Abroad in Fiji

I don’t know about you but Fiji has been in my top three for many years. The problem was always the cost of a flight. One Saturday morning solved this issue for me. Let me give you a bit of background. I have been to over 25 countries and I have never spent more than $600 for a flight. This holds true for Fiji as well. I follow a ton of travel sites, have alerts for places and typically spend an hour a day just looking for deals. One day in March I hit the jackpot. A flight to Nadi for less than $600, less than $500, I was in DISBELIEF a flight less than $400! I could not click fast enough. I know you have had that feeling before!

So now that my trip was booked, I needed to book a hotel ( I had a ton of points at Hilton) and planned to blow them all on this trip. That would keep my five day trip well under my $1000 budget I was trying to keep. Especially as when I returned, I promised a friend I would meet her in Aruba for her “Dirty Thirty” and that was 9 days after I landed back stateside. Make sure you read all about those fun shenanigans. Back to Fiji. 

I wish the flight was direct but for that price I will take a connection. I am a 1k on United so I just used points (I swear its like cash) to get me to San Francisco. That also kept my cost down. I also used points for 4 of the 5 nights to stay at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa. I would only pay for one night, remember I am trying to keep this trip under a grand. 

Let’s fast forward to the day I am FINALLY heading to Fiji. I was soooo excited and ready to see the beautiful beaches. Fiji definitely did not disappoint. When I arrived, the island feeling just surround you in it’s love and amazing beauty. I had the hotel set up transportation so the car was waiting for me when I exited baggage claim. I was only there for five days and would be living in a bathing suite so need to even check a bag. 

Once I am whisked away from the airport, I arrive at the Hilton. I am excited as they upgraded my room to an ocean- front 1 bedroom suite with a pool. It was spectacular. Make sure you pop over to my IG page and take a look at the room. 

Once I had a quick shower and refresh, I was off to the first stop on the trip. An authentic Fijian Cultural Experience. It was very cool to hear all about the history of the country and the real heart of Fiji, its people. I was able to experience three really cool things on this day. 

Kava Ceremony – This traditional drink made of ground kava roots and water makes the mouth, tongue (and the mind if you have too many) go numb. The Kava Ceremony is traditionally performed when someone new enters a village. In the villages- we were told you can not bring alcohol so the Kava definitely feel a little drunk. 

The Lovo – A feast slow-cooked in an underground oven. It was DELICIOUS. 

The Meke – Traditional song and dance telling the legends, history and love stories of the islands. There were many songs that were sung by all and we even had a chance to join in on some of the festivities. 

After the wine ( and the kava) the delicious meal and the festivities, we were loaded up and taken back to our hotel. I would sleep well for sure. 

The next day I would spend at the beach of course. I mean who comes to Fiji and not check out the amazing beaches. The beach day would start out with a nice boat ride to South Sea Island. I don’t think I have seen water so blue. We were welcomed to the small island with a song and a cold drink as we got off the boat. 

The day would be spent relaxing and doing my favorite..listening to the waves roll in. So I claimed my chair, got a drink and applied my sunblock for a day at the beach. Do you use sunblock, yes even my melanated friends should! Before i fell asleep on the beach, I was able to take a quick submarine tour. It was pretty cool, i was a bit claustrophobic but I got over it. I saw a few cool coral and fish and before I was overwhelmed being in such small quarters, we were ending the trip underwater. 

My day trip included open bar, a buffet meal, snorkeling and a submarine ride. It was a perfect day to relax. The weather was PERFECT, the wind was blowing and I had a perfect spot to watch and listen to the waves come in. As the sun set, we boarded the boat back to Nadi and would be taken back to the Hilton. I would be enjoying a delicious seafood dinner..on the beach of course. 

The next day I would not leave the resort. I booked an ocean front massage and a facial  in a cabana and would just spend a day of self-care. I have committed to taking at least one day on vacation to unplug and at minimum get a massage. I also did it in Aruba the following week!! The day was pretty chill. Just a massage and facial, lots of wine, time in the pool, lots of good food and reading a few chapters in my new book- The subtle art of not giving a F$CK..lol

The last day would be heading to the heart of what I feel is the heart of Fiji. I am heading inland to one of the villages. In order to get there, we are going the best way to see the heart of Fiji. We are traveling up the river. We have a nice little hike where we meet our guide for the day, but it is so worth it. We are on the river for about an hour. We see people waving as we zip by. We see people bathing in the river, we see people washing their clothes in the river, we see animals drinking from the river. This is Fiji, unfiltered and in its natural beauty. We make it to the village and we are welcomed with song. We get a tour of the village and they share a little bit of the history of the village. Later we participate in a kava ceremony ( FYI it looks like dirty water) and they have a nice spread of food for us. They sing a few more songs for us and we as visitors present them with gifts. You don’t have to but I and many others wanted to. We danced with them as the men sang. As we were preparing to leave they shared one last tradition with us. They put powder on each check and placed flowers around out neck. Lastly they prayed for our safe journeys home and told us that we are not part of their family and we are always welcome. It was a very loving, humbling experience I would highly recommend. The tour ended with us heading back down the river. We did some crazy 360 degree turns and got drenched! We had Captain Freddy and he was AMAZING! We had a cool photo op at the end and we were off to the hotel. 

I would have another amazing dinner while the sun went down and enjoy a glass of wine. 

I would leave the island in the morning. I would also leave a piece of my heart in Fiji. The people were so kind and welcoming and I will definitely be back. Have you been to Fiji? Share your thoughts and suggestions for when I make it back.