Whether it's for a honeymoon, special anniversary – or just a well-deserved break with your other half, Vomo Island Resort is the ultimate couple's getaway.
My husband and I were lucky enough to spend three nights at the luxurious resort in Fiji's Mamanuca Islands, and have vowed it won't be our last visit.
While the island is increasingly marketing itself as family-friendly, it still has everything you could want for a romantic break.
The spacious villas come complete with King-size plush beds, giant spa baths, and either sun loungers or deck chairs, depending on whether you're beachside or up on the hill.
With just 28 villas, it's rare to have more than 60 guests on the island at a time, and we often found ourselves with the beach all to ourselves.
We spent as much time as possible bathing in the warm ocean and drying off sprawled on the sand, knowing we had a limited window before it was back to the New Zealand winter.
With my eyes closed, revelling in that glorious feeling of the heat on my back, I listened to the waves gently lapping the shore – and recognised it as the sound that plays when you log in to the resort's website, a sound I'd been hearing for weeks as I counted down the days to the trip.
Vomo Island is the kind of place where you can do as much or as little as you like. Staff will happily organise diving and fishing excursions, off-the-island tours or invite you to join a game of volleyball (be warned, they’re seriously good).
The main beach on Vomo Island, where you can borrow a kayak whenever you please.
There's complimentary use of glass-bottom kayaks and paddle-boards, a tennis court and petanque set, as well as daily guided snorkelling tours of the spectacular coral reefs that surround the island.
There's an on-site spa, where you can treat yourself to a massage, pedicure or body wrap, and if the men aren't up for a pamper session, they can practice their golf skills on the nine-hole course.
One of the most popular options for couples is a gourmet picnic at Vomo Lailai, a rugged, secluded island off to the west of Vomo, where you are literally alone with Mother Nature. We signed up for that one, no questions asked.
Vomo Lailai. Image: Supplied
We were taken over in the morning by boat, and a staff member set up our picnic table and chilli bin before motoring back to the mainland and leaving us to our own devices.
Safe in the knowledge no-one can see you - unless you're unlucky enough to have a chopper fly over, with binocular-wielding passengers – you can don your birthday suit, go skinny dipping, or even practice some funky dance moves.
And for those who feel the need, there's a daybed built into a treehut-style platform that's protected by the surrounding trees – just in case you need a midday nap.
And after a picnic that would satisfy even the hungriest of All Blacks, you may just need one.
The picnic spread
We chose an antipasti platter and a seafood platter, and it was one of the best spreads I think I'll ever see – crayfish, oysters, prawns, sushi, cold meats and cheeses, and none other than a bottle of Veuve Clicquot to wash it down with.
Later that afternoon we managed to walk a few of those calories off with a zig-zagging climb up Mt Vomo – the best spot to watch the sun sink into the ocean near Vomo Lailai.
Adrieu, the resort's friendly barman, had set us up with chiller bags, ice and plastic champagne flutes so we could toast the view with yet more bubbles – and without any of that swigging-from-the-bottle nonsense.
The sky darkened from fiery splashes of red, orange and yellow to romantic pinks and purples – and then it was time to scramble back down the mountain in the last light.
The sunset from the top of Mt Vomo
Our other two Vomo sunsets we admired from the resort's Rocks Bar with cocktails in hand, or from the privacy of hillside villa deck with a bottle of wine.
Dinner was always another romantic affair, served under candlelight by the pool while Fijian men sang and played the acoustic guitar.
The menu never disappointed, with mouth-watering dishes like tuna sashimi, mudcrab, spicy curries, and interesting desserts like a pistachio olive oil cake.
And for those wanting a truly intimate experience, you can request a private dinner on the beach.
It doesn't get much more romantic than this... Image: Supplied
For us, it was a fairly short visit – most guests seem to take advantage of the 'pay for five nights, stay for seven' deal, and I could easily have wiled away the rest of the week at Vomo in absolute bliss.
You may need to save up for awhile before you can splash out on a place like Vomo - its nightly rates start at FJD$1750 - but once you get there, you'll love that you can order anything off the menu knowing it's already paid for, and the wonderful service in such a gorgeous location, in my opinion, justifies the cost.
RatesA hillside villa costs FJD$2050 a night, while a beachside villa is FJD$2350. The resort also has popular specials, including a 'pay five, stay seven' deal.
Getting there
You can get to Vomo Island by helicopter from Denarau or Nadi Airport. It's just a 15-minute ride.
Alternatively the Yasawa Flyer catamaran leaves from Port Denarau at 8.30am each day, getting you on the island by 10am.
- Melanie Verran was a guest of Vomo Island Resort.
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