Stephanie Holmes checks into Barefoot Kuata in Fiji’s Yasawa Islands
Location: About two hours’ northwest of Nadi.
Getting there: The Yasawa Flyer, a high-speed catamaran ferry service, which departs from Port Denarau every day at 10.30am. The boat calls at many islands and resorts in the Mamanuca and Yasawa chains, so it’s perfect for island hopping. I caught the boat from Mantaray Island around 3pm and arrived at Barefoot Kuata an hour later. The resort’s tender boats meet the Flyer offshore and ferry you and your luggage to land.
Check-in experience: Simple and friendly. After the beachside welcome song standard in Fijian resorts, guests sit in a shaded patio area and fill in arrival forms, then are given a rundown of the resort’s facilities, activities and meal schedules, before being shown to their rooms.
Room: A beachfront tent . . . this is glamping Fijian-style and it’s great. The walls and roof are canvas, but there’s electricity, wooden floorboards, louvre windows, sliding bamboo doors, a comfortable double bed and a very welcome ceiling fan. The room has nods to Fijian culture with a beautifully-printed tapa cloth over the doorway, turtle wood carvings, and “bula” spelled out on the bed with palm fronds and frangipanis. The beach is steps away from the front door. There are also double- and dormrooms, which use shared bathroom facilities.
View: Palm trees, foliage, sand, sea and imposing volcanic-rock neighbouring islands across the channel.
Bathroom: Behind two sliding doors at the bedhead, the bathroom is a kind of outhouse. There’s an enclosed toilet, with outdoor washbasin area and open-air walk-in shower either side. Be assured, it’s very private — surrounded by a tightly woven bamboo fence. The shower pressure was good, but I couldn’t get hot water, which was fine because it was humid and sticky, and a tepid shower was perfect to cool down.
Toiletries: Basic bars of soap and own-brand shower gel.
Other guests: A mostly younger crowd — a mix of backpacking travellers and young couples.
Facilities: The heart of the resort is the dive shop where you can kayak, paddleboard, snorkel with sharks, and learn to scuba dive. There are also two small swimming pools, a bar and dining area, walking trails and a sunset lookout. Food and drink: Meal packages are available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The fresh fish was plentiful and delicious. As were the tropical cocktails. Wi-Fi: Free and high-speed at the bar area — probably the best Wi-Fi I found at the four resorts I stayed at in the Yasawas. Entertainment: Live Fijian music is a part of each day. Contact: barefootkuatafiji.com Noise: The soothing rhythm of the sea. Perfect for: A basic but beautiful relaxing tropical escape.