From luxury overwater bures sitting atop turquoise waters, dining on freshly caught succulent fruits of the sea, diving in pristine waters, relaxing at beach clubs or learning about sustainably farmed pearls, these luxury experiences and places to stay in Fiji offer some of the best in this South Pacific idyll of 300 tropical islands.
Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay
Overwater bliss
Dotted over Momi Bay, the only overwater bures on Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu, are beautifully designed and crafted, light-filled and indulgent. A morning plunge into the tranquil, warm waters below, accessed via private stairs from the elegant 75m2 Over Water Royal Bure, is impossible to resist. The Resort’s adults-only bures are unobtrusive, unfurling from the land’s edge like a sea snake stretching across the lagoon, each affording a seemingly endless ocean panorama. You need only venture from this idyll, without sacrificing the views, to experience the sensational flavours of Momi Bay’s delicious dining and libations at the Resort’s Goji Kitchen & Bar, Fish Bar and the Lagoon Lounge, or poolside at the Lagoon House & Bar.
In August 2022, Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay further cemented its commitment to the natural surroundings as part of the newly launched Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy program, in partnership with Mamanuca Environment Society (MES). The program aims to offer meaningful travel in the region, upholding three pillars — Environmental Protection, Community Engagement and Marine Conservation.
Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa
Adults Only Beach Club
The newly renovated resort in Viti Levu’s popular Denarau Island precinct boasts the refined and chic Wai Tui Beach Club for adults only, affording guests the luxury of lounging poolside or beachside in their own private cabana.
From the club’s Bar & Restaurant, dine from menus created with fresh local produce, accompanied by a wide range of liquid refreshments. Or stay put and enjoy VIP poolside service. Wai Tui’s roving refreshments are complimentary between 11am and 3pm daily, and cocktails and canapés are complimentary from 5pm to 6pm. A rolling sparkling station is a more recent addition, serving complimentary sparkling wine to your cabana throughout the day.
Sofitel Fiji also offers an exclusive dining experience, giving adult guests the opportunity to choose a private location within the resort and collaborate with chefs to create a personalised menu for the occasion.
Six Senses Fiji
Wellness and Nature
The Six Senses ethos of integrating wellness into the whole guest experience is exemplified at this Malolo Island resort where its organic produce is not only blended into delicious and healthy meals but also into its spa treatments and therapies.
The property is set across 48ha of natural tropical jungle, where sustainability is paramount, including boasting one of the largest off-grid solar installations in the Southern Hemisphere. Six Senses Fiji Spa programs focus on everything from sleep to detox and immunity, and Wellness Screening can help create a bespoke multi-day program or personalised treatment for individual guests.
The symbiotic relationship between resort and island is evident here in renewable energy initiatives, free-range hens, beehives, organic gardens, and environmental and natural species protection practices — and the benefits are there to be shared with like-minded guests.
Taveuni Palms
Romance and diving
Known as Fiji’s Garden Isle and ‘the soft coral capital of the world’, it’s easy to imagine Taveuni Palms as a destination that is both lush, private and romantic and also a diver’s dream!
It’s the third-largest of Fiji’s islands, situated in the north of the archipelago and home to Taveuni Palms, an award-winning, five-star luxury property — and a favourite with honeymooners. In the recent 2022 World Travel Awards, Taveuni Palms won the title of Fiji’s Leading Resort 2022. Its villas are elegantly exquisite, each sitting on a private acre of beachfront.
The island also boasts some of the most famous dive sites in the world — Rainbow Reef, The Zoo, Annie’s Bommie and the Yellow Grotto among them. Marine life is superb, with everything from manta rays and sharks to sea turtles and lionfish enjoying the warm waters, and flitting among the abundant corals. Don’t miss the opportunity to dive The Great White Wall — swim through a tunnel, surrounded by coral, and get up close and personal with a multitude of beautiful fish! It’s a bucket list adventure for many divers in Fiji.
COMO Laucala Island
Epicurean adventure
This ultra-exclusive resort is located on a small private island in Fiji’s Northern Division. Its 25 luxury residences are more akin to private homes, exquisitely designed and crafted to harmonise with the natural environment — leaves of sago palms providing thatching and flooring from local timber. Each Residence is thoughtfully positioned across the resort for maximum privacy and comes with a ‘Tau’ — Fijian for ‘friend’ — to assist with any request during your stay. There’s even a championship, David McLay Kidd-designed 18-hole golf course on the island.
The remoteness of some Fiji island resorts has long necessitated the importation of produce and goods, delivered by boat and cold-stored, but that’s all changing with the active embrace of sustainable practices. The farm-to-table philosophy is not only important for the environment, health and wellness, but also prudent when self-sufficiency is so important.
At COMO Laucala Island, fantastic large-scale initiatives facilitate mouth-watering guest dining experiences — among them fresh produce from the resort’s own hydroponic garden, herb garden and fruit trees.
A deeper dive into the farm-to-table philosophy here is available through a bespoke Laucala Island Farm Tour by vehicle — so expansive is the ‘farm’ — often led by the resort’s Head Chef. It’s an impressive expression of commitment to sustainable practices and includes a peek at the Wagyu and Longhorn grazing paddocks, the piggery and poultry sheds.
If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the daily degustation menus provide the perfect opportunity to sample the wellness-laden and delectably fresh chef’s creations.
J. Hunter Pearls
Sustainable pearl farming in Savusavu
Jean-Michel Cousteau, the oceanographer, filmmaker, environmentalist and educator son of renowned ocean exploring pioneer and environmentalist, Jacques Cousteau, established his family-friendly eco retreat in Savusavu on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second largest island.
Cousteau the younger was ahead of his time, choosing a pristine and marine-rich location to create a resort with conservation and education at its heart, long before those concepts were in the mainstream. And it was to Savusavu Bay that marine biologist Justin Hunter turned his attention when he began a pearl farming venture in 1999, citing the nutrient-rich waters as the perfect environment for cultivating the prized Fijian Pearl.
J. Hunter Pearls, he says, “…are a testament to the pristine natural environment of Northern Fiji, where the oysters that bear them are carefully nurtured by local villagers employed by Hunter Pearls.”
The pearls are, indeed, beautiful, and sought after worldwide. But their cultivation cycle has also proved to be a sustainable one that benefits local villages, providing income and an edible product farmed in accordance with a strict Environmental Code of Practice. J.Hunter pearls have ultimately become the benchmark for sustainable pearl farming in Fiji.
VOMO Island
Dive right in
Located in the Mamanuca archipelago, this idyllic resort spans across 103 hectares of stunning private island where guests can hike up Mt Vomo, snorkel above coral reefs, take escorted day trips off the island or tee off on a nine-hole golf course.
But many come here for the exceptional diving experiences available through VOMO’s PADI Ocean Play Dive Centre run by the resort’s Fijian marine biologist, Laisenia Rokoua, and a world-class dive team. The entire team is committed to hosting fun, safe and environmentally aware dives for guests to enjoy this pristine underwater playground.
The island’s location between the Mamanuca and the Yasawa Island groups allows for exceptional viewing of marine life in the surrounding, consistently warm waters that offer high visibility. With the PADI diving team, you can spot bluefin kingfish, turtles, spotted eagle rays, butterfly fish, oriental sweetlips and giant trevallies. You can dive through channels, caves and tunnels viewing coral-filled overhangs and boulders. Customised programs and personalised diving experiences with specialty courses are available, taught by a highly experienced instructor.
When back on dry land, luxury travellers might be enticed by VOMO’s new beachfront private residence Taleitaki, which sleeps 10 and includes a 14-metre private pool and beachfront access. Private island rental of the entire Vomo Island is also available.
Coming soon: Nawi Island project
Due to open in the first quarter of 2023 is the Nawi Island project, a new international superyacht marina in Savusavu Bay, across from Fiji’s second-largest island of Vanua Levu. Nawi Island will also include luxury residences, a private yacht club and a world-class spa and resort. The marina, being built to stringent environmental standards, will feature berthing for 132 yachts including 21 dedicated superyachts and will have a boatyard facility on site, representing the first of its kind in the South Pacific.