MOMI BAY
An unexpected island hideaway only a stone’s throw from our shores, the new Marriott Resort Momi Bay (marriott.com.au) can be found just a 45-minute drive from Fiji’s Nadi Airport. Opened a year ago, the resort is the only one on Viti Levu, the country’s largest island, with Fomoinducing overwater bungalows. It’s like you’re across the Indian Ocean in the Maldives, but without the jet lag (it’s only a four-hour flight from Sydney).
Three large swimming pools dot the picturesque resort, including an adults-only infinity pool and spa at Fish Bar, as well as a main pool and piscine for the kids. You’re spoilt for choice with the dining scene, too. Local culinary offerings such as Kokoda (a traditional seafood dish), kava tasting and plenty of papaya are popular here, while coconut rum comes in spades at the Marriott‘s Goji Kitchen & Bar, where buffet-style Asian-fusion fare is served up for lunch and dinner, and an international buffet breakfast will keep you going all morning. Head to the resort’s in-house bakery, Fiji Baking Company, for barista-style coffee if you’re one for flat-white withdrawals.
Of the 250 rooms, there are 114 bure villas (22 are over water) and 136 deluxe rooms. A generously sized bath and bed take centrestage in a duplex bure, where a desk and speedy wi-fi are there if work beckons (although we know you’ll actually just use it to scroll through your social feeds in the tub). You’ll also score a private deck with a comfy outdoor lounge that has direct access to the lagoon, and a rain showerhead in the bathroom that’s (almost) as relaxing as a massage or facial at the resort’s Quan Spa.
If you can bear to leave your room, fully immerse yourself in island life by taking in the breathtaking scenery on a helicopter ride. You’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the islands where The Bachelorette US (Vomo), Survivor (Mana Island) and Castaway (Akuila Tavi) were filmed. The highly ’grammable bright-blue landscape takes the sentiment “scenic route” to a whole new level.