MOST visitors find it almost unbelievable that a haven is tucked away in a two hour's drive out of Suva.
This comment gets thrown around at Happy Hour on the Sunset Deck of Wananavu Beach Resort in, Rakiraki.
"Yes, it's something I hear many times," general manager Ben Plummer said.
The Kings Road from Suva to Rakiraki had a certain notoriety about it with horror stories of a six-hour drive that ended as travellers got stuck and were reluctant to try a return visit.
With work on the Kings highway nearing completion, the two hour drive to the resort makes it a pretty experience. Wananavu is a Tripadvisor award-winning 4 star resort on the very northern tip of Viti Levu with panoramic views to the Nananu Islands and across to Vanua Levu.
With 34 deluxe bure and the uber chic Villa Vanua the resort offers a very attractive alternative to the usual Suva getaways to Pacific Harbour and Sigatoka.
"A lot of local visitors don't want to share their little secret once they've been here," Mr Plummer said.
"Nadi is only a couple of hours away as well and you get some serious downtime here with a night or two feeling like a weeks' vacation."
The resort offers diving and snorkelling facilities, and makes fishing a great experience.
"We do receive a lot of positive comments about our food. We use as many local ingredients as we can, many from our own gardens, and create fresh tastes and combinations. We love it and if we love it, we're pretty sure our guests are going to love it too," Mr Plummer said.
With a daily changing menu, a varied and competitively priced drinks list and plenty activities to do, the resort has to be on everyone's 'to do' list.