This event will not proceed in 2023. Watch again for 2024 dates!
Mana Fiji SwimFest
The Pacific's best swim festival
October 17-22, 2023
In 2023, the Mana Fiji SwimFest returns to October. This event is a go-to event for swimmers wanting to achieve a personal milestone – a marathon, 10km swim – combined with a tropical island break with some of the most beautiful swimming water in the world. (10km qualifies you for membership of the Marathon Swimmers Federation.) It's also important to those needing a 10km Solo event as a qualifier for Rottnest Island in February 2024. If you want, you could rack up 15km over the two days of swims, or you could just do 500m. It's up to you. Or you need not swim at all. Just come along for the fun.
oceanswimsafaris.com has an exclusive relationship with Mana Island Resort: We act as consultants to Mana Island on this event (we help them to run their swims), and we handle all overseas bookings for them.
The best place to swim
Of all the resort islands in the Mamanuca group, Mana Island is the best for ocean swimming. It's closer to the outer reef, so the water is that much clearer, the reef that much more stunning. And the island's shape and orientation – long, stretching east-west – means that, whatever the weather, there is pretty well always at least one side of the island that's just right for swimming. Mana's North Beach is dubbed Ocean Swimming Stadium because it is such a terrific venue to swim, and to watch a swim. Swim courses generally follow the reef drop-off, so you always have something to watch in safe water.
This year, the Mana Fiji SwimFest offers its 10km (solo or 3 x 3.3km relay) swim on Thursday, October 19, and swims of 5km, 2.5km, 1km, and a 500m Fun Swim on Saturday, October 21 (the 500m is intended for absolute novices and kids). Core travel dates are Tuesday, October 17, through Sunday, October 22. You can book for other periods, shorter or longer, or slightly different dates, provided you're there for the core swim days (Oct 18-22). 10km swimmers also must be on the island to attend the compulsory briefing on Wednesday evening, October 18. And if you'd like to swim in the 10km relay but don't have a team, don't worry: we can place you in a team when you arrive on Mana Island.
Punters from the Mana 10km, 2019.
Timetable...
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Tuesday, Oct 17, 2023 – Arrive Mana Island
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Wednesday, Oct 18 – Morning swim, Get to know Mana and its water. In the evening – Traditional Fijian ceremonial welcome - kava followed by cocktails
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Thursday, Oct 19 – 10km Mana Swim - solos or 3-swimmer relay (each swimmer approximately 3.3km)
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Friday, Oct 20 – Laze around Mana Day - Explore the island, visit the lookouts, go diving, walk over to Sunset Beach, swim around to the Survivor village, visit the Mana spa for a treatment... or maybe a twin massage, if you're with a friend.
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Saturday, Oct 21 – Three distances off Mana Island's North Beach – 5km, 2.5km, 1km
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Sunday, Oct 22 – Depart, unless you've arranged to stay on.
NB: oceanswimsafaris.com guide informal morning swims on non-race days. These swims are available only to those who book their Mana Island Resort packages through oceanswimsafaris.com.
Race timetable
Wednesday, October 18
(NB: This program may change closer to event day. Best check back closer to the day for latest information.)
10km swim registration, briefing, and traditional welcome
Registration opens - Lali Lawn - 16:30
Sevu Sevu Ceremony - Traditional welcome and kava ceremony - Fijian Bure - 17:30
Official welcome and briefing (compulsory for all 10km swimmers, solo and relay) - Rec room (near Lali Lawn) - 18:00
Welcome cocktails - Lali Lawn - 18:30
Thursday, October 19
High tide - 9:02
10km - Registration from 07:00, race day briefing 07:20, start 07:30am (solos), 07:35 (relay teams)
Friday, October 20
Laze Around Mana Day – day at leisure after early morning swim (non-compulsory).
Saturday, October 21
High tide - 11:22
- 1km – Open registrations at 08:40, briefing at 09:00, race start 09:05
- 5km – Open registrations at 09:30, briefing at 09:55, race starts 10:00
- 2.5km – Open registrations at 10:05, briefing at 10:20, Race starts 10:30
- 500m – Time TBA (event runs if necessary)
Awards ceremony & Dinner
Age qualifications
- 10km Solo – 16
- 10km Relay, 5km, 2.5km – 14
- 1km – 10
- 500m – 8
* NB this timetable may vary slightly
Morning swims
Early morning casual swims on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday (swimmers who take oceanswimsafaris.com packages only). Meet at North Beach steps 07:15. Tide and conditions dependent.
Note the water clarity in Ocean Swimming Stadium, Mana Island, Fiji
Base packages 2023 – Our deal – Based on 40% off rack rates
| Mana Fiji SwimFest October 17-22, 2023 (5 nts) |
Base packages pp, include accommodation, all meals*, airport transfers (South Sea Cruises), Swimmer package (2 swim days), 30-min spa, Welcome reception |
| Mana Island Resort | Per Person twin/double (Sharing room) |
| Island Bure | $A1,910 |
| Ocean View Room | $A2,072 |
| Deluxe Ocean View Bure | $A2,240 |
| Oceanfront Suite | $A2,540 |
| Beachfront Bure | $A2,736 |
| Premium Beachfront | $A3,232 |
| Single (Own room – Not sharing) | |
| Island Bure | $A2,732 |
| Ocean View Room | $A3,228 |
| Deluxe Ocean View Bure | $A3,395 |
| Oceanfront Suite | $A3,998 |
| Beachfront Bure | $A4,720 |
| Premium Beachfront | $A5,704 |
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Longer or shorter stays, children, non-swimmers' options available. |
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Click on the room standard options above for more information about each. Be aware, to gain access to the Ocean Swimmers' Deal, you must make your bookings through oceanswimsafaris.com.
Our base travel package per person for the Mana Fiji SwimFest includes –
- 5 nights Mana Island Resort
- All meals on Mana (see Meals below))
- Swim entry (both swim days)
- Swim caps (different per event), event t-shirt,
- Welcome cocktails, Awards ceremony
- 30-min spa (Back massage or Fijian Style Head massage)
- Return transfers, Nadi Airport-Mana Island-return, South Sea Cruises
Meals
Mana Island Resort's rates include breakfast and dinner buffets. Your package includes also lunch. Mana has a range of restaurants offering different styles of meals. Meals included in your package are buffets in Mamanuca Restaurant. Surcharge applies at South Beach Restaurant (a la carte) and Nasu Teppan. Meals in other restaurants may incur can use credit from your Meal Plan.
Land/Sea Transfers
Mana Island is 1 hour 25 minutes by ferry from Port Denarau. Port Denarau is a 20-minute bus ride from Nadi International Airport. The operators of the regular transfers run three ferry services each day, at 09:00, 12:15 and 3:15. To get the most cost-effective transfer between the airport and Mana Island Resort, on the scheduled ferry, you need to use flights into and out of Nadi that meet this schedule. The ferry operators will transfer you on a bus between the airport and Port Denarau, but they require a minimum of 2 hours between flight arrival/departure and arrival/departure at Port Denarau, to allow time for baggage collection/check-in and time slippage. They will not budge on that requirement even by a few minutes. If your flight does not meet this criterion, you can try catching a taxi between the port and the airport, at your own risk (taxi costs $A25-35), to meet a scheduled ferry. You also could overnight in Nadi, or you could use a special, potentially much more expensive transfer by speedboat or by seaplane. Speedboat cost depends on the number of passengers on the boat. We can advise on speedboat transfers.
To avoid an overnight stop in Nadi, and to secure the cheapest transfer option (regular ferry) to and from Mana Island, you should choose flights that get you into Nadi before 12:45 and, on return, which depart Nadi after 14:30.
Base package transfers included in your package price are by scheduled ferry (including connecting bus as necessary).
Flights
Note that oceanswimsafaris.com are tour operators and we handle all your land arrangements. We do not book airfares for you. We are happy to advise on flights, however.
A start on Mana's North Beach. The atmosphere on Mana inspires swimmers to start with verve.
If you book your Mana Fiji accommodation through oceanswimsafaris.com, then your swim entry package will be included with your accommodation package with one swim on each of Thursday or Saturday.
Note: If you choose to stay with other accommodation providers on Mana Island, it will not be possible to take part in these swims. Swim entry packages for swimmers who make their arrangements through providers other than oceanswimsafaris.com will include a premium. For those swimmers who book their accommodation separately, entry packages will be -
- 1 day swims - $A200
- 2 days' swims - $A275
Note that all swimmers in the 10km swim on Thursday, September 15, must attend the compulsory swim briefing on Mana Island on Wednesday evening, September 14.
10km - Swim Escorts & Feeds
Mana Island Resort provides a swimmer escort crew that patrols the course on kayaks and in motorised craft and escorts swimmers as necessary. Note that it is not possible to have private escorts accompany individual swimmers. No craft are allowed on the swim course apart from official crew. There is a feeding station provided offering fruit and water, but it will not be possible to have private feeds left on this station. Swimmers who wish to take their own feeds should carry them with them (eg goo).
This is what you see if you dive down deeply and hold on to an anchor rope as swimmers come back in over the reef.
Enquiries and bookings
oceanswimsafaris.com are your tour operators handling all your bookings on Mana Island.
When you wish to make enquiries, please first lodge an Enquiry Form to give us basic information to allow us to advise you accurately... Click here
When you're ready to book, please first check terms and conditions... Click here
When you've checked our Terms and Conditions, you will be ready to lodge your Booking Form... Click here
With enquiries... Click here
Earlier swim results
Courses set by GPS
- 2022 (note that 10km winner recorded distance as 10.0km)