coast of Fiji's main Viti Levu island. It is home to a small resort, mainly geared towards backpackers. It is approximately a two-hour drive south of Nadi (home to the country's international airport), followed by an hour-long boat trip.

The island is located in an estuary, so a lot of sediment from the river is washed past it. Due to the sediment, the sand around the island appears quite dark and feels muddy especially when swimming in the water. There are no coral reefs directly near the island, mainly different types of seaweed. The large mangrove on the other side of the main resort beach means that there is little opportunity for snorkelling, and all that can been seen is seaweed and a few types of fish.

Island Amenities

Accommodation is very simple, mainly in the form of bures which are built from wood and aren't very clean. They are very low; the top of the door frame is only about 1.5m above ground level. There are only shared bathroom facilities, where showers made from a bucket with a tap on it are available. There is no enclosed bathroom as such; the only sinks are mounted on the outside of the shower/toilet block where guests have to pump water by hand from a small water tank. The toilets have flushing water but are not kept clean.

The food on the island is also quite basic. At meal times, only one main type of food is made for everyone on the island to eat, which is then served communally. Hence, there is often little culinary variety.

There is an overnight blackout which begins around 11 pm when the power generator is switched off.