Relaxing by the pool at our hotel on Denarau Island, we were considering the best way to see what Fiji has to offer without spending an entire day out and about with a 4 year old. We thought it would be an awesome experience for Henry to have his first helicopter flight and celebrate turning 4!

Heli Tours Fiji has a variety of scenic flights to choose from, there is something for everyone! We chose the scenic flight over Heart Island. Take a look at our video below!

Where is Heart Island

The heart-shaped island is called Tavarua Island. It’s an island resort surrounded by Coral Reef and is located not too far from Nadi or Denarau Island.

Transfer Options

We pre-booked our scenic flight a few days beforehand. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Heli Tours Fiji picked us up from our hotel and took us to the helipad, the journey took 10 minutes at most. The waiting area has toilet facilities and a waiting room with lounges. If you are using Heli Tours Fiji as a transfer option, they can meet you at the international airport and whisk you off to an island resort on the Mamanuca & Yasawa Islands, Vanua Levu in the North, the Law Group, Suva and the Coral Coast.

After our flight, they offered to drop us at either the Marina or the hotel- we chose the Marina to pick up some supplies from the supermarket.

Scenic Flight to Heart Island

They don’t call this their “most popular” scenic tour for no reason! I lost count of the number of times I said ‘wow’! Before you get to Heart Island, you are stunned by views of your very own hotel (if you’re staying at Denarau) which was something in itself. The hotels are expansive! We stayed at the Sofitel and you can see from the photo below just how large the grounds are!

When you then get out towards the picture-perfect reef you will soon start to see what all the fuss is about. Water that ranges between deep blue, turquoise, sky blue and crystal clear, pictures don’t do it justice.

We flew over Malamala Island and our pilot recommended visiting the island for a few hours. We took him up on the advice and went the next day on a private boat trip, run by one of the locals!

The journey also took us over Sandbar, which is a great swimming and snorkelling spot as well as many other beautiful islands.

As we approached Heart Island you could quite easily see what all the fuss was about. It is, of course, in the shape of a heart. What you might not realise, depending on the time you visit, is that it is also a famous surfing destination with world-class reef breaks!

We flew around Heart Island before starting the journey back to Denarau.

Exhausted from his big adventure, combined with the motion of of flight it was a perfect time for a snooze.

Helicopter with a toddler

We chose a helicopter flight to get the most out of our time without having to worry about our 4 year old getting bored on a full-day (snorkling and swimming at this age for extended periods of time is quite a challenge!). Henry was old enough to sit on his own and have his very own headphones. Not only was it exciting for him, but the whole experience was also done in an hour. For us, that was perfect as we spent the rest of the time by the pool.

Staying in Fiji?

We stayed at the Sofitel Hotel on Denarau Island when we visited Fiji. Keep an eye out on our Fiji page for upcoming posts on other activities and our hotel recommendations!