Road to recovery
Operator plans to be fully operational by next year
THREE years after Tropical Cyclone Winston ravaged Fiji, Natalei Eco Lodge, Tailevu, is still trying to recover.
Lodge manager Josefa Bau said the damage bill was about $65,000.
“A total of six accommodation facilities were fully and partially damaged, including the conference room,” he said.
“So far, we have managed to construct four new rooms and we hope to complete works by next year with the construction of a new conference room.
“After TC Winston, we closed the lodge for some time and reopened in 2017.
“We started rebuilding with whatever money we had.
“Due to the availability of timber, we managed to rebuild the accommodation facilities.”
Mr Bau said at present he employs 16 staff members, mostly from Nataleira Village.
He said the lodge received between 4000 and 5000 international and local tourists every year.
“We host birthdays, weddings, retreats, break-up parties and family vacations.
“One of our renowned products is the daytrip snorkelling package to the Moon Reef which is home to spinner dolphins.
“This is one product that attracts a lot of tourists to our lodge.
“We also have a marine protected area. “This is a breeding place for beche-demer and coral fish.
“Protecting our surrounding marine environment is one of our key objectives.”
Mr Bau said his business, like others in the tourism sector, has been impacted by natural disasters and political instability.
“The previous owner had to shut down the lodge in 2006 after the coup.
“It reopened years later. TC Winston, then forced the lodge to close down again in 2016, it was opened a year later.
“We hope to fully recover by next year and we have a lot to offer our tourists.”
Natalei Eco lodge comprises private and common huts and is designed with ecofriendly accommodation facing the ocean in Nataleira Village in Dawasamu, Tailevu.
The renowned Moon Reef, which is the home of spinner dolphins, is a ten-minute boat ride from the lodge.