PARADISE FOUND
BULA! IT’S THE GREETINGyou’ll hear numerous times a day
and the word impossible to say back without a grin. And it’s
no wonder Fijians are always smiling, with 300 islands, each
offeringits own slice of paradise.
MyislanddestinationisMalolo,whereluxuryoperator
Six Senses has opened a sprawling resort that’s still growing.
A 35-minute speedboat ride from Denarau Marina, itself just
20minutesfromNadiAirport,andyouarriveattheSixSenses
jettyto the sound of guitars strumming and a beautiful
welcomesongfromthebeamingstaff.
Afterarefreshingginger-and-lemondrink,I’mintroduced
tomyGuestExperienceManager–betterknownbythefar
moreevocativeterm,GEM.Whiskedawayonagolfbuggy,
wepasslargeprivateresidencesandtheopengreenofthe
outdoorcinema.MyGEMpointsouttheyogastudioontop
ofthehill,andTovolearestaurant,whereI’mtoldbreakfastis
served.Arrivingatmybeachfrontpoolvilla,I’mreadytoexplore.
Butfirst,togetacquaintedwithhomeforthenextfewnights.
To my right, a four-poster bed flanked by wardrobes
(completewithyogamats,thongsandrobes),followedbythe
spacious bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, and
adeep,invitingoutdoorbath–Imakeamentalnotetofind
timeforthatlater.Tomyleft,acomfortablesittingroomwith
animpressivebarforwhichyoucanrequestanyfruityoumight
need to knock up your favourite libation – another mental note
tomaketimeforthatlater,too.Sweepingopenthesliding
doors,I’monmydeckcompletewithdaybeds, private pool and
my very own path straight to the beach.
Thatevening, we have dinner planned on the beach, meeting
forChampagnejustasthesunsets.ThesunsetsinFijiare
glorious,andwe’reattheperfectvantagepointtowatchthe
sun’s colours go from orange to burning red, before it drops
below the horizon. The chefs have prepared a feast, using the
traditionallovomethod, where food is buried underground
to slowly cook for hours. Following the impressive spread,
fire dancers arrive and give a spectacular show, followed by
a traditional kava festival.
Kava is an indigenous plant and very important in Fijian social
life,inthisinstancemadeintoadrink(withaveryvegetaltaste)
andofferedtoguestswhomustclaponcetoacceptitand
twiceoncethey’vedrunkitdown.It’sknowntohavearelaxing
effect, and let’s just say I didn’t make use of the in-room bar
beforebedthatnightafterall.
Awoken by a chopping sound (luckily not caused by the kava),
Iheadtomydeckandwonderatthededicatedmanhoisting
himselfupapalmtreewithaverybasic-lookinghinged
construction to hack coconuts down for breakfast. With that
in mind, I head to Tovolea and grab a coconut, toasting the
dedicatedfinder,alongwithfreshfruitandyoghurt.Thislean
towardsthenutritiousoptionisperhapsbecausemywellness
assessmentisupnext.Thisisaserviceofferedattheresort to
guestshoping to improve their health during the stay.
Onarrivaltothespa,afreshtowelisofferedtocoolyou,then
you’rehookeduptovariousmachinesdestinedtomeasureyour
overall wellbeing. Following this assessment, your therapist can
suggest a daily regimen of exercise, spa treatments and even a