Fiji's Koro Sun Resort is much busier than it looks. Photo / Supplied
Fiji's Koro Sun Resort is much busier than it looks. Photo / Supplied
Three unique resorts make Anne Cooke and Steve Haggerty feel right at home.
As the departing guests gathered under the coconut palms to await the airport shuttle, one began to sniffle and tears ran down her cheeks. The rest of us, startled, exchanged looks.
We thought she'd been put off by Koro Sun Resort, the most family-friendly, but noisiest, of the three beach resorts we'd visited in Fiji.
"I hate to leave," she said, mopping her eyes as the Fijian staff assembled to say goodbye.
Turning from one smiling face to the next, she hugged the housekeeper, high-fived the kayaking guide and gave a thumbs-up to the guitar player who'd invited her to share in a late-night bowl of kava. "I'll never see them again," she said. "It feels like losing the family I didn't know I had."
Compared with dreamy Yasawa Island Resort, on a pristine sand beach in the remote northwest Yasawa archipelago, or with Nanuku Resort, a group of villas in Pacific Harbour, on Viti Levu, Fiji's main island, Koro Sun on the island of Vanua Levu felt like a summer camp.
Each day started with a bang and didn't slow down until the Southern Cross appeared in the sky. We were welcomed with a fruit drink served in a coconut and steered to a chair for a 10-minute foot massage.
Shouting kids ran through the lobby on their way to the pool and water slide, passing a group of cyclists geared up for a ride. A three-generation family partied at an adjacent dinner table and all 108 of the resort's guests packed into the Clubhouse to watch pounding drums and a meke (traditional dance).
We donned snorkelling gear and went out with the dive boat, floating over the coral reefs while the divers deep below snaked their way through the "Dungeons and Dragons" canyon.
Other guests made their own plans, quietly slipping away to kayak through the cave at Bat Island, indulging in a meditative massage in the secluded Rainforest Spa, exploring the town of Savusavu and identifying indigenous flowers.
We'd been anticipating that last morning, too, but for a different reason. As seasoned Fiji fans we knew the staff would assemble to sing Isa Lei, the national love song. "Every moment my heart for you is yearning; those happy hours are fleeting," is the translation. It's enough to put a lump in any throat.
But the truth is, most Fijians, wherever they live on this 322-island paradise, would sing it voluntarily. Raised in traditional villages where choir-singing is the soul of the church and children learn harmony at their mother's knees, music is part of the culture.
But a single song doesn't mean Fiji's beach resorts are alike. Far from it. Each has a unique personality, shaped by location, climate, topography and the owner's vision.
Yasawa Island Resort, where we'd been before, is a deluxe hideaway on a blue lagoon, accessible only by helicopter, small plane or boat. The experience, with 18 traditionally thatched and furnished bures, candle-lit dinners, chef's menus and no-pressure days, is a dream come true for self-motivated explorers, A-list luminaries and honeymooners. "We're on Fiji time here," said Manasa Ragigia, Yasawa's resident elder and "spokesman" at Bukama, the neighbouring village. "You want to fish all day? Fish," he told us, mixing drinks at the sunset cocktail party. "You want to kayak or snorkel? Whatever you like, it's your choice."
Nanuku Resort is close to a host of activities. Photo / Supplied
Indeed, our fellow guests - including a honeymooning couple - knew exactly what they wanted. Mornings were filled with boat dives on nearby reefs and coral mounts, snorkelling off the beach, windsurfing, fishing for marlin or sailing the catamaran. Afternoons offered meet-the-people tours in Bukama, lolling in the infinity pool, reading, joining the cultural and basket-weaving demonstrations and beachcombing. Ragigia and chef Talala Tupou prepared a lovo (underground oven) feast, a chance to taste Fiji's favourite ingredients and dishes.
Our bure, tucked among ferns, hibiscus and palms, had a private deck, plantation shutters, hammock, a biscuit tin that was never empty, indoor and outdoor showers, piles of towels, and air conditioning.
A boat ride took us south to Blue Lagoon, flooded limestone caverns that were one of the locations for the eponymous movie featuring 14-year-old Brooke Shields.
Back on Viti Levu, Fiji's main island, we headed for Nanuku Resort, a gated group of new and remodelled villas on the lagoon in Pacific Harbour. The villas are grouped around the pool and pool deck, where the torch-lighting ceremony is held at sunset.
Depending on how the space is shared, Nanuku has lodging for up to 80 guests, from couples and families to reunions and small meetings.
According to manager Karen Taylor, Nanuku's location at the east end of the Coral Coast is why it succeeds as a Fijian-style safari lodge. "With the ocean in front of us and the mountains behind, there's everything from hiking and river rafting to sailing," she said.
Since nannies are included in the lodging cost, parents can get away for a few hours, or - as the couple staying below us did - "bring the nanny along every day to help with the children".
One couple said they'd played 18 holes of golf at the Country Club; another took a day-long trek across the Namosi Highlands.
We saw the firewalkers, toured a hillside village and explored the vegetable market in Navua.
A family with teenagers signed up for surfing at world famous Yanuca Island; the next day they headed south across the channel to Beqa Island's lagoon, to dive with sharks.
In Fiji, said Taylor, "even the sharks think you're family".
CHECKLIST
Getting there: Air New Zealand flies daily from Auckland to Nadi.
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Your Fiji
1. Try dining locally - there are a number of great restaurants and cafes in and around Nadi serving delicious food sourced and prepared locally. Try Tu's Café, Taste Fiji and Café O all located on the main road between Nadi Airport and the Denarau turnoff.
2. If you're staying on Denarau - it's easy to get out to the Mamanuca Islands for a day trip with up to 3 daily departures onboard a luxury catamaran. Enjoy a few hours at Castaway or Malolo Island Resort with lunch and a swim.
3. While it's more expensive to travel to the North in Fiji and the beautiful resorts on Vanua Levu and Taveuni, once you're there, it's surprisingly great value with meals included in your room rate.
4. There is always something new happening down at the Port Denarau Marina. The new Denarau Yacht Club opened just a few weeks ago, so make sure you check out their new Restaurant and Café the Rhum-Ba.
5. On Sunday afternoons, head to Vuda Marina (20 minutes from Nadi Town) and the Boatshed Restaurant & Bar for great food and a live jazz band. It's popular, so book ahead.
6. Planning your Wedding? Check out the many options in Fiji - it's great value and everyone gets a holiday thrown in!
