Diving Lifestyle of the Rich & Famous

From the moment my wife and I get off the jumbo jet on Fiji's main island of Viti Levu we step into another world--specifically, the lifestyle of a diver like, say, Tiger Woods or Jessica Alba (both divers like you and me, but who probably do not share a van with other guests of the resort where they're staying). The pilot of the Wakaya Club & Spa's private plane greets us as soon as we clear customs. "Right this way," he motions, and we follow him to the runway where the resort's plane is waiting. The large Cessna is appointed like a flying limousine. "Are we waiting for anyone else?" I ask as we settle into our oversized seats. "Just the two of you," he replies.

The private plane ride is only the beginning of our stay at Fiji's Wakaya Club & Spa, a private island resort surrounded by one of the best reefs in Fiji. For only $1,900 a night (don't reach for your glasses--you read that right), you can stay in a private two-room bure (pronounced boo-RAY) that measures 1,650 square feet of living space (larger than my first condo) and includes a king-size bed, natural stone outdoor shower, high-speed internet access and too many amenities to list here. Walk into your luxurious accommodations and unwind by mixing a cocktail from the stocked bar, also included in the price. Step outside onto a private porch overlooking the manicured gardens and the ocean just steps away. You may even have the chance to wave hello to one of your fellow guests on his or her way to the dining bure. (I'll drop names later, but more than likely, that guest is a movie star, dignitary or titan of business.) You can enjoy world-class, Pacific Islands cuisine in the dining bure or call room service--also included--and one of the resort's 250-person staff will be there shortly (the staff serves a total of 10 guest rooms--you do the math).

And I haven't even gotten to the diving yet. There are no scheduled boat trips; simply show up any time you feel like getting wet, and the staff prepares your own private boat with captain and guide.

Sound like a bargain? The rates begin at $1,900 a night (a 12,000-square-foot villa atop a 16-acre hilltop is $7,600 a night). For someone used to more modest accommodations (with amenities like an ice machine down the hall, a bagels-and-bananas continental breakfast, and a dive shop that offers a rigid schedule and little else), the Wakaya Club & Spa is a world apart. It's a unique, one-of-a-kind resort well worth the price of admission--if you can afford it.

A guy could definitely get used to this, but I'm a diving photojournalist, and despite popular belief, we rate pretty far below the VIP category. Usually when I check in at the hotel desk on assignment, a manager comes out and whispers into the ear of the front desk clerk, who then withdraws the room key he or she was about to slide across the counter. After some more whispering and sideways glances, I usually get escorted past all the nicely appointed rooms to the shack behind the dive shop's compressor shed, where the ear-splitting sound of compressors ventilating can be heard day and night, and the dank floor boards smell a bit like wet neoprene. Yes, I know this sounds shocking. You probably think we're pampered like rock stars. So, how exactly did my wife and I wind up at this exclusive resort (and not behind the compressor shed)?

We were invited to experience the diving and see how it ranked against the rest of the world. At first I was a bit skeptical, as I had never heard of the place. The Wakaya Club doesn't advertise, as the type of person who stays here knows about it from similar VIPs, who share the secret like a tip about a hot stock.

I heard about it a little differently. "Hmm, I'm not sure what the story angle would be," I said to the U.S. rep who was trying to talk me into coming. (Have I mentioned that I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed?) She then appealed to my celebrity-starstruck side. "What's that? Who stays there on a regular basis?" I asked in disbelief. "Nicole Kidman usually spends several weeks there every year? Bill Gates? Jim Carrey?" I repeated the names on the list of famous people who frequent the resort, wondering how I had made the invite list. The rep then told me that this is the resort where Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards fell out of a tree, causing the Stones to cancel several concert dates. "Oh yeah! I remember that," I said, and added, "Sure, I'll come." After all, if this was the kind of place good enough for a rock star, then how bad could the spare compressor shed be?

Of course, the resort exceeds all of my expectations. The Wakaya Club's private airstrip, only a half-hour flight from Nadi International Airport, is like a portal to a different world--one where your every desire is taken care of, kind of like Fantasy Island without Tattoo. As we check in, there are no whispers or sideway glances. I have my credit card ready for the imprint, but when I offer it to the woman at the desk, she shakes her head and looks at me kindly, as if to say, "You poor thing. You have never stayed at a place like this before." Then she says with a smile, "We know who you are." Right. It makes sense. Considering you can only get to the island by way of the private airstrip or by boat, there isn't a single person coming or going that they don't know all about.

After inspecting my beautifully appointed bure (nicer than my house), I head for the dive shop. I am anxious to get in the water. I meet one of the resort's dive guides, Mele, who looks like a cross between a Fijian warrior and a rock star. He has long, frosted curls and distinctive angular features. "When does the next boat go out?" I ask. Mele looks a little bewildered. "Are you ready to go now?" he asks. "Sure," I say, "but what about tomorrow? What time does the boat leave in the morning?" He looks even more perplexed. When he responds, he speaks slowly so I will understand. "When - do - you - want - to - go?"

I am beginning to get the picture. I am a bit of a fish out of water here. Mele explains that he will take me out whenever I want, that there is no set schedule, no rushing through breakfast to make the morning boat. As they have several boats to choose from, the dive shop easily accommodates all of the guests. And the pampering doesn't stop at the dive shop. Guests can choose, at any given moment, sunbathing on one of two private beaches, tennis, golf, snorkeling, a variety of spa treatments (not included in the price)--or to simply do nothing. As we're two of only four people diving that week, we have our own boat, a captain and personal guide. When we get back to the dock, the crew insists upon cleaning our dive gear and cameras. I don't often entrust my camera to anyone else, but the staff is so particular and careful, I have no qualms whatsoever letting them handle it. When the camera is clean, they walk it back to my bure so I can change memory cards and batteries as needed. It doesn't take long to feel like a king. I half expect them to pull us along underwater so we won't have to use our fins. In fact, I'm sure that if I ask Mele, he'll probably respond, "Fast or slow?"

Part of the pampering includes the resort's incredible cuisine (did I mention there are four chefs and two pastry chefs?). The organic fruits and vegetables are grown locally. The fresh-caught seafood menu changes daily. Alcoholic beverages are included in the price (in case you missed it: the $1,900 per night price).

And so goes our visit--a staff of 250 responding to our every beck and call. If you're not an A-list actor, Fortune 500 CEO or rock star, you probably will never experience this kind of luxury. But every once in a while, even an average person like me gets to see what it's like to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

Diving Nirvana

Needless to say, the greatest service in the world would all be for naught if there was nothing to see. However, Wakaya Island has a plethora of marine offerings. On one of the walls at the dive shop are snapshots of mantas, ghost pipefish, lionfish, leaf scorpionfish, a hammerhead, several varieties of nudibranchs and more. Most dive shops have a "greatest hits" wall like this, where you peruse the images hoping you will see half of what is shown there. By the end of our week at Wakaya, we had seen every highlight on the wall, including mantas and a couple of encounters with the hammerhead who seemed as surprised as I when we suddenly come face to face with each other.

While the marine life encounters are plentiful, it was the abundance of both the soft and hard corals on the surrounding reef that impressed me the most. As a private island without a native population, it's easy for Wakaya to enforce fishing and anchorage rules, resulting in as close to pristine diving as exists anywhere in the Pacific today.