Moody's Namena Resort

Namenalala Island lies 15 miles off the southeastern coast of Vanua Levu, remained uninhabited in recent history until its rediscovery in 1983 bythe owners of Moody's namena Resort, Tom and Joan Moody.

Less than 10 of its 110 acres have been developed for the resort. Sea birds and turtles treat the island the way it has been for hundreds of year s, as if it were still uninhabited.

The b ures are hexagonal and built of native woods, bamboo and cane to blend with the environment. As each bure is perched along the ridge, all are oceanfront and each has its own unique view out to sea, overlooking either the beach or the reefs at the base of the cliffs.

 

Unlike most island resorts where the bures, restaurant, bar & activities center is situated 'on the beach', Moody's Namena Resort is located on the cliff top to provide the most spectacular panoramic views of reefs, beaches and distant islands.

Moody's Namena Resort location at the top of the cliff insures it receives the cooling trade winds.

The various 'bure' sites were chosen carefully and spaced hundreds of yards apart to provide the ultimate in privacy.

Hidden among the towering native trees on the ridge are six hexagonal - shaped bures crafted of hardwood floors and woven bamboo walls. Each has its own spectacular view of the reefs and beaches below.

Moody's Namena Resort bures are very private with floor to ceiling sliding doors, a king-size canopy bed, two bathrooms connected by an over-sized shower and wrap around deck.

Each bure has coffee and tea making facilities, hot and cold running water, and 24 hour lights. Facilities for charging video and camera batteries are available.

The bedroom is dominated by a king-size canopy bed with mosquito netting draped around the base of the canopy, you'll find coffee/tea making facilities in the beautiful hardwood cabinet tucked in a corner of your bedroom.

Romantic gas lamps, reminiscent of lighting at the turn of the century, provides 24 hour lighting.

There are solar lamps for reading in bed along with a fan for the hot humid summers when the trade winds are light.

Piped-in gas runs your lights, hot water for showers and your tea kettle.

The large hexagonal bure, 'vale ni kana, or clubhouse, is the central gathering place consisting of lounge area, dining, self-serve bar and a large paperback library.

Here you will find books on fish and coral identification, birds, local culture & traditions.

Dining is usually communal and a time to share the day's experiences with fellow guests. However, for you romantics or honeymoon couples who prefer to dine alone, Moody's Namena staff is happy to set up a table on the patio.

Although Namenalala Island does not have ground water nor does it get the rainfall most places in Fiji get annually, the island provides us with bananas, pineapples, lemons/limes, papaya, soursop, sugar apples, heart of palm, coconuts and other tropical fruits and vegetables, some are seasonal and may not be available year round but can  be purchased from the markets in Savusavu or Nadi.

 

Walking trails are carved across the tropical forest, leading one to remote beaches where a picnic lunch can be sent upon request.

At the highest elevation, around 400 feet, rock ruins of an ancient civilization and samples of pottery were found and sent off and analyzed to be 2000+ years old.

Fiji's reef eco-system (often called the soft coral capital of the South Pacific) is diversified and the Namena Barrier Reef which surrounds Namenalala Island is acclaimed by diving publications as one of Fiji's best sites.

In June 2004 the waters within the vast Namena Barrier Reef were declared a marine reserve with all commercial fishing banned to permit fish stocks to breed and become as abundant as they were 20 years ago prior to commercial fishing ventures.

Depending on prevailing sea conditions, snorkelers are invited to join the scuba divers on the Namena Barrier Reef at no additional charge.

There are reefs along the shoreline which are excellent for snorkelers year round.

There are two excursions a day; the boat departs the dock at 9 a.m. for the morning snorkel/dive returning around 11 a.m. in time for a short hike or to laze on the beach.

Then a liesurely buffet lunch around noon and perhaps a short siesta before the afternoon boat departs the dock between 1:30-2:00 p.m.

You can see by the photo above, the vastness of the unique Namena Barrier Reef, calculated between 25-30 kilometers of reef.

This ecosystem is one of the most diverse in the Fiji Islands, with sheer drop-offs, a mile deep at the entrance to the North Save-a-Tack Passage which was named Grand Canyon and adjacent to that site is Fish Patch and Kansas, the latter reminiscent of the golden wheat fields of the state of Kansas, USA.

On the opposite passage of South Save-a-Tack you will find mostly bommies (seamounts) with names of Chimneys, Magic Mountain, Pirates Den, Tetons, Neptunes Haunt, Seven Dwarfs, Black Forest and lots more.

There are no moorings in the Namena Marine Reserve. The dive boats do not ever drop an anchor but the trained boat crew will drop off the snorkelers and divers and drift along nearby for pick-ups whenever it suits each individual to get out of the water.

Divers  are requested to carry a dive safety sausage. You must bring your dive certification card in order to dive with us.

The Namena Barrier Reef abounds with hundreds of varieties of reef fishes, nudibranchs, sea cucumbers (beche-de-mer), barracuda, sharks, trevally, clownfish, trigger fish, wrasse, an occasional manta, turtles and a multitude more sea creatures. After your snorkel or scuba dive, make use of the vast library of the underwater creatures you will have seen.

 

You are welcome to use the kayaks at any time, the island is about a mile long and it takes between 2-3 hours to circumnavigate by kayak.

Others spend the day kayaking from beach to beach, stopping to snorkel the areas. A picnic lunch can be sent to a designated area for the couple to pick up, or spend a morning or afternoon hiking to the Dragon's Head; one trail follows the ridge where at the highest point of the island - 400 feet- you will find the remains of an ancient ring fortification, relics of the migratory Lapita people who lived in the islands prior to the present-day Fijian peoples.

Walk through virgin tropical forests and observe nesting red-footed boobys, resident fruit bats hanging in their 'camp', watch the lesser frigates circling high above waiting for the boobys to come home with their dinner so they can attack and force the booby to drop the fish, catching it in midair!

Make your way to the head of the 'dragon' and observe one of the most spectacular views far out to sea.

Join the staff in a fun game of beach volleyball, there is also complimentary snorkel equipment so you can visit the clam beds off the docks or snorkel the shoreline. There is also fishing - either hand line or trolling, spear fishing is not permitted.

If you feel 'lazy', crawl into one of the hammocks at the beach and take a snooze or read a book, there is a large paperback library of every type of novel you would like to read, non-fiction to mystery, romance, action, and more.