It isn’t easy to impress a beach snob. I’ve seen a lot of beaches in my time – beaches where the sand squeaks like white sugar, beaches where the ocean is so flat it looks ironed. Still, stepping onto Natadola Bay, I’m speechless.
Two kilometres of flawless white sand curves along a turquoise bay so perfect it borders on ridiculous. Somewhere behind it – framed by tropical gardens dense with hibiscus and the occasional nonchalant lizard – sprawls the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa. It’s five stars, naturally, but not in that brash, look-at-me way. The luxury here is quietly confident.
The journey from Nadi International Airport takes about 55 minutes, although time behaves strangely in Fiji – slows down, turns soft at the edges. By the time you pull up under the soaring, thatched porte-cochère, you’re already half-feral with relaxation.
Village Life, Reimagined
The resort is designed as a kind of fantasia of a traditional Fijian village, all pitched roofs, timber beams and air perfumed with frangipani. But don’t be fooled – the ‘village’ comes with Cleopatra bathtubs, private terraces, and beds big enough to lose yourself in for days.
There are 266 rooms and suites, yet the clever layout – think winding paths and tucked-away courtyards – means it never feels like a theme park. Every so often you catch a glimpse of the ocean, sparkling smugly in the distance, just in case you forgot where you were.
Suite Dreams
Then there’s the Natadola Suite. A three-bedroom hilltop hideout that feels more like a very chic friend’s private villa than a hotel suite. Think sweeping views, a private plunge pool, and a design sensibility that whispers ‘Fiji’ without beating you over the head with seashell motifs. (Also: exclusive access to the Club InterContinental lounge, where the drinks flow like common sense on holiday – that is, liberally.)
Choose Your Own Escape
The rest of the rooms are no consolation prize. Beachfront Rooms get you up close with the sand, while Lagoon View Suites are set back for those who prefer a little distance from the drama. Tucked into tropical gardens, the Garden View Rooms feel like falling into the pages of a lost Somerset Maugham story. Families are looked after, too, with connecting rooms and accessible options.
Eating, Drinking, and Everything In Between
Food is serious here – but not in a fussy way. At Navo, the fine-dining restaurant, the degustation menu leans heavily into local ingredients: coconut, mud crab, yellowfin tuna, and all the other things that taste suspiciously better when you’re barefoot.
Sanasana is the go-to for buffets (themed nights, generous spreads), while Toba Bar & Grill turns out pizza and poke bowls. Kama Lounge – with its torches and sunset cocktails – verges on cliché, but somehow sidesteps it with just the right amount of Fijian charm. Also worth noting: the coconut coffee at Lai Lai Café should probably come with a warning label.
All the Things You’ll Pretend You’re Going to Do
If you feel guilty about the sheer volume of lying around, there’s an 18-hole golf course with enough sea views to ruin your swing, jet-ski safaris, and reef dives.
Fitness classes, a 24-hour gym, and the resort’s bee sanctuary – part of its sustainability program – round out the offerings for people who can’t sit still. For the truly energetic, Planet Trekkers Kids Club has the smalls sorted, with Fijian crafts and adventures that might make them forget their screens.
When You Want to Float Away
The Spa InterContinental is everything you hope a tropical spa will be: fragrant with gardenia and coconut oil, airy, and blissfully calm. The treatments draw on ancient Fijian rituals, using herbs plucked from the on-site garden. A Bobo massage here is less about pampering and more about being spiritually ironed out.
Insider Secrets: Club InterContinental
Upgrade to Club InterContinental if you can. There’s an infinity pool, a private lounge, champagne breakfasts, and afternoon teas so civilised they might tempt you to pack a linen dress instead of your usual beach wrap.
The Heart of Fiji
If there’s a magic ingredient, it’s the staff. The Fijian hospitality stereotype – warm, unforced, joyfully genuine – turns out to be true. They remember your name. They stop and chat like you’re an old friend. One you’ll want to return time and again to see.
To book, go to fiji.intercontinental.com
