I am six thousand miles away on an island in Fiji and burnt to a crisp. Fiji, it turns out, is full of surprises, and one of them is how intense the sun is. Good news though- the staff at Castaway Island Resort, our home for the next four days, are experts at navigating sunburns.
When I walk by the front desk, Eunice, the front desk manager, calls out, “Bula! All right, Lili?” I show her the back of my hands and the tops of my thighs. “Ouch,” she says and picks up her phone, “What you need is our sun soother! It will fix everything!” She murmurs in Fijian into the receiver then hangs up and smiles at me. “They are waiting for you at the spa.” She jesters down the path. “You will soon feel better.”
And just like that I am lying in the dark, legs wrapped in icy towels. Above me, fans are blowing gently. There is a vague scent of gardenia and frangipani in the air. A deliciously icy-cold gel is being expertly applied over my arms and hands. “This is bad but I’ve seen worse,” says the masseuse softly. “You will be fine.”
That evening, Lisa and I went up to the bar atop the dive shack. George, a wholesome-looking 27-year- old bartender, greets us with a big grin. “Bula, how was your day?” I show him my sunburn. “Ahhh, Fiji sun. It burns everyone. This will help,” he laughs, holding a rum bottle perched over a glass. “Tell me when!” The bar fills up, live music starts, and families and couples settle in as to ooh-and-awe at the setting sun.
Meeting other guests at Castaway Resort is a given. It’s a small island, its the only hotel and everyone is always introducing themselves, sharing tips, and talking about their day. On our way to dinner, I stopped on the stairs to say hi to some Aussies we had met. I asked the dad where his infant daughter was. He points, and I see George carrying a baby while delivering drinks with the other hand. One of the guests takes the baby and brings her over and hands her to the dad. “I guess it’s my turn,” he laughs. Everyone is family in Fiji.
So, how did I end up here? I entered a travel agent contest and won two tickets on Fiji Airlines’ new flight from Dallas to Nadi. I couldn’t believe it when the email hit my inbox saying “Congratulations!” I immediately called my friend, Lisa. “Yes, I’ll go, absolutely, yes!”
I’m not surprised at Lisa’s response. Fiji is an exotic destination seemingly out of reach. And, while it is far away from the US, with Fiji Airlines’ new flight from Dallas, you can go to sleep and wake up in Fiji the next day (well, technically, it’s two days later due to passing the international date line).
Fiji Airways connects to many South Pacific destinations including New Zealand and Australia. So, it’s easy to build a stopover in Fiji on your way down under. Upon check- in at DFW, I learned that, if the plane is not full, you can purchase a “Bula row” for a couple of hundred of dollars that gives you a whole row to sleep which makes the 14-hour flight quite luxurious for a coach ticket.
Fiji is a complex destination with over 300 islands, and I spent a lot of time over the next several months researching resorts. Being an Outrigger Expert Advisor, I knew Castaway Resort would be a great start to our trip. It did not disappoint.
While we were there, I happened to meet Geraldine Harvey-Gundlach, the global account director for Outrigger Resorts. Geraldine asks me about our stay. I mentioned that I was having a hard time describing the resort. She nods. “Castaway is what we call barefoot luxury. The beachfront bures are luxurious but you can go barefoot to dinner; we have our special dining with fabulous food, top notch excursions, and our welcoming staff is very accommodating. It makes it very easy to unplug and have a great vacation here.”
After our sunburn, we were wary of going in the sun but still wanted to go sightseeing so we made our way to the dive shop where we asked Robert if he could take us around the island. He shook his head. “No, only the tender has shade. It’s not for excursions.”
We show him our sunburned wrists, and he goes behind the desk to talk to someone. Moments later, he comes back, claps his hands together enthusiastically, “Okay, let’s take the tender around the island!” While he gets the boat ready, I grabbed some rum from our cabin. Robert laughs, “Shall we call this Lily’s booze cruise? I think you invented a new excursion – perhaps, we might see it on the blackboard tomorrow!”
Robert motors slowly around the island, pointing out where the hiking trails end at a cliff, tells us how the resort was founded and why the locals think the hiking trail up to the peak is haunted. We putter along, enjoying the breeze and island scenery. He tells us about guests who took babies on kayaks and had to be rescued then points to a turtle. We make our way back to the beach and are greeted with “Welcome home” and “Bulas!” Everyone is always happy to see you.
Over the course of our stay, we did several snorkeling expeditions.
After running with a pod of dolphins, I asked if we could eat lunch at Malolo, a neighboring resort. Upon arriving, Castaway and Malolo staff greeted one another warmly, a reminder that everyone knows everyone in this tiny Island nation. At the beach bar, I tried Kokoda, Fiji’s national dish, a kind of ceviche made using just-caught, local fish, marinated in lime juice and served with a zingy salad. As we departed, the bartender handed us fresh coconuts to drink on our quick boat trip home.
By far our favorite excursion was to Tokoriki island where they filmed the Tom Hanks film, Castaway. Ben, our guide, pointed out the hiking trail and where to snorkel. Next, he took us to “the swimming pool”, a sheltered spot surrounded by cliffs. We floated contently, enjoying the deep blue water and white sandy bottom.
We ended our excursion on a sandbar. “Take your time, walk, snorkel. I’ll be here,” Ben waves us off. And off we went, the only two people in sight.
Leaving the next morning, the staff gathered on the beach to sing a good bye farewell, I actually got teary eyed. It really did feel like family. Geraldine had said that the Fijian hospitality is legendary. ” We’ve had people coming here for 40 years brining the next generation so the staff has seen all the kids grow up and bring their own kids.”
Our next stop is the five-star Intercontinental Fiji Resort and Spa, a jaw-dropping architectural wonder sprawled over several acres of beautifully manicured landscaping. Every corner was dripping with flowers. We loved our king bed suite with a separate living room, bar area and outdoor tub on the patio.
The hotel sits on Natadola Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Lisa and I walked the entire beach each morning before hitting the pool for water aerobics and getting fresh coconuts delivered to our chaise lounges.
We both got several treatments at the award winning spa. There’s something magical about Pure Fiji products—their lush, tropical fragrances wrap you like a warm embrace, soothing the soul and awakening the senses.
The Intercontinental is part of Fiji Airways stopover program so many people stay a day or two enroute to Australia. I also toured the newly remodeled Club InterContinental. Perched high on the hill with views of the entire area, guests get private check-in, a pool, a dedicated restaurant, free happy hours, and extra amenities.
We finished our stay at the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa which is located close to the airport on Denarau island. This extremely well run hotel has excellent food, bar service, and pool service. I met with Mike Bell, Director of Sales & Marketing, for a coffee and complimented him on their stellar product. “It’s all about the training, treating people well, and having great supplier connections,” says Mike, who’s been at the hotel for over 10 years.
I also visited the nearby Hilton Fiji Resort and Spa. The resort has many newly remodeled rooms and suites that connect which is great for families. On our last night, Lisa and I ate at Maravi, Hilton’s Pan-Asian restaurant directly on the beach. With its torch-lit paths, authentic touches, and mouth watering dishes, it was the perfect way to end our trip.
The people of Fiji are often called the friendliest in the world, and I can say from experience – that reputation is truly earned. Everywhere we went, we were met with warmth, generosity, kindness, and genuine hospitality. Combine that with azure blue waters, breezy palms, and sparkling beaches – it should be on your list.
Lillian Martin is a Senior Travel Advisor at Reece Worldwide Travel. To book your next trip, click here.
Leave a Reply