Stephanie Holmes finds there's only one feature missing.
It was possibly one of the most romantic moments of my life. Or at least, it could have been, were I not travelling by myself. I was being driven along an impossibly beautiful coastal path in a golf buggy and my chauffeur, Saki, was playing Unchained Melody from his mobile phone. To the right was a sweep of white crushed coral sand, leading to perfect turquoise water, clear enough to see huge schools of sardines darting in unison in the shallows. As the Righteous Brothers crooned, Saki pulled the cart to a stop, reached to his left and picked a vibrant red hibiscus flower from its leaves and placed it behind my ear.
"Everyone needs a flower here," he said, solemnly, before continuing our journey to drop me off for lunch. In the breezy, ocean-facing dining room, every other woman — all glowing, relaxed, sexy salt-dried hair — had hibiscus behind their ears too and I was grateful to be adhering to the informal dress code.
Being alone was certainly not the norm at Matamanoa Island, an adults-only slice of perfection in Fiji's Mamanucas. Every other bure was occupied by couples, many of whom were honeymooning or recently engaged. And if they weren't engaged when they arrived, they probably would be by the time they left. The private island oozes romance, with intimate, secluded accommodation and the kind of views that immediately spring to mind when you hear the word "paradise".
The high-end resort is almost always at capacity, manager Mela tells me, so those planning their own romantic getaway need to book well in advance. It's not hard to see why it's so popular — this is barefoot luxury at its very best.
