Nadi Fiji 7th - 13th April 2018



"Bula Vinaka"

I was in Bali last year and I loved it. I went with an open mind and no expectations and was blown away by the culture, friendly people, amazing shopping and fact that everything from a massage to home furnishings were reasonably priced. Fiji was in particular order on my bucket list, and come to think of it I don’t even know if it was on my bucket list. I started a new job in January and found out shortly after I started I was going to be overseeing the South Pacific and I would be going to Fiji in April for a conference.
After thirty hours of travel (including a ten hour lay-over in Honolulu) I finally made it to Fiji. It’s located West of the International Date Line so I lost Friday on my way over but lived Friday twice a week later on my return journey. The first class upgrade on my first two flights (D.C. to Minneapolis and again from Minneapolis to Honolulu) made my trip going both enjoyable and comfortable.  The Delta One first class upgrade from Minneapolis to Honolulu served steak and had unlimited beverages and boasted the lay flat pods...yeah for me! Let me give a little tip to anyone reading that a close friend shared with me.  He is a pilot for a major US airline and always buys candy or gets something small and gives to the flight attendants when he is a passenger.  You could ask yourself why when you are already paying an arm and a leg for a ticket when someone is “just doing their job". However, doing something nice for the flight attendants will pay dividends for you on your entire flight.

The Fiji Airways flight out of Honolulu with a stop in Apia, Samoa was one of the quietest I had ever been on. Cruising the South Pacific in a Boeing 737 for five plus hours with a quick fuel stop and passenger exchange was seem less for the through passengers bound for Fiji. The flight from Samoa to Fiji is just under two hours and put us into Fiji around 8:30 am on Saturday morning. The airport was a breeze and customs was just as easy. The one thing that stood out to me at the airport were the numerous signs to ensure travelers purchased mesquito repellent with DEET. I did not take any and it was probably just dumb luck but I think I only had a few bites during my entire week. Another tip I highly recommend purchasing duty-free prior to or on the flight over as prices for alcohol are extremely expensive unless you want to purchase a bottle of the local Fijian flavored rum. A bottle of Jack Daniels on the plane was $28 USD and the same bottle at the hotel liquor store was more than three times that cost. Just be sure you stick within the limits allowed for whatever country you’re traveling in to. That bottle of Jack sure came in handy during the cyclone on Tuesday when everyone was confined to the hotel.
The conference I was attending was located at The Tanoa Hotel close to the airport. Needless to say, I was not overly impressed from the amenities from looking at their website so I opted for the Sheraton Resort located on Denarau Island which was still within our budget. There are a slew of big name resorts located at Denarau Island that fit all budget types. Honestly, I think the Sheraton was the premier property on the island. It had its own beach, three different pool options, and a few different restaurants to choose from all located on the property grounds. Guests also had the option of sharing the amenities and pools at the adjacent Westin Resort but the Sheraton had everything we needed. There was plenty of shopping at the hotel but my favorite thing was the daily breakfast buffet, which was hands down the best I have ever been too in all my travels. The breakfast buffet was expansive and included everything you could imagine even a gluten free area for people like me with needy eating habits. The rooms were clean and the staff was friendly. The Hotel offered different room types to include ocean front (optimal unless you’re experiencing a cyclone) and a villa option for families with a great pool located between the two large rows of villas with an additional pool overlooking the ocean.
After getting checked in on Saturday and getting settled there was only one day to relax and soak up some beach time before the conference stared on Monday. The sun seemed to do a real number on my skin in a very short amount of time. I could not have been out in the sun for more than a couple hours but managed to get enough to get some color back into my complexion with my first layer of skin shedding like a snake. I just seemed hotter there than the temperature was leading me to believe. Honestly I didn’t care because the winter in D.C. was wearing on me and I was ready for anything other than snow. I checked the forecast for Fiji and it called for Thunderstorms throughout the first half of my trip and then some sunshine to follow. Little did I know I was in for much more than a thunderstorm. On Tuesday we were hit with a category three tropical cyclone. The whole island of Denarau had massive generators at each major hotel. To be honest it was one of the smoothest hurricanes/cyclones I had ever been in. As a matter of fact the last Hurricane I remember being in was Rita when I lived in Baton Rouge in 2005. Regardless the hotel catered to it’s guests very well and provided up to date information and hotel food packs delivered to the rooms with food and water. Again very impressed with hotel and the overall smooth operation during the storm. I get the feeling they get these kinds of things often because nobody seemed concerned at all.


Flights Cancelled because of the Cyclone

Pools closed
I spent the rest of the week attending the conference and everything went off without a hitch. Tried to venture off the island for dinner one night and the local restaurant was so packed that we didn’t even order anything and just decided to head back to the resort area and have some local Fijian food at a place located at the port. The food was amazing and I would recommend it if you happen to visit Denarau. I truly wish I could have seen more of the island and had the option to stay longer but chose to come back to Hawaii instead the day after the conference.  I left my cell phone locked up in the safe all week without checking it or email and it made me feel like I was truly on vacation! 

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