Long time Fijiguide.com contributor Marilyn Marsh has just returned from her annual trip to Fiji. This year she focused on the Yasawa Group. Marilyn is a fine writer and a photographer with a knack for underwater shots. Over the next ten days Fijiguide.com will present her travelogue– both text and photos, in a four-part series. This the fourth segment of her series.
This resort, a sister resort to Octopus, opened at Christmas 2009. It is situated in Nalova Bay on Nacula Island, at the far end of the Yasawa Flyer run. There are six Beachfront villas, and six Garden villas, as well as the new Palm Villas (2) which cater for up to 6 people. It also has an airconditioned dorm and eight Lodge rooms (private rooms with king bed or two singles) which share the dorm facilities. Each villa has a Queen-size bed and a single bed, and they can add bunks for children or baby cots if required. They are ceiling-fan cooled. The one Deluxe Beachfront villa has a partitioned bunkroom for children and is airconditioned. The Palm villas have a separate bedroom as well as the king-size bed in the main room, a covered outdoor living area with private garden, and are air-conditioned.
The beach is shared with Oarsman Bay Lodge next door but there is no sense of it being crowded. It shelves gently into the lagoon, and with
shelter from neighbouring islands is the calmest water I have experienced in Fiji. Great snorkeling right from the beach, with much more easily accessible with a short walk. Swimming can be done from the beach at all stages of the tide.
The dining room/bar has a sand floor, with a deck on the front only metres from the beach. Dining tables seat eight. The meal plan is
compulsory, the food is very good and plentiful, with a breakfast buffet of cereals, toast, muffins, pancakes and fruit and the option of a cooked breakfast at a small extra cost. Lunch has several fixed choices from a
blackboard menu with added specials every day. Dinner has a set menu with several courses and varies each night.
The resort has a dive operation and runs Discover Scuba sessions. There are several boat trips on the activities list – including snorkelling at different locations, and the trip to the Sawa-I-Lau caves (see photo at left) which I think is a “must-do”.
They provide a guide for the hike across the island, and boat trips to visit the local Nacula Village – no cost for either. On Friday nights the people of Nacula visit to present a Meke, followed by a lovo meal, and on Sundays the church choir comes to sing. Movie night with the screen set up on the beach in front of the restaurant is a great experience – as is “Survivor Fiji” – a fun quiz night with a difference!
Although Blue Lagoon caters for backpackers with its dorm, this is not a “party place” – we found most guests had retired for the night by 10pm. Indeed both times we have stayed there we found many of the dorm residents were older singles and couples – with a fair sprinkling of professionals and academics. It may be that many families are put off by the long boat ride, but we found it also catered well for children (my six grandchildren were with us on our last visit, ranging in age from 17 months to 8 years). No “kids club” but to me that is an advantage! – and a very good inexpensive babysitting service if parents want to go on activities together.
Photos courtesy of Marilyn Marsh
