Love - and safety - in the water at Lomani

There's never a bad time to be in Fiji, and for couples in search of romance as well as adventure, Lomani Island Resort & Spa on Malalo Lailai Island is the ultimate choice.

It was a third time lucky visit for Srdjan and Maja Mircic, who had visited the island twice before, but never stayed at Lomani Island Resort before. "We chose to stay at Lomani because it's a peaceful, quiet resort, and the staff go above and beyond to make everything effortless. They transferred our dive equipment directly to the dive shop so we didn't have to worry about logistics, and they drove us by buggy to and from the dive shop every day. The resort reception and Subsurface coordinated with each other, so the buggy would be ready to pick us up after the dive too - the whole process was so smooth and convenient, and utterly stress-free."

The pair did their dives in the morning. "That way we could use the afternoon to fully recharge and re-energise ourselves for the next day's adventures - Lomani is perfect for unwinding after a morning dive," explains Maja. "We so enjoyed it - with its serene atmosphere and super comfortable beds, the resort is the perfect setting so we could enjoy early nights and wake up refreshed and ready for another exciting day of diving."

Having previously completed their PADI Open Water and PADI Advanced courses with Subsurface Fiji at Musket Cove, the pair were keen to follow up with a PADI Rescue Diver Course and continue their certification with the same team - they even specifically requested Solo as their dive instructor again.

"We had such an amazing experience with Subsurface Fiji last time. Everyone was patient, kind, highly experienced, and eager to share their knowledge," says Maja.

"We chose to complete the PADI Rescue Diver course because we wanted to strengthen our safety skills and build our underwater confidence. The training we were given didn't just focus on assisting others - it also gave us practical tools to manage challenges on our own, which makes every diver safer and the whole experience more enjoyable for everyone."

Srdjan and Maja were already experienced divers, but the course still had plenty to offer. "The PADI Rescue Course is both challenging and rewarding, in that it provides essential skills that every diver should have. Solo, our instructor, made the learning experience highly effective as well as fun and engaging," recalls Maja.

The pair say the highlight of the course was putting the skills they had learned together to practice some real-life emergency scenarios. "One memorable moment was rescuing a diver from the boat by throwing a life ring to the 'victim'," says Maja. "Our instructor wasn't satisfied at first, and kept saying 'Unreachable'. He made us repeat the exercise several times until we got it right, which made the training feel very real and fulfilling."

Maja reckons the biggest challenge was rescuing an unresponsive diver at the surface. "You have to juggle several tasks at once - providing rescue breaths, removing gear, and towing the diver back to the boat. Even though it was only a simulation, it felt like a real emergency and gave us the opportunity to practice skills we might one day truly need."

About Lomani Island Resort

Lomani means 'love' in Fijian, and the adults-only Lomani Island Resort is as romantic as its name suggests. Visitors fall in love with the clear blue waters, white sandy beaches and the attentive staff. 

Easily accessible on Malolo Lailai Island, in the Mamanuca Islands to the west of Fiji's main island Viti Levu, the resort is a 20-minute drive, of 50-minute boat trip away. Rooms include the beachfront pool bures with private plunge pool; beachfront bure next to the white sand beach; and the Deluxe suite with separate sleeping and living areas with its own private balcony.

To book a stay, or to create your own romance package to suit your needs, visit lomaniisland.com