Tag: namena marine reserve

Unforgettable Fiji experiences for Families

Posted on by Jameel Mohammed

Family destinations don’t come better than Fiji. It’s 330 islands are like one big tropical playground. Here are eight unforgettable experiences for lucky families staying at Jean Michel Cousteau Fiji Resort (JMC) – Fiji’s best family resort (just saying).

 

Let kids be kids!
JMC is all about old school fun. Let your kids kick off the shoes, play in the sand, climb trees, kayak and swim in our languid bay. See the joy on their face as they make friends in kids club, laugh with their nannies and buddies, join in all the fun activities at Bula Club and explore our magical treehouse playground built in a magnificent rain tree. Our seven-hectare resort is like one safe, big beachy playground. Devices? What devices.

What lies beneath
Fiji’s the ideal spot for budding snorkelers and divers to explore fish filled waters. JMC offers twice daily snorkeling trips for families, typically led by one of our two resident marine biologists and accompanied by your child’s nanny or buddy. Our snorkeling trips in glass bottom boats are safe, easy and super fun for kids. There are 15 snorkeling sites within 15 minutes of the resort while once a week we offer an exciting night snorkel off the jetty. Resident marine biologist Johnny Singh leads many of our snorkeling trips and brings the coral city to life by explaining what you see underwater.

Finding Nemo
Children wanting to take their first underwater breaths can join our combined snorkeling and scuba course for kids aged eight to 10. When they feel ready, they can learn to dive on world class reefs – including Namena Marine Reserve which inspired the movie Finding Nemo. Guided by experienced instructors from the Cousteau Dive Centre, diving together as a family is an experience you’ll never forget.

Village visit
Most Fijians still live in traditional villages in a multicultural society. At JMC families have the opportunity to visit the local Nukubalavu (meaning Long Beach) Village where many of our staff and their families come from. Meet the village chief, enjoy traditional dance performances and learn about the villager’s way of life. There are lots of local kids to meet, handicrafts to buy and it’s a great way to connect with authentic Fijian culture. Our complimentary village visit runs weekly and it’s not to be missed.

Leap from the jetty
Take a leap from our jetty into clear fish filled waters. Make sure you organise for one of our staff to capture this special moment – it’s a rite of passage at JMC – and hours of fun

Back to school 
Families love our Friday afternoon visits to a local school. Kids are invited to join children of their own age at one of Savusavu’s local primary schools and participate in class for a short time to make a new friend and a pen-pal. Expect lots of fun. Interacting with local kids is a moment you’ll never forget.

Crab race
Join the hunt along the shoreline for the speediest hermit crab and sign up for our weekly crab race. This fun event for the whole family involves lots of laughing, yelling and a prize for the winner. Who knows you may have the next Usain Bolt of the crab world on your hands?!

Why this remote far-flung Island Resort is closer than you think

Posted on by Jameel Mohammed

Jean Michel Cousteau Resort has been nominated under Resorts for Conde Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards 2023. Voting will run through June 30, 2023.Click here if you would like to vote for Jean Michel Cousteau Resort.

Known for its world class diving, magnificent pearls and charming harbourside town, Fiji’s “Hidden Paradise” feels far from the well-worn tourist trail yet Savusavu is a mere hour’s flight from Nadi International Airport. Yep, paradise is closer than you think.


Secluded beaches and spectacular reefs
Located on Vanua Levu’s remote southern coast, Savusavu is where you’ll find the five-star eco-friendly Jean Michel Cousteau Fiji Resort offering luxurious seclusion within easy reach of Nadi International Airport.

A string of secluded and (mostly) empty palm fringed bays and inlets along with world class snorkelling and diving on pristine reefs await.

Cousteau Dive Centre takes guests to incredible (and uncrowded) dive sites like Barracuda, Alice in Wonderland and the world-famous Namena Marine Reserve. At any one time only a handful of divers explore Vanua Levu’s pristine reefs. You’ll soon discover why Jean Michel Cousteau (son of famous ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau) refers to Fiji as the world’s soft coral capital.

Cool off at the stunning Nakawaga Waterfall
Head inland for an adventure of a lifetime at the incredible Nakawaga Waterfall. Tucked well of the beaten track in verdant jungle you’ll find the spectacular and powerful waterfall following a short but steep hike. Cool off with a dip in the natural pool at the base or, if you’re feeling adventurous, take an exhilarating leap from the top. Be sure and bring a snorkel mask so you can spot small fish and swim beneath the falls. While it feels a million miles from anywhere, the falls are in fact only 20 minutes from Savusavu township (JMC runs complimentary guided tours to the waterfall each week).

Do yoga on a private island
As the sun sinks over the Coral Sea, join a sunset yoga class with arguably the world’s best view. This once in a lifetime yoga class takes place on JMC’s very own private island reached by wooden runabout through dreamy, aquamarine-colored waters.

Known as Naviavia (which in English translates to ‘want to be’), this postcard perfect island is owned by local Fijians and lies just off the secluded shores of Savusavu Bay, on Fiji’s second largest island, Vanua Levu (Big Land).

Across the channel the thatched roofs of JMC resort’s bures are visible yet you’ll feel completely removed from life and its cares.

Lose track of time
Known as Fiji’s “Hidden Paradise”, Savusavu’s deep harbour, spectacular reefs and secluded, palm fringed bays are not just postcard perfect. Here the earth beneath your feet oozes an energy that instantly makes you feel calmer, walk slower, breathe easier. Time seems to slow down, and unfailingly you lose track of it.

Reset with a snooze in a hammock, a barefoot stroll along a palm fringed shore or just kick back with a book on a daybed with a cocktail. Life moves decidedly slower on Fiji time.

Get away from it all
Travellers can reach Vanua Levu’s luxuriant shores via a one-hour flight from Fiji’s Nadi International Airport, arriving at Savusavu Airport. From there, it’s a 15-minute transfer by air-conditioned minivan to Jean Michel Cousteau Fiji Resort.

It may feel like one of the most remote places on earth but truth is, it’s within easy reach. Read more about Travel & Leisure’s ‘12 of the most remote places on earth you can visit’ – including Savusavu home to Jean Michel Cousteau Fiji Island Resort.

Kids’ Paradise: Fun-Filled Activities at a Fiji Family Resort

Posted on by Jameel Mohammed

Get kids off the iPad and exploring both on land and underwater. Championing old school fun and unleashing your child’s inner Huckleberry Finn. Yep, Jean Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji (JMC) is a kids’ paradise.

Relaxed old school fun
JMC offers a healthy dose of old school fun. Kids can collect hermit crabs, make friends with other children in kids club, build sandcastles, play soccer, try tennis, do craft and spend hours splashing and playing Marco Polo in the pool. Somehow days stretch on forever and your kids will never want to go home.

JMC All-inclusive Resort Kids Craft

Adventure
At JMC we’re all for getting kids off devices and becoming captains of their own adventure aka Huckleberry Finn. We love seeing kids run barefoot and free around our secure, eco resort (basically one big playground) with its sweep of protected beach. Build a billi billi raft and set sail, climb a tree, hike to a waterfall, swim in a jungle pool and explore the magic of the underwater world.

JMC All-inclusive Fiji Eco-resort

The Coral City
Imagine the look of wonder on your child’s face as they explore underwater snorkel and dive sites with whimsical names like Chimneys and Alice in Wonderland with its mushroom-shaped corals, sea fans, clown fish, vivid crinoids and intricate sea sponges.

Known as the world’s soft coral capital, Fiji is arguably the best place in the world for kids to learn to snorkel and dive. JMC offers Padi Dive Courses and experiences for kids 10 years and over while children as young as eight years can learn fun bubble making in the pool. Littlies old enough to swim meanwhile can get started by snorkelling.

As children grow more confident, they can join grown-ups in experiencing deeper sites like ‘Grand Central Station’ at Namena Marine Reserve, considered by Jean Michel Cousteau to be one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. There they can see hawksbill turtles, large schools of barracuda and circling reef sharks.

JMC All-inclusive resort kids padi diving

JMC bears the famous aquatic adventurer Cousteau’s name and is the only resort in Fiji that employs two full-time, onsite marine biologists. Our marine biologists enthusiastically impart Cousteau’s passion for the ocean to adult and small guests through our excellent ‘School Under the Sea’ program (involving a stamp passport system), snorkelling expeditions (including fun night snorkels), glass bottom boat rides and educational presentations.

Play Robinson Crusoe
At JMC we’ll pack you off with a substantial picnic, snorkeling and kayak gear and deliver you to your own private atoll. Take a siesta in a hammock, build the ultimate sandcastle and snorkel the shallow reefs. You’ll feel just like Robinson Crusoe. The kids will love having the island, and you, all to themselves. Just call us on the two-way radio when you’re ready to come home.

Kids club
Our award-winning Bula Club is not just any old kids club. Even if your child has been reluctant to attend kids club elsewhere, we almost guarantee that won’t be the case at JMC. Days are jam packed with fun activity, laughs and adventure from sunup to sundown where kids are safe in the hands of our specially trained nannies and buddies. It’s a fluid arrangement where parents can enjoy as much couple time as they choose. Trust us: the pull for kids to be at what is surely the world’s most fun kids is real.

JMC Fiji All-inclusive Resort Kids Paradise Waterslide

One word: waterslide!
Yes, we offer a packed schedule of fun activities, kayaks, snorkel gear, SUP boards and complimentary expeditions to waterfalls, markets, mangroves and more but one thing all kids say they love most about JMC (aside from our incredible staff that is) is our waterslides! We offer two slides – one in the Bula Club’s toddler pool and the other in the main pool. Yet another thing that makes JMC a kid’s paradise.