Living in balanced harmony as an eco resort in Northern Fiji.
It takes passion, commitment and creativity to deliver an eco-experience at a luxury resort. We've taken many steps to preserve and nurture the natural gifts of the 8-acre oasis that is Tavola, making us a dedicated eco resort in Fiji.
OUR COMMITMENTS
WATER
At Tavola, we collect rain water. And our water is solar heated. We redesigned how water flows on the property to reduce power requirements. When we arrived at Tavola, pressure pumps delivered water to the taps. Now we push water to a tank at the top of the property and allow gravity to feed the taps. This adjustment cut our power bill by more than a third - and water arrives at the tap reliably and silently. Our team wash all dishes by hand - and use our dishwashers as drying racks to dramatically reduce water and power usage.
INDIGENOUS CULTURE
Our team members are all native Fijians. Our team members live in the neighborhood and many of them walk to work each day. Not only does this reduce our carbon footprint - it also keeps us intimately connected to our communities in Savusavu and the island of Vanua Levu. We also share authentic kava ceremonies with locally grown and ground kava plants to welcome our guests to Tavola and share the traditional spirit of Fiji.
POWER
We do not air condition our rooms, instead opting for the cooling sea breezes to waft through the louvers. All rooms are screened with soothing overhead fans. And as we wash your laundry, your clothing is freshly lined-dried. We don't use a dryer, instead allowing the sun to work her magic.
FOOD
We grow an edible landscape and vegetable and herb garden. You are invited to stroll the property and pick whatever appeals to you - mangoes, star fruit, avocados, bananas, hibiscus, lemongrass, mint, passion fruit, pineapple, aubergines, cucumbers and more. We compost from the kitchen, converting food scraps to natural fertilizer for the garden.
BEVERAGES
We feature local spirits and beers in our curated cellar:
- Blue Turtle Gin: A new world gin that balances unique botanicals and innovative yet traditional herbs of kava, native ginger, ugly lemon and fresh curry leaf. A refreshing island-inspired gin with juniper notes overlaid with hints of pepper, spice and citrus. A house favorite.
- Bati White Rum: Award winning white rum aged for 2 years in white oak vats has fresh citrus notes with soft vanilla aroma. Distilled from hand-cut sugar cane cultivated in rich volcanic soil and pure island water, then filtered through coconut shell carbon to bottle the essence of Fiji.
- Bati Ratu Signature Dark Rum: Soft enough to sip straight or on the rocks, with notes of cocoa and dried fruit. Distilled on the island of Viti Levu and aged for 5 years in red oak ex-bourbon barrels.
- Bati Coffee Rum: A Fijian white rum with aromas of freshly ground coffee beans and a soft and smooth mocha finish.
- Fiji Bitter beer: Flavor is slightly grainy with essence of corn syrup up front, followed immediately by sharp flavors of sulfur.
- Fiji Gold beer: A pale lager popular in Fiji and the go-to beer for Tavola guests.
- Vonu beer: Handcrafted Fijian lager with delicate light hop aroma and fruity notes for a refreshing beer.
HERITAGE
We're thrilled to share Savusavu with you. It's a very special place, known in Fiji as the Hidden Paradise.
I grew up in Seattle, and my mother grew up in Portland and Vancouver. Our Pacific Northwest roots gave us an eco ethos. My grandfather cultivated spectacular gardens, and we'd harvest throughout the summer - blackberries, corn, green beans. In 1990 I started a line of eco-greeting cards printed on recycled paper, affectionately called Grandpa's Gardens. I was definitely ahead of my time!
My mother's brother, Richard Evanson, moved to Fiji in 1972, establishing a top eco-resort. You may know it as it has garnered rave reviews the world over - Turtle Island. His dedication to reforesting Turtle Island and restoring its natural beauty won him many accolades and awards. I suppose you could say that we brought our northwest ethos and family traditions to the islands. 🙂
The people of Fiji are truly the highlight. They're kind, generous and gentle. You'll definitely fall in love with them. Fiji's tagline is "Where Happiness Comes Naturally." It's no exaggeration. Fiji is very much a paradise.