18 days in Fiji (# 3) The resort lifestyle

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

The pool all to ourselves 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Ball game for all ages 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

What would lounging by the pool-side be without a suitably decorated drink right? I found that the mocktails hit just the right spot for me. There were quite a few to choose from and we were there for more than a week. Need I say more?

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. 

A refreshing salad for lunch(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

So many choices, what shall I order? 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Pulled pork burger 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Where we stayed, the rooms were beautifully presented and generous in size. We had an apartment with a balcony.

Master bedroom 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

The second bedroom 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Included toiletries 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

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.

Someone is having fresh berries for lunch
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Can you spot the frog in this picture? (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

I saw quite a number of frogs one night as we walked back to our apartment after dinner one evening. They were larger than golf balls but smaller than tennis balls.

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). 

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.

Activities board
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

There were Fijian language classes, coconut demonstrations, tie-dying, body board races, pool side bingo, medicine walks and more. A medicine walk is a guided walk which incorporates various commonly available plants right at the resort and their various medicinal properties and uses.

This resort has child minding and there is plenty to keep the little tykes occupied. 

Coconut demonstration - all the wonderful things you can do with the coconut palm 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Removing the coconut from its nut 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

You can make hats from the coconut fronds 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

With my Fijian language instructor 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

A medicine walk
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

A noni fruit 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

A well equipped playground will keep the little ones occupied.

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. 

The serenaders 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

A serenade in the garden
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

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. 

A complimentary foot massage? Yes, please.
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

The resort has two restaurants. Mamacita and the Beach Shack Bar & Grill.

The Mamacita - exterior view 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Mamacita menu 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Inside the Mamacita
 (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Another mocktail 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

History adorns the walls 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Fancy a pizza for dinner? 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Pasta 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Vietnamese inspired dish
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Twice weekly entertainment at the Mamacita 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

The outdoor tables are the more popular ones. It pays to book ahead especially on performance nights.  

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.

At the Beach Shack Bar & Grill 
(Photo copyright Maria Ngo) 

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. 

Denarau Island Inter Resort Bus 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

There is an ATM on site. Cash withdrawals attract a transaction fee of FJ$15 per transaction.

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. 

Grocery at Wyndham 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Sunset on Wyndham 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Hope you've enjoyed your tour of one of the resorts on Denarau Island.

Vinaka vaka levu! Thank you very much for visiting with me. Hope you'll join me for my next post. 

Can you picture yourself there? 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

18 days in Fiji (# 2) From Denarau Island to Nadi town centre and market

What this post is about 

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.

Fijian Christmas Tree

(Photo taken by copyright Maria Ngo)

So here's the second question I'm going to tackle today especially now that we're settled into our hotel on Denarau Island -- how does one get into Nadi (pronounced "Nun-dee") town centre and what is Nadi like? 

From Denarau Island to Nadi town centre 

Denarau Island to Nadi town/market(Google Maps) 

So what are your options for getting into Nadi town centre? You can either take a taxi or catch one of the yellow "dollar buses" as the locals have dubbed them. 

A yellow Dollar Bus
(Photo taken by copyright Maria Ngo) 

A taxi will cost anywhere from FJ$10 to FJ$12 one way while a bus ride will cost you just over a FJ$1. Taxis seem to only accept cash payment while the buses, on the other hand, operate a cashless system. What this means is that you'll need to purchase your bus tickets from your hotel. If you are planning to return by bus as well, make sure you buy two tickets.

A bus ticket
(Photo taken by copyright Maria Ngo)

The trip is about 15 to 20 minutes on the outward journey but about 30 minutes or more on the return journey - this is because the bus stops off at Port Denarau from Nadi before going to Denarau Island.

You can catch a yellow "dollar bus" from the sheltered bus stops on the main road in front of your hotel.

Bus shelter
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

The buses seem to run quite frequently - about every 10 to 15 minutes. These buses are not very large and they can get rather squishy at times. I didn't feel unsafe though along the route with the close press of bodies as most of the passengers were hotel or tour operator staff.

Inside a Dollar Bus
(Photo taken by Copyright Maria Ngo)

Inside a Dollar Bus

(Photo taken by Copyright Maria Ngo)

Inside a Dollar Bus

(Photo taken by Copyright Maria Ngo)

I noticed something quite interesting though on my bus trip - the bus drivers stopped for and picked up passengers right on the main roads at seemingly unsigned road intersections which also appeared to lead into a cluster of dwellings in the 'forests'.

If you happen to be around from around the end of November to early January, Denarau Island is ablaze with beautiful orangey blossoms from the locally dubbed "Christmas tree" (vaya vaya) - that's because these trees flower around Christmas time.

A bus ride
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Fijian Christmas Tree blossom
(Photo taken by copyright Maria Ngo) 

The bus route terminates at the bus depot in town almost next to the fruit and vege market. You can catch your bus back from here. Just look for a sign on the bus windscreen indicating that it is a Nadi-Denarau Island bus. A taxi rank can be found here too. We were warned about taking a "taxi" just off the street at non-designated taxi ranks.

Nadi bus depot
(Photo taken by copyright Maria Ngo)

Nadi bus depot
(Photo taken by copyright Maria Ngo) 

A quick mobile phone top up at the bus depot? (Photo taken by copyright Maria Ngo) 

What is Nadi like? What can I do and see there? 

As mentioned, the fruit and vege market hall is right next to the bus depot.

Look, a picture paints a thousand words, so I'll save you a few thousand and give you the pictorial version. (I am still working on my YouTube vlog, so when that's up and running, you might like to check that out too.)

Let's take a walk through the fruit and vege market first ...

Nadi fruit and vege market
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

The fruit and veges are displayed on plates. You pick the one you want and they tip it into a plastic carry bag for you. 

A crunchy sweet tropical fruit - called an Ayer Jambu in Malaysia

(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Brinjals - a variation of the Eggplant
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Only cash is accepted at the market
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Everyone understands English at the market
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

The sellers maintain an amiable chatter among themselves
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Kava root
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

It is good to come early in the morning to get your fresh produce as there is no refrigeration here.

More fresh veges
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Coconuts with their outer green husks removed
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

The market hall is closed on Sunday. This doesn't stop some sellers from plying their goods outside the market hall. Most of the shops are also closed. There was even an open air gospel tent meeting in the big field nearby. I also saw a father with two children go past me with a large bible in his arms.

The unofficial "Sunday market"
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Brinjals on a Sunday
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Fancy some crabs for your Sunday lunch?
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Papayas
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

A sweet treat for the son (Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

A platter of chillis for just FJ$2
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Fresh juicy mangoes
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Each seller usually has several types of fruit and vege for sale
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Umm ... I'm not sure what these are or how you'd cook them ...
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Now let's go for a walk around town ... 

Nice wide level and sheletered foothpath outside each shop
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Typical of the type of things sold in the small shops
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

It is noticeably cooler in the morning than the afternoon. Wherever we could, we sought out the shade.

Shopping in town 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Outside a shop - more goods on display and to catch your eye.
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

A wide range of sauces to choose from
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Shorts anyone?
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Shoe shine on the steps in front of an ATM
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Brooms for sale
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

A main road 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

The Curry House
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

They have some pretty creative bus shelters here. Love it!

Creative bus shelters
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Bougainvillea covered bus shelter - so very practical!
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

There are a few supermarkets not far from the bus depot where you can shop like a local. You won't have to pay FJ$7 for a bottle of water here.

Bottled water is easily available at the supermarkets
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Snacks for the hungry tourists and family
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

The supermarkets have refrigerated sections for their fruit produce
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

We encountered a lady at the bus depot who picked us out as fresh tourists and offered to take us to a genuine  Fijian market. We were led down a side street and found out that her definition of a "market" was different from ours. We found out later that they were not highly regarded by even the locals. Nevertheless, they did perform an engaging kava ceremony but I thought that Jacks of Fiji and other reputable retail outlets did offer finer quality timber products.

Street signs and names are in English
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Three very typical timber urns made in a variety of wood from their native islands

(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

Here in town we also encountered a small local tour operator. She seemed to have enough customers to keep her and her team occupied and worked hard to gain our business although we didn't end up going on any of their tours.

A local hardworking Fijian business woman
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

If you need to replenish your supply of pharmaceuticals, there are a few chemists/pharmacists in Nadi. I recognised many familiar brands here and felt confident about making my purchases here. I did find though that the price for sunscreen is quite a bit more than in Australia.

Some things we bought from the chemist and resort supermarket

A typical timber urn made in a variety of wood from their native islands

(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo)

You don't have to be without your mobile phone or mobile data in Fiji. You can easily purchase SIM cards from Vodafone in Nadi. There is a set up and SIM card cost though, but this is pretty minimal. We paid FJ$5 for the SIM card, FJ$11 for data, FJ$5 for calls and text. Do bring your SIM card tray eject key as part of your luggage!

Vodafone deal 
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

There were also a number of banks in town with ATMs. There is a transaction fee of FJ$15 that the bank applies at these ATMs though. That seemed to be pretty much the standard fee. We had not expected to use cash quite as much as we did. While some larger businesses provided credit card facilities, all of them applied a credit card processing fee of about 2.5% to 3%. I saw ATMs at Port Denarau as well as at the resort where we were staying.

ATM at Wyndham Resort
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

ATM at Port Denarau Passenger Terminal(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

We stopped for lunch at the Curry House on one of the main roads. Mocktails are pretty popular in many restaurants. Not sure how they were prepared but we didn't suffer any noticeable ill effects. 

Sea food lunch

(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo

Another mocktail!
(Photo taken by and copyright Maria Ngo) 

Hope you've enjoyed that brief tour around Nadi and found the information useful.

Vinaka! Thanks for reading. Hope to catch you at my next post.