"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 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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