Imagine a palm-fringed paradise which offers over 500 acres of rainforests and beaches. Devouring a three course meal as the sun sets over the ocean. Getting a rejuvenating massage to the sound of the waves. Swimming with baby sharks. Luxuriating in the splendour of villas far away from civilisation.

Namale Resort and Spa is for those who hanker for that next-level honeymoon or romantic getaway. It is no ordinary hotel. The hotel offers scrumptious meals, endless drinks, scenic destination-dining opportunities, water sports and a plethora of cultural experiences all included in the nightly room rate.  But what makes it truly special is that fact that no request is too much for the staff. You could request dozens of candles at your dinner table, freshly-cooked vegetarian food, or even cocktails on a float in the middle of the sea. And the staff will get it done! That’s what makes it unlike any other hotel we’ve visited.

The best part, of course, is that it affords unrivalled privacy and is geared specially towards couples. Luxurious rooms are equipped with everything from plunge pools to projector and room service is free. So you don’t even need to leave your room if you don’t want to! It’s that elusive haven where you can leave both your wallet and your watch packed inside your bags because you won’t be needing either of them! Read on to find out why it’s the ideal romantic getaway 🙂

Picking the right room

Namale Resort and Spa boasts of over 525 of rainforest and beaches with just 20 rooms. No two rooms are alike and each of them have a different name. So irrespective of which one you choose, privacy and luxury is almost a given! Traditional Fijian Bures (huts) and one-bedroom villas are equipped with large bedrooms, spacious wardrobes, bath tubs, luxurious Fijian toiletries, sprawling balconies, and private pools. But it’s the novel touches such an in-room projectors, Apple TVs, and 24 hour room service that make it almost impossible to tear oneself away from the room.

If you are at Namale Resort and Spa for more than 5 days, we’d suggest splitting your time between one of the Honeymoon Bures and one-bedroom villa. The Honeymoon Bure is spacious enough for a couple and offers a large balcony, private plunge pool, and direct access to the beach via a private staircase. We opted for the Susana Bure due to its proximity to the reception and restaurant.

The one-bedroom villa amplifies the luxury factor even further by offering guests the largest accommodation we’ve ever seen on our travels. To call it a hotel room would be a travesty because it comes equipped with 2 dining rooms, 2 outdoor rain showers, bath tub, a sprawling dressing room, a huge balcony with several seating areas and the pièce de ré·sis·tance a large swimming pool overlooking the ocean! We chose the Civa villa because it offers some of the best views in the hotel. Take a look for yourself.

Dining

For someone like me, who is always annoyed at how quickly dining costs add up when we are on holiday, the all-inclusive concept is godsent. Of course this means that all drinks and meals at Namale Resort and Spa are included in the cost of the room itself. The hotel has an open bar and 2 restaurants that offer a mix of continental and Fijian delicacies. The menu changes each night but guests can personalise each meal and even request dishes that are not on the menu. We had the most scrumptious Fijian prawn curry on our first night there and I requested it for dinner almost every day after! No request is too much for the chefs at Namale.

But the best part is yet to come. A variety of scenic destination dining experiences are included in the cost of the room as well. This includes

• Lunches by a private waterfall in the hotel complex
• Meals at the Lover’s Deck, overlooking the ocean and a natural blowhole
• Cocktails & dinner at the beach as the sun sets over the ocean
• Sundowners at the incredibly scenic blowhole deck
• A candle-light dinner inside a cave

We’d suggest giving as many of these a try as you possibly can. But those are just some of dining opportunities suggested by the hotel. Namale’s motto seems to be – you don’t go for lunch, lunch comes to you! Keeping that in mind, the staff is eager to serve guests a meal literally anywhere they want. You could be sitting in a remote corner of the beach and the staff will bring your meal there!

Entertainment

Each evening, the hotel hosts a variety of shows that showcase Fijian culture and history. We loved the energetic Polynesian dance performed by a group of young Fijian students and the traditional Fijian Meke dance. But the one experience we would highly recommend participating in is the traditional Fijian kava ceremony. The rituals surrounding the kava root are deeply intertwined with Fijian culture. While the taste of kava is, at best, an acquired taste, we’d urge you to give it a try and sing along with the local musicians as you partake in the ceremony.

Activities

It’s easy to spend entire days in your villa at Namale Resort and Spa. But a whole host of activities are included in the nightly price of the room and we’d definitely recommend experiencing as many of them as possible. Here’s some we would definitely recommend:

• Horse riding by the beach – this was one of my favourite things to do at the hotel. You can book a horse riding session, irrespective of whether you’re an amateur or a pro.
• Kayaking – just pick up your kayaks from the activity centre and go kayaking under the Fijian sun
• Water sports – if you’re a water baby, then you could spend your days waterskiing, paddle-boarding, and snorkelling. Namale is also an ideal spot to book a diving session as it is a PADI 5 star resort facility
• For a bit of fun under the sun, try out the water trampoline
• And most importantly, spend hours on the beautiful beach under the shadow of palm trees 🙂

Add ons

If you have any time left after experiencing the range of included dining and experiential activities at Namale, the hotel also offers some truly special experiences for a fee. There are several of these on offer and the hotel can also arrange any bespoke experience that you might have read about somewhere or always wanted to tick off your bucket list. But here are a couple of paid experiences we would highly recommend:

• Sandbar Picnic – sail to a remote sandbar in the middle of nowhere and spend the day snorkelling and sipping on chilled beers as you admire the crystal clear waters and spot a baby shark or two
• Two waterfall hike – if you want to work up an appetite and acquaint yourself with the sights and sounds of Vanua Levu, then book a hike to two gorgeous waterfalls. The day starts with a stop at a local market followed by an uphill hike to the first waterfall. Next, you will get the chance to present the kava root to a village elder and walk to the second waterfall, where you can take a refreshing dip and relax
• A relaxing treatment at the spa – book yourself a relaxing massage at the Namale spa. For the ultimate indulgence, consider booking the Moonlight Magic treatment. What is that? Imagine being surrounded by a carpet of flowers and candles, as the sun sets over the beach. Following it up with an indulgent body massage with fruits of the Earth like coconut cream and warm oils. Relaxing in a warm hydrotherapy pool. And winding down with herbal tea and nibbles to the sound of the waves and the full moon stretched out over the beach

Getting to Namale Resort And Spa

Namale Resort and Spa is located near Savusavu on the island of Vanua Levu. You will need to take a long-haul flight from your country of origin to Nadi International Airport (Fiji). Following this, you will need to take a short domestic flight (1.5 hours) from Nadi to Savusavu. This is an incredibly scenic flight in a tiny aircraft, so make sure you grab the window seat! Namale Resort and Spa is a 30 minute drive from the airport.

Fiji Airways offers convenient flights to Nadi International Airport (Fiji) from a host of places including Singapore, Christchurch (New Zealand), Auckland (New Zealand) and Sydney (Australia). We took a direct flight from Singapore to Nadi. The 10 hour flight was comfortable. The business-class section of the aircraft, an Airbus 330, had 3 rows instead of 4. This ensured spacious seats and more leg room than usual. The menu had a good mix of Fijian and Asian delicacies and a standard range of snacks, cheese platters, and beverages. Of course, the one thing that makes the experience different is Fiji Airways’ characteristic Fijian hospitality. From the second you step foot on board the aircraft, warm smiles and personalised attention make guests feel truly special.

This was the case literally everywhere we went in Fiji. If you enjoy being lavished with attention, then Fiji is the place for you and Fiji Airways the airline of choice 🙂

Fact File

• We’d suggest combining your honeymoon in Fiji with a city break in Australia or a road trip in New Zealand
• Namale Resort and Spa is located on the island of Vanua Levu, which is a short and incredibly scenic flight from Nadi International Airport (Fiji)
• Namale Resort and Spa offers unrivalled privacy and is ideal for honeymoons and romantic getaways.
• Prices start at $800. The nightly price of the room includes accommodation, all activities, all meals, destination dining, and unlimited drinks. More on www.namalefiji.com

Here is a video of our time at Namale Resort and Spa

And here’s a little something for all our virtual family – if you book a stay at Namale resort up until June 2019 and mention that you’re a Bruised Passports reader you’ll get a complimentary Super Glow spa treatment (45 minutes) for a couple – you’re welcome 😀