October 30, 2015
What a treat! We had dinner at Navutu Stars Resort and it was great! (Click to enlarge/scroll through photos below.)
We’ve had no better dinner in Fiji, and for that matter, not all that many anywhere in the world. The food was first-rate, and the staff really make this a special place. They are welcoming, kind, friendly, and caring. Meli even asked us to radio him when we got back to our boat to make sure we got home OK. Nice!
Speaking of the dinghy ride, we weren’t really worried but it was a bit of a challenge. It’s eight-tenths of a mile from where we anchored and through some shallow water. Tide was on our side, but light wasn’t. Dinner was at 6PM, so it would be black by the time we left. So here’s what we did… Using the (terrible) Navionics app on my phone, we recorded our track on our daylight dinghy ride in to see if we could get a dinner reservation. Then, we followed the track home at night. Our dinghy really needs an autopilot, and some search lights while we’re at it, but we managed to do alright.
Back to the business at hand: Navutu Stars is a must-do! See our Long Beach Bay post for a map. -Rich
Now for Cyndi’s wisdom:
Since our anchorage nearby was definitely off the beaten path (see next post), we had no idea if the resort would be cruiser friendly. We’d never heard of any boaters coming here, but I read such good things about it in our Lonely Planet guide that I wanted to try. Luckily for us, they do welcome cruisers. If you want dinner, though, you need to come in early in the day and make your selections from the menu. (It may be possible to do this over the phone, and they monitor VHF 16.)
There are a few things that make this place special. It’s in a very pretty setting by a nice beach, with a view across a shallow channel of water (which means beautiful blue-green colors) to the palm-lined Long Beach on the south side of Matacawalevu Island.
And then there’s the food. This resort specializes in (and is famous for) its Italian food. It also specializes in romance so it’s more quiet, cozy, and low-key than some of the other resorts (you won’t find communal dining or loud music here!). It’s perfect for honeymooners, people looking for a romantic getaway, or for those just craving an atmosphere with a more quiet elegance.
Note: If your partner happens to be the same gender as you, no worries. All are very welcome here.
