Located within the huge fantastic thing about the South Pacific’s Lomaiviti Archipelago, Wakaya is a tiny, non-public island within the coronary heart of Fiji. While the island itself spans over 3,200 acres, Wakaya Club & Spa’s footprint is deliberately small permitting for almost all of the island to stay an untouched paradise.
Wakaya is an intimate luxurious resort that options simply 10 free-standing waterfront Fijian “bures,” which embody two palatial non-public residence villas whose environment mix seamlessly with the luxurious panorama of Wakaya Island.
Each of the seven Ocean View Bures affords 1,650 sq. ft of tranquility, full with Fijian textiles, pure finishes and indigenous Yaka timber flooring. They characteristic regionally made Fijian mattresses from Suva, a shocking rest room suite with Jacuzzi bathtub, two vanities, an open-air lava rock bathe, in addition to a gracious front room that opens as much as a personal, secluded backyard main right down to the seaside with its personal hammock.
Those who go to Wakaya are searching for the highway much less traveled. While the journey to Wakaya is not a straightforward one, Fiji Airways Business Class actually makes the business flight a delight. With direct flights from San Francisco, I boarded a enterprise class flight with a workers whose stage of hospitality was second to none. From a three-course meal and full tuck-in earlier than mattress to the recent cup of espresso (in an actual mug) handed to me upon dawn, I could not have been happier.
After about 11 hours, we landed at Nadi International Airport. We proceeded to board Wakaya’s personal non-public Cessna plane which flew us for 45 minutes over essentially the most insanely blue waters of Fiji. Upon touchdown, we had been whisked away for another quick, albeit bumpy journey, by the wild jungle of Wakaya. None of us had been fairly ready for the nice and cozy welcome that was ready for us.
Interior of an ocean view bure. (Photo Credit: Chelsea Davis)
Wakaya is a really particular vacation spot that provides friends a brand new sense of place and belonging. One of the most important differentiators from different luxurious properties is how extremely gracious, hospitable and welcoming the workers of simply 90 Fijians is. Once we acquired out of the van, we had been welcomed with tune and dance, coconuts and Fijian garlands.
“Wakaya is a safe, private resort with luxury accommodations and food. We have the friendliest people on earth here,” explains the just lately promoted Monika Pal, Wakaya’s first feminine General Manager.
“We want to make sure our guests are coming to the best place possible. Wakaya is so private — you won’t get this anywhere. The moment you arrive it’s a 100 percent change. And once you meet the staff here, it changes your whole perspective coming from a first-world country to Fiji. Wakaya is incomparable.”
The Wakaya expertise is all-inclusive, and whereas for a lot of that conjures up pictures of subpar, all-you-can-eat buffets and low cost liquor, that could not be farther from the case right here. Over 60 p.c of the components used within the meals listed here are grown on Wakaya.
On the property is a one-and-a-half acre natural farm and herb backyard that grows all the pieces from eggplant and Dilo spinach to soursop and guava. The culinary crew forages from the freshest components to serve on the property each morning.
Breakfast views at Wakaya. (Photo Credit: Chelsea Davis)
Guests sit down to a few distinctive, made-to-order meals each day. There’s no set menu at Wakaya, with every meal based mostly on what’s contemporary. The extremely proficient culinary crew contains Sous Chef Siteri Adicakobau, Sous Chef Emiou Ruateke, Pastry Chef Kelera Cegu and Junior Chef Peniame Drova. Every morning, Chef Cegu floored us together with her choice of unbelievable baked items. The spotlight was her decadently moist French toast, of which I’ll be eager for till I return to the island.
Overall, the delicacies is a fusion of Indian, Mediterranean and contemporary Fijian flavors that incorporate each the bounty and recreation of Wakaya. The workers frequently hunts for deer in the course of the seasons that enable it and goes spearfishing each day. The friends are additionally provided the choice to catch their very own fish for the meals of the day.
Standout dishes included Wakayan venison sashimi served alongside a sizzling Wakayan lava rock to cook dinner it on; breadfruit curry, a starchy fruit that is uncommon in most components of the U.S.; kokoda, a Fijian ceviche made with coconut milk and a lot extra.
Curry rooster tacos. (Photo Credit: Chelsea Davis)
Guests of the island are additionally invited to participate in genuine Fijian culinary experiences that embody a standard lovo — an all-natural-underground oven that slowly cooks meat, fish and greens which were meticulously wrapped in banana and palm leaves till tender and flavorful.
Each day the workers prepares a specifically curated itinerary for its friends. From guided hikes to Chieftain’s Leap, the island’s highest level, and snorkeling to see the island’s uncommon large clams, to glass-bottom kayaking over the colourful coral reefs and experiencing genuine Fijian traditions that embody kava welcome ceremonies, every day is an journey.
When it is time for relaxation and rest, the property has Breeze Spa, a serene hideaway that provides remedies that embody the newly added Dilo Leaf physique wrap which makes use of the Dilo Leafs grown on the property.
Whether a personal Fijian bbq on considered one of Wakaya’s southeastern seashores to a fantastic meal set beneath handwoven cathedral ceilings searching in the direction of an unbelievable sundown, the extent of curation and a focus to element that the workers affords its friends’ stays is solely unparalleled.
The yard and personal seaside of the ocean view bure. (Photo Credit: Chelsea Davis)
The property is located in one of the vital untouched marine wildernesses on the planet, and as such, sustainability and conservation are quintessential to the expertise at Wakaya.
Currently, the property has a workers of eight fish wardens, skilled by the Fijian Ministry of Fisheries, to guard the waters from poachers and different harmful forces.
While the work they do to guard the Wakaya Marine Preserve, which is residence to all the pieces from hammerhead sharks to inexperienced again turtles, is kind of spectacular, they imagine this is not sufficient.
“We as a resort are practicing sustainability and are doing our share but we can do more,” says Pal. “We want to educate our guests and have them do their share of helping the environment before they leave, especially with planting new coral. This also gives them something to look forward to seeing when they return.”
In addition to defending over 16,000 sq. kilometers of marine life and rehoming quite a few species, notably the enormous clam, the property is present process plans for each coral restoration and manta ray conservation initiatives. This will see new marine biologists and environmentalist consultants added to the marine workers.
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Source: www.travelpulse.com”
