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# June Honeymoon Fiji Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Fiji
okjunior 05:29 UTC 14 May 2007 | DAMN!!! FORGOT SOMETHING:::: Budget is around £5000 British Sterling, if that helps? Maybe a little more if absolutely necessary ;-) Hey all! My partner and I are in our late 20's and are getting married in June 2008. We've (finally) decided on Fiji for the honeymoon, (The plan is to spend 10 nights in Fiji and have a stopover night or 2 in LA as we're flying from the UK) we want somewhere romantic, tropical, special, beautiful, hot etc,etc. I'm just finding it hard choosing an Island! I've spent the last 3 hours reading through the previous posts, and everything sounds so great. But it's making it difficult to decide, can anyone help?? Our wish list includes: Beachfront Bure accomodation- ideally want somewhere with a plunge pool/ jacuzzi..... Sandy beaches, clear waters- we don't dive but are keen to try scuba, kyaking and jetski type stuff...... Quiet, private place to stay- preferably without children!...... We prefer the thought of hammocks and cocktails and a dip in the jacuzzi, than nights out partying....... HOWEVER>>> and this is where it gets tricky! Although we crave a quiet relaxing honeymoon we'd still like to be able to soak up the local culture (I think that spending 10 nights alone just the 2 of us might leave us tearing our hair out and possibly lead to an early divorce!!).... Don't really want to be castaway with no option of meeting local Fijians, or say, dining out occaisionally (yeah, I realise I'm starting to sound like a spoiled brat here who wants it all his own way, secluded yet with people around to cater to my every whim! Blah Blah!) I'm sorry but I just want everything to be perfect! I realise that some of the smaller Bure type resorts are obviously going to be more cut off from the rest of the world, but is there any way of getting the best of both worlds? I know I'm asking a hell of a lot here :-) sorry! Please help if you can?! Many, many, many thanks in advance to anybody who even bothers to take the time to read my literary epileptic fit here, let alone post a reply! Thankyou |
oldpro 14:05 UTC 14 May 2007 | My own budget kept me away from the up-market resorts on Fiji. But I was traveling around for a couple of months, rather than 1-2 week holiday.I can only offer the generalization that mixing a top-end resort with good contact with local culture is a combination that's NOT easy to find. I suppose that's the market demand working. People who want the up-market holiday resorts may not be particularly interested in local culture -- with the result that the resorts are in isolated locations and/or feel hermetically sealed off from Fiji.You also have to realize that beach resorts are often in areas where the Fijian villages, if present, are pretty basic. They're often not towns with any facilities to speak of, just settlements of huts and houses. No stores or restaurants.If you want the best of both worlds perhaps the best chance is to lower your sights on the type of resort you visit, or split half your time in a plush spot and the rest at a lower-end place. It might be worth your while to get a good guide to Fiji and read the small print on the resorts and their locations.For example, there's Octopus resort on Waya island (in the Yasawas), which at least has the virtue of having a couple of local settlements nearby. Or the island of Ovalau off the east of Viti Levu ... a great location for Fijian culture, but no posh resorts of the swimming pool and jacuzzi variety. (The Royal Hotel has a pool which can be described as an oversized bathtub -- which was still pleasant to float in) | 1
bulabear 18:18 UTC 14 May 2007 | # 1 is mentioning Ovalau - there is no g reat beach, there are no hammocks - but there is plenty of culture. AND there is a Levuka Homestay, they hosted a lot of honeymoon couples before, they even had an un-expected wedding at their place, that couple just thoug ht: "this is the place" You mentioned you want it to be: "romantic, tropical, special, beautiful, hot" they have it all - well the last one can be changed, air-con is available. >> plunge pool/ jacuzzi..... not available, but the ocean is not far away >> Sandy beaches, no but can be accessed in a 45 minutes >> clear waters... even on Ovalau, >> scuba, kyaking ..and thats available, too. >>Quiet, private place to stay- preferably without children!......definetly, but don't miss to watch the locals kids!!!! >> we'd still like to be able to soak up the local culture ...and that is for sure! | 2
okjunior 19:03 UTC 14 May 2007 | Thankyou Oldpro and Bulabear! I really apreciate you taking the time to share your knowlege with me. I had a feeling I'd find it hard to HAVE IT BOTH WAYS in terms of seclusion and proximity to people and facilities! Such a paradox I know! I'm guessing we might try as #1 suggested splitting our time between a plush resort for half the trip and some culture grabbing for the other. On this matter, is it at all possible to island hop for day's out in Suva, Ovalau or Nadi and return to a beach resort as our base?? Obviously this would require time spent travelling (and money) but logistically speaking is it possible? Thanks again! | 3
oldpro 12:39 UTC 15 May 2007 | #3 As a general rule, I'd start with 'no', it isn't very practical even if possible. But then the qualifications start, depending on the resort. Suva (or Nadi, Sigatoka) can be visited by bus as a day trip from one of the resorts on the coral coast. Problem is that those resorts and the coast aren't the most attractive and you probably won't be going to them anyway. Getting to and from Ovalau from anywhere in a day will be a problem. A person could fly to and from Suva, but I do not recall if the flights would permit this in one day (for day trips). And you'd still have a drive to get to Suva from the airport. By boat and bus would be doable in theory but you'd be spending all of your time traveling. Over to the Yasawas and Mamanucas: it may be logistically easier here, although you will have to depend either on a boat shuttle or waterplane owned and run by the specific resort. It wouldn't be possible with the 'public' ferry, the yasawa flier. It heads out to the islands in the morning and returns to the mainland in the afternoon. | 4
bulabear 07:42 UTC 16 May 2007 | Oldpro, you can get the morning flight from Suva/Nausori (7.15 am) to Levuka and return afternoon at 5.30 pm (except Sunday). Air Fiji became more reliable with their schedule. It's not possible to do a daytrip from Suva by boat, however, when staying on Caqalai or Leleuvia, then it's possible and daytrips are offered by both resorts. But I think 1 day is not enough to explore, what Levuka has to offer, unless people are satisfied walking up and down Beachstreet. | 5