Fiji is magical.
When I arrived at Nadi airport and walked into the arrivals, there was a band in floral shirts with ukuleles playing the most happy string music and it really set up the vibe for this holiday. Pure carefree happiness.
Also we went in late November so there were Christmas decorations in the airport which just made it seem so much more special.
The Resort
My partner booked for us to stay at the Marriott Resort in Momi Bay. This hotel is still on the main island of Viti Levu, so only requires about an hour drive until you reach the hotel, rather than a boat or sea plane to another island. As we were only going for 4 nights this was perfect for us. We had a taxi pre-ordered from the hotel, so it was a no stress journey.
The hotel was beautiful. We arrived in the evening and everything was twinkling.
The resort is quite large so we got a buggy to our room. There are quite a few different options of room type here, but we stayed in the most fantastic over water bures. We could literally jump into the sea from our balcony. You could even see fish at the bottom of the stairs.
I mean just look at how magical that is. As it was evening, we missed the restaurant being open, but there was 24 hour room service and food was marked GF on the in-room menu. I got a pad Thai which was so yummy
The Food
Breakfast
The next morning we ventured to the breakfast buffet and there was a whole station dedicated to gluten free food!! It had mini pancakes, cupcakes, cakes, bread, granola, cereal and local sweets made out of cassava.
The bread wasn’t the most moist bread I had had, but I appreciated to option.
There was also food in the other stations of the buffet that were fine to eat too, all the cheeses and accompanying meats, eggs, beans, bacon, and omelette station, kanji (rice porridge), fruits, yoghurt etc. And even mimosas! The staff were really helpful and walked me around to say what I could eat when I asked, some of the live cooking stations could make gluten free friendly alternatives too so honestly you could eat what you like. So you can be like me and sample a bit of something else each day. The pancakes and cheeses were a winner for me.
There were so many activities you could do with a new schedule every day. I didn’t end up doing too many activities however, choosing to really relax on this holiday on the first day I got a pedicure and then a couples massage on the beach.
Both were impeccable and the massage on the beach was so soothing with the sounds of the waves, we were even given some champagne to relax even more after.
Lunch & Dinner
All of the restaurants were great for gluten free. There’s 3 main restaurants which are honestly fantastic for gluten free options.
There‘s the Goji Kitchen and Bar which is an Asian fusion menu, Fish Bar which is a fancy restaurant and Lagoon House and Bar which is mostly an Italian menu.
Lagoon done gluten free pizza and beer which was a big winner for me! So we popped into there in our first day for lunch. Though I think I did actually opt for a salad this day as I was still pretty full from breakfast.
For dinner, we had reservations at Fish Bar. I do recommend you book where you want to eat before going. It can get busy and it’s nice to ensure you can try all restaurants.
We had a really boujie private cabana as we were celebrating our engagement, which was serviced by the fancy restaurant but youre on your own in the most majestic setting. definitely if you can book these for before sunset to have some daylight, watch the sunset, then be lit up by only a candle, a lamp and your smiles.
The food was exquisite too. The lobster bisque was the highlight for me. Soup has never made me feel so good. We had a tasting menu of 5 dishes with a different wine for each one. 5*s for this experience. They had brilliant knowledge of gluten free and I felt confident.
We went here on our last night too and the food was equally as good, I went for a, boring in the coeliac world as it’s always an option, risotto as well as wedges. So often denied wedges or fries that whenever I can eat them, I usually do.
The Activities
Kava Ceremony
Whilst here we also went to a kava ceremony there. Kava is a drink made from the root of a kava plant. It is a social drink and quite ceremonial, where there is a master who declares when everyone should have another drink, you say vinaka (thank you) before you drink and as you drink everyone else claps. You also traditionally drink out of coconut shells. It is not the most pleasant colour or taste (Brown water with the taste of peppery earth) but the experience is totally worth it.
We all sat down on mats while the kava drink was being made and we were told stories and traditions of the ceremony. A couple of guys played the guitar afterward. It was a great experience and I‘d definitely encourage you to try. It is gluten free so no need to worry.
Other Amenities
Honestly everything here whispered romance, we stumbled upon the cutest set up where they had made a heart out of red petals surrounding a table on the beach. On one day, we even spied a couple getting married on the opposite beach.
There was a decently equipped gym too, with a couple of cardio machines, a good selection of weights, some arm machines, mats and a skipping rope.
As it was Christmas time, one highlight of this hotel for me was seeing a Santa that came on a pedalo in the water and throwing sweets out to children in the hotel.
Later we caught the same Santa dancing on the beach, local dancers done a really fun (and interactive) dance show where they taught us how to dance too.
There were plenty of water sports to get involved in too, though we didn’t do too many water activities as we had the water on our doorstep.
There were two swimming pools, one for adults and one child-friendly. The adults one is quite busy with limited seating so try and get there early if you do fancy going. We managed to get a couple of sun loungers but they were not in any shade. This swimming pool is right next to Fish bar and has cabanas, music and lovely cocktails.
If you’re staying where we were (the opposite side to Fish Bar) you can get buggies everywhere if you need to, so no fret about getting there or back at the end of the night, though it’s also a nice wandering walk through the resort.
I really do recommend this resort to any coeliacs visiting Fiji! It’s got fantastic gluten free options, has a magical feel and is easy to get to. If you want to see some more magic of the Pacific, check out any of my blog posts on Vanuatu!
Summary
Resort:
Big Seller:
Over water bure (though really great, cheaper options available)
Restaurants:
All restaurants at this resort have good knowledge of gluten free food and plenty of gluten free options. Some highlights for me:
Lagoon Bar and Restaurant: GF pizza and beer
Goji Kitchen and Restaurant: GF breakfast buffet station, most other breakfast items gluten free. Asian food otherwise with decent curries.
Fish Bar: Fancier restaurant with live music and optional private beach cabanas for dining in. The most fantastic lobster bisque.
Activities:
1. Spa treatments
2. Private couples massage on the beach
3. Kava ceremony
4. All the sea activities (jet ski, paddle board, snorkeling etc)
5. Pool at Fish Bar
6. relaxing and more relaxing
Thanks for reading all the way down here, if you visit Fiji and do any of these activities or eat at any of these places then I’d love to see you enjoying these places, share your experiences in my facebook page, tag me on Instagram or TikTok!
