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Sublime Water Sports & Tours / Batiluva Beach Resort
Leaving Pearl South Pacific's marina for Beqa Lagoon
Pray and I spent a serene New Year’s Day at Uprising Beach Resort on Day 8 of our ‘Fiji for the Holidays’ campaign. Hanging by the pool, swimming in the lagoon and having cocktails at Uprising’s beach bar provided a perfect tonic to the madness of New Year’s Eve in Suva. It wasn’t until I sat down for dinner with Satnesh Sharma, manager of Sublime Water Sports & Tours (a subsidiary of Uprising), that I realised we’d missed out on a key Pacific Harbour attraction – a day trip to Batiluva Beach Resort on tiny Yanuca Island. Satnesh told Pray and I to come back and enjoy a day trip whenever we wanted, so one sunny Saturday morning a few weeks later we were back at Uprising to take him up on his offer.
A large group of American tourists arrived at Uprising just after we pulled up, guaranteeing a full boat. Despite the sudden crush everyone was quickly registered and we all piled into a shuttle van that dropped us off at the marina of The Pearl South Pacific, a resort just down Queens Road from Uprising. There we boarded a 40-foot Cat Super Cruiser that eventually carried us across Beqa Lagoon and to Yanuca island, a speck compared to the much larger Beqa Island to the east.
Captain's view of Yanuca Island
Late morning clouds did nothing to subdue the spectacular scenery of Batiluva Resort’s beach as we approached. Coconut palms lined the shoreline, slanting towards the sea like frond-topped drinking straws in vanilla milkshakes. Batiluva’s guest rooms and main house were set back amidst lush gardens at the base of Yanuca’s mountainous terrain. Approaching the tiny island after the relaxing trip across Beqa Lagoon I was reminded that while Fiji boasts over 300 islands, those islands are scattered across one million square kms of ocean, meaning the nation of Fiji is much more water than land.
Its diminutive size does nothing to diminish the movie-set perfection of Batiluva’s grounds. The Fiji Islands have been a location of choice when scripts have called for ‘Pacific paradise’, and it’s easy to imagine a Hollywood mogul spotting Yanuca from afar, commandeering a vessel to take him there and then splashing through the beach’s crystal clear lagoon and proclaiming it as the site of his next motion picture.
Approaching Batiluva Beach Resort
Fish swirled about our feet as we disembarked and dropped our gear on hammocks, picnic tables and a small but well-maintained lawn, careful not to step on the many crabs scurrying beneath the coconut trees. I walked up to Batiluva’s reception/dining/reading/dog-petting area and met the resort’s manager, who invited me to have a cup of tea before she dashed off to finish morning chores. Batiluva Beach Resort is surrounded by mountain and jungle yet appears remarkably tidy. The grass surrounding the accommodations is cut short and brilliant gardens line every pathway.
Pray was busy prowling the island so, after a cup of tea, I grabbed my snorkel gear and went off to explore the lagoon’s undersea world. As always in Fiji, I wasn’t disappointed. Beqa Island is one of the world’s most desirable scuba diving destinations. On the boat ride to Yanuca a crew member pointed to a mooring in the middle of nowhere and said it was the location for one of Beqa’s famous shark dives. (Information that guaranteed Pray would not be entering the water.) Batiluva’s lagoon can’t be compared to Beqa’s bevy of reefs but its armies of multi-coloured fish are a coconut’s throw from shore and you can stay in the water for as long as you remain buoyant.
A flotilla of Sublime Water Sports & Tours jet skis
Thankfully, no one in our group of visitors to Yanuca Island lost their buoyancy.
Making a dramatic landing in the lagoon a few hours after we arrived was a fleet of jet-skiers. Sublime Water Sports & Tours hires them out to those seeking an extra thrill as they cross Beqa Lagoon to Yanuca Island. The jet skiers climbed off their personal transports, removed their life vests and donned snorkelling gear. Besides jet-skiing and day tours to Yanuca Island, Sublime offers guests at Uprising Beach Resort and – like the large American entourage from Suva who wanted to experience Beqa Lagoon – those staying nearby a great variety of outdoor activities that includes wakeboarding, beach volleyball, horseboarding, hobie sailing and diving.
Just out of sight to the west of the resort is Frigate’s Passage, what surfers refer to as a consistent, uncrowded ‘left-hander’ that provides ‘big barrels’ all year round. Batiluva’s accommodations, meals and easy-going vibe jibe nicely with the ethos of the men and women who travel great distances to take advantage of such spots. Their efforts are rewarded with to two double rooms, three dorm rooms that sleep four each, cool water showers and three freshly prepared meals a day.
Batiluva's dining hall
The deep water beach allows boats to depart for Frigate’s Passage at any tide, and most days surfers find themselves on the waves by 8:30 am. A packed lunch on the boat means surfers may remain at the reef all day and return in time for a big, buffet-style dinner every evening.
Surfer’s paradise, indeed.
Our lunch was announced by the traditional banging of a Fijian lali. Everyone made for the dining area for large plates of barbecued sausage, chicken and beef, salad and bread. Pray and I took a walk through Batiluva’s vast coconut tree plantation and admired the sight of a massive thunderstorm over Viti Levu that guaranteed the ride back to the Pearl’s marina was going to be slightly more adventurous than the ride to Yanuca Island. The jet-skiers gathered in a floating posse and left. The rest of us bid goodbye to the tiny island and reboarded the biggest boat in the Sublime Water Sports & Tours’ fleet. One crew member untied its rope line from a coconut tree while another dove into the lagoon to retrieve its anchor.
Smiles all around after a wet ride to the marina
In open water we caught the effects of the storm. The boat offered plenty of shelter but a few hearty souls embraced the rain by standing outside or sitting in a spot just across from Pray and I to get doused with great buckets of sea spray each time the boat crashed over a wave. The two Aussie couples who were on holiday at the Pearl laughed throughout the entire experience. Certainly not the sort of thing you’d find in a brochure, but exactly the kind of experience that makes travelling throughout the Fiji Islands such a spontaneous and unforgettable adventure.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
#Uprising Beach Resort#New Year's Eve#Sublime Water Sports & Tours#Batiluva Beach Resort#The Pearl South Pacific#Beqa Island#Yanuca Island
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Day 11, pt 2: Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa
Looking towards the Suva swimming pool and lagoon
The stretch of Queens Road along Fiji’s Coral Coast is dotted with resorts for all budgets and tastes. Some sit just beside the road behind high concrete walls; others require bumping a few kilometres down dirt roads.
Very few are like the Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa. It sits at the end of a circular driveway like a proverbial mansion on the hill. What goes unseen from the its impressive entrance, of course, is one of the most pristine stretches of coastline you’ll find anywhere on the planet.
Pray and I were still buzzing from our morning ultralight plane flights at the Beachouse as we made the ten-minute drive to Warwick.
Looking up at the Warwick's massive reception area
Our minds focused quickly on the present, however, as we walked into the resort’s astounding reception area. A towering ceiling and exquisitely carved Fijian replicas built into the walls oozed grandeur. A stairway curved its way down to a pair of ground floor restaurants, a terrace bar sat just on the other side of sturdy tables and chairs, and long hallways led in opposite directions to the Warwick’s Nadi northern wing and Suva southern wing. We passed a fully stocked Jack’s of Fiji boutique shop on our way to our Nadi wing room but I’ve been warned about returning to Australia with any more bula shirts by my wife so I kept right on walking.
For Pray and I the Warwick Resort was the final stop in our 2-week ‘Fiji for the Holidays’ adventure. We’d participated in countless activities, met dozens of wonderful resort owners and managers and spoken with a steady stream of travellers from around the world.
Follow the path to Wicked Walu
As a final stop the Warwick was perfect. Not just because of its opulence and array of creature comforts, but its status as a resort that caters to every possible whim.
Not sure what kind of food to eat? You’ve got five restaurants to choose from: Bula Brasserie, where I had a sumptuous buffet breakfast the following morning but which also offers à la carte lunch and theme buffet dinners daily; Lagoon Bar & Grill, which sits poolside and offers a selection of lunch time snacks, assorted char grills, garden salads and island burgers; Wicked Walu Restaurant, which sits on its own private island and serves up ocean seafood grills and char-broiled steaks; Sazanami, an upscale Japanese restaurant; and Pappagallo, an upscale Italian restaurant.
In the mood for a cocktail but unsure which atmosphere will fit your mood? Warwick’s got three fabulous options:
Swim-up pool bar
A swim-up pool bar that has to be experienced to be believed; the Sunset Bar, an inviting area overlooking the beach and lagoon that feels more like a wealthy friend’s backyard deck; and the Hibiscus Lounge & Bar, where exotic cocktails, live entertainment and a variety of DJs guarantee you’ll be on the dance floor until the wee hours.
Activities? The term ‘spoilt for choice’ doesn’t come close to describing the myriad of activities offered here. Guests receive a daily ‘Warwick Happenings’ newsletter that details the day’s activities. Let me provide a sampling of the things to do on the day Pray and I stayed. For the kids: Fish feeding, swim relay race & egg hunting, sand castle building, egg throwing contest, fancy hat making, mini golf contest, game of croquet and a dancing competition. For the adults: Power walk, tropical bushwalk, yaqona ceremony, beach volleyball, guided snorkelling and fish feeding, just-for-fun bingo, followed by post-dinner activities like a crab race and discoing at the Hibiscus nightclub.
View from the Suva Swimming Pool
Sports? Once again, the Warwick practically dares you not to get involved, with lessons and tournaments in archery, squash and tennis played in their indoor and outdoor facilities.
While Pray went off to take photos of the Warwick’s sprawling grounds, I went for a swim in one of two full-sized swimming pools. The Nadi swimming pool is shaped kind of like Australia and is a favourite with mums and kids. The Suva swimming pool, where I swam a few laps, was much quieter. A bar sat nearby. Tempting. Very tempting.
Meanwhile, from nearly every vantage point, the spectacular Coral Coast lagoon beckons. It features two prominent features – the island on which Wicked Walu sits, and a jetty leading to a romantic bure.
Newlyweds pose for their wedding photos at the lagoon's edge
On the day Pray and I were there a couple took advantage of the resort’s ‘Wedding in Paradise’, in which the bride is brought across the lagoon on a festively garlanded bilibili to a reception area at the Wicked Walu island. Pray was practically a guest of the wedding as he snapped photos. It was amazing to watch.
Sunset over the Coral Coast
By late afternoon it was time to find shelter at the Sunset Terrace for a pre-dinner cocktail. As the sun made its dramatic descent to the horizon I understood how this spot got its name. Pray and I had been treated to many, many jaw-dropping sunsets over the course of our ‘Fiji for the Holidays’ adventure, and if this one was to be the last, it certainly made for a memorable finale. Well-dressed guests sat on plush, modern furnishings sipping cocktails all around the Sunset Terrace. Soft music played. At 6 pm a pair of Fijian warriors came and beat the lali, signifying dinner was served. Kids clapped and adults snapped photos as the men impressed all with their rhythmic drumming. As night fell Pray and I made our way to Wicked Walu for a sumptuous evening meal before returning to the Hibiscus nightclub to watch a Polynesian show performed by a dozen or so young and very enthusiastic dancers.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Thai-Poosam Thirunaal in Nadi
Outside the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Nadi
I recently arrived in Nadi in the early evening to discover the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swamy Temple colourfully lit and buzzing with life. Women in flowing, colourful saris and men in kurtas were walking from every direction to Nadi’s famous Hindu temple, which lies at the end of Main Street and was constructed and decorated by artisans from India.
I wasn’t able to linger but the following morning, after a perfect flat white from Bulaccino Cafe at the opposite end of Main Street, returned to the temple to gather information. I snapped the photo shown above before pocketing my camera and removing my shoes out of respect and wandering among the temple’s astounding examples of traditional Dravidian architecture. A gentleman explained to me that thousands of Hindu devotees had been gathering at the temple to celebrate the 85th annual Thai-Poosam Thirunaal. The celebration, which concluded yesterday, lasts ten days and attracts devotees from throughout Fiji and the world.
Sri Siva Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Nadi
At the heart of Thai-Poosam Thirunaal is the celebration of good over evil. Devotees show their respect for the Hindu god of war and symbol of good over evil, Subramaniam, through fasting and meditation. The festival’s name is derived from its place in the Tamil calendar. It’s held during ‘Thai’, the tenth month, on the day the full moon passes in front of a star called ‘Poosam’.
It’s traditional for devotees to carry a burden called a ‘karvadi’, a load tied to the ends of a pole and carried over the shoulders, in order to be blessed. Some devotees go much further by pinning fish hooks, metal spikes and silver needles to their bodies. Devotees also purify themselves through strict diets and abstinence from alcohol, tobacco and other forms of ‘impure’ contaminants.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Day 11, pt 1: Bird’s-eye View of the Coral Coast
Light sport aircraft on floats, ready for take-off
We all know the satisfaction of a good night’s rest after a physically challenging day. That’s exactly what greeted me as Day 11 of ‘Fiji for the Holidays’ dawned in a clean, quiet dorm at the Beachouse. I got down to the restaurant early to take advantage of the resort’s excellent wireless connectivity – a rarity in a country as sparsely populated as the Fiji Islands – and to enjoy a tasty breakfast that’s offered to guests free of charge, every day.
Men and women began to trickle in as the sun climbed over a cloudless sky. The restaurant/bar is a sprawling, open area with wooden walkways, coconut palms and lush gardens. And a pool. And a game room. In other words, the ultimate spot to eat and drink while making new friends.
Shiloh Sorce-Fisher of FlyMeFiji
Pray joined me in time for the morning’s most dramatic moment: A light sport aircraft piercing the clear blue sky and landing atop the lagoon. Andrew, the Beachouse’s owner who was surfing waves at the reef’s edge, stand-up paddled to the shoreline to greet the craft’s pilot, a young man named Shiloh Sorce. Shiloh works at Waidroka Bay Resort, a surf/dive resort that sits beside the stunning Nakuro Reef about 15 kms east of the Beachouse. Shiloh explained over a well-made cappuccino that the plane – built by M Squared Aircraft in Alabama – actually belongs to the owner of the Uprising Beach Resort but that he occasionally takes it out and offers rides to guests at the Beachouse. (For more information on flying with Shiloh, contact him directly at [email protected].)
Like many ex-pats you come across in Fiji, Shiloh’s laid-back, gregarious and full of great stories. His love affair with light sport aircraft dates back to a surf trip to Baja, Mexico, when the small-town kid from Oregon saw one and knew immediately he’d found his calling. Working at Waidroka Bay Resort is a natural fit for a lifelong surfer like Shiloh. Buzzing over the Coral Coast in an ultralight seems closer to living his dream.
Heading east in a light sport aircraft over the Coral Coast
It’s easiest to describe climbing into the ultralight floating craft as like settling into a paddle boat, only the pedals aren’t for maneuvering over a tiny body of water but for operating an aircraft’s controls. As a passenger it was my job not to interfere with the controls, a directive I was more than happy to comply with. After strapping ourselves in Shiloh started the engine, revved it up high and, after skipping over the lagoon a hundred metres or so, had us airborne.
I felt like a bird. Wind in my face, land falling beneath me, the horizon suddenly expanding exponentially, it was as if we were a giant, noisy eagle, banking left and right over the shimmering coastline. Shiloh checked to see if I was OK. Yes, I answered over the din of the engine, smile stretched even further across my face by the wind. After skimming the coastline eastward, Shiloh banked right and were soon heading west out past the reef.
Birds-eye view of the Beachouse
We were now over deep water. While soaking in a sweeping Coral Coast view of multi-coloured reefs, long stretches of surf, breaking waves and the great ocean beyond, Shiloh tapped my arm and motioned for me to look down. A leatherback turtle was swimming at the surface. A minute later he tapped me again. This time it was a pair of manna rays majestically swimming at the water’s surface. I later spotted another leatherback without Shiloh’s assistance. These remarkable creatures and their eggs have long been considered a delicacy by indigenous Fijians. Measures have been introduced to maintain their population numbers but they’re only partly effective. Watching them from above put me in awe. Maybe I should get that turtle tattoo when I get back to Australia …
The Coral Coast from an ultralight
After flying past the spectacular Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa – the next and final stop for Pray and I – Shiloh banked right once again and we were heading back towards the Beachouse. The easy maneuverability of the light aircraft meant Shiloh could bring us to within a metre of the lagoon’s surface, where that bird-like feeling returned. We could have been swooping over a school of fish, prepared to lower our talons into the flesh of a tasty self-serve meal before soaring back high into the sky. We did soar high skyward, only without a fish.
On approach to the Beachouse’s lagoon we could see a crowd gather once again at the water’s edge. If there’s one thing the ultralight cannot do is make a stealthy entrance – its engine announces its presence like an air-horn – but to me this only adds to the drama of it descending from the sky. We landed atop the lagoon with barely a ripple.
Landing on the lagoon in front of the Beachouse
Shiloh brought us to the beach, where Pray waited to take his turn. (You must watch his video of the flight.) I climbed out and plunged my feet into the lagoon’s warm water and began telling anyone within earshot, “You gotta try this for yourself.” Not to drum up business for Shiloh. No, I was a convert to the utter awesomeness of flying in a light sport aircraft and needed to spread its gospel. Which I guess I’m doing in this blog entry. Can I get an amen?!
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Day 10: Coral Coasting (part 2)
The most picture-perfect cricket pitch. Ever.
After an exhilarating jungle trek to the Navola waterfall with Juta, our intrepid group returned to the Beachouse for lunch at the Coconut Cafe. Jana and Tanja went to freshen themselves up, naturally, but Pray and I attacked our freshly made dishes like rescued shipwreck survivors.
The sun was shining and everywhere you looked people were digging all the Beachouse has to offer. Book readers lazed in hammocks. Sun seekers lay on towels. Swimmers splashed in the pool and lagoon. Cricket players took advantage of the lagoon’s low tide by playing a game on perhaps the most picturesque pitch ever known to humankind. Even Lucy, one of two laid-back Labradors that call the Beachouse home, sat in the water, lazily eying tiny fish and perhaps imagining what they’d taste like if she could only be bothered to catch one.
Jana & Tanja on horseback
Those in the mood for indoor activity – such as Juta – played billiards in the Beachouse’s game room or sat at one of the many tables within walking distance of the Coconut Cafe and the Beachouse bar. Others – like me – utilised the resort’s Wifi to check email and catch up on events back home.
On the beach and obviously blessed with more energy than Pray and I, Jana and Tanja were saddling up for a horse ride. Pray followed with his camera and I took shots knee-deep in the warm, shallow lagoon. The Beachouse is fronted by a sandy beach that runs several hundred metres east, giving the horses plenty of room to work up some speed. (A local boy rode alongside to keep things in control.) Pray and I were lucky to have two people as enthusiastic, not to mention photogenic, as Jana and Tanja staying at the resort the day we visited. Then again, from my observations, the Beachouse is a place that attracts a good-looking crowd.
Excluding Pray and myself, that is.
Tanja hops in shallow water.
Once the tide returned it was time to snorkel. Andrew fired up the outboard and about a half dozen guests – Jana and Tanja included, of course – piled in for a 15-minute ride to a spot in relatively shallow water that gave everyone a chance to delight in the Coral Coast’s underwater charms. After an hour we regrouped in the boat and headed out to the reef, where a large chasm allowed snorkelling in much deeper water. Everyone partnered up to ensure no one broke off from the group. Andrew used relaxed breathing techniques to explore the chasm floor for prolonged periods. Very impressive. I found myself spending more time at the surface than usual, admiring the view of the coastline as a late afternoon sun turned everything golden brown, feeling the breeze, listening to waves breaking on the reef nearby, even watching a kite surfer crossing back and forth in the lagoon.
Mostly, though, I enjoyed the moment.
Kitesurfer on the lagoon
With everyone back on board, Andrew once again fired up the outboard and sped us back to the Beachouse. Excited voices described an array of fish, many never before seen, especially by those who’ve snorkelled other reefs in other parts of the world. The Coral Coast does that to people – suddenly, other underwater treks seem ordinary.
As we’d arrived at Beachouse to find Andrew stand-up paddling on his surfboard, I couldn’t help but wonder what it’s like for a guy like him to take others out to snorkel and surf and dive in a place so divinely beautiful. Do they grow tired of it? Is it just a job, like any job? One that grows dull and routine with time? One look at Andrew’s face as he guided his boatload of guests back to the resort he opened with wife Jessica in 1996 convinced me that for this bloke, owning and managing the Beachouse was to him what breaching the water’s surface is to a whale or racing beside ocean liners is to a dolphin: Instinctive, and a helluva lot of fun.
Dinnertime view at the Beachouse
Everyone retreated to their respective dorms or rooms to shower and change. Well, not everyone. SuperWomen Jana and Tanya hopped in the pool for an impromptu game of water volleyball with a group of Aussies. Some Fijian resorts proudly promise seclusion to their guests. Seclusion may be found at the Beachouse, but its default setting is ‘make friends and have fun’. The girls were still laughing and splashing when I returned to the bar – which is conveniently situated beside the pool – to partake in happy hour and order dinner. Pray eventually joined me and we exchanged stories from our busy day over dinner. Another glorious Coral Coast sunset ushered in nightfall and I walked back to my dorm feeling I’d made the most of daylight. Little did I know the next morning would grant Pray and I the chance to experience the Coral Coast in a way most people have never dreamed.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Day 10: Coral Coasting (part 1)
Samson at Tambua Sands surveys his kingdom.
With a busy day scheduled Pray and I reluctantly left our bures at Tambua Sands Beach Resort and walked a sandy, palm-tree-lined path to the dining hall. We were joined along the way by a sleepy Samson, the resort’s housecat, who lingered a few minutes at our table before disappearing to do whatever a cat does at a glorious Coral Coast beach resort. Naniste, who’d performed with the Namada choir the night before, served us breakfast with a relaxed smile. Soft Fijian music played as we ate. If only every morning began so serenely.
The sun had yet to rise over Viti Levu’s mountainous interior as we made our way to our next destination, The Beachouse, about 15 kms west along Queens Road. We passed sleepy villages, workers waiting for rides, dreamy-looking lagoons and dogs sleeping beside the road.
The scene was much more lively at the Beachouse.
Beachouse owner Andrew paddles out to the surf break
Three surfers were piling boards into a boat for a surf out at the lagoon’s reef. Beachouse owner Andrew Brown was standing tall on his board as he paddled his way to shore after catching a few early morning waves. He greeted us and invited us to join him in another boat to photograph the surfers. We headed out to the reef and Pray took shots of the guys catching several waves. Before long Andrew was back in the water stand up paddle surfing, so I took over the steering of the boat’s outboard engine and brought Pray and I back to the beach over a remarkably clear lagoon.
A quick cup of coffee beside the pool (which was built for the shooting of a reality TV show called ‘Love Island’ in 2006) and we were off on our next Beachouse adventure: A jungle trek to Navola waterfall.
Juta of Navola Village, our jungle trek guide.
A few details about this trek, which lasts about four hours: It’s led by a gentleman named Juta who hails from Navola Village a kilometre down Queens Road from the Beachouse. He’s been taking guests up the trail that leads from his village to the Navola waterfall for 11 years and is a walking, talking encyclopaedia of knowledge regarding local fauna and flora. Several times during the trek he paused to describe the medicinal purposes of a plant or pluck a handful of tiny berries for tasting. Juta also pointed out that the clay we were doing our best to avoid slipping on has been used by Fijians to make pottery for hundreds of years. There was also the occasional cannibal joke, of course, and Juta’s bird calls. Or at least I think they were bird calls.
Most importantly, all of the money raised by Juta’s treks into the jungle above Navola Village go where it’s needed most: Straight back into the village. In 1994, a Methodist church in South Korea collected money from its parishioners to build a secondary school in Navola. It opened in 1995 and sits proudly on a hillside overlooking the village. Juta explained that when missionaries first travelled to Viti Levu in the 19th century they spotted Navola Village and, knowing nothing about the nature of its inhabitants, chose it as a place to come ashore. They were welcomed by villagers who accepted their religion. According to Juta, the village has been blessed ever since.
Jana in 'Juta's Spa'
I was feeling pretty blessed when halfway through the uphill portion of the trek we came upon a creek crossing that held within its water-eroded rock ‘Juta’s Spa’. Standing beside a shallow depression, Juta motioned to Jana, one of two European backpackers in our group of trekkers, to sit in it. She did so and reacted with an approving, gleeful smile. Our other European cohort, an Austrian named Tanja, was next, followed by Pray and I. Our trail guide watched like a patient parent as we all took turns indulging in ‘his’ spa.
A few kilometres later the trail ended at a small waterfall. I arrived first and couldn’t resist slipping into its cool, shoulder-deep swimming hole. Pray and I had joked during the hike to the top of Malolo Island in the Mamanuca Group that we hoped a swimming pool awaited us at the end of that gruelling journey (it didn’t). To say arriving at this spot was a satisfying conclusion to our uphill trek would be an understatement – especially as this was not, in fact Navola waterfall. Juta pointed to where the trail continued along rocks that snaked their way around the waterfall.
Juta gets a photo of us at Navola waterfall
We scampered over the rocks until our eyes alit on the magnificent summit of our jungle trek. Sprays of water cascaded down smooth, black rock, and the four of us responded to its call. In a routine Juta’s been practicing for 11 years, he collected all of our cameras and snapped photos of Beachouse guests in, around and under the waterfall.
It’s no exaggeration to say we could have stayed there the rest of the day. As a matter of fact, each time I look at a photo taken by Juta I wonder, “Why did we ever leave?” But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end – though there should be a provision that excludes jungle waterfalls – so we gathered up our gear and trekked back to Navola Village.
And it was only lunchtime.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Pray Tells: Addendum – Day 9 [How to Make “Kokoda”]
Here’s the chef at Tambua Sands Beach Resort, demonstrating how to make “Kokoda” a Fijian delicacy which is raw fish marinated in lemon juice and served in coconut milk. It is absolutely delicious. I once asked a friend of mine who was a chef from overseas what one dish would he take with him after he left Fiji that he would use again, and he told me, “Kokoda is not only a great dish, it is maybe my favorite of them all.”
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Day 9: Pacific Harbour to Coral Coast
The proliferation of 24-hour diners back in my homeland of the United States came to mind this morning as I made an early morning appearance at Uprising Beach Resort’s restaurant. I was only after wireless connectivity for my laptop and maybe a cup of coffee so I was pleasantly surprised to find a long table laden with free continental breakfast selections and a wait staff ready to take hot breakfast orders. Suffice to say the smiles from Uprising’s staff were easier on the eyes than those from behind a diner counter along Route 3 in New Jersey on a cold January morning.
Arts Village, Pacific Harbour
After a fond ‘moce’ from Mere at Uprising’s brilliantly designed reception area Pray and I made a quick stop at Pacific Harbour’s Arts Village just down the road. Pray’s developed a serious affection for fruit and veggie smoothies from Mai Juice, one of the village’s 50+ shops and 14 eateries. I grabbed a well-made flat white from Oasis Restaurant and we were back on Queens Road, destination Tambua Sands Beach Resort in the heart of the Coral Coast.
Because of its proximity to the airport at Nadi and its abundance of magnificent hard and soft coral, Viti Levu’s southwest is the birthplace of the tourism industry in Fiji. During the drive to Tambua Sands Pray and I passed the jungle-covered remnants of two of Fiji’s earliest resorts in an area called Korolevu. It was here in the 1950s that the Korolevu Beach Hotel was built, followed in the 1960s by the Paradise Point Hotel. Both stood until a cyclone and land dispute forced them out of business in 1983.
Lagoon beach at Tambua Sands
We arrived at the very-much-in-business Tambua Sands Beach Resort just after a large New Year’s Eve/Day crowd had checked out. A breeze rustled the fronds of the resort’s dozens and dozens of tall coconut palm trees. Waves could be heard breaking on the reef at the lagoon’s edge. Soft Fijian music played in Tambua’s massive reception area/restaurant. Whatever stress I’d accumulated driving along Queens Road from Pacific Harbour was gone faster than you can say, ‘May I please have a pool towel?’
We checked in and were met by Barbara Scott, the Assistant General Manager of Tambua Sands. You’ll find people from all around the world in the Fiji Islands so it wasn’t at all surprising to hear Barbara’s Scottish accent. Barbara’s reasonably new to Tambua Sands and is helping in its transition after it was acquired by the Warwick International Hotels in July of last year, but she’s been an active participant in Fiji’s tourism industry for several years.
She walked us to our beachfront bures – there are a staggering 19 beachfront bures along the lagoon, along with six garden bures – before taking Pray on a tour of the resort’s absolutely perfect grounds.
In-pool view at Tambua Sands
After a short walk to the lagoon I headed for the pool. Clear blue skies and refreshing sea breezes are standard for the Coral Coast but conditions enter a higher level when one dips his or her toes in a shimmering swimming pool. A handful of people were sun worshipping on padded lounge chairs as I enjoyed a sublime view of the lagoon in cool, chest-high water. (You’ll find photos and a video of this view in the photo gallery at the top of this post.)
Pray and I enjoyed tasty lunches in the resort’s spacious dining area and were soon treated to a cooking lesson from Head Chef Peniasi. As a crowd gathered, Chef Peniasi showed how to prepare a traditional Fijian dish called kokoda, which is easily described as raw fish marinated in lime, chilli, and coconut. Its taste, however, defies description. Chef Peniasi was assisted by Ratu, who expertly cut open and removed the flesh of two coconuts in the span of a few minutes. The now kokoda-wise crowd was treated to portions of the fresh and tasty dish and pieces of heavenly sliced coconut before heading back to the pool, lagoon, bure, beach …… wherever the cool breeze took them.
I ventured out to the lagoon and snorkeled among the usual assortment of brightly coloured fish and mixture of hard and soft coral. A black & white banded sea snake — known as a banded sea krait — swam by in the shallow water. For me, the sight of a snake swimming is one of nature’s great mysteries, and as the sea krait is docile in the water it poses no threat. Leaving the lagoon I spotted a magnificent black horse ridden by a man who obviously knew a thing or two about riding bareback. I later learned the man was Barbara’s husband Rupeni and he was in fact ‘breaking’ the horse.
A few hours later another stunning sunset coloured the horizon as people regrouped in the dining hall for dinner. We placed our drink and meal orders just before the Namada Church Choir strode into the room and presented an a cappella concert. Like the performers we saw at Koro Sun Resort & Rainforest Spa in Savusavu on Christmas Eve, the Namada Church Choir sang in multiple harmonies and brought immeasurable grace to the surroundings.
Bure perfection at Tambua Sands
Pray and I were joined for dinner by Barbara and Rupeni as a trio of serenaders soaked the restaurant in Fijian atmosphere. I had to be talked into hot apple pie with ice cream for dessert. Now there’s an argument worth losing.
Our ‘Fiji for the Holidays’ tour has provided many spectacular memories but I’d have to rank the simple act of climbing into bed after a lovely dinner with new friends at Tambua Sands Beach Resort near the top. As waves crashed on offshore reefs and the breeze continued to rustle palm fronds, I realised that on this evening in this bure that I was truly missing my wife, who’s back home in Melbourne. It just doesn’t get more romantic than a comfy bure for two a few metres from a lagoon on a star-filled night.
Note to self: Next time you’re heading to Tambua Sands Beach Resort, make sure the wife is sitting beside you.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
#Uprising Beach Resort#Pacific Harbour#Tambua Sands Resort#Coral Coast#Korolevu Beach Hotel#Warwick International Hotels#Koro Sun Resort & Rainforest Spa
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Day 8: New Year’s Day at Uprising Beach Resort
Heading west on the morning after my first New Year’s Eve in Suva, Pray and I stopped for gas at a town called Lami a few kms outside the city. Through blurry eyes I noticed most of the locals were loading up cars and vans and lorries with food and drink. Suva-native Pray explained that the traditional way to spend New Year’s Day in Fiji was to eat, drink and chill on the beach.
Garden bure view at Uprising
As I’m a firm believer in respecting the sanctity of local customs, it makes me glad to report we followed this one with an anthropologist’s fervor at Uprising Beach Resort in Pacific Harbour.
We arrived just as a late-morning rain shower gave our first stop in 2011 a fragrant rinse. Uprising is only 45 minutes from Suva but a world away in terms of atmosphere. We were led to our bure past luscious gardens bursting with yellows, reds and greens of every shape and texture.
Uprising’s a relative newcomer to Viti Levu’s resort scene so our traditional-looking bure was spacious and modern. A porch in front provided a welcoming spot to sip morning coffee and a big, outdoor shower in back, complete with a lush rock garden, gave added incentive to get dirty.
Morning clouds gave way to a sunny afternoon so I slipped into Uprising’s pool and took in the scene. Three young men were indulging in a touch of the ‘hair of the dog’ at the bar beside the restaurant, laughing with staff who would occasionally show off a dance move from the night (morning?) before.
Bega Island beyond Uprising's beach
A half dozen 20-somethings lounged beside the pool, soaking up sun. Couples ate quiet lunches, perhaps reflecting on the year behind or wondering what was to come in 2011. A few locals were enjoying a leisurely picnic by the beach.
Pray, meanwhile, was off getting his usual tour of the grounds. We caught up over a tasty lunch and he described the dozen newly built bures he’d just seen that will soon double Uprising’s current capacity. Pray also described Uprising’s massive dormitory, the balcony of which offers a sweeping ocean view that would make a real estate agent’s head spin.
Can’t say precisely when or how, but at some point in the day the mood at Uprising shifted and everyone – guests, staff, locals, even the mynah birds in the trees – seemed to slip into a lower gear.
Happy New Year from Uprising
It was New Year’s Day, after all, so after a sunny wash in our bure’s outdoor shower I found a seat at Uprising’s beach bar and felt like the luckiest man on Earth. Of course there were activities to choose from – Bega Island loomed offshore like an aquatic Disney World and the activities board listed scuba diving, shark diving, whitewater rafting, game fishing, horse riding, island hopping and horse-boarding, among many others – but the allure of a mellow, laid-back and therefore fully authentic New Year’s Day in Fiji got the better of me. Who am I to fight higher powers?
From my perch above the water’s edge I sipped a cold Vonu and got ‘Bulas!’ from passing locals walking along Uprising’s beach. Couples enjoyed fruity cocktails beneath the beach bar’s thatched canopy. Across a tidy patch of grass people splashed in the pool and read books on lounges or hammocks. As the setting sun took the edge off afternoon heat a volleyball game was begun on Uprising’s regulation-sized sand court. Happy Hour came and went and I was soon enjoying the company of Satnesh Sharma, manager of Sublime Water Sports and Tours that operates out of Uprising, over a lovely dinner.
Retiring to my meticulously appointed yet distinctly Fijian garden view bure, with a full belly and mellowed mind, I ended the first day of 2011 a contented man.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
#Fiji#Uprising Beach Resort#Pacific Harbour#Viti Levu#Scuba Diving#shark diving#whitewater rafting#game fishing#horse riding
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New Year’s Eve 2010 in Suva
Sun sets for the final time in Suva Harbour
Tell people you’ve spent New Year’s Eve in Suva and the reaction is universally one of congratulations – for surviving. Not because it’s a dangerous place to celebrate but because the locals have a take-no-prisoners, no-holds-barred (insert additional clichés from your part of the world) attitude to having a good time. Toss in the fact that Suva welcomes the new year before any other major city in the world and you’ve got the makings of a memorable evening.
Or should I say memorable with passing moments of fuzziness.
I stepped out into a typically tropical night as the sun set over Suva Harbour for the final time in 2010. To be honest I didn’t know what to expect on New Year’s Eve in Fiji’s capitol. I’m from New York, where a shiny ball drops on Times Square and a freezing crowd of a million or so people who’ve been standing for hours watch in person and many more millions watch on TV.
The scene in Suva was much less crowded and much more subdued and a whole lot warmer. Normally hectic streets were quiet as shops closed early. I passed a few people on otherwise empty sidewalks and was surprised to receive smiles from all, not the most common of experiences in hard-boiled Suva. In anticipation of a longer-than-usual night I grabbed a Gloria Jeans coffee at MHCC and walked to Suva’s waterfront, where a handful of people strolled the promenade.
Early arrivers at Albert Park
At Ratu Sukuna Park – where kids were enjoying small amusement park rides set up for the day – I crossed to Victoria Parade and stopped in at Bad Dog Cafe for New Year’s nourishment.
After a quick bite night had fallen and Suva’s sidewalks were becoming crowded with New Year’s Eve revelers. Made my way to Albert Park, where a 2-story DJ stand stood at the far end with large video screens at each side. A growing crowd of parents and kids of every age stood and watched as plucky dancers showed their moves and admired themselves on the screens. Stands selling food and beverages were set up throughout Suva’s largest park, clearly in anticipation of a great crowd.
Two hours before midnight I walked to the part of Suva where bars and nightclubs are clustered like an amusement park for adults. Kicked the night off at Down Under, a natural as I’ve lived in Australia since 2006. It was early so it was far from full. Took a seat at the bar and immediately struck up a conversation with a couple of Aussies from Sydney. Two Fiji Bitters later I was back outside, where the sidewalks now spilled with traffic and women sold homemade food at makeshift tables.
Dance floor at Purple Haze
My wife had insisted I check out a nightclub called Purple Haze so Purple Haze was next. Pulsing Bollywood music greeted me as the doors opened to a dark club with an already packed dance floor. Soon found myself sharing jugs of pre-mixed rum and cola with a group who must have taken pity on me as I sat by myself. Conversation was nearly impossible in the bass-heavy din but I had a blast watching as dancers took turns grabbing the spotlight. (Mental note: Take Bollywood dance lessons before returning to Purple Haze.)
Back outside the city of Suva was in full celebration mode. Lines were forming to get into the more popular bars and clubs. I’d planned on visiting Traps where a band was playing but the line outside was too long. I instead stood in a shorter line for O’Reilly’s and within a few minutes was inside the place I’d spend the bulk of my Suva New Year’s Eve experience.
Table-top dancers at O'Reilly's
Later learned it’s as normal for the crowd at O’Reilly’s to dance on the furniture as koalas to climb trees but on this night it seemed an appropriately enthusiastic way to ring in 2011. I was lucky to again be drafted into a group of young professionals – I believe one mentioned she was a lawyer, but the music was so loud I couldn’t be sure – and we all bought rounds of drinks and shared laughs until out of the blue came a countdown and suddenly people were hugging and yelling and balloons fell from the ceiling and basically a jubilant variety of hell broke loose. I thought of my wife in Melbourne and family in the States and friends around the world and realised I was the first of all of them to be shouting ‘Happy New Year!’. Call it an overly competitive nature, but I liked the feeling.
Stayed at O’Reilly’s a while longer until suddenly my adopted legion of New Year’s Eve Friends signalled it was time to move on so I again found myself on the sidewalks of Suva. It was now a few hours into 2011, happy people were walking in groups and taxi drivers were putting in profitable shifts. The group decided on Purple Haze so the sweaty stamp on my arm gave me free admission. By now the dance floor was a writhing, well-dressed mass of young people. I’d just about hit my limit so I wished everyone a heartfelt goodbye and walked back to my flat the same way I came–only a year later.
My first New Year’s Eve in Suva was under my belt. Hope it’s not my last.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Pray Tells: Addendum – Day 5 [Funky Fish – Fire Dancing]
Brad Johnson treated his guest with a fire dance. I’ve seen a few fire dancing performances in my day but I especially enjoyed the interaction with the audience and the kids. Fun stuff…
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Pray Tells: Addendum – Day 5
I always wanted to see the world famous surf wave called Cloudbreak. Not only did I get to see Cloudbreak, I was also able to see Restaurants (another world class break) and Tavarua Island. Here’s a little known factoid for you all; in the movie “Castaway” with Tom Hanks, when he breaks through the ocean reef in his homemade raft, that wave looking out at the ocean is actually Cloudbreak. So go queue your best Beach Boys song now and check out this video.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Day 5: Magnificent Malolo
Don’t know if it was the king-sized bed or pre-dawn quiet or the two hours of snorkelling I’d done the day before but I awoke for day 5 of the ‘Fiji for the Holidays’ tour feeling especially refreshed. Relished a quiet dip in the pool before breakfast and took advantage of Musket Cove Resort’s internet access to do work. (Try telling friends and family you’re traveling throughout the Fiji Islands for ‘work’, especially when those friends and family are buried beneath two feet of snow in the US Northeast. I can inform you right now the most common response will be ‘I hate you’.)
Pray met me for breakfast and we walked to the Musket Cove Marina, where a skiff awaited us for transport to Funky Fish Beach Resort on neighbouring Malolo island. The marina is a marvel. It was all mangrove swamp when Dick Smith and his family began to build what is now one of the premier resorts in the Mamanuca Group. The marina includes the usual marina berths and moorings but also features ‘The Trader’, a general store that’s well-stocked with provisions for those wishing to cook a gourmet meal or merely prepare an afternoon snack. Around the corner, the Mandara Spa features a full range of beauty treatments and massages for those who’ve overdone it just a bit. Next door to the spa is the Subsurface Fiji dive shop, where you can enrol in a full range of Padi dive courses and partake in a daily schedule of dives.
Our skiff set off over aquamarine water so bright we seemed to be floating over a neon sea. A small strait of shallow water separates Malololailai Island from Malolo island, which is the largest of the Mamanuca Group. After clearing the reef that surrounds the lagoon the water below us became, excuse the pun, true blue. In ten minutes we were slowing to enter the small marina that services guests at Funky Fish Beach Resort.
After the family-friendly majesty of Plantation Island and breathtaking country-club-with-tall-palms feel of Musket Cove, Funky Fish offered a radically different Mamanuca Group experience. Not to say better, not to say worse … just different.
The skiff dropped us at a jetty and as we walked along a beach towards the resort we were greeted by Funky Fish staff who insisted on grabbing our gear before showing us to poolside ‘Rock Lobster’ bures.
Talk about funky. Perfect for one or two people and steps away from a shimmering pool, my bure felt like a surfer’s dream digs. Each of the ten ‘Rock Lobster’ bures has a bedroom and private bathroom with outdoor shower; ‘Grand Grouper’ units have two bedrooms and a private bathroom, also with outdoor shower; and a regular dorm (the coed, 12-bunk ‘Octopussy Lodge’) that includes five ‘Thorny Oyster’ private dorm rooms with ceiling fans.
I could easily imagine a guy or girl standing in the bure’s doorway, looking out over the amazing sea towards the best surf breaks in the Fiji Islands, itching to test his or her mettle. Some background: In July 2010 the Fijian gov’t passed a decree that opened all of Fiji’s surf breaks to the general public. That immediately made Funky Fish one of the few resorts catering to surfers so close to sites like Wilkes Passage, Namotu Left, and Swimming Pools, which are only 12 minutes away by skiff; tack on an extra ten minutes to reach world-famous Cloudbreak and Restaurants.
To put it in perspective: Imagine you’re a planetologist (it’s a word – I looked it up) who’s obsessed with Jupiter. One day you discover someone’s built an affordable, comfortable and friendly resort on your favourite planet. And they’d love to meet you and hear your stories and give you the time of your life. You, my friend, would be on the first rocket to Jupiter.
Luckily for surfers in search of legendary breaks, Funky Fish Beach Resort doesn’t require interplanetary travel. It’s just a mellow ferry ride from Port Denerau or short flight from Nadi Int’l Airport.
After settling in, Pray and I headed to the restaurant/bar/reception area that’s perched on a hillside overlooking the resort. With sand between the toes and reggae in the ears and a sea view to die for we met the owners of Funky Fish, Brad and Rosemary Johnstone. Beside them was ‘assistant manager’ Simba, a gentle gargantuan of a dog who spends his days laying across the sand and having his head scratched. Brad’s a former New Zealand All Black rugby star and coach of the Fijian and Italian national teams. He’s also a local hero of sorts (though you’d never hear him say that) as the New Zealand native coached some of Fiji’s most successful rugby teams in a country passionate about its rugby and then invested in the country that he and Rosemary – and Simba – call home.
A girl from Malaysia named Sasha who lives in Hawaii for the surf arrived at the resort just after Pray and I. Brad told us she was at the end of a 5-month, worldwide backpacking trip and wanted to ride a few waves before returning home to Hawaii. We gladly tagged along for the boat ride to Cloudbreak, where a judge’s/camera platform stands as a testament to the break’s international fame. Finding Cloudbreak slightly intimidating, we headed for nearby Wilkes Passage, where Sasha caught about a dozen waves and returned to the boat like a kid on Christmas morning. We stopped at a sand bar to snorkel a while in remarkably clear water alive with fish of every shape and colour. By the time we returned to the marina we’d all experienced the kind of afternoon that’s possible only at the Funky Fish.
And the day wasn’t over.
The mood at the bar/restaurant was lively as everyone gathered for drinks and dinner. Big, burly Brad was engaged in conversation with one of Malolo Island’s residents, who’s in the process of building a small resort and marina. A multi-cultural mix of visitors ate at the restaurant’s perfectly appropriate picnic tables. I called it an early night but Pray stuck around for a fire twirler performance that, he said, absolutely delighted the kids. Pray was invited by Funky Fish staff to sit with them and enjoy a few cold beverages. Little did Pray know he was in for a shock the next morning.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
#Snorkelling#Fiji Islands#Funky Fish Beach Resort#Subsurface Fiji#Plantation Island Resort#Mamanuca Group#Port Denarau#Malolo Island#backpacking
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Pray Tells: Addendum – Day 4 [Musket Cove]
I was given a guided tour around Musket Cove and when we came upon one spot in particular, on the other side of the cove, I had to take some time off, breathe in the balmy ocean air and snap a few shots.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Day 4: Malololailai Island
Boxing Day in my current hometown of Melbourne, Australia is very similar to ‘Black Friday’ – the day after Thanksgiving – in the United States: A day dedicated to buying things you didn’t get for Christmas at drastically reduced prices.
Here in the Malololailai Island in the Mamanuca Group of the Fiji Islands, about the only thing anyone cared about on Boxing Day was the cost of a cocktail served in a hurricane glass with a long straw and chunk of freshly cut pineapple.
Early morning joggers passed our lagoon bure at Plantation Island Resort, no doubt fuelled by the feast served the night before. I sat on the porch with a cup of tea as the sun gained strength and painted palm fronds yellow and tiny songbirds flitted from tree to tree. After being delivered to spectacular Malololailai Island by plane and ferry the day before, it was a relief to walk from Plantation Island Resort to our next stop on the ‘Fiji for the Holidays’ tour, Musket Cove Resort.
To be blunt, Musket Cove Resort’s views are beyond belief. Pray and I arrived while breakfast was being served at Dick’s Place Bar & Bistro (named for Dick Smith, who began building the resort 35 years ago and has operated it since with his wife Carol and daughter Josephine). We dropped our gear and looked toward the lagoon and what we saw was burned into my memory forever: The water line of a blissful swimming pool topped with swaying palms, white sand and an aquamarine lagoon. The friendly staff could have brought me a bowl of marbles for breakfast and I would have tucked in without a care – the view takes your mind to a gentle and uniquely Fijian place, one that’s unconcerned with such routine thoughts as a morning meal.
Pray and I enjoyed our food nonetheless before being shown to a garden bure. There’s a view from the porch in the photo gallery below. Frangipani, trees ripe with purple mangoes, flowering poinsettia trees … a delightful foreground for the lagoon and ocean on the horizon. The bure itself was spacious but cozy, more like a cottage, with ‘Welcome Bula’ spelled out in palm leaves on the bedspread (photo below). Musket Cove has a variety of accommodations to suit visitors’ needs. All are fan-cooled with king-sized beds, hairdryers, clock radios, breakfast bars and refrigerators, beach towels, bathroom amenities, private verandahs and outdoor furniture.
Pray immediately began to explore Musket Cove’s grounds with his camera while I took advantage of high tide in the lagoon for a swim. From there I could see couples lounging on beach chairs, kids splashing in the pool, even a few folks getting off to an early start at Ratu Nemani Island Bar. Hard to blame them, as it’s rare to find a bar inhabiting its own island. Known affectionately as the ‘$4 bar’ and linked to the resort by Musket Cove’s marina walkway, it’s a wildly popular place for locals, yachties and visitors to relax and make friends. If it’s a barbeque you’re after, pick up pre-packed BBQ supplies at the nearby Trader and Coffee Cove Cafe. It’ll be just like your backyard – with a helluva better view.
I lost track of time – a common occurrence when holidaying in the Fiji Islands – and missed one of the many trips Musket Cove Resort offers for snorkelling nearby sand bars and reefs. Undaunted, I grabbed my snorkel gear and simply walked out to the lagoon’s reef. Hate to sound unsocial but having a reef to myself, with no time limits, meant I was in the water for two hours. Bliss.
After a rare rain shower gave way to another amazing sunset, Pray and I met back at Dick’s Place for dinner. Our waitress remembered us from breakfast and asked how we’d enjoyed our day at Musket Cove. We both smiled. End of story.
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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Pray Tells: Addendum – Day 3 [Having Fun the Island Way]
Having Fun the Island Way
After dinner we were hosted to some ‘Island Stylin’ full of Knife Wielding, Drum Beats and Fire Dancing which were all pretty cool… but have a look at this video and some of the guests having fun the Island Way:)
Read More:
Link: http://www.fijime.com/fiji_vacation/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/fijifortheholidays
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