The Mana Fiji Swim is on again in 2010, bigger and better and on an earlier date this year - Friday-Sunday September 10-12. And we are organising our Yasawas Swim Cruise straight afterwards, from Monday, September 13 through Friday, September 17.

Ideal dates to travel Fiji to do both events are Wednesday, September 8 through Saturday, September 18.

If you just wish to to the Mana Fiji Swim, ideal dates are from Wednesday, September 8 through Tuesday, September 14.

Your actual dates depend on your personal preferences. These are just our core recommendations.

Mana Fiji SwimFest,
Friday-Sunday, September 10-12, 2010

Mana Island's legendary North Beach is a glorious ocean swimming beach, with coral reef running off the beach to a drop off about 50 metres out, where the bulk of the swim courses lie. This will be where you do most of your warm up/acclimatisation swims in the lead up and following the Mana Fiji Swim.

Mana Island, in the Mamanuca Islands, just offshore from Fiji's tourist hub, Nadi, is an ideal location for an ocean swim. There are beaches on both sides of the island. If conditions are difficult on one side, the swim can be switched to run on the other side.

The Mana Fiji Swim offers three distances -- 3km, 1km, and 500m off Mana Island's legendary North Beach, then on Sunday, there's a new event, the 'Round Mana Swim -- a 10km circumnavigation of Mana Island. We're looking also at other events on the Sunday, so that those who aren't attempting the 'Round Mana Swim aren't left out.

This is a glorious ocean swimming beach, with coral reef running off the beach to a drop off about 50 metres out, where the bulk of the swim courses lie.

Swim entry

... will be open prior to the events. We will keep you posted on arrangements. Entry packages will be available both for swimmers and non-swimmers. Please disregard information on Mana Island website saying that entries to the 10km swim close on August 1. This deadline will not apply.

Swim entry package includes --

Non-swimmer's package includes all of the above, except for swim entry and swim cap.

We advise you strongly to make your bookings through Sue Natho at essencetours.com.au (links below). The Mana Island website is showing that accommodation is full for the dates of the Mana Fiji Swim, but this information we know is incorrect. That's computers for you.

Booking details are below.

The Blue Lagoon from the peak of Tavewa Island in the Yasawas.

Yasawas Swim Cruise

On Monday morning, September 13, we'll travel by speedboat to meet the Yasawa Flyer to travel north to the Yasawas, the island chain whose southern tip you can see on the horizon from Mana's North Beach. We'll travel along the island chain to the beautiful Tavewa lagoon, where we'll check in to Otto and Fanny's Place or Nanuya Island Resort, depending upon which resort you've chosen. Tavewa Lagoon, often known as the Blue Lagoon, is one of the most beautiful, remote places you will ever experience.

Otto and Fanny's Place is a family-run, budget resort that offers a stunning, Pacific island locale under sighing palm trees, individual bures dotted around expansive lawns. Chef is Harry Doughty, Otto and Fanny's son, who serves up beautiful food highlighted by their famous afternoon tea, alternately chocolate and banana cake. (Make sure you order the ice cream with the cake!)

Nanuya Island Resort is a glorious, boutique hideaway that sits on the sandy point of Nanuya island, on one edge of Nacula lagoon. From Nanuya, all the highlights of the Yasawas are reached easily.

We had another fantastic time in the Yasawas and on Mana Island in October, 2009. Click here to see our reports... and here... and here...

If you're lucky, you might meet Roi Roy, the king of bure 2 at Otto and Fanny's Place.

The 2010 Yasawas Swim Cruise will follow a similar format in 2010: a mixture of relaxed inter-island and trans-reef swims, visits to local highlights (such as the subterranean caves at Sawa-i-Lau), relaxing under the sighing palms, on lapping beaches, pleasant dinners, and socialising at leisure, etc, etc. It's a very slow-paced place. The emphasis is on relaxation and enjoying your pristine surroundings. Plenty of other activities available, too, such as diving, village visits, trekking to the top of Tavewa hill, etc. How much you fit in is up to you. Take a good book or two.

For the Yasawas Swim Cruise component, we recommend two resorts: Otto and Fanny's Place and Nanuya Island Resort. Other resorts are available for independent bookings. Ferry (tinny) transport is available amongst the resorts.

oceanswims.com will co-ordinate bookings with Otto and Fanny's Place and Nanuya Island Resort. We have reserved all bure accommodation at Otto and Fanny's Place for ocean swimmers from Monday, September 13, through Friday, September 17. At this stage, Nanuya has vacancies, but these will fill as Swim Cruise date draws near. We have not reserved bures at Nanuya. We urge you to get in quick so that space is available when you book. We cannot stress enough the importance of booking early to ensure your place. Otto and Fanny's has five bures available plus dormitory accommodation (some are reserved already). Nanuya has four Deluxe Villas and eight Traditional Bures available.

We will assist in reservations at both Otto and Fanny's Place and at Nanuya Island Resort.

To secure your places, oceanswims.com will require a "deposit" which will be used to make your bookings on the daily ferry service between Nadi and the Yasawas, the Yasawa Flyer.

We will head up to the Yasawas from Mana Island on Monday morning, September 13. There may be a transfer fee involved in the speedboat transfer from Mana to meet the Yasawa Flyer at Beachcomber/Treasure Islands, depending upon numbers.

More info, queries, bookings, advice, click here to email us...

If you can't take in the Mana Island leg prior to the Yasawas, that's ok. We can assist you to make your arrangements so that we meet you on the Flyer.

If you are travelling alone, we may be able to pair you with others also travelling alone. Please contact our travel partners (link below) to discuss.

Please be aware that spaces available on the Yasawas Swim Cruise are limited. Please enquire and book early to avoid disappointment. This is one of life's special opportunities, to visit perhaps the most beautiful, remote location on the planet.

If you are travelling alone, we may be able to pair you with others also travelling alone so you are not liable for a single supplement.

Otto and Fanny's manager Apinesi watches over a pod of ocean swimmers along the back reef of Tavewa Island in the Yasawas.

Nadi

Please also be aware that you will require accommodation for one night in Nadi on your way home. You may also require a night in Nadi on arrival, depending on your onwards transfers to the islands on the outbound journey. We prefer to stay at the Mercure, just outside Nadi. It's handy to nightspots and reasonably priced. Other hotels may be cheape, but most are very reasonably priced, particularly with the exchange rates applying currently. All hotels have transfers available to Nadi Airport. Your ticket on the Yasawa Flyer includes pick up and drop off at your hotel.

Please see below for relevant links.

For more info, please email oceanswims.com (click here)...

How to book - Mana Fiji SwimFest 2010

We recommend strongly that you book your Fiji trip through Sue Natho at essencetours.com.au (contact links below). Sue will guide you through the options regarding dates, flights, airlines and Mana and Yasawas accommodation options.

Note that the airlines that fly into Nadi from Sydney offer very different schedules. At the time of writing, Pacific Blue flies into Nadi at 1415 from Sydney and 1510 from Brisbane on Wednesday, September 8. Air Pacific/Qantas, which operate a codeshare service, fly into Nadi from Sydney at 1900 and from Brisbane at 0525. Jetstar flies from Sydney into Nadi at 1505. Jetstar currently does not fly into Nadi from Brisbane.

On return flights, Pacific Blue flies out at 1450 to Sydney and 1600 to Brisbane, while Air Pacific/Qantas fly out at 0900 to Sydney and 0815 to Brisbane. Jetstar flies Nadi to Sydney at 1605.

Click here to email Sue Natho at Essence Tours, our recommended Australian travel agent.

Click here to download Essence Tours' Mana Fiji Swimfest info flyer...

Please be aware that spaces available on the Yasawas Swim Cruise are limited. Please enquire and book early to avoid disappointment. This is one of life's special opportunities, to visit perhaps the most beautiful, remote location on the planet.

For more info, please email oceanswims.com ...

Airlines...

Pacific Blue... http://www.pacificblue.com.au/
Air Pacific... http://www.airpacific.com/
Qantas... http://www.qantas.com.au
Jetstar... http://www.jetstar.com

zuji.com... www.zuji.com.au
webjet.com... www.webjet.com
bestflights.com.au... www.bestflights.com.au

Accommodation...

Mana Island Resort... http://www.manafiji.com/
Otto and Fanny's Place... http://www.ottoandfanny.com/
Nanuya Island Resort... http://www.nanuyafiji.com/
Mercure, Nadi... http://www.mercure.com/gb/hotel-5930-mercure-nadi/index.shtml

Tourism Fiji... http://www.fiji-me.com/