We never have actually stayed in a resort but we see quite a few of of them, usually from offshore. We put the best ones on a mental list for the day when someone asks where they could go for a sweet Pacific get-away. We also expect the day when we would be looking for a sweet Pacific get-away ourselves.
We are really impressed with the eco-bungalow operation on Namena Island.
This island is about 25 nm from anywhere, out in the middle of the Koro Sea. It sits in the middle of an atollesque barrier reef and has a spectacular fringe reef skirting the island. The island is privately owned but it sits within a marine conservation park. Ten of the 100 acres have been developed to support six bungalows, which are perched on the cliffs above the reef with excellent views.
The amenities are basic. No air conditioning, no internet, no phones, no TV, just rain catchment water and lots of tropical wood furnishings.
There is a beautiful restaurant/lounge with a library of paperback books.
This would be a great place to escape form the world and spend some high quality time with your partner, a host of tropical birds and plants, and some of the best underwater diversity we’ve ever seen.
But it’s hard to beat the Cousteau Resort Village in Savusavu to fulfill the post card image of a tropical vacation.
The bungalows are well hidden in the palms behind a nice beach.
There’s an active dive operation here running trips to the barrier reef on the far side of some fun micro-islands.
It might be a stretch to call it a resort but if we ever go back to Suva we’ll stay at The Five Princes again. This place has a great mix of classy colonial history and lush tropical overgrowth.
There’s a small pool tucked into the terraced gardens…
where gold plated beetles inadvertently swim.
The building style was defined by a time before air-conditioning.
But these rooms have all the mod-cons and the splurging yachtie had the option to watch movies, surf the web, and loaf around (after their unlimited showers) in arctic conditions if they wanted to.
