The Mamanucas are movie stars, Fiji's glittering jet set, forever photographed, and valued more for their natural beauty than any contribution they make to the national culture. Many of the 20-or-so islands take day-trippers from the mainland, who gorge themselves on buffets washed down with chilled Fiji Bitter, and sunbake on white sand beneath coconut palms.

The ocean around the islands has some excellent dive sites and Fiji's gnarliest surf spots. The snorkelling here is generally fantastic with the clear waters offering fascinating windows into the undersea world. Judging from the activities nights in most of the resorts, the Mamanucas are the crab-racing capital of the Pacific.