Ebullient Fijians often raise both arms in salutation (bula!), leaving no doubt that visitors to this archipelago of 333 islands are welcome. Ocean breezes, white-sand beaches, clear water, and cheerful, polite islanders begin working their magic within minutes of clearing customs at the main island's Nadi International Airport. Fiji's serenity prevailed even during a recent coup that peacefully replaced the country's government without a blip on its tourism radar.

It took only a 15-minute flight via Pacific Island Seaplanes to Vomo Island to transform me from international traveler to solitary beachcomber. Surrounded by coral reefs and blanketed with coconut groves, mango forest, and lush green hills, the island offers miles of pristine beach and just one hotel. The all-inclusive Vomo Island Resort features 27 bures (villas), a spa, nine-hole golf course, a tennis court, and an activities center. Weeks later, I was still talking about my two-hour trek around the island's perimeter.

Fiji's main island, Viti Levu, offers a variety of hotels. Stylishly chic after an extensive makeover, the 271-room Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa offers 271 guest rooms and suites, an 18-hole championship golf course, 30 acres of beachfront, and a spa. Two of the resort's four restaurants offer outdoor dining, and a ballroom accommodates up to 300 guests.

On Viti Levu's Coral Coast, the 436-room Shangri-La Fijian Resort offers recreational and conference facilities. Temptations include tennis courts, beach massage, banana boat rides, scuba diving, horseback riding, and a nine-hole golf course. Three restaurants and five meeting rooms (the largest accommodating up to 770 theater-style), and a staff accustomed to the expectations of U.S. meeting and incentive planners complete the full-service experience.

In the heart of the Coral Coast lies the 250-room Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa. The resort has three conference rooms, five restaurants, two swimming pools, tennis and squash courts, complimentary scuba diving lessons, and an 18-hole pitch-and-putt golf course. For a memorable dining experience, stroll across a bridge to the resort's private island and enjoy fresh seafood and a Fijian sunset at the Wicked Walu.

Other resorts of interest on Viti Levu include the 123-room Sonaisali Island Resort, accessible via a short boat ride from Viti Levu; and the sophisticated 296-room Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa.

The JW Marriott Fiji Resort & Spa at Momi Bay opens in mid-2008. A site tour revealed an oceanfront setting and lush fairways. The exotic retreat will offer 250 elegant accommodations, including Viti Levu's first over-water bungalows, Fiji's first destination spa featuring 10 waterfront bures, an 18-hole championship golf course, seven restaurants, an underground nightclub, six meeting rooms, and guest room amenities, including wireless high-speed Internet service and 32-inch flat-screen televisions.

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