Even before you step off the boat onto the jetty at Likuliku Lagoon Resort, it’s hard not to feel instantly relaxed.
That’s coming from someone who is naturally uptight, stressed and, for no particular reason, often cynical.
After a nearly two-hour journey aboard South Sea Cruises’ vessel from Port Denarau around the scenic Mamanuca Islands, you’re offloaded onto a small tender boat and whisked off to the resort.
Less than 10 minutes later, you’re being greeted off the boat to the sound of singing echoing across the lagoon, overlooking Castaway Island.
If you’ve just landed from New Zealand, it feels, quite literally, like another planet: quiet, hot, calm and private.
That’s because Likuliku, which has just reopened after a three-month refurbishment, will only have 90 guests at full capacity.
Inside the Deluxe Beachfront Bure. (Image: Likuliku)
Operated by Ahura Resorts, it is a family-owned business in Fiji. Its resorts are built on land that has a 99-year lease, and royalties are paid to the landowners as well as a monthly rental calculated on a percentage of all sales.
Located on Malolo Island, a 15-minute helicopter ride away from the mainland, Likuliku is not a generic version of flash island luxury. Tucked into the western edge of the island, the resort is authentic but not over the top.
The 45 bures are designed with traditional architecture, featuring hand-woven thatch roofs and polished timber interiors. While the Overwater Bure might be the flagship, the Deluxe Beachfront, where this reviewer stayed for a night, is just as good.
It comes with its own plunge pool, outdoor shower and largely uninterrupted views across the lagoon. Your neighbouring bure may be just over five metres away, but the bush and garden make it feel much further, offering a sense of privacy.
The Overwater Bures. (Image: Likuliku)
There’s a wide range of activities and tours, so you’ll never be short of things to do: snorkelling, island hopping, fishing, kayaking, walking, or a village trip to Yaro to experience how the local indigenous landowners live, or picnicking on the resort’s private island.
But equally, if you just want to do nothing, sitting in the plunge pool with a book and a bottle of wine is just as fulfilling.
Alternatively, you could visit Tatadra Spa for a relaxing experience with a Fijian-style massage or natural beauty and body treatments.
There’s also the gym, should one fancy beating the heat.
Dining is a standout. We started at Dua Tale (Fijian for “another one”) bar to catch the late evening sun for a refreshing cocktail, and then moved to the resort’s new Saluwaki restaurant.
It offers “elemental and curated” culinary experiences in the form of Asian tapas. With a focus on local ingredients from land and sea – including from its own gardens and surrounding waters – the menu features small plate dishes to share.
Saluwaki offers a range of NZ wines, perfect for a taste of home. Chilled oysters and Wither Hills Chardonnay went down a treat.
The private plunge pool outside the Deluxe Beachfront Bure. (Image: Likuliku)
The open kitchen makes for fascinating viewing as you watch the chefs pull together each dish. With a mix of indoor and outdoor seating, if you get the right spot in the 28-person restaurant, you can enjoy the breeze.
From start to finish, the service is impeccable. Each of the staff members learns your name, which makes it feel like you’re friends from way back.
Cell phone coverage and free Wi-Fi are available across the resort, but given many guests go to Likuliku to escape the “real world,” it’s requested that phones stay in the bures.
The resort is big on conservation. Until 2010, the Malolo Island Crested Iguanas were considered extinct on the island, until an injured adult was discovered at Likuliku.
Around the resort, you’ll find cages of iguanas being bred and then released back into the wild.
In the Malolo dialect, Likuliku means “calm lagoons or waters,” and it certainly feels like it.
It’s not cheap, and nor should it be, but you’ll find yourself saying dua tale when you depart to the sound of guitar and singing, farewelling you.
Riley Kennedy travelled to Fiji courtesy of Tourism Fiji.
