A Family Diving Adventure in Fiji

Upon arrival, you will be met by your driver and transferred 20 minutes to paradise: The Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort. Upon arrival you will be shown to your beautiful oceanfront bure. The bure has two bedrooms so you can keep the kids close by but still have some privacy. Relax into your new home this afternoon and organise your diving for the coming days.

There is so much to explore here, from the exotic wonders that flourish in the botanical garden to towering waterfalls and hidden natural pools which can be reached by hiking through the lush tropical jungle. Sun worshippers, meanwhile, can pull up a sunbed by the pool or on the picture perfect beach.

Kids will love the Bula Club which offers a wealth of fun activities to educate and initiate them into island life. While they meet their buddy (who will supervise them and lead a range of activities to keep them occupied during your stay), indulge in a spa treatment, join the morning group yoga session or book yourself into a private session with one of the resort's yoga instructors.

Fiji is the soft coral capital of the world (official title) so you're in for a real treat. While you are out diving there is plenty to keep the kids occupied at the Bula Club where, supervised by their buddy, they can play all sorts of games, take part in educational activities, swim in their own pool (complete with slide, natch), play in the jungle gym, on the zip-line, trampoline or in the arts and crafts centre. If the kids are already water babies then they can do a bubble maker course to introduce them to the watery world of diving (which we highly recommend).

Located a 40 minute boat ride from the resort, the reserve forms part of the migratory pathway for a number of cetacean species including bottlenose and spinner dolphins, pilot, minke, sperm and humpback whales. Humpback whales are also thought to calve in this area so keep your eyes peeled! The reserve is also home to thousands of endemic fish species and invertebrates, as well as hundreds of colourful coral species. Away from the reefs you will see lots of pelagic species including sharks, tuna and schools of barracuda.

If you can draw the kids away from the kids club, spend an afternoon exploring the mangroves nearby with a marine biologist, assisting in planting mangrove seedlings.

These waters are full of life and you will troll for fish, a method which involves dragging baited hooks behind the boat. You are likely to catch a range of pelagic species such as tuna, mahi-mahi, wahoo and marlin.

In the afternoon, bring the whole family along for a kayak or paddleboard around the beautiful local shoreline, exploring the local mangroves and finding some deserted beaches to enjoy all to yourselves.

In the afternoon, you can visit a traditional Fijian village, Nukubalavu, where you will be immersed in the Fijian culture, meeting the village chief and enjoying some traditional dance performances. You can also sit with one of the elders and learn about ancient folklore, which spans over 3,000 years.

Dive through kaleidoscopic, coral-covered swim throughs where you can see an amazing array of animals, from small nudibranchs, clams and gobis up to large fans and schools of reef and pelagic fish. The reserve is carpeted with coral gardens boasting some of the best soft corals you will see anywhere in the world, covered in reef fish and macro life.

Spend delightfully slovenly days parked up on the beach, snorkel the house reef to spot its colourful critters and set sail to the surrounding islands. For landlubbers, take a guided medicine tour inland to discover the medicinal properties of the ancient fauna, play volleyball on the beach and channel your inner Novak Djokovic or Serena Williams playing a family tennis tournament (we could go on…).

One evening, after the sun has set, try a night dive close by to watch the nocturnal behaviour of the marine life on the reef.