Thanksgiving in Paradise Part 1: Getting there/Royal Davui Island Resort

As my husband Bob and I did not take our traditional Labor Day trip this year, we decided that Thanksgiving would be the perfect time to take a vacation away from the cold Atlanta weather. After looking at quite a few options, we settled on Fiji, an area we'd been wanting to visit for years! We love the South Pacific, and I was eager to see how Fiji compared and contrasted with other countries in that region.




Getting to Fiji
Our Air Pacific flight from Los Angeles to Fiji took off on time, and our seats on the upper deck of the 747 were comfortable and quiet. I do recommend getting seats on the upper deck when possible. They seem to have a bit more leg room than those on the main part of the plane, and because that section is much smaller, it also tends to be quieter than the lower level. I also liked the fact that there are bins next to each window seat in which to place carry-on bags. As I generally want to access my carry on multiple times during a long flight, this was much more convenient than having to ask the people in the middle and aisle seat to move every time I wanted to do so.

The service was ok, if not as good as on other South Pacific carriers such as Air Tahiti Nui and Air New Zealand. The food was pretty bad, though, even by typical coach class standards. Dinner consisted of a damp sandwich filled with a piece of limp lettuce, cheese, and a thin slice of turkey, with a side of potato chips. Breakfast was a runny omelet and some mystery meat, with some sad fruit on the side. (On the flight back from Fiji to LAX, the same things were served--this time I knew better than to bother with them.)




We landed on time, and quickly made our way through customs and immigration, picked up our bags, and headed out of the terminal to find the check-in point for our onward flight to Pacific Harbor (arranged through our first hotel, Royal Davui Island Resort). http://www.royaldavui.com/

Finding that check-in desk was a bit tricky (we opted out of meet-and-greet service), but eventually we discovered the small desk near the far end of the domestic terminal, though it was still too early to check in. By now it was about 6:30AM (our flight from LAX had landed at 5:15), and we still had a few hours to kill before the transfer flight was to take off. We spent the next hour + sitting on a bench outside the airport, enjoying the early morning sun. About 8:00, we headed back in to the terminal to check in. As the other couple on the flight were there as well, we were actually able to take off about an hour early!



Transfer
The flight from Nadi to Pacific Harbor was operated by Pacific Island Seaplanes, and was about 30-40 minutes in length. The ride in the 8-passenger plane was a bit bumpy, but the views were spectacular!
Some shots from the air:







Upon landing on the airstrip, we were picked up by a van and taken to the dock where the Royal Davui boat drops off and picks up guests.






After a 5 or 10 minute wait, we boarded the boat and were off to the resort! The sea was a bit rough due to recent rain and wind in the area (November is the beginning of rainy season in Fiji), though the captain told us it was a lot better than it had been the previous few days. The Royal Davui boat is flat-bottomed so does not glide as smoothly through the water as boats with v-hulls. However, a flat-bottomed boat is necessary so as to be able to get over the reef surrounding Royal Davui island without destroying either the coral or the vessel itself!




The ride from Pacific Harbor out to Royal Davui took about 40 minutes, and we were slightly moist from sea spray by the time we docked (we sat on the bench closest to the back of the boat though--if you sit closer in, you'll receive very little spray)! As we got close to the resort, the water colors were incredible--every shade of blue and green imaginable, with reefs visible right under the crystal clear surface.







Arrival at Royal Davui
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the resort manager, Julie, who greeted us warmly and had staff members take our bags to our vales while we checked in. As we walked up towards the main building where the restaurant, bar, and gift shop are located, staff members serenaded us with a lovely welcome song. After they finished, we were led to the bar, where cool fruity drinks and damp towels decorated with hibiscus waited for us alongside the check-in paperwork.




Once that was complete, we were led through the resort's lush grounds to our vale.











Accommodations
Royal Davui has 4 levels of accommodations - Island Vales, Deluxe Vales, Premium Vales, and one Davui Suite (aka the honeymoon vale). The first 3 categories are all very similar, with the main differences being:
*Location on the island - Island vales are located closest to one of RD's small "secondary" beaches, so have a bit less privacy than others. Having said this, I walked those beaches several times each day, and never saw anyone else there.
*Size--Premiums are just a bit larger than Island and Deluxe Vales
*Heated versus non-heated plunge pool--only the pools in the Premium vales are heated
*Bed - the premium vales have a canopy attached to the ceiling, which can be closed around the bed at night.

#11 is a Premium vale, and one of the most private and secluded at Royal Davui.



It's the one shown on the website in the premium category bedroom, bathroom, living room, and plunge pool photos (though the "main" premium category photo is from a different vale, and the bathroom picture has been photoshopped to make the view appear closer to the tub than it actually is). This villa faces south, so we had a gorgeous sunrise view in front of us and a bit to the left.










We would have had some sunset views to the right had the weather not prevented them all but one night of our stay. The best place to view the sunset is from a tiny overhang to the left of the main resort building, near the private dining gazebo, though.






We were wowed from the moment we stepped inside - pictures don't even do justice to the level of detail and feeling of tropical luxury and openness the vales here offer. A long foyer leads from the front door into the living room, with the bedroom and bathroom off to the side.


In the living room, a comfortable loveseat and chairs provide a cozy place to relax, and a wet bar in the corner holds a mini-fridge, a couple of wineglasses, coffee cups, plates, and silverware, a sink, french coffee press, and a container of purified water.






A writing desk on one side of the living area holds a stereo, picnic menu, mini-bar price list, and resort information book.



Some refreshments purchased duty-free at LAX...helps keep bar bills down a bit and also makes sunset cocktails in your vale a simpler and quicker proposition than calling for room service or going back and forth to the bar.


On the coffee table, a delicious fresh-baked loaf of banana bread sat waiting for our indulgence, and the jar of complimentary lemon cookies in the fridge make a great afternoon snack. The walls of the vales feature local artwork and framed Fijian tools, and the light fixtures are decorated with bamboo.

Accordion-style doors allow the entire living area to be opened up for fresh sea breezes. The L-shaped deck allows for 180-degree views, and a table and chairs on the deck are perfect for enjoying room service or private sunset cocktails.






The plunge pool off to one side is a great respite from the heat when laying out on your private sundeck! Ours was heated (though the heat was not working when we first arrived, the manager sent someone up to fix it the moment we mentioned the issue). A button on the side of the pool allows you to turn on bubbles if you want a more spa-like experience.





The bedroom is air conditioned, furnished simply with a gorgeous and very comfortable bed canopied with the softest mosquito-netting.





The netting is for show, not necessary to keep out bugs--there were not any, though we did see a gecko or two in the living room!


Another set of accordion doors lead to a sundeck with 2 cushioned teak lounge chairs. My only comments/complaints here are that it would be nice to have a table out there for drinks, and that I would have liked to have had a way to get between that deck and the plunge pool without having to go through the vale (there's a railing around the sundeck--suppose one could climb over, but that could be a bit dicey when wet!)


A couple of steps lead from the bedroom up into the bathroom, which features a closet, double vanity, water closet, separate spa tub and shower. A switch near the tub can be flipped to open a set of electric louvers over the shower, giving the feeling of showering in the open air.

The shower itself has surprisingly good water pressure, and plenty of hot water. A set of pure Fiji toiletries is a nice touch, as is the large straw beach bag for use during your stay (if you'd like to take one home with you, the bags are for sale in the gift shop)!

Dining
The food at the resort is excellent. The breakfast menu is extensive, the portions are generous, and they're happy for you to order more than one dish if you can't decide on just one item. I think the breakfasts here were probably the most delicious of any resort I've ever visited!


The view from breakfast one morning:

My favorites were:
Three Egg Omelette--if you're like me and only like crispy bacon, I would recommend asking them to leave out the bacon and ham, though!

Corn Fritters - crispy and delicious, though again, I left out the bacon (and forgot to take a photo)
Davui Pancakes - I had the coconut pancakes with ganache...sheer indulgence, and completely amazing!

Davui Waffles - I went for the coconut version with pineapple and palm syrup, and they were excellent!


On our last morning, I tried the breakfast sandwich with fresh ahi tuna, cream cheese, red onion, tomato, and lettuce, which was good if maybe a little fishy for me first thing in the morning. It came with a side of egg as well, which was a little random and unnecessary, but good for those who do want a more classic breakfast item along with the sandwich!



My husband is the type to find something he likes and stick with it, so he ordered the Royal Davui breakfast almost every morning. It consists of 2 eggs any way, bacon, cassava hash browns (unusual but very tasty) and toast. On our last morning, when we ordered room service to save some time while we packed, some slices of cheese were also added to the plate. The one day he tried something different, it was the bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich with a side of cassava hash browns (so basically the exact same thing, just presented differently).




My only complaint about breakfast is that the juices were not fresh, but rather the typical store-bought type. Not a huge deal, but I was surprised that fresh juices were not used, considering their tropical location and the fact that this is a very high-end luxury resort. We did still enjoy the juice enough to request a couple of extra glasses each morning, which we put in our mini-fridge and used as mixers for our rum and vodka later in the day. I'm pretty sure there was no charge for the extra juice, though it's possible we missed those charges in our rather lengthy bar bill!

When seated at breakfast, you're given a menu for the day, and asked to order your lunch and dinner before you leave. I don't love the idea of this in general, as it's hard to be totally sure what you'll be in the mood for later in the day. However, it was not a huge problem in this case, as the lunch and dinner menus are fairly short (they change daily) and there was usually one item in each category that really stood out for me. This method of ordering also seems to be pretty typical of Fijian resorts that are on private/remote islands.

Each day there are 2 appetizers and 4 entrees to choose from for lunch and 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, 2 side dishes (steamed vegetables or rice), and 2 desserts to choose from for dinner. So there are not tons of choices, but if you don't like the sound of anything, they will honor requests for something different whenever possible. Everything was really beautifully presented--even the sandwiches were wrapped up like little gifts!

Menu from our first day:


The first day for lunch we ate poolside, and I had the seafood chowder (with big chunks of fresh crab, shrimp, and other fish) to start, and a chicken baguette as my entree, both of which were very good (aside from the fact that the avocado in my sandwich was brown). The baguettes are served with fries, which are nice and crispy, just how I like them. I thought I would have to be rolled up the hill to our vale after this meal!




Bob had the salad and some heavenly chicken ravioli.

We were also brought a basket of homemade bread studded with seeds and nuts which was still warm and fresh from the oven. The only complaint I have about this bread was that it was not served again during our stay!

I forgot to take my camera to dinner that night, but the seared tuna salad was the best I've ever tasted, and my entree of mahi-mahi was also incredible. Bob had the rourou medallion and either the spiced pork or chicken filo parcels. The fact that neither of us can recall has less to do with whether or not they were good than with the fact that jet lag + a few drinks left us with memories that are a bit hazy about the last couple of hours of that night! We do remember the yummy mango cheesecake, though!

Menu from the second day of our stay:


For lunch this day, I ordered the trio of dips - baba ghanoush, hummus, and tzatziki to start, and Bob had the cream of bacon and potato soup (obviously, non-crispy bacon does not bother him in the slightest). My entree of seared swordfish with veggies and several different sauces and purees was fantastic, and Bob enjoyed his ham baguette as well.




For dinner, we both ordered the crab and cucumber salad, which was very good. This was the only time during our stay that we saw a dish on the menu that featured shellfish, which is my only real complaint about the food at the resort. As I'm a huge shellfish fan, I would have liked to see more of it on the menu, and thought it was a bit strange that so little of it was offered given the location. I was not sure at the time whether it was a seasonal thing, but looking back at the resort brochure, I see that their sample menus (found here: http://issuu.com/royaldavui/docs/royal_davui_sales_kit_2009) also don't advertise much shellfish (though there are fish dishes at each meal).


I ordered the snapper as my entree, and Bob had the beef filet. Both were very good, and the passionfruit coconut caramel we both ordered for dessert provided a nice taste of the tropics!



Day 3 menu:

At lunch on our last full day at the resort, we both had the crisply fresh green papaya salad to start. My veggie and cheese baguette was simple but delicious, and Bob loved his steak sandwich.




By the time dinner rolled around that night, we were both exhausted, so decided to have dinner delivered to our room. I think dinner this night taught us both an esoteric but still valuable lesson: smoked whole mini octopuses (apparently, "octopuses" is more correct as the plural than "octopi"...who knew?!) are not appetizing to us after a long day of beers and champagne on the beach. I'm sure they were quite good, but neither of us could quite stomach more than a couple of bites at that point. We felt bad about giving the dishes back practically untouched, but figured the staff would prefer that to getting a prank phone call from us reporting an octopus infestation in the plunge pool.




We also both ordered the seared fresh fish, which was pretty to look at but a bit too fishy for my taste. We did both manage to gobble down our desserts of banana passionfruit meringue cake, though!



Service
The staff at the resort are generally friendly and obviously eager to help make your stay wonderful. Service can sometimes a bit slow, but that's pretty typical in tropical areas--got to love island time! There are a few staff members who could use a bit more training, but overall we were pleased with the level of service. It's not as efficient and correct as you would find in 5* hotels in many other parts of the world, but on the flip side, is warmer and more sincere.

Nightime fun
On our first night at the resort, crab races were held--an absolute blast! I believe they have these once a week, but if you're there for a shorter amount of time, it's worth asking Julie (manager) if it is possible to have them during your stay.

The staff picks up a few dozen hermit crabs, and each person choses their own, as well as a "couple's crab". There are 3 heats - men's, women's and couples, each with a prize. The crabs are marked with your vale number, then placed inside a chalk circle under a bowl (very briefly). The bowl is picked up to set the crabs free, and the first crab in each heat to cross the finish line wins. When we were there, about 8 couples participated, and there was tons of laughter and good-natured competition as each person's hand-picked hermit crab made its way to the outside of the circle (or didn't, in the case of some especially lazy crabs). Bob's crab won the men's heat, and the prize was a 30-minute massage--a very nice surprise!





On the second evening of our stay, a Kava cermony was held. Kava is a mild narcotic made from the roots of the Kava plant. It's enjoyed in many areas of the South Pacific, with the kava ceremony elements varying slightly from country to country. Participating in a kava ceremony is definitely a must-do while in Fiji!

In Fiji, the grated kava root is strained and mixed with water in a large wooden bowl, then drinks are scooped out with a coconut shell cup. Those attending the ceremony sit in a circle, and the cup is passed around, refilled for each person. Note: germaphobes will probably not be a huge fan of this ceremony, as you are drinking out of a cup from which others (generally strangers, in the case of resort ceremonies) have also just sipped! There is clapping and chanting before and after each person drinks, and usually some singing and/or playing of traditional musical instruments during and after the ceremony.



SNAKES!
After the ceremony, there was a slightly unusual wildlife exhibition. At the crab races the night before, we had been chatting with some other guests and Julie the manager, who mentioned the large number of black and white banded sea snakes that live on the reef around the island and come up onto the land at night. Even the island's true name, Ugaga, means "poison" in Fijian, as sea snakes are extremely venomous. Luckily, their mouths are so small (and their fangs so far back in their mouths)that they are generally unable to bite humans. Just keep your fingers and toes out of their mouths, and you'll be fine! They're also very shy and non-aggressive, so no worries about them jumping out at you in or out of the water.

At any rate, apparently we were the only guests had not yet seen any sea snakes, hard as we'd tried the night before and earlier that evening (even after taking a flashlight out with us to try and find them in the dark). So after the ceremony, Julie had a staff member find one and bring it up to the bar area so we could see it. Quite something!


We never did see one in the wild while we were there, but I did see a few slither marks in the sand on my early morning beach walks.


Bar
The covered but open air bar at RD is lovely, with some really yummy specialty drinks. I particularly loved the frozen rummy delightfulness served in a real coconut shell (I think it was called a Coconut Dream,), and am just sorry I forgot to ever order its pineapple shell counterpart.

There is a decent if not super-extensive wine list, including about a dozen "by the glass" options. I especially enjoyed the Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc and the Janz sparkling wine. If you're a beer drinker, the resort offers a bucket of beer - 6 bottles for the price of 5, served on ice in a metal bucket. While I'm not much of a beer fan in general, I did enjoy my share of Fiji Golds with fresh lime on this trip!

Happy hour at the bar is from 5-6 each evening, and canapes are served at 6. Calling them canapes may be a bit grandiose, as those served the 2 nights we were at the bar at the right time were Ritz crackers with a small cube of cheese on top. I do think the resort could step it up a bit here, or just not offer "canapes" at all and stick with the bombay mix in bowls on the bar.

Pool
The main pool at Royal Davui is lovely and nicely sized, sitting right off the beach. There were plenty of cushioned lounge chairs on the terrace around the pool, though I was surprised to learn they only have a couple of umbrellas available for those who would like some shade. There's a red flag that can be run up a palm tree next to the pool if you want to get to get a drink or some food, though our success rate with that was not great.








The small wooden deck between the pool and beach with 2 lounge chairs was our favorite place to sit, read, enjoy a bucket of Fiji Golds, and look out at the stunning scenery.



Bob even spotted a small (2 foot max) black-tipped reef shark from his chair one day!



The only downside to this spot is that we were consistently under siege from brightly colored beetles that live in the surrounding vegetation. They have no compunction about landing right on people or the chairs, and are completely unphased by efforts to gently swat them away (we discovered that a swift flick worked best). They don't bite or sting, but can be annoying when one is JUST TRYING TO ENJOY MY DRINK AND BOOK IN PEACE! PLEASE STOP LANDING ON ME OR I WILL DROWN YOU IN THE ICE BUCKET! I think they're seasonal though, and this is the only spot where we saw a single one.

Water sports

We kayaked around the island one day, which is a fun and fairly simple (assuming the water is calm, which it was not when we were there!) trip. But it still only took us about 20 minutes to circumnavigate the island, even with photo stops!.









We got lazy and only did a little bit of snorkeling, which I really regret! The reef around the island is spectacular, with tons of brightly colored corals and tropical fish decorating the crystal clear water.




The resort does ask that you stop by the activity hut and let them know that you're heading out to snorkel (and when you come back in) as a safety precaution.








Sand spit picnic
We had really hoped to do the sand spit picnic while at Royal Davui, unfortunately, we put it off under our last afternoon, and it ended up being too rainy that day for the excursion to make sense. We knew better than to put it off (this is not the first time we've procrastinated on a tour/excursion and then not been able to take it due to weather), but due to tides, we would either have to go super early in the morning or in the afternoon, so we figured it would be a nice way to spend our last sunset at RD. At any rate, my recommendation would be to try and schedule it for pretty early in your stay, in case you need to reschedule due to weather. I'm really disappointed we were not able to do this trip, as others guests we met raved about it! But we did buy a bottle of champagne anyway and enjoyed it on one of the resort's beaches as we toasted to a wonderful trip and had our own little crab race.




Bob also constructed his traditional tropical island "Bracewell beach flag".






Beaches
The island has three beaches; the largest runs along the north end of the island, in front of the pool and restaurant, a smaller stretch of sand runs along the western side of the island, and the third beach(approximately the same size as the second) lines the island's southern side. All are beautiful and practically deserted (I never saw more than 2 other people on any of the beaches, and rarely did I see anyone else at all. Every morning I woke with the sun and walked along the smaller two beaches, looking for shells and taking photographs, and also did the same shortly before sunset each evening.


















To me, there is absolutely nothing more peaceful and lovely than a long walk down a gorgeous beach where I can discover tiny treasures the tide has brought in, and I absolutely loved all the opportunities to do so at Royal Davui.














I grew up spending summers on Captiva and Sanibel islands off the Gulf Coast of Florida, which are arguably the very best shelling spots on earth. When I was younger, I wanted to be a conchologist (conchology is the study of shells). Hell, I STILL want to be a conchologist...just don't think there are many openings for those jobs! Point being, I'm very into shelling, and am generally disappointed at what the number and variety I find on beaches in most parts of the world.

However, Royal Davui had the best shelling I've seen since my summers in Sanibel and Captiva. The number of shells was understandably not as good, as Royal Davui is so small, but the variety and quality was wonderful, and I found tons of beautiful and unusual specimans to add to my ever growing collection.

(Yes, I'm a big shell nerd, and may or may not actually jump up and down with excitement over a particularly beautiful find.)

Spa
On our last full day at Royal Davui, we booked a 30-minute traditional Tropical massage apiece. They have a couple of massage therapists at the resort, so we were able to have them at the same time. The spa is in one of the bungalows, with the massage tables what is generally used as the bedroom area. The massages were okay but not great, and a bit painful at times due to some of the traditional Fijian Bobo massage techniques. I would recommend going for an aromatherapy massage instead, as other guests we spoke to had tried both and said the aromatherapy version was more gentle and enjoyable. I will say the spa treatments are very reasonably priced, especially for a resort of this caliber (60 minute massage for about $65, 90 min for about $85, etc.)!


Other guests
As Royal Davui is a small property, both in number of accommodations (16 total vales, with a maximum of 32 guests on the island at any given time) and in overall area (10 square acres), you will generally have some interaction with the other guests, especially if you participate in the nightly activities. You can certainly have plenty of privacy if you'd prefer - the restaurant is set up with tables set away from others, the vales are exceedingly private and secluded, and I never saw more than 2 other people on any of the beaches while I was on them. But we had a fantastic group of people staying at the resort when we were there, and really enjoyed meeting some of the other guests at happy hour and chatting with them during the crab race and kava ceremony (though during the day and at meal times, people do tend to keep more to themselves, which allows for a nice balance of socializing and "couple time")! I would guess the average age of guests during our stay was mid-thirties, with most couples being there on a honeymoon or anniversary trip.

Back to the mainland
It was stormy the morning we left Royal Davui, so there was some question as to whether we would be able to take the plane from Pacific Harbor to Nadi, or whether we would need to go by car. I was actually hoping that we would need to go by car; although this would make the trip about 2 hours long rather than 40 or so minutes, I heard the words "great handicraft market stop if going by car" and was sold. I love it when the worst case scenario involves shopping!

After a lovely farewell song was sung to us by the Royal Davui staff, we set out in the boat towards the mainland. The weather was not too bad for our boat ride from Royal Davui to Pacific Harbor, but right as the boat docked the skies opened up. Luckily, there is a little sheltered bar area right next to the dock, so we (Bob and I and another couple also heading back from Nadi after a stay at Royal Davui) were able to stay dry while we waited on our ride.

A few minutes later, we were picked up by van and taken to the airstrip. Ther's a tiny open air thatched hut there that serves as a terminal, with a couple of wood benches along the edges, a small desk, and a scale where the airstrip attendant weighs the luggage to make sure the plane is not going to be overloaded. For the next hour and a half or so, we chatted with the other couple and got conflicting information about whether the plane was coming, whether it would be able to land, etc. The weather seemed to be getting worse, so I can understand why there was some confusion, but also thought things could have been handled a bit better by Royal Davui.

The airstrip attendant had a cell phone which he used to speak with Julie at Royal Davui, but we still were unable to get a straight answer, and several times we were told the plane would be there in just a moment, later to learn it had not yet even left Nadi. Bob and I were not in a huge hurry, since we were spending that evening near Nadi anyway, but the other couple had a plane to catch to Australia a few hours later. It was a frustrating situation, but at least we made some new friends!

Finally the plane showed up, and we had a pretty and uneventful flight back to Nadi, where the weather was perfect! And we still had 5 more nights of vacation to look forward to...

Overall, we greatly enjoyed Royal Davui, and would absolutely recommend it to other travelers looking for a luxurious private island resort in Fiji!

Review of our night at the Westin Denaurau and four nights at Navutu Stars coming soon!

Oh, and my apologies for the length of the above review, and my thanks if you got all the way through it! I'll leave you now with some shots of our flight from Pacific Harbor back to Nadi...