Places to stay in or near Nadi?

Hi!

I have looked through a bunch of previous Fiji posts but can't seem to find what I'm looking for. We (me, my wife and 2 year old son) will be heading to Octopus Resort for 4 days. After that we have three nights in Fiji before flying on to New Zealand. Because travelling long distances with our son can sometimes be less than pleasant, I am hoping to find somewhere interesting to stay in Nadi, north or Nadi, or on the Coral Coast. If you can't recommend anything in these areas, where should we go? Ideally we would like to get a 'taste' of Fijian culture. If possible, can you recommend any hotels/resorts in the area you suggest we visit?

Thanks in advance for your input!

Cheers,
Chris

cgill...

I think the best opportunity to get a taste of Fijian culture is while you're at Octopus Resort. Nadi might offer better food and has a museum.

When I was at Octopus Resort in 2007 they had a nice relationship with the village near nearby. They hire lots of local people and appear to have an authentic cooperative and mutually beneficial arrangement with them. You'll have the opportunity to visit the village and participate in a kava ceremony and be entertained by the villagers. I'd suggest being selective when choosing a "locally crafted" souvenir though. I suspect some of the ladies purchase their wares from high-volume maunfacturers located elsewhere.

I thought it was a pleasant experience although just a tad "organized". I felt a bit like a tourist.

I agree with #1.

Back in "Fiji" - I assume that you mean the "mainland", take a look at the Fijian by Shangri-La . Its not at all "Fijian culture" , being a 5star hotel, but a lovely place and excellent for kids.

Oops, yes I meant the mainland. I am not super excited about staying in a fancy resort, especially after being at Octopus Resort because that doesn't always give you the cultural experience. I know about the village visits etc with Octopus and will definitely do that. But I was looking for an interesting place to stay in Nadi, north or Nadi or along the Coral Coast to finish off our trip.

I will definitely check out the resort you mentioned but will be looking for something a little more budget compared to Octopus.

Thanks for the info!
Chris

I don't really think Nadi is the place to go for traditional culture, I can recommend Smugglers Cove in Newtown for a decent place to stay, but not particularly 'interesting' as far as a unique experience goes. I don't know a lot about the coral coast, there is not much to the north of Nadi though.

If you wanted to stay for longer in the yasawas I can strongly recommend Flying Fish on Matacawalevu island as a place to go to experience Fijian culture. You can check out my review on Tripadvisor.com if you're interested. It is a different side of the islands to what you will get at Octopus (though I have stayed there too and enjoyed it), it should be cheaper too.