My husband and I recently got back from a 7 night trip for Valentine's Day. I had been counting down for months until we got here and I can honestly I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.
The trip on the 5 seater Cessna was definitely an adventure. I had never been in a plane this small so was expecting it to be bumpy but for a rainy day there wasn't much turbulence at all and we got to fly low compared to larger planes so got amazing views of the water and mountains on the Fiji mainland.
The flight was approx 25 mins to Pacific Harbour then we had a 40 minute boat ride after this to Royal Davui. By this time, we were both fairly worn out from a day of travelling but once arriving on the jetty at Royal Davui and seeing all the wonderful colours of the water, swarms of fish right off the jetty and the amazing beaches - we were officially in paradise.
Check in was very quick. You get a nice welcome drink which was very yummy and some much needed cold towels to wipe the trip away and officially get into holiday mode. We then had a quick little tour around the main restaurant area and led up to our Vale. We were staying in Vale 3 which we found to be very private and had a wonderful set up. Plus it wasn't...My husband and I recently got back from a 7 night trip for Valentine's Day. I had been counting down for months until we got here and I can honestly I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.
The trip on the 5 seater Cessna was definitely an adventure. I had never been in a plane this small so was expecting it to be bumpy but for a rainy day there wasn't much turbulence at all and we got to fly low compared to larger planes so got amazing views of the water and mountains on the Fiji mainland.
The flight was approx 25 mins to Pacific Harbour then we had a 40 minute boat ride after this to Royal Davui. By this time, we were both fairly worn out from a day of travelling but once arriving on the jetty at Royal Davui and seeing all the wonderful colours of the water, swarms of fish right off the jetty and the amazing beaches - we were officially in paradise.
Check in was very quick. You get a nice welcome drink which was very yummy and some much needed cold towels to wipe the trip away and officially get into holiday mode. We then had a quick little tour around the main restaurant area and led up to our Vale. We were staying in Vale 3 which we found to be very private and had a wonderful set up. Plus it wasn't very far from the bar/restaurant area which was fantastic because we did spend quite a few nights in the bar having our share of happy hour cocktails so the short walk back to our room was appreciated. My favourite cocktails were the Midnight Oasis, Kadavu Dreaming & Firewalker.
I have to say that the Vale's are, like many have said before me, even better than the photos. Once you are there and see it in person, there is absolutly nothing better. The villas are huge and pools are very deep so easy to relax in and have a good little swim around when needed. The views from our vale are the best we've ever had from a room. On a clear day, you can see fish swimming around in the coral below your Villa and ours was very high up. We even saw a few baby reefs sharks from our deck!
Villa 3 is a Premium Villa and is on the sunset side of the Island which was beautiful however, it does get very hot in the afternoons with the sun covering half of your villa so we retreated to the plunge pool or air-con in the main bedroom during the really hot afternoon hours. Luckily, most afternoons had a late afternoon thunderstorm which was fantastic for keeping the heat at bay and taking advantage of the warm plunge pool.
The pools are serviced daily and we found that on hot days, the heat was off and when the rain started to come over, the heat was on which was perfect!
The staff at the island are VERY friendly and we instantly felt at home. Whenever we asked for something, we never had to wait long. One day we needed some matches so asked the reception staff and within minutes, someone from the main restaurant had brought us some. We also ordered ice and drinks a few days and again, within minutes they had arrived.
The twice daily maid service was wonderful. They'd arrive while you were at breakfast and tidy up your room then come back to turn down your bed while you were at dinner.
The food was really good. The first few days we were there, I thought the breakfasts were a bit disappointing but I think the chef changed after this because the rest of the time, they were out of this world!!! My favourite would have to be the plain Davui pancakes with Maple Butter and Syrup. I had these three times and could have easily had them every day. I also tried the waffles, omelette and big breakfast and all were very good. There is a very large breakfast menu so lots to choose from.
The lunches and dinners were also very good. Some meals were good and some items were absolutely FANTASTIC! I especially loved the lamb kebabs, tandoori chicken wrap, Fish Pie, Grilled Chicken Caesar, Poached Fish Roulade, Baguettes which had the crunchiest chips and anything with fish was always a winner. The Tuna Sashimi is out of this world, I normally HATE tuna sashimi but here it was so fresh - I could not love it!
We also had 2 couples Aromatherapy massages and found them to be 5 star. Fijian women are great masseuses because they use they're muscles so do a great job of really getting into the spots that need work and making sure they work out the tension. We ended up having 2 because the last day of our stay we were supposed to head out to the Sandspit picnic but couldn't due to weather so got another couples massage instead. I am disappointed we didn't get to do the picnic but I can honestly say the massages made us feel much less disappointed! I have never been so relaxed after a massage in my life!
We would also take bread down after lunch each day and feed the fish. There are hundreds that come over and if you sit on the pontoon from the jetty they get SO close. A few times massive fish came up from below and the tiny ones would scatter. It was amazing to try and count all the different types of fish. There were just so many and the water was so clear. Definitely do this while you're here!!!
Overall, I'd have to say that this was definitely my husband and my favourite place we've ever been to holiday. Yes, it's expensive but the homely feeling you get from this place makes you not want to leave. On our last day when we were leaving, I was having trouble fighting back tears. Amazing and can't wait to get back there one day!More
Show less