Namale, Fiji: A Piece of Heaven, with a side of Kava
Written: Jul 27 '02 (Updated Apr 06 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very natural, service was exemplary - GREAT place for a honeymoon.
Cons: Smallish beach, expensive (but worth it)
The Bottom Line: Namale is paradise that you can fly into and enjoy the perfect honeymoon. Once you have done it, however, you're ruined for everywhere else.
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| martytdx's Full Review: Namala Resort |
Note: I'll apologize in advance for the length of this review. There is simply too much to say about this place to fit into a small review. If you want the short version, read every 5th word.
When my wife and I decided to do a 'destination wedding', we looked close to home first (Jamaica, St. Lucia), then started drifting further away (Hawaii). But none of these placed offered what we wanted - a beautiful locale to get married barefoot on the beach, with a sunset over the water. The Caribbean was too factory-like: Sandals averages 8-10 weddings a day; Hawaii was nice but you had to pay as you go: everything was over-priced and you had to constantly bring cash to satisfy your desires. What we wanted was an all-inclusive that would allow us to focus on US. Enter Fiji - and Namale Resort.
It took us two attempts to get our reservations*, but once we got in contact with Carol at the Namale office, things went very smoothly – and we started getting our wedding and honeymoon planned. The planning itself was a breeze – how long did we want to be there, and what type of wedding did we want. After that, it was simple.
BULA! MEANS HELLO!
Namale is located about 10 km from Savusavu on the northern island of Vanua Levu. When you land in the Savusavu airport (or airfield, since it is really just a glorified landing strip), you will be met by your first smiling and helpful faces from the resort – in our case, Sami and Paul. We and another couple were quickly packed up, served wet, cool towels to wipe our hands & faces after the long trip, and whisked off toward the resort. Some helpful information about the local area was quickly and nicely provided by our guides in the short trip.
Once we arrived, a group of the staff were there singing for us as we arrived. I don’t know the song, but it was beautiful. We were given fresh leis and a drink each as we sat down to be introduced to what the resort had to offer. Karla - our incredibly friendly and helpful manager – greeted us with a huge smile and whisked us off to show us the highlights of the resort, including the breakfast bure - a Fijian-style hut, in this case with about 1,600 sq. feet. (If you are confused about names, I apologize – during your stay, you get to know EVERYONE very well).
Everyone in the resort stays in a bure, a Fijian bungalow that while basic, gives a wonderfully relaxing place to stay. They have three styles of bure: Tropical is the most basic, giving a very simple bure; Honeymoon which gives the outdoor shower, the jaccuzi tub, a private deck and a place on the beach; and Deluxe Honeymoon which give you a small outdoor wading pool.
After a delicious breakfast, we were walked to OUR private bure, Loloma - which means ‘love’ – to rest, unpack and start our vacation/honeymoon. The door had a carved wooden sign with our names on it (nice touch!) and a sau on the handle. The sau is a woven rope made from coconut fibers with large cowrie shells on either end. It is used in the yaqona ceremonies to point towards the honored guests – in our case, it was a rather fancy ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign.
Loloma
Our bure was very simple and yet very beautiful. There was wooden furniture throughout, with woven palm tops on the tables. We had a small ‘food area’ complete with a stocked refrigerator, coffee, coffee maker and snacks. There was a bottle of champagne waiting for us on the table, as well as our first edition of the “Coconut Telegraph” – the daily paper of Namale which lets you know what is going on at the resort each day.
Our bed was simply stunning. A king-sized four-poster bed, complete with the attractively tied-up mosquito netting awaited us, with a beautiful flower resting at the foot of the bed. It was a simple and completely enchanting touch. We tested out the bed (no, not that way – get your mind out of the gutter for a little while. The honeymoon didn’t start for a few days yet!!!), and although it was a bit firm, it would turn out to be a wonderfully restful bed for the duration of our stay. There was a small radio by the bed, but thankfully NO TELEVISION!
Just outside the entire wall of windows next to the bed was a large and astonishing deck. It was large enough to host pretty much everyone at the resort, but was reserved for just the two of us. We could see the beach (somewhat obscured) from it, but yet you could not see the deck from the beach – great for privacy. Surrounding the deck was a myriad of tropical plants, including our own banana and papaya trees (although there was no ripe fruit while we were there).
We then turned to the second ‘half’ of our bure, the bathroom. It was actually a three-‘room’ bath: an outdoor shower (well, at least a shower with a door that you could open to be exposed to the outdoors). The shower was great, even having sufficient pressure to get a good shower (and after 28 hours of traveling, boy did it feel good). The main bath area had a jacuzzi tub and a rather large sink area – more than sufficient to handle all of our toiletries (and you KNOW that my fiancée had quite a few things to spread out…). The actual toilet was in a separate room, of course. Note: Fijian toilets are built in the typical Pacific manner – two buttons for different amounts of ‘flush’ – a half-flush or full-flush. Just something odd about being in the southern Pacific that took some getting used to.
After a shower and shave, it was time to head out.
THE RESORT
Namale was built out of an old coconut plantation, and actually still has a functioning coconut and fruit business going. Most of the fruits you will eat actually come from the resort itself. It covers 220 acres of ground, although you won’t see most of it. It bought by Tony Robbins (of 'self-empowerment' speeches fame) a few years back, but other than a LOT of his books on the community bookshelf, and his private bure, and the Thai lions by the front gate, there is little of his presence here.
What IS here is a lot of beauty. Tropical trees and plants of all sorts are all over the resort. We saw banana trees, coconut palms, Hawaiian palms, mango and starfruit trees, papaya trees and much more. The beach is a decent size, although there isn’t a lot of ‘laying out’ space available. Of course, when we were there, the biggest weather system ever seen in the area was roaming about, so that might have been reason for some of the extra pieces of reef and debris on the beach. But there was still enough for the limited guests (more about that later) to enjoy. Additionally, there are three hammocks tied between palm trees and three sets of teak deck chairs & umbrellas to enjoy your beach view from.
Walking along the beach, you have a great view of the local reef. Some of the near reef is dead, but there are signs of recovery with the reef boundary, as well as a fully alive reef further out from the actual beach. One of the nice features of the beach are the walking stone trail leading to the barrier reef, in which you can walk and see the living reef on either side of the stones! I got to see a ton of small fish who get trapped between tides, as well as about a half-dozen small moray eels. A nice touch.
Namale has a vast array of places to see and enjoy yourself privately throughout the resort. They have two ‘picnic bures’ at either end of the beach which allow private dining for those who want to share some food and a little champagne while watching the tide roll in. They also have several other hidden places that people can steal away to – including the Blowhole Deck - to have a private moment or two.
The grounds were in the midst of a bit of maintenance while we were there – both from the recent storm and because it was winter – but were still simply beautiful. We saw a variety of beautiful birds everywhere, experienced the thrill of having numerous reef fish just off the beach, walked the grounds extensively to see the coconut processing plant, and enjoyed the sun.
FACILITIES
The facilities at Namale are for the most part amazing. In addition to the reception bure, with a very nice pool table, and the main bure (where you eat many of your meals), there are several other buildings with tons of things to do. Lasa Lasa House has an indoor basketball court, another beautiful pool table, an outdoor ping-pong table, a sizable seating area and an amazing deck where you can sit and watch the tides ebb and wane. Next to the house is the second pool at Namale, with its drop-off falls that give you an unrestricted view of the reef and the attached hot tub (which we made use of quite frequently). Across the way from the house is a small putting green and the Kava Bowl. Inside the Kava Bowl is a virtual golf room, a two-lane bowling alley, an air-hockey table, and a 10’ video screen should you want to relax with a movie. Oh, and of course, there is a fully-stocked bar.
They also have another set of pools near the Dive bure. Both pools are freshwater, and we saw a crab enjoying the pool twice during our stay. They also have a badminton/volleyball net, another ping-pong table and a bar here. There is an exercise room next to the dive shop, and this was the only noticeable problem with the facilities. Much of the equipment was antiquated and only half-functional. For the splendor of most of the resort, you would have thought that they would have gone a little further in providing a larger (it was a bit cramped) and better equipped gym. But that was a minor thing – who wants to work out during their honeymoon anyway – so it wasn’t a serious black mark.
And, of course, there was the dive shop itself. Diving is about the only thing that isn’t included in the all-inclusive price of Namale. A one-tank dive is F$155 (about $78), while a two-tank dive is F$255 (about $130). The dive staff is fantastic - Niu, Tim and especially Isaac were amazing people who provided not only their expertise, but amusement as well.
Staff
The staff makes Namale as great as it is. EVERYONE goes out of their way to make you feel at home and do whatever they can to make this the most memorable experience you have ever had. They seem to know that this is your honeymoon, and that you deserve to be treated like kings and queens.
First of all, the Fijians on Vanua Levu are all amazingly friendly. Everyone greets you with an enthusiastic “Bula!” wherever you go – in or out of the resort. There is a smile and a willingness to help that runs throughout the Fijian culture. Although not the wealthiest people, they seem genuinely HAPPY about their lives and their ability to share that happiness with you is great.
The staff epitomizes that Fijian charm. Our waitstaff – including Kalesi, Pennana and Milli, to name but a few, were simply remarkable in their ability to fulfill our every need. The staff definitely runs on Fiji Time – a slow-moving pace that makes you relax – but that is in no way a problem. They greet you, serve you and talk to you with friendly tones throughout.
The staff outside the dining halls are equally as gracious. Sami, Isaac, Wise and Paul, among many others, were always there to offer a ride to our bure, get us a new drink, show us around or let us win at pool. Sami was a wonderful host who made us feel comfortable and was always there to help us out. Paul was a fountain of knowledge about the resort AND the country at large. Weis showed us things all around the resort and greeted us with a wide smile whenever he ran into us, and Isaac – well, Isaac has to be seen to be believed.
Nowhere on the resort did we feel neglected. While we were there, the number of guests ranged from 8 to 26, and there are over 100 staff there to help you out at all times, day or night. Whenever anything came up, someone was there to try to make it right. Whether it was a problem with the hair dryer, our camera breaking or a lack of alcoholic beverages, they went out of there way to help meet our every need, every time with a smile and an authentic happiness to help.
If there is one thing that Namale gets absolutely, perfectly right in every respect, it is in their hiring of kind, helpful people.
DINING
Most of the food is served in the main bure, although you can have your lunch served in a picnic at any of the many spots across the resort. Order what you like and they will bring the meal to you. We had picnics at the Blowhole Deck, one of the picnic bures, our bure and at the Lasa Lasa House. Breakfast and dinner are both served there, and while everyone eats breakfast together (well, as together as they can since breakfast is served 7 a.m. – 10 a.m.), dinner is a much more varied affair. Everyone gets together for a pre-dinner drink and conversation before enjoying their own table either in bure or at one of the numerous dining decks – small decks with only one table for private dinners.
The food was good, but not exemplary. In their defense, the executive chef was on vacation while we were gone, but much of the food was on the bland side. More vexing to us was that it was almost exclusively designed for the American palate – and we were looking (hoping) to have a more diverse set of cuisine, including native Fijian dishes, of which there was a noticeable lack. That isn’t to say that there wasn’t good food. The Fijian Mud Crabs, in particular, were simply unbelievable. These crabs were an easy foot across the shell with claws the size of my hand. They were very simply prepared and delicious. Other meals included Filet (delicious), Tuna (a tad overcooked), Wahoo (great) and a number of other seafood meals. Overall, we were satisfied with the dining selections if disappointed that we didn’t get to try more Pacific cuisine.
The wines were almost exclusively from Australia and New Zealand, and represented a wide variety of tastes and styles. Most were good, and some were excellent. Unfortunately, since I am not a big wine drinker, I can’t really let you in on any good wines to try, although I do remember one of the Shiraz’s standing out… The other drinks were wonderful. We had more Fiji water than we knew what to do with, and the Pina Coladas, Banana Fijians and everything else were great. I miss them already.
WEDDING
Of course, the reason we were here, right? Well, I have to tell you that we were concerned. After a slight problem with our flight from Nadi to Savusavu, we weren’t sure we were going to be able to get our license in time (turned out that Karla took care of that). But a quick trip to Savusavu the next day quickly wrapped up that portion of the process – F$20 and a visit to the District Operators office and we were ready. Then we had to be concerned about the weather – it had been raining all day and didn’t look like it was going to clear up (luckily, we had a two-hour window where it not only cleared up, but the sun actually came out long enough for the ceremony AND the pictures afterwards).
On Saturday, we spent much of the day getting prepared to get prepared (libations included). Then I was sent off to the Lasa Lasa House to get ready, while my bride prepared herself with the exceptional help of Karla. Once I was ready, linen shirt & pants and wedding lei all on, I was escorted in a custom-prepared golf cart (complete with a ton of flowers and banana leaves) to the wedding site. We had picked a spot on one of the smaller beaches near a large and marvelous rock outcropping. There, they had made a beautiful arch of palm leaves and flowers for me to stand under while I waited (and waited and waited…) for my bride.
We opted for the middle of the three types of ceremonies. The smallest one was simply a ceremony under the arch. We opted to go up one level to include a Fijian choir, a photographer and a videographer. The largest type of ceremony would have also included a meke (a Fijian performance of dancing and singing) and a lovo (a Fijian traditional dinner in which fish, chicken and/or pork are cooked in coconut oil while wrapped in banana leaves in a firepit). We wrote our own vows, as well as planned out how we wanted the ceremony to go. The minister was very obliging, even if he threw a bit more religion into it than we had wanted…
The wedding itself was perfect. The choir was amazing, singing 6 traditional Fijian songs of love and marriage, while the minister gave us a moving and spirited ceremony to remember. Several members of the resort community came to watch us, as did several guests – wonderful people who were all very helpful and friendly during our stay.
After the ceremony came the official signing of the documents, the champagne toast and the pictures. Our photographer and videographer were great in both suggesting places to get shots and listening to our own desires and wants. We haven’t seen the finished products yet (the films is still being developed and we need to convert the video), but we hope that it turns out as well as the ceremony itself did. The people at Namale did a wonderful job at making the wedding a perfect day!
DIVING
There are those of you, especially DiverPam, who are probably wondering how the diving was. Well, it was AMAZING. Our dive crew was a wonderful bunch who did their best to give us excellent dives and they succeeded in every aspect. Although many of the guests did more, I did three dives and 1 snorkeling trip while I was there. I was a bit rusty, so I didn’t spend as much time below as I would have liked, but still had an incredible set of dives.
Barracuda Point was a large reef outcropping about a 20-minute boatride from the resort. We saw an amazing array of different, colorful fish, including numerous butterfly fish, parrotfish and triggers. The Clown Triggerfish was a highlight. The reef was healthy and colorful, and the visibility about 70’ at the bottom. Water temperature at the bottom was a balmy 65 degrees and there was simply an overload of life everywhere. Although I didn’t see the namesake barracuda here, some of the divers did get to see a white-tip shark (unfortunately, I was already doing my safety stop).
Too Nice was a more restrained dive, still with a lot of life and beautiful corals, both soft and hard. We got to see some fire coral, some ghost coral (very neat – they turn white when touched, and no – it doesn’t hurt them), and a large banded sea snake. The scenery while weaving between the reefs was very nice but not as varied as Barracuda Point.
Dreamhouse may have been the best of the dives. A set of reef pillars in the middle of a deeper part of the ocean (with a VERY deep wall), it was the best of the reefs in both diversity, color and number of fish. We saw a number of large schools of jacks, another gray reef shark (which I once again missed as it swam into the mists) and a new variety of fish – Moorish Idols, batfish, butterflies and triggerfish galore. The reefs looked the healthiest here and there was sufficient current to move you along as you enjoyed the 80’ visibility. An amazing dive.
ACTIVITIES
Namale has so much to do that it is hard to include it all. In addition to all of your meals being included, so are all of your drinks and most of the activities (save for the aforementioned diving). You can go horseback riding, hike to the local waterfall, go snorkeling off of their reef, take out the kayaks into the ocean, bounce on their ocean water trampoline and so much more. It truly does give a couple a LOT to do.
They also have scheduled activities every day except Sunday. These activities range from a coconut party – where they tell you all of the uses of coconuts – to snorkeling expeditions to village tours at the two local villages. At night, they often also have some sort of extended event before dinner. One night was an abbreviated meke where the staff put on an exceptional show for us, including warrior dances and wonderful singing. But the highlights were the yaqona (also known as kava) ceremonies – a Fiji tradition where all the guests drink yaqona, a Fijian drink made from the roots of a pepper plant. These ceremonies were fun because everyone gets involved and it provides a wonderful chance for interaction, Fijian-style.
And the people at the resort were amazing. During our stay, we met a number of amazing people and everyone was – without exception – extremely congenial and friendly. We made some good friends, as well as what we hope will be a couple of lifelong friends while we were there. Definitely a place to go to enjoy yourself fully.
FAQ
1. Is a marriage in Fiji legal in the U.S.?
-- Yes. Unlike nearby islands Tahiti and the Solomon Islands (or even Australia), marriages in Fiji are recognized by the U.S. as legal.
2. How safe is Fiji after the recent coups?
-- The last coup was in 2000, with the previous one in 1997. Although these got some press in the world media, the actual events were overblown. Both were bloodless and ended peacefully. As for safety, other than petty theft, crime is very rare in Fiji. There are crimes and if you read the headlines you would think that there are more of them than there really are – the fact that they are so rare is WHY they make such big news.
3. How does one get there?
-- There are only 3 flights weekly from the U.S., all leaving from Los Angeles (LAX). They fly Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights, and the flight is approximately 11 hours. The flights are co-branded as Air Pacific, Qantas and American Flights (although the plane is Air Pacific, the other airlines book seats on the flight).
4. * MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A TRAVEL AGENT WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!!
We had to make two attempts to book our travel to Fiji. The first try was using a private travel agent who worked through GoWays Travel (see my review of GoWays for more information), which was a disaster. Then Carol put us through to Destination World and Lynette, who was wonderful in getting everything together. Unfortunately, it comes down to the first travel agent being over her head and not knowing the resort she was selling (since she mentioned at one point that she knew better places for honeymooners, and Namale is almost exclusively for the honeymoon set). Lynette has not only been to Fiji many times but knew Namale intimately – and was able to get us things and let us in on little details. Pretty much what you expect from your travel agent, even if you so seldomly get it anymore.
So, make SURE you get someone who knows the property. Call Namale directly to get a listing of trusted travel agents for the best chance at getting everything you want and more.
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Recommended:
Yes
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martytdx
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Member: Marty
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 481
Trusted by: 179 members
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Doing what I can to try new places, restaurants, books and beers.
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