It’s my fourth time in Fiji, and I’m about to have the most memorable weekend of my life. I’m going to propose.
When your young and in love, you dream of an idealised moment of perfection that’s both fleeting and eternal. You only get engaged once – most the time. It’s a flash that defines the human experience; a fusion of love, passion, and commitment that culminates in rejoice and relief – most the time.
In my mind, the beauty of this custom should be echoed by the beauty of its setting.
The InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa offers just this. Whether it’s a proposal, a wedding, or a honeymoon – the resort plays host to a paragon of nature’s most sublime scenes.
The Setting
Perched at the top of a lush hillside sanctuary, the Club InterContinental Lounge offers magical panoramic views that captures the splendour of Fiji. They call it the “resort inside the resort” for a reason.
An infinity pool welcomes you as you stroll into its chic longue. The club’s backdrop is bewildering. Photos and words just can’t do the views justice.
From your exclusive nest, you can see crystal clear waves and a palette of blues extending out onto the horizon. Hues of emerald and lime green sprawl behind Natadola Beach with palms and frangipanis lurching above white sands.
This beach is known as best in the country and perhaps the world.
When I first saw this spectacle, something just felt right. This was the spot. If there was such a thing as perfection, this would be it.
The Stay
After dabbing my face with a crisp cold towel infused with floral perfumes and some refreshing complimentary drinks, we were taken to our room.
My luxury suite was bigger, better, and brighter than any other room I’ve stayed in. Floor to ceiling glass rolling doors reveal a massive free-standing bath on the balcony. From your outside tub and even from your massive soft bed, you’re privy to another dazzling cinematic panorama of Fiji’s coastline.
I can’t rate my room higher. It was private, it was clean, it was big, and it made me feel like a king.
The Sips
Although it’s easy to get lost in “Fiji-time”, when the clock strikes 5pm, there’s only one place to be. The complimentary adults-only sunset canapés and cocktails go for TWO hours at the Club InterContinental Lounge! Having a cocktail hour is one thing, having free drinks is another, having double and both is something I’ve never come across. The InterContinental knows how to keep you coming back.
Each night we were dazzled by the sun sinking into the ocean and dazed by the bottomless cocktails you know you deserve on holiday.
The Sustenance
One privilege you get as a Club InterContinental Member is incredible access to concierge services and private buggy transfers. In a large resort, this saves time and is the best way to see the property. Also, nobody feels like walking when you’re a buzzing from fruity cocktails.
A quick two-minute buggy took us down to the resort’s flagship high-end Navo restaurant. When you’re a foody like me, its hard not to be overly judgemental or critical when it comes to dinner. With this in mind, I really do mean it when I say my experience at Navo was extraordinary.
It was hard to fault – fresh, seasonal, authentic, and delicious. I was served a colossal tropical lobster infused with a local chili and garlic paste, finished with grilled lime and herbs. The fragrance was like ecstasy. My anxiety and stress about the upcoming proposal melted like butter. When the dish was put in front of me, I was in a trance. I blinked and my kilo of lobster disappeared. You know dinner was a hit when you’re sad it’s done.
But dinning is much more than eating food and, in a way, Navo was more like an experience. The restaurant is naturally and architecturally beautiful inside and out. Its interior is open and modern which perfectly complements its incredible position. The building opens out onto Natadola Beach, making you realise just how fresh your seafood must be. The sound of dinging cutlery is drowned out by a soundscape of crashing waves and soft winds.
The Staff and the Set-up
When you’re trying to plan a surprise proposal in another country for an astute and wonderfully clever girlfriend, you really need help to pull it off without rousing suspicion. The staff at The InterContinental went above and beyond. Fijians have a reputation for being friendly but the support and kindness they showed me was a testament to their open and loving hearts.
I came to know nearly all the staff at the Club InterContinental Lounge by name, often hearing about their families and passions. They shared a remarkable interest in our lives and a genuine desire to improve our stay. The first thing most people said to me when I met them was “welcome home”. You never get this anywhere but Fiji. Even still, the effort everyone put into helping me propose was unique. Even in Fiji, I don’t think you’d get this level of support elsewhere. It was beyond customer service and more akin to what families do for each other.
The staff helped me find a location and organise the set-up. The proposal site was both private and open, on a small patch of grass perched above the resort and its adjacent beach. In all honesty, it was breathtaking. I couldn’t help but feel proud of how close I was to pulling this off.
I asked the concierge if they could help decorate the spot and organise some photos. Of course, they went above and beyond. Supposedly nearly 20 people helped with the set-up, organising local flowers and a pathway made with coral leading to a heart shaped proposal spot, decorated with petals. They hid in the bushes, taking the best photos while give me the perfect amount of privacy to ask, “will you marry me?”
Thankfully, she said yes. My heart felt like it was bursting from my chest. My proposal couldn’t have gone better and there was nowhere else in the world that could’ve been this perfect.
As a doctor that moonlights as a travel writer, I’ve seen my fair share of beauty. The beauty in life and death. The beauty of the man-made and the natural. The beauty of different countries and culture.
I’m so glad to say that the most beautiful experience was my own. This flash of perfection will stay in my heart and mind forever. Yet it wasn’t possible without the beauty of the people, location, and culture at the InterContinental in Fiji.
For more details about https://www.fiji.intercontinental.com/
