NEAR a bay which has wartime history as a seaplane base for the US Navy, resides a more enduring symbol of Fiji — unrushed tranquillity.
The Fiji Orchid at Saweni, Lautoka, is a realm of elegant green, a place where you can empty all your worldly worries, eat home cooked meals, and just “drift away”.
A visit there last Sunday and I don’t even know where to begin describing what it felt to be in the middle of nowhere, and yet feel so at home.
I last visited the property in the 90s when it was an orchid farm owned by the Burness family.
The couple took over the Raymond Burr-owned Saweni property in the ’70s and was the driving force behind the development of Fiji’s commercial floriculture industry.
Burr, the Hollywood star of the American legal drama series, Perry Mason, also started the orchid gardens at the Sleeping Giant in Sabeto, Nadi, in 1977.
Having faint memory of what the landscape looked like then, entering the driveway about 20 years later proved to be quite the surprise. The Fiji Orchids is arguably the Western Division’s best kept secret.
Only three minutes drive by gravelled road from the Queens Rd, this five-acre oasis in the midst of dry and arid grassland is where tranquillity truly resides.
I have driven past this gated property several times since that last visit in the ’90s, but knowing the farm had been transformed in 2010 into an exclusive and private lodge, dropping by was never an option.
Trips to the area usually had to do with visiting the popular Saweni Beach, which is just a stone’s throw from the eco-tourist property.
Upon entering the driveway, visitors will find themselves in a lush cloud of green surrounds. And looming grandly in the short distance are several large native trees, left behind by the former owners.
The place has been able to maintain its reputation as a man meets nature intersection because new owners, Jenny and Peter Bourke had subsumed the orchid farm into their plans to create a sanctuary that linked horticulture development to tourism.
As a result, The Fiji Orchid comes with all the hallmarks you’d expect from a retreat that promises detachment and privacy from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
And the good news is that this six cottage holiday sanctuary has decided to open up its gates to locals — via its kitchen.
The restaurant has already introduced a monthly Sunday brunch which is fast gaining popularity among locals who love eating home cooked meals in a setting that puts you at ease.
Comfortably sitting a maximum of 50 people, the dining terrace has an al fresco feel, keeping visitors at eye level with all kinds of botanic life, prominent among them the several varieties of colourful orchids.
A quick scan and you will also find plants such as uci, bougainvillea and hibiscus scattered across the garden. You will also spot mango, citrus fruit, pawpaws and guava trees.
On this day, soulful singer Di Tui Raoma serenaded patrons with easy listening music that just made the place feel uncrowded.
As for the food, the dishes served were what resort manager, Mitimiti Dreunimisimisi, described as “food that families would normally get together and prepare for a Sunday meal”.
Simple, and tasty.
“There’s something about home cooked meals that is hard to forget,” she said.
“There is a market for this because we have all at some point in our life had the ‘Sunday best’ where only special dishes were cooked on Sundays for the family to enjoy.”
“There’s just something about it that makes eating satisfying and puts you at ease.”
The experience comes at a cost that won’t break your budget.
“At $45 per head, that’s a reasonable price to pay for an array of island-style dishes which includes roast pork with gravy or apple sauce, steamed fish with Fiji Orchid sauce and ginger and shallots, taro leaves poached in coconut milk and served garnished with lemon and chilli, blanched fresh green ota, a selection of fresh fish marinated in lemon juice and coconut milk (kokoda), and sea grapes (nama) marinated in coconut milk with slices of fish and spider seashells (yaga).
“The meal is served buffet style so the price is reasonable. All the ingredients are locally sourced because we’re big on using local produce.
“So with healthier and mouth-watering dishes, what’s not to love?”
Ms Dreunimisimisi said apart from being a haven for travellers seeking solace from the outside world, the resort was also about developing sustainable agriculture.
“We call it the farm to fork concept.
“It’s a vision to create meals from local farms with a focus on healthy, exciting and tasty food.
“In April, renowned chef Colin Chung in partnership with food expert Greg Cornwall will put together a cookbook called Kana Vinaka.
“It will be launched by Agriculture Minister Inia Seruiratu in Suva.”
The cookbook launch will coincide with the opening of The Fiji Orchid’s restaurant to the public.
And the young lady who will be preparing and plating all the wonderful dishes at the restaurant is 26-year-old, Sewale Losavaki.
The Bua native returned from the world’s largest hospitality teaching institution, Le Cordon Bleu, in New Zealand.
“I never dreamt, I would travel to New Zealand or go as far as I have in the tourism industry and I am looking forward to serving some familiar local food with a new twist when we open the restaurant next month,” she said.
The Fiji Orchid is located 15 kilometres north of Nadi International Airport and 10 kilometres south of Lautoka.
It has a short stay focus, marketing itself as a transit lodge for the beginning or end of a traveller’s journey.
Burr’s house was transformed into a stunning lounge area, bar, and restaurant and a large swimming pool.
Six majestic tented bure with a very modern flavour now dot the magnificent tropical orchid gardens that Burr once tendered.
