Equally dreamy for families as for couples and repeat visitors, Fiji’s Malolo Island Resort favours all styles of holiday-maker, writes Anna Sarjeant
Location: A luxury meeting of exotic solitude meets need-for-nothing luxury, one hour by boat from Port Denarau, Nadi, in Fiji.
Style: A plantation-style estate freckled with beachfront bures nudging verdant hillside.
Price: Nightly rates start from NZ$808. We stayed in an Oceanfront Bure, which starts from NZ$1024 per night.
Perfect for: Island hopping or a week - or two - of bliss.
First impressions: The full island welcome awaits, with a jetty full of Fijians belting out traditional songs and strumming guitars. Then it’s a barefoot saunter into a large timber-framed pavilion for check-in. I don’t remember handing over my passport, for I was too busy face-planting the cold towel and drinking iced tea. There’s an element of luxury here, but it doesn’t take away from what you came for: tropical island living where the sand trickles into your bure and shoes have no place.
Rooms: 46 plantation-style duplex bures, white-washed and fronting the beach, of varying size and splendidness. We stay in an Oceanfront Bure, with a small veranda and plush seating overlooking the ocean. Indoors is large, with a sofa area for couples, that evidently transforms into two single beds if you’re a family of four. White wooden blinds and tiled flooring keep things cool and fresh. We ask for a cot in the main bedroom, which boasts a large king bed and unlike most rooms when you add a crib, remained spacious.
Bathroom: The en suite bathroom features a single vanity and a good-sized shower that mercifully, even on a faraway island, boasts decent pressure.
Food and drink: Follow the lizards along a sandy pathway toward the main building, a rather stately, white-washed structure set into dense forest. Designed to feel colonial, it has a grand staircase leading to two restaurants. Turn left for Terrace and a comprehensive hot and cold buffet breakfast, as well as family-friendly dining. Turn right and you’ll find yourself at Treetops. An adult-only fine-dining experience where there’s an a la carte menu to rival the best.
Back down at the jetty, you’ll find the open-air beach bar, perfect for lunch, casual dinners and drinks. Happy hour cocktails are accompanied by impressive sunsets and the nightly lighting of torches.
Facilities: Wi-Fi exists in pockets hither and thither, but do you really want it? There are two lagoon-style pools sitting across two levels. The higher is adult-only, the giveaway being a swim-up bar, but size and desirability-wise, there’s little distinction between that and the family pool. Both are heavenly.
In the neighbourhood: Whichever way you head, you’ll find the sea. Hammocks litter golden sands and there is a 30-minute forest walk for those wanting to stretch their legs. Snorkelling equipment and other non-motorised water activities such as kayaks are available. Also in the area, albeit a decent swim away, is a rather good-looking private island. Dominating the horizon, we enquired what it was: Officially, Wadigi Island. Or, as the locals put it – Google Island. Recently bought by the tech conglomerate for more millions than you or I dare dream of.
Family-friendly: Particularly useful for parents is the communal microwave. It saves asking staff to heat your baby’s food, which they are happy to do, but I much prefer to do it myself when I can. The staff made a huge fuss of our 1-year-old, and it was heartfelt; Fijians love kids. We stayed for three days and our boy gained a dozen new aunties and uncles.
Kids club is Tia’s Treehouse and offers an excellent indoor-outdoor mix of play, including daily activities such as scavenger hunts and boat building. Nannies can be hired at a moment’s notice but there’s a minimum two-hour booking at FJD$20/per hour, so make the most of it.
My partner will want me to mention the Do Not Disturb sign that they specifically gave us for baby and nap time. When used, hedge strimmers and noisy maintenance workers kindly avoided our bure. The other half was particularly impressed by this, which is amusing considering he regularly gets his drill out when the baby naps at home.
Accessibility: As you can imagine, getting to and from the island via ferry and then a small boat can be tricky - but not impossible, and Malolo Island Resort has staff on hand to help. Once on the island, deck walkways lead directly to most bures but there is no purpose-built accommodation with accessible bathrooms or facilities. The biggest obstacle is the restaurants which are both located at the top of a flight of stairs. However, a pathway leads up and over the hill behind the main building and drops into the dining area from behind if necessary.
Sustainability: A welcome sight when you venture to such a pristine island, there are no disposable toiletries in the bathrooms. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash are provided in rustic clay bottles.
Contact: maloloisland.com
Viking’s cruise brings Europe to your balcony..