Jordana Landres
Fiji’s a famously idyllic location for the vigorous adventurous diver who plays hard and relaxes harder. This tropical haven is home to some of the world’s most glorious natural beauty and diverse aquatic life. Say goodbye to tension and “Bula” (hello in Fijian dialect) to stunning volcanic rock, pale beach, vivid blue sky, and gorgeous blue ocean paradise. If basking in the splendor of these exclusive South Pacific escapes appeals to you (and how could it not?), prepare to arch your back with pleasure in the archipelago.
Whether you’re coming out for a destination wedding, a wintervention, corporate event, dive kingdom excursion, or plain divine vacation with your family or solo, you can look forward to an all-encompassing experience to delight your senses.
Vomo Island Fiji
Unwind and ease your five-alarm stress at this five-star all-inclusive resort set on two islands, Vomo and Vomo Lailai. Hillside villas afford the most expansive island views, while beachfront villas and havens offer lovely seaside access and scenery. All residences are designed to provide the ultimate in privacy and combine European with Fijian decor. The BeacHouse property has three king bedrooms and is a few steps away from the ocean. Other residences include Beachfront Retreats, The Palms, The Royal, and The Residence.
Stoked for deep relaxation? Have your cares and worries rubbed, smoothed, and (hot) rocked away—Kui spa also offers hot stone massages. Sodashi, an Australian natural, and chemical-free product line, is used for every treatment, including the deep, cleansing Sodashi Detoxifying Marine Body Wrap. Treatment rooms open out to water ponds and timber decks. Whether you opt for facials and hand and foot therapy or all three, administered by attentive and skilled Thai and Balinese therapists, this all sounds so blissful I’m surprised the sea turtles haven’t seen fit to lumber up the beach for treatments and they live in paradise. And the luxury is by no means an adult-only experience. Kui’s KidZpa also offers treatments for the rejuvenation and wellness-minded younger set and a daily activity program at the Kids Village.
Vomo offers nine PADI diving courses including one for kids and an array of PADI-specialty courses for the more advanced, including underwater photography and night diving along with five dive sites close to the premises.
Kokomo Island Fiji
The luscious brainchild and labor of love of billionaire Australian property developer Lang Walker, this beyond inclusive resort on a private island opened in March 2017 and is designed to cater to and delight an intergenerational market. Walker and his family have traveled Fiji together for many years. Kokomo is located at the edge of the Kadavu group of islands and is surrounded by the Astrolabe Reef, the world’s fourth largest. The villas come equipped with a private deck, a tropical garden, and stretch out along the island’s beaches.
Choose from the Owners Beachfront Residence and Luxury Hilltop Residences and you’ll have your own pool and walled garden. The residences are designed to provide exceptional privacy in traditional Fijian style. If you’re craving the penultimate scenery experience, check out (and into) one of the five Hilltop Luxury Residences. Kokomo Fiji also has 21 exclusive beachfront villas. The Raintree Spa has an array of treatments available.
When it’s time to dine, your choices include the Beach Shack and the Cabana for food to fill your plate and please your palate. For those guests choosing the resort’s dining options, executive chef Daniel Johnson prepares locally sourced meals from the surrounding area and oversees all culinary operations. A poolside café offers additional swimming. The resort has tennis courts, a gym, a children’s club, and walking trails.
Kokomo is a 5-star PADI Diving Resort and caters to divers of all levels. The Great Astrolabe Reef is close by; explore coral gardens and revel in the presence of marine life under the water’s surface. Snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, and stand up paddleboarding and more can all be found here.
Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa
Denarau Island is this Sofitel property’s beautiful home. This five-star resort pampers with a French touch. Unwind in Sofitel Fiji’s airy, bright, and spacious rooms which all come with their own balcony or terrace. Destination weddings? Mais oui! A beachfront chapel welcomes marrying couples. You can also enjoy a couple’s dinner in front of So Spa. For relaxation time, pineapple exfoliating facials, coconut milk baths, body scrubs, and wraps are all yours for the enjoying. And if you’ve been yearning to find yourself in a lagoon pool, Sofitel Fiji has you covered. As you lounge and swim, look up to see a flourish of low-lying pale clouds sweep across the sky, somehow softening and brightening the Fijian sun all at once.
Guided walks and tours are available to connect you with Fijian culture, and Denaru’s golf and racquet club are adjacent.
Lagoon Restaurant is on the resort’s ground floor by the pool and features a live cooking station and six buffet options. Breeze Bar and Lounge in the lobby is a hang out steps from the front door of your hotel room. For some adults-only time, the Watui Beach Club features a pool with a swim-up bar and private poolside cabanas and is the perfect vantage point to watch the sun set on the Nadi bay while sampling from the club’s tapas menu.
Qamea Resort and Spa Fiji
Qamea was voted the Best Luxury Destination Spa in Fiji by the World Luxury Spa Awards in 2016.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself on a beautiful beach watching the sunset with your hair still wet from the ocean as you dine next to it. Qamea, located just north of Taveuni Island, is a boutique resort sporting 17 air-conditioned bures— Fijian style huts with soaring ceilings and thatched roofs— for adults only, including a honeymoon bure, set on a private white sand beach on 100 acres. It’s the only resort on the island. Rooms with private swimming pools or Jacuzzi spa are available and all residences have outdoor showers. The resort and staff are devoted to providing an authentic and supremely peaceful Fijian experience for their guests. As for design, lush tropical foliage and architecture converge to provide protective, scenic privacy.
The Jungle Spa offers traditional Fijian body therapy treatments and uses the Guinot product line. As you’re being tended to you can hear the sound of the ocean and native jungle birds. Savor the Beaute Neuve Facial, a concoction of fruit acids and enzymes which dissolves dead skin cells and enhances your complexion.
Qamea offers activities ranging from a picnic by a jungle waterfall to snorkeling, sea kayaking to croquet and island walks.
Ready to plunge into the water? Get your PADI certification and enjoy a mixed-species swim with manta rays and sea turtles. If you’re already set, most of the dive sites are minutes away from the resort and Qamea also offers charter dives to famed sites including the Rainbow Reef and White Wall.
