We are very excited to share the news that Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, Fiji has been awarded the overall category winner for ‘Best Overseas Family Resort’ in Luxury Travel Magazine Gold List 2018 Readers choice awards – well done Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort!
Fiji for Families has recently had some of our families return and it seems that they would agree.
“Jean Michel Cousteau resort was AMAZING! We absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for recommending it. The staff were incredible, the nannies amazing, the resort facilities great and the food was absolutely delicious. And the massages were so relaxing. It was the best family holiday we have been on.” – stayed MAY 2018
“OMG JMC is amazing !!!! We are totally ruined now, pretty safe to say there is only one option when it comes to holidaying in Fiji. I can’t remember ever feeling so cared for, the team there are just genuinely interested in you and your family. It was indeed fabulous.” – stayed MAY 2018
“We had a fantastic time in Fiji. JMC exceeded all of our expectations. We really couldn’t fault it. The staff, food, accommodation, activities and childcare – all amazing. We left wanting to come back and do it all again! The big surprise was how much kid-free time we had. I knew the nannies would be there to help out but I did t realise going into it just how involved they would be. For us it was perfect, we haven’t had a break like that for years! “ stayed May 2018
“Just wanted to say thank you for organising one of the best holidays we’ve ever had! JMC was amazing – the male nanny option was perfect for my son he came leaps and bounds in the water and he didn’t want to hang out with us cause Bula Club was so much fun. Absolutely magical and a much needed break for all of us!”
To celebrate this announcement of Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji being named the winner of the ‘Best Overseas Family Resort’ Luxury Travel Magazine, Gold List 2018 Readers choice awards there is a new stay/pay deal which includes 2 free nights.
Stay 6 nights/pay for 4 nights + Wellness week 27-31 Aug 18
For stays between 1 Sep -21 September 18 inclusive, guests will also receive 3 complimentary spa treatments per bure (choice of a ‘Bobo massage’,Cacao wrap or Sikeci facial.)
Alley Ramon, renowned meditation and yoga instructor will be offering guests twice daily free yoga classes accompanied by wellness lectures from August 27-31, 2018.
Get in touch for a quote for the above dates or any other specials and we will put together a quote for your perfect family holiday.
Why More and More Multi-Generational Families are Holidaying to Fiji’s Luxurious
Vomo Island
Fiji.
Just the word alone makes you feel instantly relaxed.
Luxury at its best, Vomo’s residences all have large in-ground swimming pools.
Are you envisaging endless white beaches? Turquoise waters just at your doorstep? Breath-taking natural surroundings with the breeze on your face and the sun on your back?
Honestly, with all this going for it, how could you say no to a holiday to Fiji?
And it’s easy to see why Fiji is a holiday destination of choice for a lot of families, particularly when you couple the magnificent scenery with numerous activities for just about every member of the family – from toddlers through to teenagers and even the Grandparents.
Fiji doesn’t just draw the average Mum, Dad and 2 kids
We are starting to see more and more multi-generational families choose to head to Fiji, with the luxurious Vomo Island being very popular with this group of travellers.
If luxury is your style, basking in lavish surroundings is your go-to, and you appreciate the unparalleled beauty and charm of island holidaying, then a visit to Vomo should be high on your agenda.
Here’s some reasons why you should give your parents or your closest friends-with-kids a call and talk them into a group holiday to Vomo. Honestly though, we can’t see you having too much difficulty convincing them!
The island’s resort boasts 4 luxury holiday residences (and they are in the process of adding more)
The genius behind having one luxury resort on the island is that the island is never busy. There is always a spot that you can claim as your own to enjoy as you see fit.
There are 28 resort villas to choose from, however for larger groups, consider a fully-equipped, beachside holiday residence that will accommodate your group comfortably and in style.
Your experience will be a combination of elegance and authentic Fijian touches
Each of the residences has something unique to offer and all have their own private stunning pool and entertaining areas.
The Beachouse – 3 bedrooms
The Palms – 4 bedrooms
The Royal – 3 bedrooms
The Residence – 4 bedrooms
Inclusions Galore
When you choose to stay at Vomo, your stay includes accommodation, all meals (amazing food), non-motorised water activities, fully-stocked L’Occitane products, complimentary same-day laundry services, WIFI, tea- and coffee-making facilities, plus bottled water and soft drinks.
Take advantage of family packages, spa and wellness packages, dive packages, and stay pay packages and more.
There are a large range of water- and land-based activities that suit all ages and abilities. And you can also take advantage of the Kids Village for the littler people in your family.
Personalise your stay at the resort to suit you and your family
Travelling with your extended family or with a large group of friends can often mean compromising on your experience so that the group travels together.
This doesn’t have to be the case when you chose to stay at one of the residences on Vomo because of the privacy and location of the accommodations. Everything is literally available on your doorstep, including snorkelling directly from the beach.
Your group can divide and conquer all the activities, or you can take on the island as whole. Dine in the main restaurants or the stunning Rocks Bar the next then take advantage of the butler-service available in each of the residences the other night.
You simply shouldn’t leave Vomo Island off your travel list
Whether you’re celebrating a milestone or just getting together with a group of close friends, even a small wedding group – it’s clear to see that if you decide to travel with your extended family, then Vomo Island should be at the top of your bucket list.
There are currently up to 40 % off 3 of the 3 and 4-bedroom Residences at Vomo while they are building two stunning new Residences and an Adults only pool.
The following discounts apply for the dates 1 May – 23 December’18 and 08 January – 31 March 2019 (there will not be any work happening over the Christmas/New Year period).
Fiji is one of the happiest countries in the world – literally! A report by world-leading market researcher, WIN-Gallup, found that 89% of Fijians report that they are happy.
Who wouldn’t want to visit one of the happiest places on earth? The Fijian people are known for their warm hospitality, friendly nature, and living on “island time”, where everything goes at a relaxed pace and there’s no room for worrying.
And the famous Fijian hospitality doesn’t end with couples, as many of the resorts pride themselves on the attention they give to the littler world travellers, to ensure their holiday is an experience to remember.
To help you decide which resort is best for your family, we’ve scoured the islands and found the best 11 kid-friendly resorts.
Read on for more information (not in any particular order) about their kids’ clubs and what makes each stand out from the crowd.
Picture:Malolo Island Resort
RESORTS ON THE CORAL COAST
The Coral Coast is an 80km stretch of beautiful crystal-clear coastline providing perfect views, glorious beaches, and magnificent reefs just beckoning to be explored.
The Coral Coast is popular with families because it offers a range of accommodation and activities to suit all budgets and holidays.
‘Kids are everything’ at the Warwick Fiji Resort and its kids’ club caters for children aged 3-12. The club has daily activities including craft, fish feeding, sand castle building, crab hunting, seashell collecting, face painting, treasure hunting, cooking classes, and much more!
What makes the Warwick Fiji Resort stand out for kids?
It has not just one, but two swimming pools. One reserved for adults only and the other has a kiddie pool perfect for splashing about and making a racket! The resort also offers a dependable babysitting service for younger children at a nominal fee.
The kids’ club activities are free to guests, and children get complimentary meals when they participate in club activities, which cover everything from water polo through to Fijian games designed to keep little ones busy and active.
What makes the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort stand out for kids?
Along with their all-inclusive kids’ club, Outrigger offers a unique teen activity program for 13+ year olds to engage and enrich their Fiji experience. The program involves a range of unique cultural immersion experiences, one of which allows participants to go along to a Fijian school and experience island-life for teens first hand.
Planet Trekkers is Intercontinental’s signature kids’ club that offers specific activities catered to children 4-7 years and 8-12 years designed to keep them entertained. Children receive lunch and/or dinner depending on which session they participate in.
If your children are younger than 4 you can call on a resort nanny to mind your kids or take them along to Planet Trekkers activities.
Teen Trekkers are also catered for with the recreation teams and can participate in many outdoor activities including pitch and putt, beach football, cricket, touch rugby, and beach volleyball.
What makes Intercontinental stand out for kids?
Planet Trekkers not only supervises kids on the resort, but also arranges many kid-friendly excursions to local villages, markets, primary schools, and other recreational parks, making their experience of Fiji exciting and memorable. Don’t miss the Malomalo Primary School on Monday’s and Thursday’s (during the school term)
Radisson Blu’s Blu Banana Kids Club offers exclusive access to special offers for young guests. Children will be supervised during their time at the resort, on the beach, or in the kids’ playground. The kids club has planned activities for children ages 4-7 and 8-12, with babysitting and nannying services are available for the younger children.
What makes the Radisson Blu stand out for kids?
The Blu Banana Club creates a memorable experience for children when they receive their very own ‘Banana Passport’ containing exciting activities to complete during their stay. The Blue Banana activity team create magical adventures for the children to go on and keep them entertained, whether that be by the pool, at the secret garden, or down on the beach making boats out of coconut husks!
Staying at the Sheraton is synonymous with luxurious amenities and spacious rooms and suites designed to provide guests with a relaxing holiday experience. Complimentary access to the LaiLai Kids Clubs that have daily activities to keep younger resort guests busy and active.
What makes the Sheraton stand out for kids?
The LaiLai Kids Club is renowned for being one of the best in Fiji and offers a range of activities from Fijian language lessons through to fish feeding and face painting.
The Hilton offers a luxury escape for parents and to cater for their children, the hotel provides a complimentary kids club that has a rich and varied daily schedule of activities.
To mind babies and younger children, parents can take advantage of nannies and babysitters or the creche, staffed with qualified resort employees.
What makes the Hilton stand out for kids?
The cultural and educational activities on offer through the kids’ club are exceptional and include kids’ spa treatments, movie nights, dance lessons, wildlife excursions, cooking classes, and local crafts. The hotel also offers a kids’ dining program with menus available at all restaurants to cater for even the pickiest of eaters.
Families staying at Castaway Island can take advantage of great meal deals, kids club activities, and water-based sports to keep everyone entertained during their stay. The kids’ club is free and offers an exciting 12+hr program to cater for all children over 3 years old. Supervised adventures and education games are on offer that have been designed for fun and entertainment, with a traditional Fijian feel to them. Children can participate in everything from sand castle building competitions through to a torch lighting and lali drum playing.
What makes Castaway Island Resort stand out for kids?
The list of activities on offer at Castaway Island Resort is endless, and you can rest assured that your children will be well looked after during their stay. Night times provide opportunities for children to be involved in nature walks by torchlight, Fijian dance lessons, bonfires on the beach with traditional story telling.
Malolo Island is a volcanic island that is easily accessible by sea plane or boat. The Malolo Island Resort prides themselves on being the ‘real’ Fiji and offers traditional experiences to their guests. The supervised kids club, Yanu Yanu, is complimentary and offered for children aged 4-12 with younger children minded by babysitters and nannies at a nominal cost to parents.
What makes Malolo Island Resort stand out for kids?
The Yanu Yanu program immerses children to traditional and fun activities designed to educate and entertain. They will explore marine wildlife, taste Fijian food, experience traditional dances, stories, and cultural activities, and go on adventures throughout the natural surroundings of the island.
If you’re looking for the height of luxury during your Fiji holiday experience, then you can’t go beyond Vomo Island Resort which offers a superb kids club and reliable child-minding facilities. The Kids’ Village provides well-appointed indoor and outdoor facilities and a supervised program to ensure that your children aren’t just babysat but catered for during their stay. Children under 4 are welcome to join in the fun at the Kids’ Village but must be accompanied by a resort nanny or baby butler.
What makes Vomo Island Resort stand out for kids?
The Kids’ Village has a high-class playroom with toys, a media centre, cubby house, outdoor climbing frames, dress-up facilities, craft tables and much more.
The Kids’ Village chef ensures that all prepared meals are nutritional and tasty and offer a range of dishes to appease all young palettes.
The Bula Club caters for kids aged 12 and under and is complimentary when you stay at the resort and has lots of onsite outdoor activities to entertain the kids, including: Kid-friendly pool with a water slide, toddlers mushroom cascading pool, trampoline and jungle gym, treehouse and flying fox.
What makes Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort stand out for kids?
Each day has many enriching activities on offer including traditional arts and craft fun, access to environmental projects, and marine and coral life explorations. Unlike most other kids’ club, Bula Club caters for all age groups and each child under 6 years is assigned their own dedicated nanny.
Children are catered for in the kids’ Coconut Club, the creche, and indoor play centre, and child-minding services are on offer as well.
What makes Plantation Island stand out for kids?
A mix of daily activities are provided with kids entertained with indoor and outdoor games, craft and painting, beach games, bouncing castles, movies, marine wildlife, dancing, and many fun and varied competitions.
Fiji is truly exceptional for families.
It’s clear to see that Fiji is a brilliant holiday destination, and many of the resorts offer accommodation and activities to suit all families and budgets. And there really is no reason to worry about travelling with your little people. Their enjoyment and holiday experience are a priority for many Fiji resorts. Kids clubs are literally a world of their own and if anyone knows how to keep children entertained, its Fijians!
Want to know more? We love to chat call Fiji for Families on 1300 564 466 or email us Bula@fijiforfamilies.com.au
If you’re still a little overwhelmed, or not quite sure where to start planning your holiday to Fiji with your family, contact Kate for a chat or fill in our contact form and she will be in touch with you asap.
From the moment we arrived to the wonderful greeting from Fijian warriors, when we overheard the whispers from the kids, “This place, I give it 10 out of 10”, we knew Nanuku was going to be something, and it just kept getting better as every day passed.
Situated on a volcanic outcrop on the beachfront at Pacific Harbour, Nanuku can be reached by a 90-minute drive from Suva or two hours from Nadi, but a 20-minute flight from Nadi can have you at Nanuku’s own airstrip.
And why would you waste even a second getting to this piece of paradise?
Nanuku is a dream family holiday and all you need to do is sink into the joy of the luxury, the choices, the food and the beautiful surroundings while being pampered, spoilt, entertained and taken care of by the superb local staff – led by the hands-on general manager, Karen Taylor , who seems to have thought of absolutely everything.
Our accommodation, a Grand Villa, no, let’s call it our home because that’s what it truly felt like, was so spacious with a separate media room, a kitchen and enormous living area, luxuriously huge en suites and spas. Furnishings were beautifully integrated in both flow and colour. We even had our own pool. Landscaped gardens are dotted with with daybeds and deckchairs, or you can just put a blanket down on the green grass and laze away.
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Nanuku - 2Bedroom beachfront Residence exterior
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Nanuku - Beachfront Residence dining room
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If you wanted to, you could stay at the Villa without leaving the grounds and it would be a complete holiday. Your choice. I highly recommend the day out to the resort’s private island, however, it was a thoroughly enjoyable 40-minute boat ride. Our trip started in a spectacular way our trip started as we watched flying fish performing, and then one jumped into the boat on one of the kids’ heads! It was a hilarious moment and will always be a treasured family memory of that day. A picnic was supplied for us and we snorkelled, paddled about on kayaks, and lunched – it was a fantastic day out.
There were so many activities on offer: paddle boarding, rafting, diving, jet skiing, zip line, golf, cooking classes, spa services, and more. The area certainly lives up to its reputation as the adventure capital of Fiji.
Meal times were full of choices not just for the food but also where you could eat: the Club House, which we found ideal, or poolside at the Villa, which was the preferred lunchtime spot for the kids. Everything was fresh and healthy and nothing was a problem to provide or prepare by the staff.
We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary while at Nanuku and were so moved and delighted when the staff sang a beautiful anniversary song to us. Another memory of how special this place and these people are.
Our Villa ‘Mumma’ was Wana. Ever-smiling and joyful to be around, keeping our villa immaculate. The washing was always mysteriously done and all the ‘picking up’ done for me – as a mum of four kids that was a holiday in itself.
All villa guests get a villa ‘buddy’ from 9am till 9pm every day – and ours was the wonderful Josh. Our boys could not have had better company and reminded us many times that he was a friend not a babysitter. Josh is a gem. From rugby on the beach, making spears and then spear fishing to indoor board games, our boys had their days filled with excitement.
Little ones aged five and under are allocated a nanny. Our two-year-old daughter Molly’s Villa ‘nanny’ was Va. She would take Molly to collect hermit crabs on the beach and for lots of swims in the pool. She watched over Molly and at mealtimes kept her playfully happy. Another example of how carefully Nanuku is planned for all ages – everything for babies and toddlers was provides, from highchairs in the Villas, to prams, toys, baby baths, and baby seats for car transfers. There was not a thing that wasn’t thought of.
For mums and those who just need a bit of pampering and ‘me’ time, we had our choice of spa treatments, yoga, an onsite personal trainer in the well-equipped gym.
My husband had an incredible experience diving with the sharks at Beqa Lagoon at Shark Reef. This has been a fear from childhood, ever since he watched Jaws, so this was a life-changing event. After his dive the entire staff came to our table at lunch singing and presented him with a hand-carved Nanuku shark made by Chris, one of the local builders. It will be forever as a very special memento.
Perfection, perfection and then some. This is the Nanuku experience.
And to top it off, remember…we all came home with clean clothes that went straight from the suitcase to the wardrobes and cupboards. When was the last time that happened on your holiday?
Yes! It is possible to have a holiday of absolute luxury, fine dining and candlelit dinners every night when holidaying with kids. In the past I’ve found that to achieve this level of luxury there is a trade off in terms of satisfying everyone’s desires, but Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort (JMCR) offers it all…and more.
Every client I have sent to this island paradise has always come home raving about the resort itself, as well as the seeing, doing and complete experience that JMCR offers. Delivering the gifts of quality time out for mums and dads as well as more than satisfying the needs of high-energy kids, the resort is a destination in itself, with a well-deserved 5 star status.
JMCR is located in Savsavu, an hour’s flight on a small plane from Nadi. It has been built on a former coconut plantation and ticks all the boxes of being eco-friendly, child-friendly and most of all parent-friendly. Our family has visited four times now and I know we will go back again.
Every child five years and under has a dedicated nanny for their entire stay. The nannies are available upon requirement from 8am until 9 pm, or longer. The older kids 6 years and above have a buddy with a ratio of 5 kids per buddy, which allows for plenty of opportunities to make new friends. We had no concerns about leaving our four kids with the specially trained nannies/buddies, who are mostly from the local village.
The Bula Club has everything from a toddler pool with a small slide, a mushroom pool, family pool with slide, trampoline, sand pit, cubby house, arts and crafts, flying fox, giant chess board, tennis court and more… There are two programs; the Lei Lei Holiday programme (0 to 5 years) and the Maua Holiday programme (6 to 12 years).
Activities included daily trips on the glass bottom boat; kids can also go with nannies and buddies and parents are welcome too. Those who want to snorkel can. The littler ones just look through the boat, and Johnny, the marine biologist will bring things up for them to see, touch and learn about – an educational plus.
The list of things to do includes tennis, chess, kayak races, fishing, crab races, cookie-baking (using a sun oven), sand castle contests, table tennis, face painting, tee-shirt painting, and coconut painting. Not only will your kids have an amazing time, they will also learn about Fijian culture, and the amazing natural environment around them.
Having said this, we go on holidays not to ditch our kids, but to spend time with them, and this was also possible. While there was plenty of quality time for my husband and I to go off for a snorkel, hike, read a book or just lie by the adults’ only Serenity Pool and enjoy the peace, there was also so much to do as a family: picnicking on a private island, taking out the catamaran, heading for an adventure on the kayaks or stand up pandle boards, fishing, visiting the local town of Savsavu as well as snorkelling, either out to one of the sites nearby, or just off the pier – even scuba-diving. You can also check out the local village, rainforest hike and swim, or enjoy some simple beach combing – it’s amazing what you can find!
We also spent lots of time in the family pool, our kids couldn’t get enough of the water slide and we never knew there were so many ways to flip and turn down a slide – on your knees, lying down, head first, backwards! The joy of seeing happy kids is priceless.
Our eldest son, aged 10, did his Padi Dive Certification during our stay at JMCR and my husband joined in too. They did five incredible dives over three days in one of the best locations in the world and our son is now a certified diver! We are not sure if he knows exactly how lucky he is to achieve this at such a young age. I had not done any diving for over 20 years, but found it was an incredibly memorable experience being able to dive with my husband and son for their first certified dive. I enjoyed it even more once I remembered to stop being a mum and following him around! Our eight-year-old had a go at scuba in the pool (called the Bubblemaker program), so I am sure he will up for the fun of being certified on our next visit.
The food at JMCR is exceptional. Extremely fresh and healthy with just the right portion size. Most of the fruit and vegetables come from the resort’s own organic garden, and the fish are caught locally, very often by the guests.
The kids can either eat at the Bula Club or in the family restaurant, and unlike most other kids’ menus I have seen, they eat extremely healthy three-course meals. As parents we were very impressed.
In comparison to other resorts in Fiji, JMCR seems to have more expensive upfront costs, although I believe it is unquestionably worth it. And having spent some time at other resorts on the mainland, we found all the extras that are included at JMCR all add up: buying lunch and dinner, bottled water for the kids, soft drinks, ice-cream, babysitters, etc. At JMCR the only extras we paid for were alcoholic drinks, diving, fishing and massage – essential! There are packages available which included a couple of dives and massages.
A sign of a fantastic holiday is when you see families leaving and the mum and kids are crying because they have to leave. I didn’t see any Dads crying, but I am sure many have shed a parting tear – on the inside!.
Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort is luxurious, romantic and effortless. The staff is the friendliest in the world. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I know our family will be back.
Kate from Fiji for Families visited Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in 2014/2015/2016/2017/2018 with her family including 4 kids.
Looking for a sophisticated, child-friendly, five-star resort set on its own private island, complete with crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, world-class scuba diving and snorkelling, amazing food and incredible sunsets? Vomo has it all.
I’d been to Vomo in 2014 and earlier in 2015 and was so impressed with it (see my blog entryhere) that I vowed to return with my family as soon as we could.
We have just spent 3 days at the resort and I can honestly say it was one of the best holidays we’ve ever been lucky enough to enjoy as a family.
From the moment we arrived – a 12-minute helicopter flight from Nadi, something that wowed the older kids not to mention my husband and me – and spotted the bright white Vomo sign, we felt incredibly welcome.
The resort fully deserves every one of its five stars, and it has just reopened after an extensive renovation. Its 28 villas are beautiful, light and airy, and feature custom-made fittings, many of which have been handmade by local and international craftsmen. I loved the stunning egg-shaped bath in the bathroom!
Rocks Bar
A sundowner at the Rocks Bar is one of life’s most sublime experiences, and it too has been newly refurbished, and we made good use of the luxurious new daybeds. From December adult guests will also be able to dine here, watching the chefs at work at the open kitchen, on selected evenings. There are also plans for a new adults-only pool here in 2016.
Fabulous Food
There are so many reasons to fall in love with Vomo, but what stood out to me on this visit was the standard and quality of the cuisine. Dining in Fiji has improved in leaps and bounds over the past few years, and Vomo in particular places great emphasis on its food.
With a daily changing a la carte lunch and dinner menu featuring innovative and delicious – and healthy – dishes, there was so much to choose from. At lunch, we could choose from perhaps a Caribbean barbecue, tuna tataki, pulled bbq beef sandwich, crab and octopus spaghetti with sea urchin butter, or local fish and chips.
Dinners included scallop carpaccio, Thai green vegetable curry, grilled local swordfish with romesco sauce, with desserts of a mango sundae, tiramisu or a triple cream brie and dried fruits.
Desert Bar
We enjoyed some of the best meals I’ve had anywhere, and we loved having lunch and dinner right on the beach, a picnic, or at candlelit tables around the pool. The kids’ menu, too, was healthy and delicious and offered plenty of choice – there is even a menu of ‘mashed and smashed’ purees for babies.
The highlight for our kids was the dessert bar at Sunday lunch – with ice-cream and a huge array of serve-yourself toppings, sauces and lollies.
Kids Village
The kids’ club caters to little ones from aged four upwards, (although our three-year-old went with her own Baby Butler and loved it). There is a fun suspension bridge on the way in and there are lovely wooden toys, dress ups, a separate movie room, an outdoor cubby and play equipment. All of our kids thoroughly enjoyed the wide range of activities on offer at Vomo and we also spent hours as a family beachcombing – the shells were stunning. Vomo also offers a Bubble Blowers course for kids aged 8-12 and there is a PADI Discover Scuba Diving course for children 10 and over. We were lucky enough to experience a dive with our oldest son (who is a qualified SCUBA diver), something I will never forget. We did our first swim through a cave and the highlight for him was seeing a turtle.
To The Spa
In 2015 Vomo’s KUI Spa was recognised as ‘Best Spa Resort in Fiji’ at the World Travel Awards and its team of Thai ‘Spa Angels’ are extremely good at their jobs. There is even a ‘KidZpa’ menu and my daughter was treated like a princess when she visited for a mani/pedi.
Fluff and fold
Finally, as if there weren’t enough reasons to love Vomo, as a mum of four children, it was an absolute delight to make good use of the resort’s complimentary same-day laundry service. This alone made it so very hard to leave!
Vomo Island Resort has long been on my travel bucket list. I’d always wanted to know: is the sand REALLY that white?
So naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to visit Vomo and so many other incredibly amazing resorts on the recent Island Escapes educational. As soon as our group of six arrived I knew I was in for a treat! After enjoying Vomo’s authentic Fijian welcome complete with boisterous song and a delicious arrival cocktail with a hint of ginger, I was escorted to my beachfront villa (with netted king size bed, contemporary design and a complimentary sarong). And there it was – just a few steps away. Vomo’s stunning beach – as beautiful as I had imagined it to be (yes – it REALLY is that white!).
After the obligatory exploration of the bure, I headed to Vomo’s Rocks Bar for drinks at sunset. It was breathtaking. With views out to Vomolailai (Little Vomo) and the sky an ever-changing palette of colours as the sun dipped into the ocean, it was nothing short of stunning. Everything was just perfect and oh so relaxing. A warm breeze, great company and a cool, tropical cocktail. Bliss.
Dining is a highlight at Vomo and our evening continued with a delicious dinner at the Reef Restaurant – with the candlelit tables set up around the pool area and a Fijian band playing soul-filled beats to match the occasion. Special mention must also go to our lunch the next day – a private barbecue at the Rocks Bar laden with fresh lobster, prawns (peeled of course!) served with yummy salads and that million dollar view out to Vomolailai.
Vomo has got it just right: it’s the perfect balance between a romantic luxury holiday for mum and dad, and a kids’ paradise. This can be a tricky mix, but at Vomo it works. The new kids village is five-star and it is one of the most popular places on the island. From here, little explorers can wander down to the beach, feed/care for the turtles, learn to snorkel with the experienced team at the resort’s brand new diving facility, or kayak. The girls can even get a manicure while having their hair braided. Then there’s the ‘Baby Butler’ service! As a mum of four kids, one of whom is a toddler I cannot even begin to express how appealing this concept is. And for only F$15 per hour (A$9) I would have one booked from daylight to dark!!
Having returned to the madness of my normal world – complete with crazy homework hell hour, inordinate amounts of time spent taxiing children from one sports activity to another music lesson, cooking, cleaning and working silly hours – I take a moment every now and again to wish myself back at Vomo, embraced by the rejuvenating calm that descended on me during that stunning sunset viewed from the Rocks. A Vomo sunset stays in your head and in your heart.
Family and friends keep asking me for my recommendation and I tell them the truth. Treat your family to a holiday at Vomo. For I know I will definitely be back with my husband and kids… and I can’t wait!
Kate Steven from Fiji for Families visited Vomo Island Resort in XXXX 2014.
Fiji is the perfect destination for families – from the 5 star families to the price conscious - there is something for everything. One thing that is guaranteed is that the kids will have a great time (which means the parents will LOVE it).
