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WELCOMED
AND FAREWELLED
WITH SONG
Tori Maxwell of helloworld Miramar falls in love with Fiji.
The last time I visited Fiji was in the late 1980s, in the family, to the family-focused Malolo Island and
time of shoulder pads and bad hairdos. I travelled to
Fiji for a work trip and can still remember the warmth,
the water (scuba diving) and the beautiful sunsets.
Fast-forward to recently, when I took part in a Tourism
Fiji-hosted visit to the Mamanuca Islands, Coral coast
and Denarau, and none of that had changed. But in
saying that Fiji has also come a long way.
From the moment we boarded our Fiji Airways flight
in Auckland we were transported to “Fiji time”. We
stayed initially at The Terraces Apartment Resort in
Denarau whose very roomy one-, two- and three-
bedroom apartments with full kitchens are ideal for
a self-catering stay. For dinner we checked out The
Rhum Ba at the Denarau Yacht Club where I had the
best kokoda (raw fish) of my entire trip. I’ve tried to
recreate the dish at home but my cooking is missing
that Fiji something!
One of the highlights of the trip was the Flavours of Fiji the highlights of the trip. We were taken along the
cooking school in Denarau, where we all donned our
pinnies and learnt to cook both Fijian and Indo-Fijian
cuisine under the expert tutelage of the ladies there.
From visiting the market to cooking our meals and
then sitting down to eat and enjoy what we created, it
made for a great day.
From Denarau we took an easy and pleasant trip to
the Mamanuca Islands on the Malolo Cat, and spent a
number of days visiting resorts including Musket Cove,
Plantation Island, Lomani Resort, Tropica Resort and
Malolo Island Resort.
The Mamanuca Island resorts have fantastic beaches,
beautiful clear waters and a very relaxed and intimate
atmosphere. You can feel yourself unwinding and can’t
help but grin at all the wonderful smiles and cries of
bula! from the staff. I would definitely recommend
taking the time to visit these close-offshore islands
if you can. From the wonderful adults-only Tropica
Resort, which treated us like long-lost friends and
HELLOWORLD : EXPLORE : WINTER EDITION
Returning after a long absence,
Plantation Islands resorts, happiness will definitely
find you here.
After visiting the Mamanucas we took in the Coral
Coast, travelling through lush countryside with views
of local villages along the way. I really enjoyed visiting
this part of Fiji and am very keen to come back and
try the new self-drive option that Tourism Fiji has put
together.
There are some fantastic resorts dotted all along the
Coral Coast, including the Shangri-La, which has the
most gorgeous wedding chapel. There’s also the very
iconic Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa, the Intercontinental
Fiji Golf Resort & Spa and the Outrigger Fiji Beach
Resort, which has the most glorious spa – the Bebe
Spa Sanctuary on the hill.
One of the best tour options we took was the
Sigatoka River Safari, which our group rated as one
Sigatoka River in a jet boat (with a few spins thrown in
by our expert driver) and took in the passing village
life. Lunch at one of the villages included a traditional
welcome with kava-drinking and lots of singing and
dancing was had by all. I certainly rate this as a
must-do on the Coral Coast. Another thing I loved
is that the tour money goes to the villages along the
Sigatoka River.
One lasting memory of Fiji that will stay with me is
song. It’s a nation of the most wonderful singers!
Everywhere we went we were welcomed with song and
farewelled with song, and I think we were all teary-
eyed to leave. Returning after a long absence, I’ve
fallen in love with Fiji and I’m sure you will too.