{"id":10557,"date":"2019-03-25T22:00:48","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T05:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?p=10557"},"modified":"2019-04-23T23:06:13","modified_gmt":"2019-04-24T06:06:13","slug":"proud-to-be-fijian-where-paradise-is-more-than-sand-and-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/proud-to-be-fijian-where-paradise-is-more-than-sand-and-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"Proud to be Fijian: Where Paradise is More than Sand and Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"clouds
The sun pushes away wispy clouds above Beach Bungalow #1, at Tides Reach Resort, on Taveuni, Fiji\u2019s Garden Isle.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

TAVENUI, Fiji \u2013 If Fiji was nothing more than sand, sea and palm fronds, it wouldn\u2019t matter which beach resort you went to. Every vacation would be just like the last one, another been-there, done-that.<\/p>\n

But after 15 years and as many visits to this 333-island nation, deep in the South Pacific, I\u2019ve got a pretty good idea why every resort offers a unique experience. It\u2019s the Fijians, themselves, thrilled to be showing you their country, who make the difference.<\/p>\n

\"welcoming
“Bula! Welcome to Sau Bay,” calls Sara, wading out to meet arriving guests. On the beach at Sau Bay Resort, Vanu levu, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sau Bay Fiji Resort, on Vanua Levu, Fiji\u2019s second largest island, was the first stop on my most recent trip to the islands. Still jet-lagged, I was sitting on the lodge\u2019s front, gazing over the bay, when the bushes below me began to wobble and two hands and a pair of clippers appeared, followed by a head.<\/p>\n

Then the head looked up, saw my feet, and without missing a beat asked me what I thought of the umbrella-like trees towering over the lodge. Thus was my introduction to the owner, Nigel Douglas, a fifth-generation Fijian and a Scotsman by ancestry.<\/p>\n

\"bure
Old-time cottage appeal and luxuriant gardens at Sau Bay Resort\u2019s bures (cottages) define a signature Fijian hideaway. Sau Bay Resort, Vanua Levu, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThese are rain trees,\u201d he said, affectionately patting a gnarled trunk. \u201cI took one look and I knew this was the place for me. You don\u2019t often see these trees so close to the shore \u2013 salt water, you know \u2013 but they\u2019re thriving. And look at these tiny white flowers. These bushes are native plants, and they\u2019re rare. He paused, scanning the hillside. \u201cThis was bare when we bought it.\u00a0 Carol and I planted everything you see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Tavoro
Tavoro Waterfalls, in Bouma National Heritage Park, is one of Taveuni\u2019s top attractions. A $15 U.S. entrance fee pays the adjacent village for upkeep and services. A half-mile walk from through gardens from the island shore road. Taveuni Island, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“How did you ever find this bit of beach,” I asked. “We couldn’t see the lodge until we’d crossed most of the bay and turned the corner.”<\/p>\n

\"half-mile
The half-mile walk to Tavoro Falls suggests why Taveuni is called the Garden Isle. On Taveuni, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“That\u2019s easy,” he said, as if the truth was obvious. “Fiji is home. I’ve been around most of these islands, dived every reef. Anything you want to know, people, politics, gardens, just ask. Are you a wine drinker? Let\u2019s meet at dinner.”<\/p>\n

I’d already met Carol, who emerged from her garden to show me around Sau Bay\u2019s four ocean-view bures (BOOR-ays, i.e. cottages), with twin or king beds, mosquito netting, private baths, coffee makers, a cookie jar and air conditioning.<\/p>\n

Courteous but casual, she and Nigel and Carol welcome all the guests like family, suggesting activities but never pushing. On most mornings Carrol worked at her desk while Dive Master Nigel suited up to guide the resort\u2019s six other guests to the famous Rainbow Reef and the Great White Wall, 15 minutes away on the dive boat.<\/p>\n

\"Bartender
Bartender William Celua greets Tides Reach guests with Fiji\u2019s signature drink: fresh coconut water. Taveuni Island, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That left private time to kayak across the bay, hike up the hill, and tour nearby Kioa Island (guided by assistant manager Sarah), now the home of the Polynesians from Tuvalu, who have been forced off their native island by rising ocean levels.<\/p>\n

Waving farewell, we headed to the next stop, Tides Reach Resort, on Taveuni, Fiji\u2019s Garden Isle. Expecting a check-in desk, I was welcomed like royalty as the staff \u2013 ten smiling Fijians \u2013 lined up with hearty \u201cbulas\u201d and firm handshakes. \u201cYou must be thirsty,\u201d said bartender William Celua, eyes twinkling, handing me Fiji\u2019s traditional welcome drink, fresh coconut water.<\/p>\n

Just five years old, Tides Reach is still growing, adding an on-site dive and additional bures, each an uncluttered white with minimalist furnishings and bold Asian and Fijian art. The lounge\/bar\/dining area\u00a0 combination, open on two sides acing the ocean, was airy and spacious.<\/p>\n

\"papayas
Papayas fringe the beach, with Tides Reach\u2019s lodge and bungalow at rear, on Taveuni Island, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful, isn\u2019t it?\u201d said Guest Relations Manager, Paul Gonebeci, motioning me to a plump white sofa. \u201cLet\u2019s sit for a minute, then I\u2019ll show you around,\u201d he said, handing me a list of activities. \u201cSome people don\u2019t want to do anything but relax,\u201d he added, nodding toward the beach where a guest lay under an umbrella, reading. \u201cBut you\u2019ll probably need a guide for hikes to the waterfalls, so we should pick a time now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ocean-side
The ocean-side lounge and bar, Tides Reach\u2019s social center, faces the ocean. On Taveuni Island, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With a free afternoon ahead, Gonebeci suggested snorkeling around Honeymoon Island, across the bay. Snorkeling slowly in 20 feet of glass-clear water, our guide, Niu Lebaivalu led the way over the coral reef, one of many damaged in February 2016 when cyclone \u201cWinston\u201d roared through Fiji.<\/p>\n

Small clumps of new coral \u2014 yellow, red and sandy beige \u2013 looked healthy. But the dead coral, looking like piles of brown sticks, was scattered everywhere, left on the bottom after the cyclone moved on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a category five storm, the worst one ever\u201d said Lebaivalu. \u201cThey say it\u2019s because the Pacific Ocean is warmer now than it used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"snorkling
Snorkling guide Niu Lebaivalu, says blue starfish (Linckia) are common in deep water at Honeymoon Island, near Tides Reach resort. Taveuni Island, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On my last day at Tides Reach, Lebaivalu invited me to visit Wiwi, his village, a half-mile away. Most of the houses, a dozen small huts built in a circle on a grassy field, had vegetable gardens in the rear, with a large grove of coconut palms on the side. Fetching a sulu (a wrap-around skirt) from the car, he handed it to me, turning red.\u00a0 \u201cShorts are okay at the resort, but the chief is inviting us to his house to share a bowl of kava. It\u2019s traditional,\u201d he said, hesitating. But I\u2019d anticipated the invitation, and had stopped to buy the traditional chief\u2019s gift, a bag of kava.<\/p>\n

Our farewell dinner, a sumptuous feast \u2013 grilled lobster with roasted garden vegetables and a green salad\u00a0 \u2013 was followed by an evening of native dancing and songs performed by kids from the local school, ages 4 to 13 \u2013 and mostly girls. After an hour, and lots of photographs, the kids ended the evening with Fiji\u2019s farewell song, Isa Lei.<\/p>\n

\"inside
Beach-side villas at Tides Reach blend simplicity and contemporary design with state-of-the-art features. Taveuni Island, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our last resort, Yasawa Island Resort, in northwest Fiji, was a long way away from Taveuni Island, where we were. But Yasawa is one of Fiji\u2019s most highly rated resorts. Not just deluxe, it\u2019s isolated, completely private, furnished with local art and artifacts, and enjoys a perfect beach location. Guests who arrive by helicopter land on the resort pad at the end of the pier. It was worth the two flights it took to get there.<\/p>\n

And we weren\u2019t disappointed. Our private thatched bure, outfitted with every convenience and surrounded by palms and tropical gardens felt genuinely Fijian.<\/p>\n

\"at
Early morning solitude at Yasawa Island Resort, Yasawa Island, at the northern tip of the Yasawa Archipelago, in western Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"bartender
Manasa, bartender and village elder from neighboring Bukama village, says lobster \u2013 the world\u2019s biggest – is on the dinner menu. Yasawa Island Resort, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In fact, Yasawa Resort blends the best of a western style resort with the warmth and feel of a Fijian village. Guests may not know it, but the staff here \u2013 maids, waiters, guides, kitchen chefs, and gardeners \u2013 aren\u2019t just employees. They are the hosts, assuming the responsibility with pride.<\/p>\n

Why? Because Yasawa, like most Fijian beach resorts, occupies land owned and managed by the regional and village chiefs, and their clan. \u00a0The resort is a business partnership with shared traditions, one that that benefits both resort and village.<\/p>\n

I did what I always do at Yasawa: I swam, organized a boat ride and beach picnic up the coast, toured Bukama, the local village, snorkeled in the nearby reef, walked along the beach and looked for shells, and spent a day visiting the Blue Lagoon Caves, named for the 1980s movie, \u201cThe Blue Lagoon,\u201d filmed in part on Fiji\u2019s Turtle Island.<\/p>\n

\"shade
Shade palms and green lawns assure privacy at Yasawa Island Resort\u2019s beach-front bures. Yasawa Island, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But you don\u2019t just swim into the Blue Lagoon caves. You hold your breath, duck under the water, swim through a narrow channel (guided by a strong, kindly Fijian man) and pop up to find yourself in a hidden, shadowy pool. And each evening, as the sun set over the yardarm, I joined my fellow travelers \u2013 kindred spirits all \u2013 at Yasawa\u2019s pool-side bar, among the palm fronds and flowers.<\/p>\n

\"women
Women, traditionally the family weavers, smile a hello but keep on working, Taveuni Island, Fiji.<\/span> Photo courtesy: \u00a9Steve Haggerty\/ColorWorld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

IF YOU GO:<\/strong> Sau Bay Fiji Retreat\u00a0hosts small weddings, honeymooners, families and scuba divers. A la carte rates keep prices lower than its competitors. Cottages for two or more start at $225 per night but may be discounted. Add $60 per day per person for meals; kids are welcome. Bottled drinks and guides cost extra.<\/p>\n

Tides Reach Resort<\/a> has been discovered by multi-family travelers. Villas for two start at $875 per night; the deluxe villa (for four) is $1275. Or rent the entire resort. Rates include airport transfers, meals, child care, kayaks, paddle boards and snorkel gear. Off-site tours and bottled drinks are extra.<\/p>\n

Yasawa Island Resort\u2019s<\/a> rates per night are all-inclusive, excepting alcoholic beverages. Listed rates start at $1053 for two; frequent discounts are available. Included are kayaks, paddle boards, sports gear, tennis courts, wifi in public areas, non-alcoholic beverages, and most guided outings. Diving, catamarans, sailing, half-day Blue Lagoon Cave trips, village tours and private beach picnics are extra.<\/p>\n

The Syndicator2019, Anne Z. Cooke<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If Fiji was nothing more than sand, sea and palm fronds, it wouldn’t matter which beach resort you went to. Every vacation would be just like the last one, another been-there, done-that. But after 15 years and as many visits to this 333-island nation, deep in the South Pacific, I’ve got a pretty good idea why every resort offers a unique experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":10553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[2149,2154,2155,2151,2153,2152,2150,2156],"class_list":["post-10557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-travel","tag-fiji","tag-honeymoon-island","tag-pacific","tag-sau-bay-fiji-resort","tag-taveuni","tag-tides-reach-resort","tag-vanua-levu","tag-yasawa-island-resort"],"yoast_head":"\nFiji: Paradise is More than Sand and Sea - Traveling Boy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Fiji is more than sand, sea and palms; here every resort offers a unique experience where hosts are proud to be Fijians and thrilled to show their country.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/proud-to-be-fijian-where-paradise-is-more-than-sand-and-sea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fiji: Paradise is More than Sand and Sea - Traveling Boy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Fiji is more than sand, sea and palms; here every resort offers a unique experience where hosts are proud to be Fijians and thrilled to show their country.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/proud-to-be-fijian-where-paradise-is-more-than-sand-and-sea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Traveling Archive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-03-26T05:00:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-04-24T06:06:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tides-Reach-Resort.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"850\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"567\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anne Z. 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