Lush foliage, dazzling beaches, deep traditions put Fiji’s islands on the map

Natadola Bay’s public beach is one of Viti Levu’s best. — Photos: STEVE HAGGERTY/TNS

“That's Tom Hanks’ island, in Cast Away the movie,” said the passenger sitting nearby, on the rear deck.

We’d seen him standing in line, a college kid in a red shirt, packing and repacking a knapsack while we waited to board the early morning ferry out of Viti Levu, largest of Fiji’s 330 islands. Leaning over the railing, he pointed at the horizon and a faint grey-green shape.