Plan Your Trip To This Beautiful And Secluded Fiji Island Where Castaway Was Filmed
There's a fun and common theoretical game we play where we ask each other, "what would you bring with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?" For some of us, it's an iPod full of good music, for others, sunscreen. If you're smart, you bring a book that instructs you how to escape the island! But if you're Tom Hanks, you bring a flashlight, a locket with your loved-one's picture, and a volleyball named Wilson. At least, that's what he had on hand during the famous 2000 film "Castaway" where Hanks played a Fed-Ex employee involved in a South Pacific plane crash that leaves him washed up on a deserted island for four years.
It's a harrowing film that explores the triumph of the human spirit, success in the face of adversity, and the ingenuity of the human brain when the fit hits the shan, as they say. However, if you remove all that pesky hardship of having to brave the wild for four years, the island on which he's shipwrecked looks absolutely dreamy. White sands. Palm trees. Coconuts. Cyan blue waters. Soothing evening waves. And miles upon miles of sunshine. It turns out you can plan your next vacation to the Fiji island where the movie was filmed, and you can even bring your own Wilson volleyball for fun.
Spot the rare crested Fijian iguana on Monuriki Island
One TikTok user @jadegabriellex posted a one-minute video of her trip to Monuriki, the island where "Castaway" was filmed in 2000, and it looks almost identical 24 years later. There's the mountain cave in the background where Hanks' character slept, there's the beach front where he first made fire and tried to create an SOS out of sticks. There's all the coconut trees bearing fruit that gave his character the runs. And it appears either the tour operator or a tourist brought with them their very own Wilson volleyball just to make sure the experience felt as authentic as possible! No wonder the island is sometimes dubbed "Tom Hanks Island."
But there's more to do at this Fijian island than just scout filming locations. Monuriki Island is one of many that make up the Mamanuka Islands of Fiji, where you can participate in snorkeling, sailing, and other water sports, per Hotels.com. The outlet also gushes about the relaxation opportunities, like massages, swinging in a hammock, or soaking up the sun at one of their many luxury resorts located on the surrounding islands. If you're an avid birdwatcher, or a *ahem* lizard watcher, you will be spoilt for choice on Monuriki. The rare crested Fijian iguana has been known to roam the island, so whip out those binoculars and bring a long-lensed camera.
It's only 3.5 hours from Syndey, Australia by air
While Monuriki Island doesn't boast any resorts on the island itself, it's super easy to get to the island from one of the many resorts on the surrounding islands. On hotel and flight booking website Expedia, you can even book a stay at the — you guessed it — Castaway Island Resort, which offers easy boat access to Monuriki Island for day trips. Another resort close by is Plantation Island Resort which can be booked via Booking.com and boasts how family friendly it is for you and your entire fam-jam. If you're jonesing to do a jet-ski tour of the islands (and really, you should), then Jet Ski Island Adventures Fiji offers anything from 30-minute to three hour jet ski tours, and they can even pick you up directly from both Plantation Island Resort and Castaway Island Resort!
Only a short three and a half hour flight from Sydney, Australia, the closest international airport to Monuriki is Nadi International which is located on the main island of Fiji, and you can take a direct ferry from the Port Denarau Marina to get to the islands and your resorts. Once you get there, don't forget to scream, "Willlllsoooonnnnnnnnnn!"