There are a lot of upset folks on our plane as we land in Fiji. We are landing late afternoon due to a significantly delayed departure, which means that everyone who was intending to take a sea plane to an island resort will now have to spend the night in Nadi.
Those of us visiting COMO Laucala Island, on the other hand, are free from the general dismay. Laucala Island, unlike other resorts, has a runway that allows private planes to land at night.
All that lies between us and the start of our vacation is a 50-minute flight.
This 12-square-kilometer island is home to only 25 people.
Laucala Island is known for doing things a little differently. Laucala Island, founded more than a decade ago by Red Bull cofounder Dietrich Mateschilz and recently added to the wellness-focused COMO portfolio, is renowned as the resort with no boundaries.
Guests such as Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney are willing to pay the high prices – starting at $US5600 ($8371) per night for a one-bedroom villa – for a vacation where every luxury is available.
Space is one of the most important luxury, and Laucala has plenty of it.
You could easily spend your entire stay holed up in your villa.CREDIT:COMO/MARTIN MORRELL
On this 12 square kilometer island, there are just 25 dwellings, and my one-bedroom villa sits on a plot larger than the one I grew up in. It contains two distinct living and sleeping pavilions, a freeform infinity pool, indoor and outdoor bathtubs and showers, an al fresco dining pavilion and yoga deck overlooking the beach, and a fully-stocked (complimentary) mini-bar with a large range of wines and spirits.
You could easily spend your whole trip at your villa, and I’m sure many tourists do. Even when I climb in my electric buggy to go exploring – or, if you prefer, your tau, or butler – I rarely run into another guest.
Water sports such as snorkeling and diving, sailing, surfing, and jetskiing are included in the all-inclusive fee. There’s horseback riding and yoga, a tennis court with a pro who will hit with you, and an 18-hole golf course created by David McLay Kidd that enchants me despite my lack of golf skills.
Most ingredients for the resort’s food are grown on the island or sourced from local suppliers.CREDIT:COMO/MARTIN MORRELL
The only thing not included in the rate are spa services, yet every guest receives a delightfully peaceful 60-minute massage – a fantastic way to start your stay.
The cuisine is just as good. The majority of the components are farmed on the island or purchased from local vendors. (On our tour of the 97-hectare farm, we discover not only fruit trees and vegetable beds, but also a vanilla plantation, fowl, sheep, and cattle.) Breakfast is served at the colonial-styled Plantation (drink selections include a great watermelon, ginger, cucumber, and mint combo), lunch is served on the beach, and dinner is served at the clifftop Seagrass, where we have teppanyaki.
On Laucala Island, you may spend every moment with activities or simply sit on a secluded beach and watch turtles swim by. But, if I had to pick one feature that sets this resort apart from the rest, it would be the fact that, no matter what the request, the answer is always yes.
Whether it’s fitting in a short snorkel before a sunset sail or ordering another serving of Laucala’s moreish variation on Magnum ice creams, this team makes things happen and makes it appear smooth.