Cast Away in Fiji

A Short but Sweet Island Escape

This was my second trip to Fiji, and although I only had a few days, I was determined to make the most of it. One adventure I couldn’t pass up was visiting the island where the movie Cast Away was filmed. My plan? To be dropped off and left as a modern-day castaway.

Of course, full disclosure—I wasn’t stranded for four years like Tom Hanks. Instead, I had just four hours on the island. Still, the experience was surreal. With nothing but the sound of waves, the whisper of the palms, and the feeling of isolation, I got a small taste of what it might have been like to be marooned here.

I wished I had more time—days instead of hours—but with only two days and one night in Fiji as part of a larger South Pacific trip, this was as close as I could get. And for those few hours, I truly felt like a castaway.

Fiji: My First Exotic Journey

Backpacking Across the Islands in 1997

Fiji will always hold a special place in my heart. It was one of my very first exotic adventures, back in 1997, when my best friend and I set off to backpack across the islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and Taveuni. We had very little money to our name, so we relied heavily on the generosity of strangers.

Welcomed by Ram and His Family

Our journey began when we met a kind Fijian man of Indian descent named Ram at the airport. Without hesitation, he invited us into his home, where we spent the night and were introduced to his family and community. That generosity set the tone for the rest of our time in Fiji.

Traveling Off the Beaten Path

Back then, most of Fiji was still far from the well-trodden tourist circuit. We traveled by public bus and ferry across remote stretches of the islands, passing through villages that had seen very few outsiders. Everywhere we went, the people welcomed us with warmth, and we fell in love with the purity of the land and its culture.

Adventures in the Rainforest

In Savusavu, while getting a haircut, a local man in the chair next to me struck up a conversation and invited us to visit his ancestral land in the rainforest. We couldn’t refuse. For the next few days, we camped beneath the jungle canopy, hiked to waterfalls, and learned how to pole downriver on a traditional bilibili raft.

A Chief and His Kava Ceremony

Another unforgettable moment was when we requested a meeting with a village chief. Following tradition, we brought kava roots we had purchased in the market as a gift. His wife prepared the kava but, as custom dictated, she wasn’t allowed inside during the ceremony. For hours, my friend and I sat with the chief, drinking kava, performing the ritual, and chatting—of all things—about sports.

Quicksand on Taveuni

On Taveuni Island, I hired a few village boys to guide me across the swamp that rests atop the island’s volcano. It was a wild adventure that nearly ended badly when I sank waist-deep into quicksand. Luckily, one of the boys, no older than eight, extended a stick for me to grab and pulled me free. That boy may very well have saved my life.

Kava Ceremony with Village Chief

Dan and I exploring the jungles of Fiji

Munuriki Island: Fiji’s Real-Life Cast Away

A Deserted Paradise on the Edge of the Pacific

Munuriki Island sits on the outer edge of Fiji’s western barrier reef, with nothing but the vast Pacific Ocean stretching westward all the way to Australia. While the movie Cast Away made it seem like the island was stranded in the middle of nowhere, the reality is a little different—several other islands are visible from its shores, including one inhabited island about 10 miles away.

Still, Munuriki feels wild and remote. It is the very picture of a deserted island dream: palm-fringed white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, coral reefs teeming with life, and jungle-covered cliffs rising steeply above it all. There are no permanent structures, no crowds, no noise—just unspoiled nature.

Getting There

To reach Munuriki, I based myself on Fiji’s western mainland and booked a daily boat excursion through my hotel. The ride out took a few hours across rolling seas, with about thirty other tourists packed into the boat.

I’ll admit—I feared the worst with this kind of excursion. I imagined a “deserted island” suddenly swarming with dozens of tourists, selfie sticks in hand, destroying the very magic that drew me there.

Map of Munuriki Island

Alone on Cast Away Island

Escaping the Crowds on Munuriki

I’ll admit, I boarded the boat with low expectations. I had a nagging suspicion that Munuriki—the island made famous by Cast Away—would be spoiled by over-tourism. I pictured myself trapped in a crowd of selfie-takers, unable to enjoy the sense of isolation that made the movie so powerful for me.

But I couldn’t resist. Cast Away had left a deep impression on me when it first came out, and at that stage of my life, its themes of survival, solitude, and resilience resonated strongly. Beyond that, I’ve always loved deserted islands, and Munuriki was the very definition of one.

First Impressions

When we landed, my fears weren’t completely unfounded. I saw people scrawling “HELP ME” into the sand, mimicking Tom Hanks. But the island was large enough that it was easy to slip away from the clusters of tourists and find quiet corners. There were still no permanent structures, aside from a couple of tiki huts tucked away by the beach.

My Castaway Moment

Then came my chance. After an hour or so, the boat captain announced it was time to head to a nearby tourist village for handicraft demonstrations and cultural shows. I wasn’t interested. Instead, I asked him if I could stay behind. He agreed, since the boat would be returning that way later.

And just like that, my dream came true. The boat pulled away, taking the crowd with it, and I was left alone. For the next few hours, I had the entire island—the beaches, the cliffs, the palms, the silence—completely to myself. It was as close as I’ll ever come to living out my own Cast Away fantasy.

Beached of the Munuriki Island

Munuriki Island

Dolphins swimming near the island

View of the Island-Munuriki Island

My Castaway Adventure

Climbing to the Island’s Heights

With the island all to myself, I couldn’t resist the urge to explore. I decided to climb to the spot where Tom Hanks’s character in Cast Away had once considered ending his life. There was no trail, just sharp coral rock and tangled vegetation that tore at my legs. The midday sun beat down relentlessly, making every step feel like a test. But I loved it.

Eventually, I reached a cliff about twenty feet high—the highest I could safely climb without gear. From there, I had a sweeping view of Munuriki and the neighboring islands, a panorama of turquoise waters, jungle-green cliffs, and endless Pacific horizon. For a few moments, it was just me, the silence, and the spirit of the movie that brought me here.

Alone in Paradise

After soaking in the view, I carefully climbed back down and slipped into the reef for a snorkel. The water was crystal clear, alive with colorful fish weaving through the corals. Floating there, I thought about how surreal it was to have an entire “movie island” to myself, even if only for a few hours.

As I waited for the boat to return, another thought crossed my mind: the captain had never taken a head count. I could have easily stayed behind for the night and camped out on the beach, living my own version of Cast Away. If not for my flight home the next day, I might have done exactly that.

The Future of Munuriki

Later, I learned that there were plans to develop Munuriki into a high-end resort. The idea unsettled me. This island was pristine, wild, and perfect in its simplicity. Other than the daily tour boats of tourists, I can only hope that Munuriki remains the untouched paradise I found it to be.

View of the Island-Munuriki Island