Fiji holidays: Top tips for a visit to Six Senses Fiji in the Mamanuca Islands

Six Senses Fiji, a luxury resort in the Mamanuca islands, reopens on April 1. Photo / Supplied

General Manager of Six Senses Fiji, Mark Kitchen shares what makes this luxury resort a special destination for Kiwi travellers

Six Senses is on Malolo Island, part of the stunning Mamanuca Islands archipelago. I love that we're surrounded by crystal clear waters, with a white sandy beach that makes you feel a million miles away from the rest of the world, while in reality we're an easy hop, skip and jump from Nadi, (just 25kms) on nearby Viti Levu.

Since Kiwis last visited, Six Senses Fiji has launched a new wellness programme that includes enhanced kids' treatments and fresh offerings anchored around Ayurvedic philosophy. We've also welcomed a dedicated wellness-screening doctor who will help guests create a bespoke multi-day programme specific to their needs, focusing on sleep, detoxing or fitness, meditation and yoga. Of course, we offer a layered approach to wellness so you can do as little or as much as you like – no pressure!

Get out on the tropical waters surrounding Six Senses Fiji, which is reopening on April 1. Photo / Supplied

As well as a wellness screening, guests could try out a surf experience – we have world-class reef breaks just a short boat ride away. Year-round waves (including at iconic Cloudbreak) mean there's a break to suit everyone – from beginners to longboarders – with a Surf Academy on-site to make the process that much easier. Kids can try our "Grow with Six Senses" programme which incorporates all of the dimensions of wellness so they can reconnect with nature and others around them.

One of my favourite things about the resort is the enormous, prehistoric Baka trees that frame it. Malolo Hill is the name of the incline at the heart of the island, an impressive backdrop that our guests admire.

The resort also has its own "Alchemy Bar" where guests can blend their own aromatic scrubs and masks, using fresh, seasonal and 100 per cent organic ingredients from the resort's own backyard.

Sustainability is a big focus for us, too; we boast one of the largest off-grid solar installations, using Tesla battery packs, in the southern hemisphere. The resort has a Reef Development Project, and also collects rainwater and uses worm-based septic tanks, among other initiatives. It's a way for us to help guests extend their values and care for the environment while on holiday.

Six Senses Fiji reopens on April 1. For more things to see and do in Fiji, go to fiji.travel