ULTIQA Fiji Palms Resort

ULTIQA Fiji Palms Beach Resort is a 32-apartment property built directly on the sand at Pacific Harbour, an hour's drive from the capital, Suva. The resort was designed around Fijian village life rather than apart from it: markets, a cultural centre and modest local restaurants sit within easy reach of the property gates. Each of the two-bedroom apartments sleeps up to six and comes with a full kitchen, laundry machines and its own balcony or patio. The layouts are contemporary rather than dated, and the lounge areas run wide enough for a family to spread out after a day on the water. A palm-fringed pool and spa sit at the centre of the grounds, alongside a barbecue area, a tour desk and an onsite restaurant. Board games and a pool table fill the wet-weather hours. You can walk from the apartments straight onto the beach, and sunset over the water is visible from most balconies. The mood leans informal: staff are known for learning guests' names within a day or two of arrival. It is not a resort built for spectacle. It is a straightforward, well-run base on a good stretch of Pacific Harbour sand.