Surrounded by a marine preserve!  Check out the incredible diving and snorkeling...

When Captain Bligh sailed through Fiji after the Mutiny, perhaps he was startled by the distant image of a dragon lurking out of the depths of the Koro Sea.  This apparition on the fringe of Bligh Waters (named for the unlucky captain set adrift from the H.M.S. Bounty on April 28th, 1789) is the mile-long 110 acre island of Namenalala, surrounded by one of Fiji's most pristine diving and snorkeling reef ecosystems - the Namena Barrier Reef.  

Presently Namena Island is home to a beautiful small and environmentally friendly six bure resort. The island is private and save for the other guests you will only share your experience with the animal residents of the Namena Nature Reserve and the underwater denizens of the Namena Marine Reserve.

The resort takes up less than 10% of the island’s total area and only accommodates a maximum of 6 couples.  A stroll around the island on one of the many hiking trails could reward you with sightings of anything from nesting Hawksbill turtles to the elegant long-tail Tropic Bird, or from the comical Red-footed Booby to agile flying foxes. Those with an archeological bent will enjoy the ruins of an ancient settlement with artifacts analyzed to be over 2000 years old.  If you love nature, this is your destination!

Boasting some of Fiji’s finest powder-soft white sand beaches, Namena Island Resort was created by Tom and Joan Moody.  The hexagonal bures constructed of bamboo and cane are situated on “the dragon’s back”, are all exceptionally private, and each has stunning panoramic views.  Several walls in each bure have floor-to-ceiling sliding louvered doors so by fully opening the doors, one has a 180 degree view out to sea.  The lighting (which reminds one of the styles at the turn of the 20^th century) and hot water are gas-driven for 24 hour accessibility.  There are solar-powered reading lights and each bure has a ceiling fan, although the trade winds provide a refreshing breeze most of the time.  The bures feature a king-size canopy bed and bathroom area with His & Her toilets and sinks joined by an over-size shower.

'Vale ni kana' (the clubhouse) is the gathering place for the resort.  It is here that you will dine, enjoy evening drinks, be regaled with Tom's wonderful stories and pour over the fish and marine ID books in the resort library in an effort to identify that new species you saw on the morning dive. In fact, there are books on birds, animals, and local history as well as a large collection of paperbacks.  For more romantic dinners, the staff will organize a private table on the patio.  The kitchen staff bakes bread, pastries, and cakes daily.  If you have any special dietary requirements, the resort will be happy to accommodate you if possible.  The resort grows it's own bananas, pineapples, lemons, limes, papaya, soursop, sugar apples, hearts of palm, coconuts and other tropical fruits and vegetables in season, and their supply is supplemented by other fresh produce from local Fijian markets.

The surrounding Namena Barrier Reef is one of Fiji's most diversified and impressive reef ecosystems with bommies and walls in excess of 30 kilometers.  Compared to only around 30 varieties of coral in the Caribbean, the South Pacific has over 300 varieties- many in forms that are unusual and strikingly beautiful.  Just minutes away from the island's beaches and tropical forests are dive sites in many dive publications as among Fiji’s best. At North Save-a-Tack Passage, the wall drops to over a mile deep – a site aptly named the Grand Canyon. On wall dives Pelagics are frequent visitors to the area, and it is not uncommon to see barracudas, trevally, tuna, sharks, walu or even mantas - if you remember to look over your shoulder.  But that can be hard to remember since the walls are so dense with coral, reef fish, nudibranchs and crustaceans that your attention is usually riveted to the wall!   Turtle nesting season runs between December to March and it is possible see either the female laying her eggs on the beach or even to watch a hatching and witness the babies making their way out to sea. Of course, since the area is also a feeding ground for both the green and hawksbill turtles they are seen year round while snorkeling and diving.  A giant clam 'farm' is right around the jetty with some in only a few feet of water with mantles of a variety of colors and patterns ranging from brilliant blue to purple or gold. For the 'muck diving' enthusiasts (you know who you are!) you won’t want to miss the shore diving near the jetty with new coral forming and all sorts of cool and unusual marine life to see.  As in Palau and Bonaire a Marine Preserve License is required to dive (F$20), and is valid for a year.  Other activities include canoeing, ocean kayaking, fishing and beach volleyball, or have a picnic lunch sent to a remote beach!

This resort with it's dramatic cliff top bures and spectacular diving will leave you breathless!

 News from the Resort:

Namena's new boat - the "Salt Shaker" - will now be providing transfers from Savusavu!