Island Insider : Destination Fiji

Paradise Found

The heart of the South Pacific, Fiji is on our luxury list with these five resorts suitable for honeymooners, beach lovers and adventure seekers. Paradise is only a flight away!  

Written by Theresa Duncan

Turtle Island

www.turtlefiji.com

Located in the Yasawa Islands, Turtle Island Resort Fiji is perhaps Fiji’s most unique resort. With 500 acres and countless beaches for you to explore, Turtle Island is widely considered the most magical experience in the South Pacific. 

Accommodating a maximum of 14 couples at a time, couples arrive via private sea plane to a traditional Fijian greeting and welcome cocktail. The private island allows guests to experience the Fijian beauty through the stunning setting of accommodation, private beaches, activities, panoramic views and warmth of the Fijian people through intimate and nightly cultural ceremonies and activities such as the iconic Kava ceremony.

The eco-friendly ‘bures’ built by Fijan craftsmen recreate traditional Fijian architecture with all the mod-cons you could desire. Each ‘bure’ is allocated a ‘bure mumma’ or ‘bure pappa’ who looks after your every need during your stay including scheduling of events, meals and activities.

The resort boasts fourteen private beaches fringing the island with palm lined white sandy beaches and warm, clear turquoise water, each with a beach bure and hammock for relaxing solitude. Activities are all inclusive in your stay and the island offers a great variety including horseback riding, sunset cruises, game fishing, scuba diving and stand up paddle boarding.

—Dining—

Turtle Island is truly all-inclusive, with all meals and drinks (including Champagne by the bottle) included and a range of communal or private dining options. Turtle has earned recognition for the best food in Fiji by Travel and Leisure Magazine readers and has in their employ the French-born chef Jacques Reymond- regarded as the leading fine dining chef in Australia. Reymond’s menus include diverse fish and seafood, such as Pacific green lobster, snapper, yellow fin tuna, wahoo and prawns. The premier dining also highlights farm to table options, featuring the resort’s five-acre garden, which boasts vegetables, herbs and tropical fruits like passion fruit, mango, papaya, and guava.

Whether you choose to dine on one of the island’s private beaches, relax in front of your private bure (Fijian villa), or opt for a private experience on a floating pontoon where  your meal is served by boat, it’s hard to imagine a more romantic setting.

—Spa—

The Spa

Vonu Spa is a romantic retreat nestled along Turtle Island’s Blue Lagoon that offers an array of distinctive services – from signature traditional Fijian treatments to your favorite international treatments, elevating rejuvenation to an art form. Try the Vonu Relaxation and Sport Massage , which uses Pure Fiji’s blend of exotic oil infused with therapeutic essential oils help to restore balance, soothe mind and body while moisturizing and replenishing the skin. A combination of massage techniques are used to relieve muscle tension and restore harmony and inner peace.

And if you’re looking for another reason to visit, Turtle Island is the is the location where the 1980’s film, Blue Lagoon, was filmed!

Likuliku

www.likulikulagoon.com

“Likuliku”, meaning “calm waters”, is a haven of subtle luxury for couples. Home of Fiji’s first and only over-water bures, the 10 unique and spacious villas sit majestically above the coral reef and allow access from their own private balcony straight into the ocean. Along the beachfront are 35 bures with direct beach and Lagoon access, each luxuriously appointed with views of the beautiful Likuliku Lagoon and ocean.

Designed with natural materials and traditional features including hand-carved wooden pelmets and hand-woven “magi magi” (woven coconut husk) art, the resort offers a fusion of contemporary and Fijian style and architecture.

—Dining—

The Fijiana restaurant offers a relaxed yet stylish dining experience with stunning views and and an al fresco dining terrace. With the guidance of the Executive Chef, Shane Watson, the menu showcases local produce from the island’s garden and features the finest local seafood.

For guests who prefer a more private setting, there is a private dining terrace that offers private dining for up to twenty guests. Perfect for a pre-event cocktail party, the private dining room is a spacious wrap-around outdoor terrace with views over the Lagoon and natural green habitat.

—Spa—

The Tatadra Spa at the Likuliku Resort is nestled against the green slopes of the island with beautiful lagoon views and soothing breezes. The massages here cater to specific needs, featuring full body as well as hand and foot massages. Popular foot massages include the Island Foot Wrap, where guests are treated to a cane sugar exfoliation, a warm foot masque and then a wrap is applied, while your legs are massaged with exotic massage oils. Massage packages for couples are especially popular; the Twilight Tadra is an exclusive evening in Tatadra Spa. As twilight falls, the spa is transformed into an exclusive romantic oasis for one couple only. Your evening will commence with a welcome glass of Champagne and ­a foot scrub followed by a couples massage and a blissful hydrating milk bath.

Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort 

 www.outrigger.com

The Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort offers 5-star gracious Fijian hospitality in a beautiful seaside setting reminiscent of a traditional Fijian village.  Signature Talai butler service, private Vahavu swimming pools, and sweeping views from hilltop Bebe Spa are just a few of Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort’s impressive offerings.  Meimei nannies, children and teen activities, Kids Eat Free, and a magnificent tropical pool thoroughly delight.  Escape for romance, family togetherness and outdoor adventure.  Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort welcomes you with easy smiles and warm hearts.

—Dining—

The resort offers a variety of dining options for every occasion. Steps from the beach, Sundowner Bar offers a casual lunch, elegant dinner and relaxing sunset cocktails, featuring an extensive grill menu and signature wood-fired gourmet pizza.

Ivi is the resort’s fine dining restaurant, awarded by AON having “the best fine dining restaurant in Fiji.” Ivi specializes in Pacific Continental Cuisine, featuring highlights including BBQ King Prawns and Highland Duck Summer Roll.

The Vale Ni Kana Restaurant is located at the heart of the resort grounds in its most impressive bure. Vale Ni Kana hosts the Coral Coast’s most popular breakfast, café style lunch, and weekly themed dinners with live entertainment.  From a night in Italy to a traditional Fijian feast and Meke, family-friendly Vale Ni Kana is simply delightful dining!

—Spa—

The Bebe Spa balances the energizing health benefits of hydrotherapy with the relaxing, soothing, and rejuvenating effects of aromatherapy. New to Bebe’s treatment menu is the Bebe Vakaviti Signature Massage, which seamlessly unites traditional Fijian massage techniques with an ancient Hawaiian massage style. This treatment uses light massage, stretching and gentle application of warm towels to draw out tension, realign the body and leave the mind and spirit in a complete state of serenity.

Some other popular treatments include exfoliations like The Royal Honey and Milk Ritual, a deliciously sweet treatment fit for Fijian Royalty. Coconut Milk soaks your body before sugar and nut oils buff the skin. A moisturizing honey masque is applied in flowing strokes that evoke bliss.

Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa

 www.sofitel.com

Guarded by palm trees and surrounded by the calm, turquoise ocean, the Sofitel Fiji is located on the gorgeous Denarau Island, the 5-star Sofitel Resort is teeming with sublime amenities, including the world famous Denarau Golf and Racquet Club.

The Sofitel has recently welcomed the Waitui Beach Club to its list of spectacular attractions. Focusing on health and wellness during the daytime, the beach club offers a wide variety of gym classes to get your heart rate going, including Pilates, yoga, and box fit. If relaxation is what the doctor ordered, lounge away in one of the club’s private cabanas, and sample the healthy menu curated by the in-house nutritionist. Once the sun sets, however, the party really begins. Sample platters of tapas and appetizers and sip on bubbly from the Veuve Cliquot Champagne Bar, or enjoy a cocktail at the pool’s swim up bar. Keep up on all the action by upgrading to the Beach Club Room, where your room sits merely steps away from the club.

Dining

While the Sofitel has three restaurants and four bars to choose from, the hotel’s signature eatery, V Restaurant, provides an unforgettable experience.  An intimate setting which seats only 70 guests, the menu is created to celebrate food and wine, and features Fijian specialties made from locally sourced products.

Don’t miss the tiger prawns with squid ink tortellini and shaved calamari and the rich chocolate fondant to cap the evening.

Spa

                A sanctuary for guests with tranquil water views, So SPA offers a personalized approach to wellness using holistic principles and combining ancient wisdom with modern expertise. With a selection of therapies categorized in a similar way to a French gourmet restaurant menu featuring natural ingredients from around the world, ‘Main Dishes’ and ‘Desserts’ last an hour and feature full body massages, facial care, and other luxurious treatments.

Each treatment bure, includes a well-appointed massage pavilion, open-air outdoor shower, imported massage tables and beautiful Fijian artwork. The deluxe spa bures also include a private whirlpool spa bath perfect to purify and renew the skin, while drawing you into a state of total relaxation.

InterContinental Fiji

fiji.intercontinental.com

Nestled amongst 35 acres of tropical gardens, InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa is located on the beautiful and picturesque Natadola Bay on Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu. Protected by a reef to create an aqua-blue ocean-facing lagoon, Natadola Beach has been voted one of the best beaches in the world. With captivating designs, 265 rooms, world-class dining, a luxury spa, four swimming pools, an 18-hole championship golf course, authentic Fijian hospitality and unforgettable experiences combine to create one of the most magnificent luxury retreats in the South Pacific.

—Dining—

Navo restaurant is a fine dining restaurant with an extensive menu featuring a variety of delicacies. Appetizers include decadent dishes like the Lobster Kokoda, a Fijian lobster served with lime juice, coconut cream and coriander, and the roasted Fijian pork belly served with a pineapple chutney and roasted pine seeds. If that’s not enough, the main dishes include a lobster ricotta and mascarpone ravioli, a grilled rack of lamb served with ratatouille and rosemary, and a crispy skin duck served with beet root puree, along with many more.  

The Sanasana Restaurant is known for its brilliant, picturesque views. Situated alongside the Sugar Cane train track and overlooking the pristine Meke Lawn and Natadola Bay, guests can enjoy their meal while viewing some of the most scenic aspects of the resort. Sanasana is a renowned Fiji restaurant that offers buffet breakfast, à la carte lunch and theme buffet dinner, featuring a different theme for each evening.

—Spa—

Spa InterContinental presents signature treatments combining Asian, Eastern and Western treatment methods to bring balance to mind, body and soul. Popular spa treatments include the Traditional Fijian Massage, a blend of rich tropical coconut oil combines with tapping techniques with long strokes to stimulate circulation and release tension, leaving a sense of wellbeing, island style.

Another popular massage is the Youth Revealing Pioneer Facial, where guests enjoy instant results of skin youthfulness and luminosity. Indulge in a back massage with precious oils, followed by XMF EPS, a biotechnological ingredient that immediately smoothens wrinkles and densifies the skin mattress for firmed, tautened skin. Finish off with VMR FINAL SKIN REFINER, an unprecedented “top coat” applied at the end of the treatment, ensuring a radiance-boosting effect and prolonged results.

How to get there:

Air Pacific and Qantas offer daily flights between Nadi International Airport and Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Visit www.airpacific.com

For island transfers within the Mamanuca and Yasawa regions or for an exhilarating sight-seeing tour by seaplane, discover the magic of the Fiji Island’s with Turtle Airways. Visit www.turtleairways.com