Wakaya Club by John Borthwick

The big gent sitting opposite me at the kava bowl looked very familiar. He also looked very thirsty, slurping down two bilo cups of kava to each one that I drank. Then I recognised him — Hollywood actor James Belushi. At his side was, of course, a pretty woman.

At the very discreet and exclusive Wakaya Club on Fiji's privately owned Wakaya Island the staff never let you know if a "celebrity" is in residence. Thus my surprise at finding Mr Belushi sitting across from me and enthusiastically lowering the kava level.

The discreet and exclusive Wakaya Club, on privately-owned Wakaya Island, some 60 km off the east coast of Viti Levu, is (as the New York Times so aptly put it) "Where those who have it all, go to get away from it all." It represents the upper echelon of Fijian luxury island resorts, of which there now more than a dozen. Regardless of whether you "have it all", while a guest at these resorts you can live briefly as though you do.

Your spacious private bure (bungalow) might be stocked with everything from free champagne to books, CDs and DVDs. Not far from your door will be chefs, tennis courts, perhaps a golf course, private beaches, probably a vivid "house reef" for divers and, of course, some very fine dining.

You'll have a spacious, three-room private bure (stocked with everything from champagne to CDs) to yourself. As will only seven other couples — the Wakaya Club is that "small" (even though its grounds, in a 19th century coconut plantation, are huge and there's a staff of 70). Predictably, among those couples, principally from America and Europe, several will be honeymooners.

Four chefs, a nine hole golf course, tennis courts, private beaches and a vivid "home reef" for scuba divers, topped-off daily by Roman Candle sunsets. All this excellence, of course, doesn't come for a song. The daily tariff is all inclusive of fine dining, wines and drinks, and all recreational activities. Double occupancy is around one thousand US dollars per night, with a five night minimum stay. How much is that in your currency? Sorry, but, to borrow a crushing line from American mogul J.P. Morgan, "If you have to ask, you probably can't afford it."