Few places in today’s discovered world manage to retain the exotic mystique that Fiji still clings to. The name alone resonates in travel circles as the consummate island paradise, a constellation of 300 or so coral and white-sand freckles in the Central Pacific that have drawn tourists in droves from all over the world for decades. For diving, snorkeling, or working through a stack of novels that the hustle and bustle of real life can keep you from ever opening, relaxation here is less an outcome of a visit to Fiji so much as a manifest goal; nowhere else do vacationers travel so far to do so little.

And nowhere else on this glorious archipelago is there a better place to immerse the self in the focused process of unwinding as on Denarau Island, a 684-acre exclusive isle connected to the town of Nadi and the west coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest island. Here at Denarau is Fiji’s only five-star integrated resort, a medley of Sheraton hotels and villas located just 20 minutes from Nadi International Airport and seemingly eons away from any noise pollution. With three exceptional Sheraton accommodations available, both the honeymooning couple and the reuniting family can find some sort of lodgings to suit their needs.

The centerpiece to the Sheraton collection is the Sheraton Fiji, with its ideal beachfront location and inauspicious low-rise architecture, first in the Sheraton threesome along the shores of Nadi Bay. With its open-concept leisure areas, framed by rows of palms and beautifully-maintained gardens, and its pastel-perfect pink colonial exterior, the Sheraton Fiji—ranked in Travel and Leisure’s Top 500 Greatest Hotels in 2003, and the Australiasia’s Best Golf Resort award from World Travel in the same year—is perfectly suited to large families and groups. Since its opening in 1987, the Sheraton Fiji acts as the hub of the Denarau Sheraton Resort, with 292 guestrooms and suites, almost all of which feature private balconies with either views or frontage facing the ocean. Adorned in vibrant, tropical colours and native woods, rooms blend seamlessly with the surrounding environs, while offering an array of in-room technologies one might think out of place on an island paradise. The anchor to this Sheraton Beach of romance, it comes as no surprise the Sheraton Fiji is home to the Paradise Wedding Chapel, where thousands of couples have wed on the bluff overlooking the sea.

Next in line on Denarau Island is the Sheraton Royal Denarau, a Regent property when it first opened in 1975, purchased by Sheraton in 1996, and scheduled to switch over under the Westin name in 2006. Here, exotic elegance and ambiance are the featured virtues, obvious immediately as one enters the lobby, a high-vaulted, arched affair that is reminiscent of a traditional Fijian temple. The authenticity of the hotel’s allegiance to local roots is thorough, as tapestries and artifacts in the Fijian tradition are evident throughout, in room and restaurant décor, and lush tropical gardens filled with exotic floral arrangements and native birds add wonderful tones to the atmosphere. The resort’s 274 guest rooms and suites, furnished in classic Fijian style with traditional tapa cloth bed canopies and rustic rattan furnishings, primarily offer inland views of the gardens flora, although several dozen rooms and suites are situated right on the beachfront. As with the Sheraton Fiji, rooms here have private balconies and such room features as ISD telephone and voice mail, electronic safe, modem ports, and a unique line of bathroom products and amenities.

Last in this Sheraton triumvirate is the prestigious Denarau Villas, a collection of 82 exquisitely appointed villa suites, with two or three bedrooms, that give guests the opportunity to live in a gorgeous beachfront place of their own. Complete with lounge, dining area, a fully equipped kitchen and laundry facilities, and decorated in contemporary South Pacific décor, there is no more exclusive accommodation anywhere in Fiji. Adorned with handcrafted artwork and fabrics and textures inspired by the shapes, colours, and hues of Fijian culture, these full service apartment-style rooms are ideal for families and traveling couples. Surrounded by placid lagoons and infinity-edge pools that stretch out between natural sandstone boulders, the villas offer a unique, upmarket change from the luxurious standards offered elsewhere on the Denarau shoreline.

Three resorts in a single paradise do share one commonality, though: a complete integrated network of outstanding bars, restaurants and leisure amenities that guests of all three Sheratons can use when they wish. Open-air Bula buses, a unique fleet of open-air complimentary transportation, operate between all three resorts and the Golf and Racquet Club from dawn until 11 p.m., and a charge-back policy allows guests the freedom to charge everything to their rooms, absolving them of the need to carry cash or credit cards wherever they go – and there are many places to go. From the Port Denarau marina, boat can be chartered to the popular Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands, where some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world can be found. For the less intrepid, kayaks, canoes, windsurfers, jet skis, and parasailing trips can be organized right on the beach, and for the independent vacationer, rental cars for exploring Viti Levu and its dramatic countryside and local markets are easily chartered direct from the tour desk.

Further, if golf and tennis are not your thing, and culture is more your fix, Wednesday nights at the Royal Denarau are a must-experience. In the Coco Palms Bures amphitheatre, firewalking displays are stages on the midweek night, and on Saturday nights a traditional meke, a night of Fijian song and dance, is accompanied by a traditional buffet dinner. And, of course, there is always the option to just bask in the sun; stay exposed for too long, though, and at least you can find solace in a trip to the Mandara Spa, where facial and traditional massage and wrap treatments are matched with a unique sunburn cooler treatment.

Lastly, a final unforgettable element of a Denarau trip is the food. Set on a lush island on the shores of the South Pacific, the Denarau’s 17 bars and restaurants benefit from the bounty of the sea and access to fresh regional ingredients, as well as the refined knowledge of flavours and style that its chefs introduce to every dish. Three restaurants on the island deserve particular attention. No dining room is truer to the Fiji experience than Blue Vonu, an open-air seaside restaurant where guests dine beneath traditional Fijian Bure, the ubiquitous thatched gazebos scattered about the Sheraton property. The menu here is ‘Sun Cuisine,’ an innovative culinary twist that melds local traditions with international flair. For lavish breakfast and dinner buffets featuring an expansive potpourri of dishes from around the world, Verandah is superb, with the Friday night seafood smorgasbord ranking as one of the best to be had anywhere. Lastly, dine in Fiji’s most amazing setting at Ports O’ Call, a room restored to look like a 1930s oceanliner, and featuring gourmet fine dining from some of the world’s most fabled ports. Feel like royalty and dine like royalty, without the schedule of celebrity or big business, and take the chance to understand once and for all the charm and mystique of Fiji.