trip report

Fiji is fantastic...

Spent xmas and new year in Fiji..

First landing resort is overpirced and needs a makeover. Stayed in Garden bure. Spacious room with a screened verandah, coffee and tea facilities, fridge. The only downside is the thin walls and the darkness of the rooms. You need the lights on during the day as well.
Had a look at the beach burees , they are slightly larger and by the beach. The beach is swimable at high tide but really, this is not the Fiji beach we are all dreaming about. The pool is ok. Food is average. The other downside is the location. You really are far away from any major shops ( FJD 27 to airport in a taxi and FJD49 to Denarau marina ). Of course some people may prefer the seclusion. We do too but you really are stuck for dining options etc.. I highly recommend the general store at Vuda marina. Beers, Fiji water are half the price and you can also get snacks at the cafe next door. The Vuda Yacht club also has a bar ( again cheaper than the resort ).

We took the Yasawa flyer to Nanuya resort. We took a cab from Firstlanding to Raffles gateway and jumped on the Yasawa flyers courtesybus to Denarau Marina. The bus stopas at the major hotels and picks people up.
The drive goes past nice countryside.
The denarau marina checkin proscess is a bit chaotic and messy. However, we get away on time. We had an upgrade to the captains lounge. It is an airconditioned lounge where beer, coffee and soft drinks are free. Served by lovely smiling staff.
The flyer stops and picks and drops people off. The islands really are magical. The Yawsawas are the best. The water is bluer and beaches are whiter and just better. Botaira resort looked stunning from the flyer.
The last stop is Nanuya island resort. It took about 5hrs to reah Nanuya resort from denarau.

So worth it. The setting is just perfect, the beach is long and goes all the way down to the area that is privatly owned by the Blue Lagoon cruises. We did walk past the No Trespassing sign as we walked arund the island ( this took 1 1/2 hrs). Nobody approached us. We did see several people being stopped by the security guard but he let them all walk past. The issue is that they do not want any people sunbaking and swimming on their beach.
We stayed in the hillside burees. The are smallish with a nice verandah. They have a lovely outdoorish shower that is all screened in.
The walls of the burees are all screened in and you can manually adjust the timbered louvered slats for ventilation. The room also has a fridge. We stayed in bure 7. I think bure 5 had the best view.
The food was just amazing. You are in middle of the ocean and you eat like you would be in a nice restaurant all the time. The dinner menu changes daily. The prices range from FJD 10-20 for lunch and fjd20-32 for dinner. A cooked breakfast is 14.50. The continental bfast is nice. Toast cereal juices coffee tea and freshly made muffins every morning.
Beers are 5 and spirits 8. Free fresh water available all the time. You may replenish your water bottle at anytime.
The staff are just fantastic and so friendly. You feel as part of a family once you get to know them. We will definetly go back.
On our return to Nadi we stayed at the Tanoa International. It is a 30year old resort close to the aiport. It has big clean rooms with nice aircon. The pool is ok there is also a complimentary sauna!.

The food was resonably priced and nice tasty curry. It is an ok place to stop for a day or two. A taxi to Nadi cost FJD9.

Thanks. Sounds like you had a great holiday.

Hi,

In your very informative posting, you mention a Yasawa Flyer courtesey bus. Can you take that from the airport to the marina? And if not, do you know how much a cab should cost? I'm traveling on a budget and want to be sure not to pay too much.

Also, I was quoted a 3.5 hour boat ride for $100F to Nacula, which is quite near where you stayed. But it took you 5 hours? Was the cost similiar?

Thanks for your help!

Kase

If you walk across the road from the airport you can board the bus at the stop outside Raffles Gateway. It leaves from there around 7.45am - someone may be able to update that time for you. A cab could cost you FJ$20 otherwise.