Not everyone can own a private island. But, thanks to Fiji’s remarkable collection of private-island resorts, we can pretend. For a few days (or even a blissful week or two) we can live that lofty lifestyle, luxuriating in the privacy and pampering usually reserved for the very rich and very famous. R&R doesn’t get much better than this.

Although the Republic of Fiji comprises more than 300 islands, only a dozen or so are privately owned and dedicated solely to a single resort. Consequently, these exclusive getaways have acquired something akin to Olympic Gold status: the vacation to which savvy travelers aspire.

Each resort creates its own iconic style, so each is markedly different while sharing several key elements with the others. Relatively small (and several are super-small, accommodating only eight or 10 people, max), some welcome families with older children. Others accommodate adults only, and one is couples-only. Some go all-out to safeguard the guest’s privacy and personal space; others heartily encourage guests to interact with each other.

Most of these resorts are all-inclusive, which means virtually everything you could possibly want is part of the deal. (Check ahead to determine if your preferred idyll charges extra for such special activities as scuba certification, spa services or deep-sea fishing.)

In the final analysis, all these destinations share an ability to briefly offer us a lifestyle of rare privilege. Your island home is a luxurious and very private dwelling, a villa-like haven the Fijians call a bure. Regardless of how many lux appointments this bure includes — and you will discover a jaw-dropping array of them — you are not likely to find any electronics that might tempt you back into the world you’ve left behind: no phones, no TVs, no computers. This is, after all, paradise.

The beach fronting your bure is secluded, too; you probably won’t see another soul on the entire stretch of sand. Do the math: if your resort has only five bures, each housing one couple, the maximum number of other guests you might see is eight, barely enough to clutter up the scenery. And in this, your personal slice of paradise, you are treated to the outrageous pampering of a genuinely caring staff, a cuisine that achieves (or approaches) 5-star status, plus all the relaxing perks and privacy you’ve ever dreamed possible.

As befits Eden, Fiji’s island resorts are not so easy to reach; their remote locations require some extra travel.

Your journey across whatever expanse of the Pacific you choose to travel (10 hours from Los Angeles or four hours from Sydney or three hours from Auckland) doesn’t end when you land at Nadi International Airport (NAN). The next leg to your destination involves a transfer to the resort’s yacht or perhaps to a small airplane. In fact, a couple of these islands are so remote, you take both a plane and a boat — and then perhaps a van — to reach your private retreat.

The charms of Fijian resorts are many. But the true key to their success — the charisma of the Fijian people — is intangible. Understandably, in the conventional high-rise hotels on Viti Levu, you may encounter Fijians harried and stressed with the business of coping with large numbers of guests. But within the intimately sized, privateisland resorts, Fijians find the space and pace to do what they do best. I call it the bula factor.

Bula, a word you will hear dozens of times every day, is the Fijian greeting of welcome and good wishes. And here’s a major key to understanding Fiji’s unparalleled appeal: Fijians’ smiles and welcomes are sincere and genuine. Their friendliness is not a touristy ploy; it’s the real deal. Fiji’s traditional tribal customs require that all children be taught “chiefly behavior,” which means they hav e an ingrained sense of respect, deference, attentiveness and humility.

It’s difficult to explain: You arrive as a tourist, but you leave feeling like part of a warm and loving family. And when you depart the resort and the entire staff gathers to serenade you with Isa Lei, the traditional song of farewell, I guarantee you won’t be able to hold back the tears.

Likuliku Lagoon Resort

The first, and so far only, Fijian resort to accommodate guests in “living aquariums,” the Likuliku’s collection of 10 over-water, ultra-luxurious villas-onstilts lets you watch the lagoon’s marine life through a glass panel in the floor.

Gaze out on the panoramic lagoon views from your platform king bed or the tub in your spacious and airy bathing pavilion. Or get right into the swim by snorkeling the lagoon’s marine treasures — simply climb down the ladder from your bure’s private deck. This proximity to the water is mesmerizing; you begin to feel a kinship with the lagoon.

Designed as a “suite,” each overwater bure features two large rooms — a bedroom and bathroom connected by a windowed foyer/hallway. The bedroom’s plush decor of upholstered sofas and chairs and local mahogany pieces is accented by the intricate and distinctive coconut-fiber designs known as magi magi. The all-important glass floor panel fronts the sofa, and foldingpanel glass doors open onto a large private wooden deck. Across the hallway, the “bathing pavilion” is huge, ultramodern and filled with light that floods in from many oversized windows.

Likuliku’s more than 30 other — and similarly luxurious — bures sit along the shoreline right at the water’s edge and feature spectacular lagoon views. But, alas, they’re not over the water.

Here even the restaurants, bars and the Tatadra Spa focus on the spectacular proximity to the sea. And, of course, scuba diving the nearby unspoiled sites is one of the primo activities.

On this island immerse yourself in something completely and authentically Fijian — bush walk along the sacred sites adjacent to the resort. One of Likuliku’s Fijian guides accompanies you, pointing out such archaeological treasures as Vatu Tagi, the “weeping rock,” Vatu Tabu, the “sacred wishing rock” (for high priests only) and Yadra Vula, a site of early Fijian habitation so significant it’s listed in the Fiji Museum. En route the guide relates the Legend of the Magic Box, the story of Fiji’s beginnings. Each turn along your path reveals another treasure — and also another spectacular view of the Mamanuca Islands on the horizon.

Likuliku is on Malolo Island in the Mamanuca Archipelago, 16 miles northwest of Nadi International Airport (NAN), tel 888 946 5458, http://www.likulikulagoon.com $$$$

Royal Davui

Remote and lush, Royal Davui Island rises up out of the vast expanse of Beqa Lagoon like a freeform green oasis. Only 16 vales (another word for bure) comprise this resort, each of which is perched on a hill or waterfront cliff, its privacy shielded by the indigenous tropical forest. Except for the labyrinth of pathways (helpfully lighted at night) that connects each vale to the restaurant and reception building, your home-away-from-home feels as remote and secluded as this island itself.

Although the Beqa Lagoon is awarded legendary status among scuba divers for its abundance of awesome sharks and pristine reefs, not all Royal Davui’s guests feel the need to strap on gear and plunge into the lagoon to explore the wonders down under. Many opt to stay topside in their vale, lulled into languor by the luxurious options: the outdoor whirlpool tub overlooking the lagoon and its resident dolphins and turtles, the bathroom’s freestanding spa, the book-filled den/ library/lounge furnished with comfy chairs and sofas and bi-fold glass walls that open to let in the breezes and sounds of sea birds in flight.

A massive Pacific banyan tree rises through the middle of the aptly-named Banyan Tree Restaurant, the heart and gathering place of the resor t. While the open-air setting is spectacular and the cuisine a sophisticated Pacific Rim fusion (focus on seafood and local produce — pan-seared tuna with red radish, nama sea grape miso salad, ginger and lime brûlée with banana and chili confit), the dress can be as casual, or as fancy, as you choose. Guests usually gather here for a sunset-watch accompanied by pre-dinner drinks to swap stories about their day’s dive or their day’s idyllic leisure.

Beqa Lagoon, south of Viti Levu (helicopter or launch transfers must be booked through the resort), tel 679 330 7090, http://www.royaldavui.com $$$$

Nukubati

This intimate little resort is so remote (its nickname: The Last Resort) you travel by plane, car and boat to reach it. But, once there, you fall under its spell of total harmony with nature. Set among acres of lush coconut groves, Nukubati’s seven bures hug the seashore, facing west, so the spectacular sunsets become your own private extravaganza. Each oversized bure, designed in Fiji’s graceful colonial/ plantation style, comes wrapped with a spacious verandah fully furnished with comfy upholstered bamboo sofas and chairs. This quickly becomes your al fresco living room, the perfect perch for watching as the sun takes its nightly dip into the sea.

The island is located off the northernmost coast of Vanua Levu, at the very edge of the awesome Great Sea Reef, the third-longest barrier reef in the world. Because Nukubati is the only resort in Fiji with access to this vast underwater treasure-trove, you have come to the right place for unparalleled scuba diving and fishing. In addition to swimming with manta rays, turtles, dolphins and whales, divers routinely happen upon “undiscovered” new reefs and then have the thrill of bestowing its “official” name.

Not up for scuba? You can enjoy many of the same underwater marvels aboard the two-person Wild Thing, a glass-bottomed boat — sort of like snorkeling, but without even getting wet. For a mind-blowing experience, let Nukubati’s staff set you up with a champagne picnic on one of the sandbars in the middle of the bay to laze under a shade umbrella while sipping bubbly and dining on the gourmet goodies arrayed on the linen-draped table. The resort crew departs, leaving you indulged and alone, in the middle of a vast coral bay. And yes, like Cinderella’s stroke-of-midnight carriage, they return on cue to fetch you before the tide turns to reclaim your sandy haven.

Almost entirely self-sustaining, Nukubati grows its own kitchen produce and catches its seafood daily, so meals are wondrously fresh and delicious. Its solar panel plants supply uninterrupted electricity for the resort.

Equally significant is the intense sense of traditional Fijian ways here at this resort. The staff numbers 40 (with a maximum of only 14 guests), so there’s an abundance of interaction, a chance to chat and listen and learn about the real Fiji. North coast of Vanua Levu (small plane, van, boat transfer to reach the island), tel 800 224 0220, http://www.nukubati.com $$$$

COUPLES ONLY

Turtle Island is the only one of Fiji’s private island resorts that enforces a couplesonly policy.

The guest-to-staff ratio is high, and each couple is assigned its own “Bure Mama” who caters to every whim and guides them into participating in all the resort’s activities. She also snaps candid photos of their entire stay so, upon departure, they receive a photo album that chronicles the entire vacation.

While Turtle Island bures are sybaritic, with gauze-draped fourposter beds, splash pools and even a day bed for napping on the private verandah, couples may find it hard to remain in seclusion. Mingling with other honeymooners is enthusiastically encouraged, meals are communal, and shared activities are highlighted. However, as with other private- island resorts, every so often a couple can sneak away for a romantic dinner for two served at a secluded location on the island.

In the Yasawa Island Group (where Blue Lagoon was filmed), 35-minute seaplane flight from NAN (reserve at time of booking), tel 800 255 4347, http://www.turtlefiji.com $$$$