Fiji's Tropica Island Resort. "Google Island", can be seen in the background, to the left. It was reportedly bought by Google co-founder Larry Page in lockdown.
Alanah Eriksen goes adults-only resort hopping in Fiji and reaps the benefits of peace, quiet and multiple massages.
Every time I’ve been to Fiji, it has been kid-related - as a kid, with other people’s kids and finally with my own kid.
We love ‘em, but maybe we want a break from ‘em every now and then.
So I went adults-only resort hopping and the vibe couldn’t have been more different from my past experiences.
I had a slight reservation that I’d be the weirdo travelling solo among honeymooners and flame rekindlers, but each resort turned out to be the perfect place to shut off from the real world, often diving into another by burying my head in a book.
And the three I visited were all part of the idyllic Mamanuca Islands - short boat rides from one another - so you weren’t wasting time traveling when you could be tanning, sleeping, drinking, eating, reading, swimming or getting a massage.
READ MORE: Stay like a celebrity at this adults-only spot
Malolo Island, Mamanuca Islands
You know you’ve come across something good when it doesn’t look real.
Upon arriving by boat at Tropica Island Resort, the staff are gathered at the jetty to serenade new guests with dulcet tones and a guitar, while waving flags, massive smiles plastered across their faces.
As I was the only guest on the boat, I felt like royalty.
And they already knew my name, and used it constantly throughout my stay.
The resort looks out at Wadigi Island, also known as Google Island, because the search engine giant co-founder Larry Page brought it during lockdown.
It’s such an interesting sight. A bit comical looking because it’s like they have tried to put as many houses on it as they could.
Within an hour of arriving, I was on a boat with other guests to go snorkelling.
I asked the captain what to do if I saw a shark. His response?
“Smile and say bula, okay bye,” before ushering us off the boat.
And what do you think happened 10 minutes later? Yep, shark. It was no Great White, perhaps a reef shark, but my heart definitely skipped a beat.
It turns out there really was nothing to worry about, he was merrily following a fish. And I swear it winked at me on the way past. Even the sharks are friendly at Tropica.
My room was a dream. I had one of the 70sq m 10 beachfront pool bures (the resort has 24 bures and suites in total) which had a large plunge pool on a spacious deck and was just metres from the beach and surrounded by lush gardens.
On arrival, staff had beautifully spelled out my name on my bed with flax, and there was an endless supply of bottled water and the usual shower goodies you find at luxury resorts. In both showers that is - the spacious indoor one and the river rock outdoor shower, which is the only one I used.
It would have been the perfect spot to watch the sunset from while sipping a cocktail had I not done it at the Lakomai Bar instead. Right on the water’s edge, staff sang karaoke - The Pointer Sisters’ Fire and Chris Stapleton’s Tennessee Whiskey were a hit - as I sipped on a sweet radioactive-looking green drink.
You can choose to eat at the bar too, which I did. My food picks are the saffron arancini balls with brie, tomato chutney and coriander. And for the main, the brine pork belly which comes with infused rice, wok toss greens and soy honey reduction.
A point of difference from the other two resorts I stayed at was the daily yoga at 7am.
Doing the baby cobra while looking out to Wadigi Island was unlike any other yoga class I’ve done (there have been many).
Things became even more unique at the end when the instructor went to each of us and massaged our feet.
It was then time for a massage in the resort’s al fresco bure just a five-minute walk to an elevated point.
My masseur had magic hands and a quiet demeanour so it felt like it was just me, the hands and the soothing sounds of crashing waves.
Dazed and relaxed, I had a late breakfast at the resort’s Lakalaka Restaurant, an open-air space overlooking the pool and ocean.
A juice maker was a hit with guests. Put in any of the fresh tropical fruit, laid out for you - including passionfruit, papaya, pineapple, mango and guava - and receive a nutritious, cold juice to kickstart your day of relaxation.
Australian couple Rob and Sue Cecconi have owned the resort since 2011, two years after they visited it while on holiday when it was operating as Walu Beach Resort.
When they started making their dream resort, they didn’t have a kids' club in the plan so they soon realised they were building a holiday retreat that was not conducive to children unless they were over 16.
While my stay at Tropica eventually came to an end, I was obviously in such a relaxed state that I left my wallet behind.
Big points to the staff who managed to get it on a flight back to New Zealand and into the offices of Fiji Tourism’s Ponsonby office.
Malolo Lailai Island, Mamanuca Islands
Lomanireally does take the “no kids” thing seriously. At dinner one night a staffer spotted a group of young people wandering past the pool and raced to check that they were indeed guests.
The 20-year-old resort is part of the Australian Raffe Hotels & Resorts Group which also owns the family-friendly Plantation Island Resort next door.
Plantation had just had a Schoolies group tear through. Hundreds of Australian school-leavers had hired out the entire place.
But there was no sign of drunken debauchery when we golf carted through to get to Lomani.
And the beautifully obliging staff hid any sign of shell shock well.
Lomani has 30 bures and each one has direct beach access.
I had one of the pool bures which would have been big enough to fit an entire extended family. But no kids allowed of course.
They bures are the epitome of luxury with a private plunge pool, expansive sundecks and an outdoor shower.
The cleaners come twice a day and leave special treats at your bedside.
Lomani’s biggest selling point - in my opinion - is its new spa which features a sauna, plunge pool, ice bath and relaxation deck, as well as three private treatment bures.
You can opt to have a couples massage with your loved one, or ditch them so there is no temptation to try and start a conversation when you’re meant to be relaxing.
And providing ultimate exclusivity, it’s all for Lomani guests only.
Guests can also choose to have their massage on the beachfront, which I did, behind a see-through curtain, snoozing into dreamland within minutes.
The resort offers all the usual water sport fun - kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing, snorkelling. There are also bikes so you can explore the island and boat trips to local villages.
Or, forget the activities and just lounge in a private cabana by the pool. The attentive staff will serve you from there. A pina colada during happy hour as the sun sets is a must.
The resort’s Flame Tree Restaurant, which guests can rock up to at any time, uses locally-sourced Fijian ingredients.
For lunch, try the pumpkin, feta and walnut salad with a refreshing real coconut drink.
For dinner, the rosemary-crusted lamb rack was delicious with mashed kumala, charred fennel bulb, glazed tomato, pistachio chimichurri jus.
Mamanuca Islands
Tokoriki Island Resort bills itself as “the most awarded adults-only boutique luxury island resort”.
It’s easy to see why.
I had a beachfront pool villa which was probably the most bougie room I’ve ever stayed in and would be a perfect honeymoon spot.
The 120sq m villa features separate living and sleeping quarters, indoor and outdoor showers and a 70sq m deck with a 3.5m x 2.5m infinity-edge personal pool, sun lounges and a cabana with a double daybed.
The resort has the usual water activities you’d expect from a luxury Fijian resort but it’s the tiny details that set this resort apart - and the reason why so many guests return.
I don’t know how they do it, but the staff already know your name on arrival and remember it every time you greet them.
There is a poolside sunglasses cleaning service, daily island-made cookies left in the rooms, 11am mini cocktails and free canapes at the bar.
Australian businessman Andrew Turnbull - known for bringing Chupa Chup lollipops from Spain to the rest of the world, including New Zealand - has owned the resort for 30 years.
GETTING THERE
Fiji Airways and Air New Zealand fly directly from Auckland to Nadi.
For Lomani, after a transfer to Port Denarau, it’s a 40-minute ferry ride on the Mololo Cat - which travels three times a day - to Malolo Lailai (Little Malolo), part of the Mamanuca Islands. The lovely staff then pick you up in a golf cart-type vehicle and drive you for about 10 minutes through Plantation Island to Lomani.
Tropica is closeby on Malolo Island. South Sea Cruises offers one-hour, high-speed catamaran transfers from Port Denarau three times a day and Sea Fiji offers a fast boat transfer once a day.
For Tokoriki, a catamaran leaves to the island once a day. It takes just over an hour.
Or if you’re wanting to arrive in style at any of the resorts, you can take a seaplane, helicopter, or private water taxi.
MORE DETAILS
For more information on the resorts, visit lomaniisland.com, tokoriki.com and tropicaisland.com.
Alanah Eriksen travelled to Fiji as a guest of Tourism Fiji, Tropica, Lomani and Tokoriki.
Some domestic regional flights have been affected.