Bula! Hello! We've just spent 18 days in Fiji. And what a time that was!
Before we went though I had so many questions! Well, now that we're home and I've found the answers to some of those questions, I thought I might share my discoveries. After all, sharing is caring.
Also, I thought that by sharing my discoveries, I might help you save time, money and perhaps add to your safety and comfort!
So, over a series of posts, I hope to tackle some topics that might be of interest to you to help you in your preparation for a holiday in Fiji.
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| Under a clear blue sky (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
So here's the third question I'm going to tackle today - what's it like at a resort?
The Resort Lifestyle
I had a particular image of what a resort lifestyle was like before I arrived in Fiji. Here on Denarau Island, I found my expectations were more than met - in fact, they were exceeded.
What I had imagined: beautiful views, relaxed atmosphere, friendly cheerful staff, good food, lounging by the pool side, manicured gardens, clean and well maintained facilities and safety. They were tick, tick, tick and more ticks.
Let's take a quick tour around one of these resorts.
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| Wyndham Resort (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
If you were to take a look on Google Maps to get your bearing, you'll notice that the resorts are on the western side of the largest island (Viti Levu) of Fiji.
This means that you are well positioned for beautiful sunset views from the beach at these resorts.
There is a narrow strip of a beach linking these resorts - provided you can find your way down there - at high tide, this might not always be possible at all the resorts.
This strip of beach along here is not the nicest beach to swim in. In fact, I'd recommend you stick to the pool. You can check out the various sizes of the pools at each of these resorts quite easily on Google Maps in Satellite Imagery mode. But if water sports is your thing, you're in luck because the resorts offer a mixture of free and paid equipment e.g. kayaking, paddle boards, jet skis and even tandem parasailing. Not all resorts offer the same activities though.
There is a narrow strip of a beach linking these resorts - provided you can find your way down there - at high tide, this might not always be possible at all the resorts.
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| Out on the pontoon(Photo taken by and copyright) |
This strip of beach along here is not the nicest beach to swim in. In fact, I'd recommend you stick to the pool. You can check out the various sizes of the pools at each of these resorts quite easily on Google Maps in Satellite Imagery mode. But if water sports is your thing, you're in luck because the resorts offer a mixture of free and paid equipment e.g. kayaking, paddle boards, jet skis and even tandem parasailing. Not all resorts offer the same activities though.
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| The pool all to ourselves (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Ball game for all ages (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| I'll have one of those please (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
There was a good selection of cold and hot foods to choose from for lunch. The prices were in the FJ$30 mark. Dinners were slightly more. And oh, mocktails, were around the FJ$15 mark.
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| A refreshing salad for lunch(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| So many choices, what shall I order? (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Pulled pork burger (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Master bedroom (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| The second bedroom (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Included toiletries (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Balcony and view (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
There were several clusters of ripe berries growing on a palm outside my bedroom window and I was able to watch the local birds up close while they carried on rather animatedly with one another as they fed on the berries.
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| Someone is having fresh berries for lunch (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Can you spot the frog in this picture? (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| I wished my garden looked like that (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
Summer is the rainy season in Fiji. This is from November through to April. On a number of days that we were there, it poured quite heavily at around 4 pm but cleared up just before dinner time. December is reported to have the most daily sunshine hours. March gets the most rain while January is the hottest month in Suva with an average temperature of 26°C (79°F).
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| An overcast day by the pool (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
The resort has organised activities for adults and children throughout our stay. Most of these are free activities.
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| Activities board (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
This resort has child minding and there is plenty to keep the little tykes occupied.
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| Coconut demonstration - all the wonderful things you can do with the coconut palm (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Removing the coconut from its nut (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| You can make hats from the coconut fronds (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| With my Fijian language instructor (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| A medicine walk (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| A noni fruit (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Playground (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
Singing is a big part of the Fijian culture. When we arrived at the resort, we were welcomed with singing and an icy cold fruit punch. On several nights in the week, a group of singers would serenade hotel guests as they make their way around the resort.
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| The serenaders (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| A serenade in the garden (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Down by the boardwalk (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
If you fancy a spa or massage, you don't have to look far.
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| A complimentary foot massage? Yes, please. (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| The Mamacita - exterior view (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Mamacita menu (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Inside the Mamacita (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Another mocktail (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| History adorns the walls (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Fancy a pizza for dinner? (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Pasta (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Vietnamese inspired dish (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Twice weekly entertainment at the Mamacita (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
I was too busy enjoying my food at the Beach Shack Bar & Grill and forgot to take more photos (!). We were fortunate to get an ocean view table on our first night. It was the perfect finish to a perfect day.
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| At the Beach Shack Bar & Grill (Photo copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Beautiful fresh seafood (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
If you prefer a restaurant at one of the other resorts but don't fancy walking, you can buy a ticket for a hop on and off inter resort island bus.
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| Denarau Island Inter Resort Bus (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| ATM at Wyndham (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
A basic grocery store serves the guests. If you prefer, there is a larger one at the Sheraton resort a short distance away. These supermarkets are much dearer than Australian ones but the one at the Sheraton offers slightly better prices. If you have the time, I suggest stocking up at a supermarket in Nadi town (see my other post on how to get there). As you can imagine, the resort lifestyle has its associated costs.
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| Grocery at Wyndham (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
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| Sunset on Wyndham (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
Vinaka vaka levu! Thank you very much for visiting with me. Hope you'll join me for my next post.
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| Can you picture yourself there? (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) |
