Qamea Island Resort and Spa

For nearly 40 years, thousands of vacationers have kept flocking to Qamea Island from faraway lands to live their dreams on a tropical isle that is the imagined reality of Fiji’s local tourists. Spared the long haul and the ‘hop, skip and jump’ which our foreign counterparts must endure to reach there in less than 10 minutes by boat from the resort’s jetty on Taveuni, its proximity definitely privileges Fiji’s homegrown adventure-seekers. When the opportunity to travel there and sample Qamea Island Resort and Spa’s ‘affordable luxury’ fell into my lap one Friday morning last month, I dropped everything else I was doing to get packing. I started counting my blessings as we buckled down for takeoff aboard Northern Air’s Taveuni-bound flight from Nausori. Connecting travellers to Fiji’s northern gateways, the airline proved its reliability for departing on time. Our scenic, bump-less flight below the clear sky and over the breathtaking expanse of blue water surrounding the Lomaivaiti Group made me realise why some of life’s journeys make our destinations worthwhile. The plane’s gradual descent revealed glimpses of Taveuni I had only seen in postcards: white sandy beaches, pristine waters and lush green mountains. I couldn’t resist the temptation to replace those memories with instant captures of picture perfection for my Instagram uploads. Fellow passengers excused my trigger-happy excitement when I confessed this was my maiden voyage to Fiji’s Garden Island. They were preoccupied rejoicing our escape from Suva’s daily drench. We disembarked, earlier than our scheduled 40 minutes’ flight, to soak in Taveuni’s heat – grateful for the gentle sea breeze and unobstructed views of everywhere afforded everyone at the hilltop airport. Our luggage arrived in time for Qamea Island Resort and Spa’s minibus to collect us for our 15 minutes’ drive, along Taveuni’s scenic coastline, to the Resort’s jetty. Captain Jim and his assistant, Moji were waiting for us aboard Scorpion to ferry us across to Qamea Island. After loading our luggage and rehearsing safety drills, they whisked us away on the 10 minutes’ ride to deliver us to the welcoming embrace of the Resort’s General Manager, Ronil Prasad.

Setting foot on the Resort’s white sandy beaches – which resembled exactly their picture-perfect appearance on their website photos – registered a déjà vu moment. Ronil escorted us to the Resort’s check-in bure to offer their signature welcome drinks – blended local fruits served chilled in tall glasses with metal straws. (Brownie (oops, greenie) points were awarded instantly for using metal straws!)

The Resort’s 17 bures are named, not numbered. All overlook the beach. We were allocated the Villa Babale – one of their 3 Royal Beach Houses. Tastefully decorated with top-notch furniture and furnishings (including magimagi to add a Fijian flare), luxury defines its capacious interior. Escaping from relaxation is impossible with the villa’s own plunge pool, huge hot tub, cabana and hammock. The stone-walled outdoor shower (with rain showerhead) makes perfect sense in complementing the villa’s romantic ambience.

After unpacking and freshening up, we decided to head up to the Resort’s world-famous Jungle Spa for foot massages. It was voted ‘Best Luxury Destination Spa’ in the World Luxury Spa Awards last year. Trekking to the treehouse location of the spa transported me to the scenic set of a Tarzan film. The boardwalk (lined with miniature masonry bure lanterns) is the stairway to the main treehouse where my feet received a thoroughly relieving massage in the serene, zen atmosphere filled with the melody of chirping birds and crashing waves. I could easily remain there for eternity to sample all the other treatments which are the rave of the Resort’s guests.

Lunch became our immediate priority. Following our nose – and Ronil’s earlier directions – to the Bure Kalou led us on a trail of discoveries, through beautifully landscaped gardens, to photograph an oasis-like pebbled pool surrounded by palm trees; and an outdoor jumbo chess board. These were certainly Instagram-worthy captures.

Freshly caught local seafood – perfectly cooked and exquisitely served with seasonal vegetables grown in nearby villages – is the Resort’s specialty. A variety of dishes are available daily to cater for guest preferences, tastes and budgets. I ordered the ‘catch of the day’ and a soda before joining Ronil’s table for a yarn about the Resort and its plans. Taking up his post in April this year, Ronil says he enjoys working long hours with the Resort’s new German owners to ensure everyone is pulling their weight to make everything perfect for their guests. Many of the Resort’s employees, hailing from nearby villages, have perfected their craft in keeping their guests content to keep them coming back for almost 4 decades. The Resort remains a magnet for honeymooners from all over the world.

They are the obvious targets of the Resort’s proposal to convert villas like the Villa Babale for acquisition on a ‘timeshare’ basis. Ronil explains the “growing popularity of this scheme both here and abroad as a cost-expedient way for multiple (usually absent) owners of one property to rent it out during the periods any of them are not occupying it themselves.” The Resort will effectively maintain, manage and operate a timeshared villa as its co-owners’ agent. The timesharing concept will also appeal to those who describe themselves as ‘soul seekers’ – vacationers who regularly end up at the Resort to escape the hustle and bustle of city life or need to take some time out for the sake of their health and well-being.

Ronil is counting on the allure of Jungle Spa’s international fame as well as the Resort’s idyllic, secluded location for its eventual emergence as a health and wellness retreat patronized by both local and foreign soul seekers. Plans are being hatched with medical outfits and dieticians to offer retreat packages for soul seekers.

The Resort’s ambition to tap into the growing soul seeker tourism market is enthusiastically supported at all levels by its fully localized staff and neighbouring villages – for whom the Resort is not just a place of work but also their homeland and vanua.

“Welcoming guests and playing host to them during their stay with us in our homeland is what the Resort’s employees do naturally and instinctively – without any effort,” explains Ronil. With lunch out of the way, I was left to roam around the Resort showing off my recent acquisitions from designers, Samson Lee and 8Mountains. Every corner of the Resort is a scenic frame for fashion photoshoots. The entire joint is an Instagramer’s paradise.

I had promised myself: a swim in Qamea Bay; a dip in the plunge pool; a soak in the hot tub while sipping fresh coconut water; and a long drench under the outside rain shower before nightfall. All boxes were ticked before dinner!

The evening’s program began with entertainment by the local villagers. As guests were garlanded with salusalu, the troupe sang to the tune of ukuleles and guitars. Their meke performance was spectacular. We all had fun singing and dancing with the group and enjoyed the kava session afterwards. I was famished.

On the menu for dinner that night was a choice of pork belly or seafood (crab meat and prawn) fettuccine. I selected the pork belly. It was delectably tender – braised with a sweet marinade and served on a bed of blanched cabbage leaves freshly picked from the garden. Strolling back to the Babale Villa after that feast, rest was all I had in mind. I was still in my bathrobe when I fell into deep slumber in a bed so massive and comfortable that I slept right through my first alarm. It didn’t take long to get packed and ready for breakfast in the morning before journeying back home to reality. The Scorpion took us back to Taveuni – in time to hop on to the Resort’s minibus and get to the airport just before Northern Air’s check-in counter opened. As the Northern Air plane ascended from Taveuni, I took the final clicks of my maiden voyage to Fiji’s Garden Island – reminiscing the highlights of the previous 24 hours and reflecting on the true meaning of ‘affordable luxury’ which Qamea Island Resort and Spa packages for its guests from near and afar. The real reason for my return would have less to do with all the trappings of the ‘high life’ guaranteed at the Resort and more to do with the assured serenity of its location and ecology as well as the genuine hospitality of its people. 24 hours is simply not enough to do everything else that makes it a magnet for soul seekers. I didn’t realise I had dozed off during the flight until the plane touched down – arriving on time, as scheduled. I’d be flying to Taveuni with Northern Air again.