Kaila Na Ua

In 2015, Rosalind and Warren Lake saw a little ad in the New Zealand Herald for the sale of a Korotogo resort.

“We came over for the weekend, fell in love with it, thought this is just what we wanted to do,” Rosalind says. They put a deposit on the property straight away and by September of that year, the Lakes had moved to Fiji.

They spent the next four years renovating and building accommodation bures, decking around a pool and establishing a verdant garden that now bears guavas, lemons, ivi and other fruits they share with guests.

Kaila Na Ua opened in in 2021 and its guests hail from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the US.

Those guests are spoilt for choice. They can join the Sigatoka River Safari, bike to the local cafés or visit Nakubuta pottery village.

“A lot of our guests go there. It’s a Woman’s Club that runs it, so it’s very well organised,” Rosalind says with a laugh.

Warren adds: “They buy little bits and pieces and it’s not expensive. But it’s something you’d never buy in your own country. And you can take it home, put it on the mantelpiece or coffee table. And that brings back memories. They drink a bit of kava and do a bit of dancing and stuff. They thoroughly enjoy the experience.”

“They really enjoy the cultural activities a lot,” Rosalind says of her guests. “Going to the sand dunes and learning about the history of Korotogo and Sigatoka, and then the Taveuni Hill Fort, which is a little hidden part not a lot of people know about, but they give you a tour guide, and they show through the history of how Tongans came here and fought with the Fijians, and that’s how Korotogo came about.”

The Lakes are committed to sustainability. Everything compostable goes into compost bins and then back into the garden. Guests are given a bus card so they can get around like locals.

“People can be independent, and they can just walk down the driveway and catch the bus and live as a Fijian for a day or a week and they just love it,” Warren says.

This philosophy extends to fittings in the rooms.

“We support everything local,” Rosalind says. “We had a pastor, and he approached us, and he thought we just might like to buy one painting of frangipanis for above a bed. And we said, ‘No, we would like eight, one for every room. He started doing without his signature – he was too shy to sign – and we said, ‘We want you to sign.'”

The rooms also feature tapa from Vatulele, coconut wood cabinets from Pacific Green, magimagi as decorative accents and local tanoas.

“The rooms are very modern, but we try and give it that Fiji influence as well,” Warren says. “And then you’ve got the big open decks that have a little bit more outdoor area and you’re looking at the bure and you’re looking at the pool and you’re looking at the sea, and the gardens are beautiful. And when there are berries on the trees, we get all those nice green and red, and yellow parrots flying like around like mad.”

For all the activities available close by, the Lakes want their guests to truly relax.

“We try to encourage people to put the phone down, talk to each other. Turn it off and go and enjoy Fiji,” says Warren.

At the end of the day, that can involve walking down to the beach at the heart of Korotogo.

“We’ve got a little sitting area, and a little bonfire there. A lot of people go down there, especially when it’s sunset, and sit there. They might have a glass of wine, and then just light the fire. Sometimes, they’ll have a guitar down there, so it’s just really relaxing.”