Travel Agent Wamberal

When this amazing opportunity to visit Fiji came my way, I had no idea how impressed I would be with this beautiful country, wonderful people and fantastic properties I had the privilege to visit. As part of the Tourism Fiji "Mega Famil" for 2009 I was one of approximately 200 Australian Travel agents invited to visit Fiji and experience all it has to offer. Upon our arrival at Nadi, we were given a warm welcome by Eroni Bole from Tourism Fiji, who was our guide for the trip. We were each given fresh leis and from the beginning made us feel like part of his “family”.

The first night was spent at the Mercure, Nadi, which is located just 5 minutes from the airport. The rooms were very comfortable with two large queen sized beds and modern bathroom. The restaurant and outside dining/pool area had a very tropical feel, which made you feel that you’d truly arrived in Fiji! We enjoyed a beautiful dinner whilst Eroni explained our itinerary and told us lots of interesting things about his country, which immediately made me realise how passionate and proud the Fijians are of their homeland.

In the morning we embarked on our “Awesome Adventures” yellow catamaran to the Yasawas! We took full advantage of the air conditioned "Captain’s Lounge” on board as the vessel was quite crowded. It was great to be in a separate area and have complimentary drinks and snacks served throughout the 4 hour voyage to Navutu Stars resort.
Navutu Stars is predominantly a couples retreat, the setting is idyllic with just 9 bures in total and the ambience is casual elegance. We enjoyed a fabulous al fresco fish lunch followed by some time relaxing and enjoying the crystal clear waters and white sand beach. In the evening we were given a real treat. A kava ceremony along with a traditional lovo feast was laid on for us (a traditional method of cooking whereby everything is cooked underground, slowly over a period of hours) followed by entertainment provided by the villagers.

In the morning we bade farewell to Navutu Stars and left in a small launch for Nanuya Beach resort which boasts 8 traditional bures or “tree houses” dotted around on the hillside, plus 4 deluxe villas on the beach. It is a very tranquil place, with an excellent dive centre, friendly staff and yet again-amazing food. We enjoyed a fantastic lunch and swam in the ocean and just soaked up the atmosphere. The resort is mainly for adults, although children aged 7 and over are permitted.

Next port of call was Viwa Island.which has only been opened for tourism for 6 months. Viwa is the most westerly of the Yasawa Islands. We had a traditional Fijian welcome from the resort staff and were welcomed to the resort by the owner, a Scotsman, who had fulfilled his dream by building the resort on Viwa. It was a project that took almost 5 years as the site had to be completely cleared using manual help from the local villagers, plus all building materials and equipment had to be shipped in from the mainland and Australia. The resort has 10 beachfront bures, a beautiful infinity pool and fabulous outside/inside dining and bar areas. In the evening the staff lit a bonfire on the beach in our honour and we enjoyed a traditional kava ceremony. In the morning we had the great experience to actually visit the local village and go to the church on Sunday morning there. We received such a welcome from the people there, just an unforgettable day!

We then headed back to the mainland, to the beautiful Coral Coast and spent a night at the Outrigger Resort and Spa, a stunning 5* resort set on 40 acres of tropical gardens, with great appeal for all ages with extensive facilities. The next morning we headed back to Denarau and spent the last 2 nights at the Sofitel, which is a stunning 5 star resort, suitable especially for couples, but also great for families due to the kids club facilities on offer. There is also a magnificent pool overlooking the beach.

The trade day on the last day of our trip was fantastic. I had more opportunities to learn even more about Fiji as a whole and all it has to offer and I have no hesitattion in recommending this great destination!