Vomo Island Fiji
Mod Pacificiana
Peak-topped Vomo Island
Set on a dinky, crocodile-shaped island in the easy-to-reach Mamanucas, jaw-dropping Vomo Island Fiji offers pure shores, a crystal-clear sea and a second mini isle for romantic picnics. Sleekly designed with stylish local touches, it's also that rare thing: a sophisticated Fijian escape that seamlessly integrates children into its seductive setting. Snorkel, paddle board, hike up the hill or circumnavigate the whole island – it only takes around two hours.
Facilities
Rooms
36, including four villas.
Checkout
11am; check-in, 2pm, both flexible subject to availability.
More Details
Rates include à la carte breakfast, all meals, select non-alcoholic and minibar soft drinks, fruit and a bottle of wine on arrival, laundry service, non-motorised watersports, sunset canapés in the bar, weekly meke performance and cocktail party.
Also
Adult-only beach club the Rocks (open daily from 10am) is on the western tip of the island – sundowner spots won’t get any better than this. Float in the sprawling sea-view inifinity pool, lounge about on the over-sized day beds and order poolside drinks and light bites – sashimi, poke bowls and salads – from Rocks Bar straight to your side whenever the mood strikes.
Fitness Center
Free Internet Access
Golf
Laundry
Pool
Room Service
Spa
At the Hotel
Private-island beaches, Kui Spa and fitness centre, adult-only beach club, swimming pools, watersports, PADI dive centre, 9-hole golf course, tennis, volleyball and badminton courts, croquet, petanque, gym, daily exercise classes, gardens, two restaurants, two bars, kids' club, Chiefly Bure with computer, TV, DVD and book library, free WiFi throughout. Expect a new adults-only pool, on the island's more secluded west side, soon. In rooms: CD player, iPod dock, minibar, L'Occitane toiletries, outdoor deck and dining area. The larger Royal Villa and Residence both have cable TV, a DVD player, kitchen and a private pool; the Residence features butler service.
Our Favourite Rooms
All Vomo's digs have simple mod-Fijian styling, ensuite showers and spa baths. If views are your bag, aim for the lofty, more private Hillside Villas. We like the ocean-hugging Beachfront Villas best though, with some interconnecting options and outdoor dining decks and sunloungers just a sashay from the sea. Families or friends can take their pick from the luxe three-bedroom Royal Villa or four-bedroom Residence, which both boast kitchens and private pools. The 28 standard villas each sleep two adults and two children.
Poolside
The sleek, spacious main outdoor pool is flanked by Vomo's Reef Restaurant and Vuda Bar with inviting contemporary loungers for soaking up sun and sea views, and chic white parasols if you need shade. There’s also an adult-only infinity pool in beach club the Rocks; it has submerged in-pool seating and is flanked by a sea-view terrace topped with sunloungers and daybeds.
Spa
Kui Spa has two couples' treatment rooms, outdoor rainshowers and tempting Sodashi treatments carried out by skilled Thai therapists. Facials with marine plants and Himalayan salts, algae and green tea-infused body treatments, head-to-toe massages and mani-pedis round off the indulgent menu, and signature treatments are designed to lull guests into deep relaxation. Packages and in-villa treatments are available too.
Packing Tips
Snorkellers should bring a rash shirt to avoid sub-aqua sunburn or scrapes. Landlubbers, pack trainers for island walks or hitting the tennis court.
Also
Transfer costs from main island Viti Levu are extra. A bed (and meals) for an extra adults is FJ$850 a night.
Children
Welcome. Cots for under-threes are FJ$98 a night; a rollaway or sofa-bed can be made up for FJ$295 a night for kids aged four to 16. Babysitting is free for four hours a day (FJ$20 an hour after) and there's a fab free kids' club.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Bag a table poolside or nearest the sea for the best views. For serious people-watching, perch near the bar. Private dining options around the island – from your villa deck to the beach – are only limited by your imagination, so don't be afraid to ask.
Dress Code
Go glam. There's a hip Sydney feel to this dining pad, especially when it's illuminated by candles at night. Elegant labels and heels won't feel out of place.
Hotel Restaurant
Stylish Reef Restaurant is set around the hotel's sleek, linear pool with soothing sea views and a choice of covered or open-air dining. Trained in Napa Valley, executive chef Erwin Joven – and well-travelled, Italian chef de cuisine Michele Bellotto – whips up fresh, eclectic dishes that star local produce (including fish and seafood, dressed with 'raw' sauces) and reflect his Filipino/Asian heritage, his formal culinary training in Napa Valley, and the seven countries he has lived in. Sip on free soft drinks and juices during meal times, or order a tipple off the global wine list, backdropped by mellow tunes. A local acoustic band sometimes supplies the sounds.
Hotel Bar
Vomo spoils you with not one, but two sexy bars. We love Vomo Rocks Bar, a stylish ringside seat for quaffing cocktails (or Rocktails) at sunset with dreamy views over nearby Vomo Lailai Island. An airy, laid-back lounging den, with oversized, shaded day-beds, it's perched in a tranquil, beachside spot at the western end of the island and opens from 5pm to 7pm nightly. After that, repair to main watering-hole Vuda Bar, beside Reef Restaurant and the pool, which serves smart wines and snacks. Pose on a stool by the colour-changing bar, or relax in come-hither seating on the deck. Lounge tunes keep the mood chilled.
Last Orders
Dinner is served at Reef from 7pm to 9.30pm; Vuda Bar keeps pouring all day until the same cut-off. Rocks Sunset Bar sees action from 5pm to 7pm nightly. Adults-only beach club the Rocks is open from 10am.
Room Service
Available during restaurant hours (7am–9.30pm), with a FJ$10 service fee for all deliveries. There’s currently no separate room service menu at Vomo, so dishes mirror those at Reef, but the chef can create something special for private dining requests.
Planes
Fly into Fiji's Nadi International Airport (www.airportsfiji.com), on the west coast of Viti Levu. Fiji Airways, which codeshares with Qantas, offers direct flights to Nadi (pronounced ‘Nandi’) from Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong, Honolulu and Los Angeles – also a main hub for connecting flights from London or Canada, for example. Vomo has a fast-track customs and baggage clearance service. From Nadi Airport, Vomo is a 15-minute flight by helicopter; the hotel has its own helipad and can help arrange transfers, although they're not included in rates (each way, it's $840 per adult, FJ$588 for children aged 2–12 and free for under-twos; let the hotel know your travel plans and a driver will pick you up, with up to two car seats for under-4s available free). For helicopter transfers, call Island Hoppers; prices and information are subject to change.
Automobiles
The only cars on rustic Vomo Island belong to hotel staff; guests can't bring their own hired wheels. Private car transfers from Nadi airport and Port Denarau can be arranged for FJ$75 for one to four guests, FJ$100 for five to eight guests, FJ$150 for nine to 12 guests, FJ$200 for 13–16 guests, and FJ$250 for 18-20 guests.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
With its butter-soft beaches, dreamy ocean and pool, Vomo Island Fiji has all activity bases covered. Adventure hounds will love the pristine snorkelling. Just swim out right off the beach or join a free, guided daily excursion at 11am to explore local reefs; May to October is manta-ray season, and guests can book a guided excursion to the Yasawas channel to see fevers of them float by. Watersports, including windsurfing, Hobie Cat sailing, stand up paddle boards, single- and double-kayaks, and glass-bottomed kayaks, are all included in rates. The resort's in-house dive centre offers snorkelling lessons and trips, deep-sea and local fishing and Padi scuba-diving courses of all ilk (including Bubble Blowers courses for 8–12 year olds). Or you can ride thrilling surf breaks at famed Cloud Break, and take a more sedate sunset cruise or visit Yalobi or Yamata villages (both a 30-minute boat ride away) to learn about Fijian culture. Active types can work up a sweat over tennis (flood-lit at night), badminton, golf (on the 9-hole, par-3 chip and putt course) or a volleyball match with the staff, or enjoy a spot of croquet or petanque.
If you're very lucky, you'll see baby turtles hatching on protected pockets of beach (May to July is hatching season). There's also fish-feeding at 10.30am daily at the Activities Bure. Spa fiends can savour treatments in Kui Spa, where there’s a pampering mix of massages, facials, and foot and hand therapies, as well as beauty essentials. There are two couples' treatment rooms too.
Our top tips include taking the 15-minute walking trail up the island's main peak, for gorgeous views over the reef, outlying islands and ocean.
To rev up the romance, request a private picnic on deserted sister island Vomo Lailai, where you'll discover a tiny beach, day-bed and dining platforms for lounging in peace (staff will drop you off by boat with a two-way radio, drinks and a champagne picnic). It's just two minutes away by boat – and has a button-cute beach; staff will drop you off for a few hours with a gourmet picnic, chilled drinks and a two-way radio. Just call when you want to come 'home' or swim back. You can also arrange picnics elsewhere on Vomo Island, which boasts lounger-dotted beaches on both sides, so you should always find a breeze-free spot. For cultural capers, don't miss the weekly Lovo Night, when there's a meal cooked in an earth-oven (lovo), meke dances, stories and songs, and a torchlit kava ceremony, Fiji's national, slightly narcotic drink which is shared among guests with ritual flourishes. You can also arrange island-hopping tours around the Yasawas or Mamanucas after your Vomo sojourn; try the Yasawa Flyer or South Sea Cruises.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
