The exquisite resort that could be Fiji’s best-kept secret
Steal away to this exclusive adults-only island, and bask in its natural wonders and luxurious privacy.
A few years back, flying from Nadi to Kadavu, I photographed a ravishing sight just off the south coast of Fiji’s main island. It was a brilliant green birthday cake of an island, candled with lofty villas above a see-through lagoon. Paradise found. I had no idea what the place was and didn’t give it another thought until March this year when fate intervened and I found myself speeding across the Pacific Ocean towards that very same spot.
Royal Davui looks even more alluring and certainly more attainable from the water, its dense tropical gardens punctuated with the pointed roofs of villas angled for unbroken views of endless blue.
At the jetty I’m welcomed by Christopher Southwick and Grant Seylhouwer, the polo-shirted hosts of what must be Fiji’s most underrated island. Seylhouwer takes me on quick tour of the facilities – the airconditioned gym, the decks of the restaurant and bar cantilevered around an ancient banyan, the breezy cliff-edge spa, the freeform pool shaded by pergolas and coconut palms and the activities/dive centre in a cottage above. Any staff encountered en route greet me, often by name, with bulas and big smiles.
“It’s very unpretentious here,” Seylhouwer assures me.
To emphasise his point, he and guide Mesui unleash my inner bogan on a jet-ski orientation across the sea to Beqa, the broodingly Jurassic island northeast of Royal Davui. Beqa (pronounced Beng-ga) is home to most of the resort staff and also the Sawau tribe, Fiji’s famous firewalkers. I don’t get to witness their superhuman feats. I gather the tradition’s less popular these days given men must abstain from sex for up to a month beforehand.
We dodge a massive green turtle in the bay at Daku-i-Beqa village before scooting over to Beqa Lagoon’s outer reef and then, in a final flourish, circumnavigating the 4ha island. It has no bad angles.
Jet-skiing works up an appetite (who knew?) and Royal Davui’s menus turn out to be very much to my taste. Today it’s fried wonton cones filled with tuna poke and a bowl of hot umami ramen for lunch. (The recipe is adapted from Southwick’s favourite ramen joint in Sydney.) Inventive breakfast offerings run to pineapple upside-down pancakes and cassava hash browns with “prison” eggs (from the local penitentiary). Dinner could be twice-baked cheese souffle or G & T drunken chicken, followed by Fijian lamb curry with all the trimmings and a creme brulee spiked with local vanilla.
The winelist favours Pacific-region wines from Australasia and the US, plus French bubbles to match Royal Davui’s Champagne lifestyle. There’s also an extensive range of cocktails, many original, including a kava Bloody Mary and the Firewalker laced with coconut liqueur. While Royal Davui is a haven for romantic couples, and there are private dining pavilions by the pool and beach, mealtimes tend to be quite convivial. “There’s something about being stranded that brings people together,” Seylhouwer smiles.
Fifth-generation Fijian Southwick and his father Grahame opened this intimate, adults-only resort in 2004 at the behest of the island’s chiefly owner. They staked out its 16 pavilions to maximise views and privacy but protect vegetation, the result being that it feels like you’re staying in jungle treehouses perched above the Pacific.
I am in villa 12 on the island’s eastern point, gazing over the luminous lagoon and the mercurial moods of cloud-topped Beqa. You’ve heard of infinity pools. These are infinity villas, with glass walls that slide open to the elements and let guests merge with their surroundings; the shallow, mottled sea of palest blue, the lush gardens, the warm currents of trade winds.
Their cyclone-proof design is original but interiors were refreshed this year and have a very of-the-moment, beach-house flair complete with terrace plunge pools, push-button ceiling pergolas in bathrooms, and netted king beds where guests can sleep suspended between sea and stars.
While it’s tempting to stay put in these stunning anchorages, nibbling your way through a loaf of Grandma Southwick’s banana bread and sipping prosecco (both complimentary), the lagoon constantly beckons.
Besides jet-skis there are kayaks, Hobie Cats and paddleboards as well as speedboat safaris for snorkelling and diving. Even on overcast days, the reefs dazzle in pastel rainbows, a Wonka world of candy-coloured corals in fantastic formations. The fish are abundant, exotic and brilliantly coloured – I see clownfish, idols and fancy clams – but, with the thrilling exception of two black-tipped reef sharks, they’re mere garnishes to this mesmerising garden.
For diving, Beqa is world-renowned for its dozens of sites but Royal Davui’s activities team spent lockdowns uncovering new spots, including a coral wonder they dubbed the pink wall. The resort’s other magic trick is its private sand cay at the edge of the barrier reef. Beyond the breaking waves “there’s basically nothing ’til New Zealand”, Southwick announces as we arrive at a hump of ivory sand rising from iridescent waters. Resort staff have furnished it with an umbrella and two jaunty lounges; Southwick and Seylhouwer bring the Champagne (Chris recommends guests take a minimum two bottles, to save calling for a second on the supplied phone) and a brunch hamper of fresh-baked pastries, fruits and cereals.
We have breakfast mimosas, swim and admire the clouds of handsome silver and black terns but, as much as I enjoy their company, this deserted island really is a place to be marooned with a significant other. It’s impossibly romantic.
Rare among Fiji’s luxury resorts, Royal Davui is locally owned. Southwick, who lives on site, is directly responsible for the resort’s character and calibre. He and Seylhouwer are there every day realising that vision, including reaching agreement with local chiefs for a 1km marine sanctuary around the island. His mother Margaret planned the exuberant gardens of heliconia-draped paths and fishtail palm groves. It’s a family affair, but also – like the Southwicks – Fijian at heart.
“We’ve always ensured this place is run by Fijians,” Southwick says. “We have the talent; they just need the training and the opportunity.”
My favourite island moments are late afternoons in my infinity villa marvelling at the play of light on the Pacific as a squadron of frigatebirds hovers silently on the thermals overhead. If I see a passing plane, I always wave. Just in case someone looks down in awe, as I once did, and dreams of ending up here themselves.
Kendall Hill was a guest of Tourism Fiji and
Royal Davui.
IN THE KNOW
Royal Davui’s island-facing pool bungalows cost from $FJ2500 (about $1700) a night, or five nights from $FJ10,000. Week-long packages including plane and boat transfers from Nadi from $FJ15,000. Includes all meals and non-motorised water sports.
