20 year anniversary fantasy vacation
This is a long post/review. I apologize but so much to say.... Hubby and I splurged and stayed at this resort for a combo birthday and 20 year anniversary celebration and we were AMAZED at this place and our whole vacation. Most days were spent discussing in awe how wonderful everything was. We stayed in a villa to the north of the lobby almost near the edge of the property and it was so private and magical. It was nestled in the trees so the private pool and patio had some shade during the day but you could still watch the ocean unencumbered with no blocked view.
The grounds: The grounds were planted with exotic flowers lining the pathway making walks to the main building for meals long and languid as we would stop every few feet to inspect and smell the beautiful flowers. Tiny frogs and salamanders shared the pathways but they were always a nice surprise. What I couldn't believe was how very few mosquitos we encountered. I had planned for that to be the biggest issue but even though we sprayed up with repellent every dusk, the actual mosquito issue was nearly nonexistent. Occasionally, there would be a loud crash as coconuts dropped spontaneously from the trees which could be startling. We were delighted each evening to watch these giant furry bats dance between the trees at dusk feeding.
Villa: The villa itself was lovely. All the materials inside were natural. Wood, twine, stone, grass, weavings. Not any plastic that I could see. Even the lotions, shampoo/conditioners came in small ceramic pots. Even metal was minimized. But the entire structure was intricately crafted, secure and sturdy. AC was a bit tricky as it was only located in the bedroom. You could cool down the whole villa if you opened the connecting door to the sitting area but it didn't cool as well. It worked excellent though in the bedroom (almost too cool - could have used an extra blanket) but made sitting in the living area a bit uncomfortable. None of the villas had WIFI (it was only located at the main building) which initially was disconcerting. My husband and I found that going up to the main building to check email/social media once a day was very liberating (instead of accessing it all day long) and after a while we really appreciated not having access to it in our room. We would download movies or shows when at meals at the main lobby and then watch them easily back in our room at night. The villa also had a private infinity pool which we swam in daily and cooled off while watching the turquoise ocean just a short walk away. There was enough deck space to do yoga (felt so private as well). The villa was stocked with French press coffee/fresh cookies (daily replaced) and a supply of actual whole milk for creaming the coffee. The tap water is excellent as they use desalination for water and they still left drinking bottles of FIJI water at the bedside nightly. Turn down service was lovely.
The spa: What a paradise this spa was. Cool, calm with mossy fountains scattered throughout the multi levels of the spa. All natural materials here as well. They offered an option for unlimited massages which we took advantage of and had several days with two massages a day. It was incredible and the massage therapists were courteous, conscientious and really good. They offered a nice foot ritual on arrival as well. You could hear the sounds of birds, water trickling, ocean waves. You almost didn't need any spa music. They also provided a nice option of massage oils to choose from.
The food: Wow. I wasn't expecting anything spectacular as far as food since Fiji alone is spectacular but the food offered here was phenomenal. I never ask to speak to the chefs at restaurants but I had to seek out the chef here and compliment him and his staff on how excellent everything was. Its worth coming to this resort alone for the cuisine. Chef Ashim was outstanding. There were multiple ethnic options keeping the integrity of the flavors native to each particular culture represented in the food options. Indonesian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Fijian. Tremendous. But, we can't not discuss the desserts. Each night there was a varied selection of desserts both familiar and exotic. The portions were perfect so you didn't overdo it, never feeling so full on the delicious food that you felt sick but always satisfied. The night of the buffet though was different and hard to not overeat. Still excellent even as a buffet.
The pool: What incredible views. The central communal pool was incredible with shady spots offered, comfy cushioned lounge chairs and even meal service while at the pool. Cocktails served were cold and crisp and there were float mattresses provided. Sunset deck chairs to watch the sun setting in the evening were perfectly placed on the edge of the grounds looking out at the ocean.
The bill: We anticipated a shocker once we had to check out after our lovely 4 night stay and dreaded looking at the final bill but honestly, it wasn't that scary. Drink charges, transfer costs and activities as well as the spa were put on the final bill since it had been prepaid before we arrived. It was only $800 additional US dollars ($400 of which was the spa for the two of us) and met our expectations. In addition, the resort offered us early check in and late check out and didn't nickel/dime the additional meals on check in and check out day. They gave us a special birthday treatment on my husbands birthday and an anniversary turn down service. Singing was common and by the end was really appreciated (initially felt awkward but realized this is just part of the warm Fijian personality). The entire resort had about 72 guests while we were there and we rarely saw more than half of that at any one time (mostly meals). It made the resort feel like it was all ours.
Activities: we tend to not really participate much in a lot of activities when on vacation (preferring to relax, read, enjoy each other), but we did enjoy the complimentary kayaks, snorkel gear, floating dock to swim out too and kayak from, as well as the hike behind the resort to the hilltop that gives a beautiful 360 view of the islands. I can't speak to the other activities offered but they did offer scuba, snorkel excursions, fishing, and others.
Drawbacks: Very few. An extra AC unit in the villas for the sitting room. An extra blanket on the bed for partners with varying temperature control setting demands (eye roll). Limited WIFI in the villas but this is questionable as we really appreciated disconnecting and spending quality time with each other. A TV in the villa so we could at least connect our laptops or phones to stream movies. An exercise/fitness room/area would be nice. There was just a platform in the garden area but a weight room would have been nice as well. We didn't mind too much taking a break from fitness for a few days though.
The best part of this trip though was the Fijian people and the lovely staff at Tokoriki. They all knew your name whenever you would come to dinner or to the bar and everyone would great you warmly even just passing each other on the path between villas. This didn't feel forced and was notably authentic and warm. Speaking of warm, it was February when we went and it was steamy hot. Trying to stop sweating was impossible, but honestly in this paradise, we just didn't even care. It was incredible. I can't speak highly enough of this resort and the people who work there and make it feel like family. We will definitely come back.