Our Final Day

Oh my gosh, it is our last day in Fiji and here are the things I still haven’t done:

Fishing
Snorkeling
A relaxing meal poolside
River Rafting on the Navua River
Tour the new spa at the Shangri La

So today was all about packing in as much activity as I could in the few short hours we had left.

First, in Fijian tradition, I had to enjoy the hotel’s lovely breakfast buffet. Lata had told me the ocean-side seats fill up quickly, so I made it a point to get there early. I left my room, just after pausing to catch this gorgeous shot of the sunrise from my balcony.



Call Me Ishmael

Then, I signed myself up for an early morning fishing trip. I got to the activities center a little early, so even managed to squeeze in 30 minutes of “relaxing” time, lying on a deck chair by the lagoon.

The fishing trip was about as wonderful as I hoped it would be.

Other than the captain, I was the first to pull in a fish.

When I asked Captain Nate what kind of fish I caught, he told me “it is a goldfish that escaped from his bowl.” What was sad was little Nemo Junior died before we could throw him back in the ocean, so we had to cut him up for bait.

That was also the last fish I caught that day. (Pretty much as expected.)

One gentleman on the boat did okay, pulling in about four fish, although he wouldn’t be winning any prizes for size. His friend (who asked to be left nameless due to the shame) didn’t manage to catch anything.

Romantic Wedding Chapel

Later Barbara and I caught up with Lata for an insider tour of the new “Chi” spa that is scheduled to be opened in July. These are deluxe little mini-villas that will serve as both massage bungalows and private accommodations. They are still in the early building stages, but the place is already looking pretty impressive.

We also stopped at the Shangri-La’s oceanfront Chapel, and if I ever accidentally get married, this would be the place I want to do it. A small patio out back

At Last, Snorkeling

I enjoyed a lovely lunch with Lata before I finally went off to engage in some snorkeling. The activities directors recommended I stay inside the roped off swim area. At first I was disappointed because the coral was beyond the rope. Not having much time, and not knowing exactly how much time I would need, I elected not to swim to the coral, which I kind of wish I would have. However, once I started paying attention, and stopped my self pity party I was amazed by the volume of sea life hanging out in the busy swim area.

I can feel my sister the marine biologist shaking her head at me as she reads this, because of course I have no idea what the names of most of the fish were, but I do know that I was being chased by some tuna (small by tuna standards, but still about two feet long, which is big enough for me.)

I also did see a sea snake, which I thought might be something else, but later ran into Captain Nate who confirmed the black and white and yellow thing that looked like a snack was indeed . . . a snake. I saw a rock fish, countless Sweet Lips, and numerous other fish that I have NO idea what the heck they were but made up my own cute little names for. Here’s the part where my sister wonders how such a hopeless science retard made it into her family.

The End

Time was pulling to a close, and since I stayed in the water thirty minutes longer than what I'd intended, I was rushing a bit to get my act together before leaving.

After check out, Barbara, Lata and I enjoyed a final farewell drink at the beachside Bilo Bar. You can see my nose is a bit rosy from this morning’s fishing excursion. Behind is you can just barely make out the very end of a most fabulous sunset.

During happy hour, the resort hosts a nightly singing contest among the staff members. This is hugely popular with resort guests who all come down to root for their favorites.

As we were leaving the resort, Lata gave us a bag of press kit information and inside we found our very own collection of fabulous Pure Fiji products. How lovely of her to help me with my substance collection problem. The bag will sit somewhere at home in a place of honor. Until I decide to actually have my mini spa day.

What a perfect way to close out our magical Fiji adventure.

The Shangri-La Fijian Resort

This morning we enjoyed a second “go” at the fabulous breakfast buffet (custom made beignets, and I’m not even that embarrassed to say I ate three of them).

In the lobby of the Outrigger we were serenaded with the traditional farewell song "Isa Lei" (again this is an abbreviated clip, but I promise next time I’m bringing a bigger memory stick.) As always, I got teary eyed listening to people that I really started to think of as friends wishing me well.



Here, Barbara and I are wearing our fancy new tye dye shirts, as we made our farewells to the staff. By the way, if you want to know which of the handsome men in the picture are available, Fijian custom states that single people wear the flower in their left ear and married people wear it in their right. Good information to know.

The Shangri-La Fijian Resort

Our final property was the Shangri-La Fijian Resort. To be totally honest, and I know I shouldn’t admit this, I was not looking forward to this property as much as the others.

It is Fiji’s largest resort, and even in Fiji people kept saying to me “The Fijian? They have a lot of kids there.” I’m not so much a fan of kids (or even adults) in large groups, so I was totally worried this would be what I call “meet market tourism” at its worst.

Of course a bad day in Fiji is still a pretty good day. But I needn’t have worried, because I just loved the place.

Options on Two Sides

See if you can picture this. The resort lies on the tip of a small peninsula and so has an ocean side and a lagoon side. The ocean side (which tends to cater more to adults only) has the fabulous views we’d come to expect of Fiji. Because there were less formalized activities on this side, it had a more remote, romantic feeling to it.

This the section is where the hotel placed its private gazebo, where couples can book a romantic dinner for two overlooking the ocean.

The lagoon side, which is more protected from tidal influences, is set up for families, with a dedicated swimming area, activities center, hair braiding, beach cafes and a host of other things to add to the to do list.

We ended up in rooms overlooking the adults-only pool, and naturally my first thought was “thank goodness.” But I’m so contrary, I ended up spending most of my time in the more crowded section of the resort.

On the "family" side is where we ultimately decided to have lunch. Really, there were too many dining choices for us to experience them all, but we liked the informal feel of this restaurant. As had become our tradition, we enjoyed tropical drinks for two, with a fabulous lagoon view in the background.

A Relaxing Afternoon by the Adults-Only Pool

In the afternoon Barbara visited more jewelry ladies but I’d already blown my shopping budget and decided to have a nice massage in one of the pool-side bures. At first I was a bit stressed about having to disrobe in what was very much an open environment, but the massage therapist was very professional and it wasn’t a problem. When I first lay down I worried about who might be looking in at me in my semi-nude position, but soon after she started, I stopped caring.

After the massage we had enough time for tropical drinks. Can you call a blended ice mocha tropical? With the cute little umbrella in it, how could it be anything but? We drank them poolside as we watched the sun start set.

Eventually we meandered along the tide pools to commune with the sea life. I even saw something that looked suspiciously like a sea snake, but later I learned they were sea cucumbers. With my love of snakes and all, I just wasn't thrilled to see any three-foot-long, tube-y thing, and there were plenty of them.

It’s the Fijian People

It is quite easy to become fast friends with most of the people you meet in Fiji. I truly believe the people are what set the country apart. You feel like you’re visiting family when you come here. You’ve heard me mention numerous people by name in this blog, and I left the country feeling like they were all my new best friends.

At the Shangri-La, the sales & marketing director, Lata was no different. By the time we had dinner, at Kalevu, the resort’s fine dining establishment, we were laughing like old friends. In a country where two-hour meals are common, we found ourselves dining well into the third hour.

I even felt comfortable enough to admit my substance abuse problem to Lata. You see, I can't stop collecting the fabulous shampoos and soaps they have here. Every resort has given us high-end products like "Pure Fiji," "L'Occitane," and other deluxe and designer names. Rather than using the product I'm collecting them all to use them at home when I need a little mini Fiji vacation. By now, I need a small bag to contain my whole collection.

After dinner, Barbara and I checked out the 80s night disco, but as always found ourselves nearly comatose from all the food we consumed, so soon headed back to our rooms to catch some well-needed rest.

Outrigger on the Lagoon

So finally, finally this morning I’m going snorkeling.

I've already been in Fiji for five days and haven’t yet seen any reef fish. I had it all worked out, a resort-sponsored kayak snorkel trip at 8:30 am, (preceded by another fabulous buffet and I wasn’t even too embarrassed to be all American and enjoy the custom-made waffles.)

So while Barbara went off to luxuriate with a facial, I packed gear, swimsuit and went off for my marine adventure. Too bad the weather was a tad too rainy and windy to comply with my needs, and the trip didn’t happen.

It was all right though, I hadn’t even checked emails in four days, so I spent the morning in my room, gazing at the ocean and getting caught up on work. Had a nice ice mocha (because it was just a little too early to enjoy the lovely bottle of Shiraz the hotel left for me.)

Kula Eco Park

Barbara and I met up around 11 am and after enjoying a few minutes (or so) of more jewelry shopping, we headed across the road to the Kula Eco Park. Fijians, apparently aren’t so big yet on animal preservation habitats, so this is kind of a one-of-a-kind attraction in Fiji.

With an unofficial partnership with the San Diego Zoo, this place was pretty impressive. Everyone told us we'd need about 45 minutes, but we stayed there nearly three hours.

After we fed the sea turtles (so adorable, and they made me think of Raoul and El Mariachi, my red eared sliders back at home), we wandered around chatting with the birds and playing with the lizards.

Here you see me playing with my new friends. Later I even served as a snake charmer with a baby boa constrictor, but since snakes basically freak me out AND since I could feel that sucker squeezing my fingers, I didn’t hold onto him that long.

Back at the hotel, and by the way, since the eco park is a good 30 minute walk across the road, the resort will drive you over there with their golf cart service, we felt the need to nourish ourselves. It wasn’t really hunger so much, since we’ve been eating a ton of food since we arrived, but we’d been hearing RAVE reviews about the pizza, so we had to sample it.

I’m not sure I can actually think of anything better than actual wood fired pizza in a little restaurant overlooking the sea. I mean really, the pizza was so heavenly (mine was Ribeye with Asparagus Spears and Barb’s was Smoked Salmon with pickles and crème fraiche). I'm running out of superlatives to mention just how great the food was. Every meal we think we've had the best, and it just keeps getting better.

Fiji Time

Wed been planning to take the hotel’s tye dye course at 2:30, but since we were still eating at 3:15, we pretty much had given up that idea by the end of lunch.

However God bless Fiji time, as they call it. I found this island mindset totally endearing once I got over my anal everything must be as it was planned feeling.

At any rate the activities staff had known we were planning to do the tye dye, so they actually waited for us to show up. Nearly an hour late and they still had all the paints out on the grass waiting for us.

Here you see a photo of William (the son of two of the hotel's sales, marketing and management staff) who was enjoying a leisurely Sunday off from school and generally helping make our stay so fabulous all day long. He's got a big smile because earlier that day he won the chocolate ice cream eating contest.

After tye dye, I just had barely enough time to get up to the spa to enjoy my own massage, which was probably perfect. I zenned out (even snored) for most of it, just enjoying the lovely, relaxing long strokes. And since we were so high above it all, this was probably a smidge closer to heaven than anything else I could have been doing.

Valet Service Followed By Dinner

Now I had to race back to the hotel, so I didn't miss today's butler service and again Barb and I enjoyed sipping champagne while overlooking the ocean and watching the sunset. By the way, all that racing to the hotel was just me being anal. If guests missed the Talei service, in true Fiji fashion, you could later and say I missed my service can you bring me my champagne now?

Dinner tonight was at the hotels IVI Restaurant, their fine dining establishment. In a place with food that is already a cut above, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And may I add, if the alarming quantities of food we'd already been consuming were making your eyebrows raise, tonight we outdid ourselves.

For starters I had the traditional Fijian dish Kokoda (the coconut milk ceviche which has quickly become one of my favorite dishes here) and Barb enjoyed a potato leek soup. We shared the seafood lovers dish (for two) in our near-romantic little night. Lobster fried rice, tempura oysters and course sizzling prawns in black bean sauce. For dessert we enjoyed a chocolate fondue (also for two) and may be the only people on the planet who didn’t finish the fabulous banana bread dipper. The fresh cut fruit was too good, so we focused on that.

Flaming coffee drinks capped the evening, and we were barely able to stagger back to bed before passing out in a food coma. Here, the handsome and single (check the flower in the left ear) Apisai blazes up some fabulous post dinner coffee.

Post Conference Site Inspections

I know that yesterday I mentioned, in passing, how great the breakfast buffet is here at the Sofitel Denarau, but I just wanted to make sure that I emphasize it again.

This morning I was definitely NOT of sound mind or body (not so much from too much alcohol last night, but more from too little sleep), and the lavish buffet was incredibly rejuvenating. Deciding between the made-to-order breakfast steaks (yep, on the buffet) and all the many, many other delicacies was a tough decision. Fresh fruit of course, pancakes and bacon. And oh, what the heck, hand me one of those steaks while you're at it.

And you know how they say that after a night of carousing, grease is the best thing to get you back on your feet. So it really was in my best interest to try everything there. Barbara was quite pleased with her vegemite sandwich (not the only thing on her plate either), but thanks to her, I had Men at Work lyrics running through my head all day.

Outrigger on the Lagoon

With the closing of the BFTE conference, we headed out early this morning to enjoy the rest of the “site inspection” part of the trip. Today we were transferring to the Outrigger on the Lagoon Resort on Fiji's Coral Coast. Truth be told, this was the property I was most excited to see before my trip.

Not to belabor the power of the internet, but of all the properties we stayed at, the Outrigger had the website that offered the best information on their activities, so I already showed up with a laundry list of things I wanted to do. Deep sea fishing, how cool. With my love of all things nautical, fishing is an incredibly fun way for me to spend the day. And with my terrible track record in actually catching fish, I don’t even have to worry about being a fish murderer.

The resort totally lived up to my expectations, but I didn’t nearly get to spend enough time doing everything I wanted. Spa, fishing, or eco park. Decisions, decisions.

Award-Winning Cuisine

The staff at the Outrigger is quite pleased to tell everyone that they were Fiji's first five-star resort. The next thing you'll learn quite quickly is that their Executive Sous Chef, Shailesh Naidu has won numerous awards, including the global "One World Culinary Competition." And oh yum the food here sure reflects that. Now we haven’t been eating slop this week, so for the food here to stand out really says something.

For lunch I had Mongolian Barbecue (old school, actually cooked up on a large, round griddle) and Barbara was delighted by the lamb curry. Unlike her Vegemite breakfast, I did sneak a taste of her lunch. Heaven.

After lunch we supported the local ladies with the purchase of numerous pieces of jewelry. Navy blue pearls, need I say more? A quick stop at the hotel’s “Art Cart” also cost me a few hard-earned dollars. okay more than a few, but how could I resist the local art?

Bebe Spa

In the afternoon, we enjoyed a pre-opening tour of the brand new Bebe (pronounced Benbe) spa, which will be opening in two days.

Perched high a top a hill overlooking the resort, the views were out of this world. I think this is always how I thought Valhalla would like. The spa has its own glass-enclosed meeting room, which will surely become a favorite wedding site in Fiji, and the views from the treatment rooms are so beautiful its almost a shame to spend the time lying down looking at the floor. Almost.

Talei Service

After our hotel tour, Barbara and I had to rush back to our rooms by 5:00 pm, to make sure that we didn't miss the Talei butler service. Think champagne and snacks delivered to your room by the hotel's most handsome valet staff. Seriously, champagne and an ocean view, what’s not to love?

We enjoyed the hotel's torch lighting ceremony from our balcony and just took in the Fiji vibe, with the sound of the ocean waves in the background.

Now with a glass of champagne to warm me up, you’d think I didn’t have enough room left for dinner, but oh yes I did.

The hotel offered a fancy little performing group at the bar adjacent to the restaurant, but with our day of excess, we were once again too tired to enjoy much nightlife.

Fiji’s Coral Coast & Pacific Harbor

Today Barbara and I along with Sarah, a journalist from New Zealand were taken on a tour along Fiji’s lovely Coral Coast up to the Pacific Harbor area. This was a new adventure for me, so I was thrilled with the chance to see new attractions

Fiji Arts Village

Our first stop was at the Fiji Arts Village, which is approximately a two-hour drive outside of Nadi.

Hard to describe accurately, this is kind of an all-in-one attraction. To be sure it had lots of little shops and restaurants (curry peanuts and ice mocha, oh my) but it went well beyond that. The coolest event was a fire walking ceremony and traditional performance which was fun and educational. The firewalkers actually strolled across hot stones that had been heated for four hours and did it without a whimper. Better them than me.

Afterwards we had lunch in a cute little poolside beach area inside the village. Day visitors to the village can pay a nominal fee to use the beach and pool, and guests at the adjacent Tsulu Beach Bunkhouse and Apartments had free access to the Beach. Shown here is a picture from Tsulu’s “Ocean” apartment, with its funky sea life wall paintings.

Tsulu is basically a dormitory/back packer property but each room is individually decorated and each one has a unique, funky, themed décor. Travelers on a budget should definitely check out this property.

After lunch and the hotel tour, we enjoyed a boat ride on the river running through the arts village. Our boat made numerous stops at bures and our guide walked us through the many aspects of traditional Fijian life, from boat making to mat weaving. We didn’t have nearly enough time to enjoy the village, and visitors should plan to spend at least four hours here.

Hotel Site Inspections

Back to serious work, we then toured several properties in the Pacific Harbor area, including the Hot Stones Villas. These two river-front villas were so totally adorable, I wanted to move in. One was a three bedroom property (up to six people) and the smaller villa next door housed up to four people. Both villas come with a private chef, housekeeper and nanny service if required. They both over look the river and the golf course beyond, and are both walking distance from the beach. Visitors seeking a private, intimate experience in Fiji, should take a second look at these properties.

Next we toured The Pearl South Pacific Fiji Islands.

First let me just admit that my affections can totally be bought, and that any hotel that welcomes me with an Ice Mocha is only going to get rave reviews from me. Having said that, I was pretty much won over by the lobby with its dramatic, eye-catching glass wall water fountain (a backdrop to the lobby bar), so it was pretty obvious this place was going to be special.

It is a snazzy, ultra-modern, totally cool property. It seems a bit of a Standard-esque, but feels more cozy and more welcoming than some of the similarly glitzy American properties. There’s a championship 18-hole golf course out back, and shark diving adventures just outside its doors.

Back at the Sofitel, Barbara and I enjoyed a lovely foot massage in the Mandara Day Spa, and it’s a toss up to me whether the hotel’s abundant breakfast buffet or the view from the spa is their best feature. Having a foot massage while watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean was a pretty good way to cap off the afternoon though.

BFTE Carnival

The trade show came to a close with a huge carnival set up on the Denarau Golf Course. Alcohol was flowing freely with the Fiji Malt House Brewery playing a starring role in my evening. The amount of food on the buffets was staggering, but the lighting was odd, so it was a little hard to tell exactly what I was eating.

Pretty much all the delegates asked the same question of the carnival rides. “Do you think the safety certificates are up to date?” We didn’t care though and even though my foot broke a hole through the bottom of the “spinny” ride upon boarding, I still wasn't to be deterred. Maybe I was feeling extra daring, or maybe the Fiji beer gave me an extra shot of courage, but I was totally up for “spew fest” as my new pals called it.

Speaking of new pals, here’s a photo of Allan and Terri of the Paradise Taveuni. Allan got his hands on a blinky ice cube and had great fun smiling a neon grin at unsuspecting passers by.

By the way, If you get a chance, check out the Paradise Taveuni website, which was a runner up in the Air Pacific Tourism Awards program.

Blatant Plug

Okay, I know this is supposed to be a blog of MY travels, but I just was over at the Paradise in Fiji blog and saw this fabulous photo of the whales near the Paradise resort. I know I'm blatantly ripping this image off, but how cool is it. Wish I could have been there....

Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange

More networking today, involving lots and lots of meetings. There are so many new hotels and developments in Fiji, it’s impossible to mention them all here.

The high point of my day today (I think) was getting to meet the interim Tourism Minister for Fiji, Bernadette Rounds-Ganilau. She also heads Labour, Industrial Relations and Environment, but she says the tourism people always forget that part of her title. She is a fabulous, dynamic woman, and I’m so thrilled to have been able to make her acquaintance.

By the way, did I mention the trade show is being held outdoors, and that it’s hot out here? Fiji is less fun when you have to wear business clothes. Of course getting back to a hotel with tropical drinks and a beach front view is pretty darn nice.

During the trade show “coffee break,” we were treated to a traditional “Meke” performance by a group from SavuSavu, which was so lovely.

In addition to all my meetings today, I also toured the new Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, which is about two years old, and the new Radisson Resort Fiji Denarau Island, which is set to open in July. Did I mention there are so many new things happening in Fiji?

Night Time Events

For happy hour, the Taveuni Tourist Association hosted a fabulous reception so that their top tour operators and journalists could learn more about the island.

Taveuni is Fiji’s third-largest island and is famous for its eco-tourism, beautiful (even for Fiji) island scenery and fabulous coral dive spots. They also are quite famous for their shark diving adventures.

Later that night, the town of Nadi closed down its main street to create a street fair for delegates of the conference. All the major shops stayed open for shopping (fun!) and many of the local restaurants were out there with samples of food and alcohol.

After the street festival, the delegates congregated back at the Sofitel Hotel (where I was staying) for a very cool post party. The Sofitel converted one of its meeting rooms into a hip NY-style bar, complete with furniture, movies, go go dancers, and lots and lots of alcohol.

The party was still going strong when I left at 2 am. To create the party the Sofitel had literally taken every single piece of furniture from their lobby to create the atmosphere in the party.

When I wandered into the lobby, on my way back to my room, there was nothing in the lobby. It looked like one of those movies where the house gets robbed, with just the house telephone lying on the floor. Very surreal, but then again, that could just be the alcohol speaking.

Heading Back to Nadi

This morning, knowing that we were heading back to Nadi to attend the Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange (the official reason for my trip to Fiji) I knew that I had to maximize my final hours at the resort.

A few macadamia nut cookies, and I was fortified for an early morning snorkel off the reef. Sadly my equipment leaked, badly, and I wasn’t really able to see too much, so I splashed around the pier playing with the many fish that reside there. I was a little nervous about this, as we’d seen a little reef shark swimming around the pier the night before, but today only the Sweet Lips came to play with me.

These fishies were clearly looking for a food handout and surrounded me like puppies at a pet adoption.

A quick shower, a few macadamia cookies more, and I was ready for breakfast. Tempted as I was by the pineapple pancakes and the crostini bread baked with cheese on a bed of mushrooms, I decide to stick with my old favorite--the mud crab omelet.

A Song In My Heart

Before I forget, let me just say that the number one reason that I love Fiji so much is the music. People are always, always singing here. At most of the resorts they have musicians strolling the lobby, and most of the smaller places, like the Likuliku, are required to welcome guests with singing. Whenever guests leave a place , the Fijians sing “Isa Lei” a traditional good bye song. Meals, recreation, events are all accompanied by music. And all the staff, whether they are massage thereapists, activities directors, wait staff, housekeeping will join in the music at any chance they have.

This morning we hung out on the jetty waiting for the Catamaran to pick us up and had the chance to enjoy the lovely serenading of the staff. The video attached is abbreviated, since I ran out of memory on my camera.

Back to Nadi

The boat ride back to Nadi was about the hottest thing I’ve ever felt. Seriously, I wasn’t completely sure that I would make it back without melting into a big pool of human wax.

The afternoon was spent networking and making new friends at the Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange (hereafter known as the BFTE). While this was a fabulous event, workwise, it probably doesn’t merit a lot of description on these pages, so I’ll spare you the descriptions of the countless meetings I held while broasting under the the hot Fiji sun.

Thank God, though, for Fiji Water.

LikuLiku Lagoon Resort

I haven’t slept this well in I don’t know how long.

Fully rested, I woke ready to face a full day of adventure activities, although I did linger over my fabulous breakfast (mud crab omelet with spicy papaya relish), and the high-speed internet access (oops, didn’t get all my work done before I left home.)

As if catching up on emails on my own private island in Fiji wasn’t decadent enough, I capped off the morning with a totally fabulous Fijian massage performed by MeMe (that may not be the correct spelling of her name.) This particular massage was not so much about kneading sore muscles, but rather lightly massaging me into a blissful state of nirvana. By the end, I was barely able to remember my own name.

Shell Village

Lunch, as expected was too fabulous, and shortly thereafter the island’s activities directors had planned a visit to a local village known as Shell Village. We enjoyed a tour of the area, learned quite a bit of the island’s history, and enjoyed a local handicraft market. So much jewelry, so little Fijian currency.

Kava Ceremony

Of course in Fiji guests are unable to enter a village without first being welcomed by a traditional Kava ceremony. Kava is the national drink, not alcohol, but rather an anesthetic of sorts. Drink a few cups of this and your tongue will become numb.

Kava is hugely popular in Fiji, and most of the Fijian people drink it pretty regularly. The Kava is mixed up in a huge wooden bowl and is always served in a traditional ceremony, where all the participants share a communal drinking cup. Unlike the U.S. where we’ve learned to shorthand many of our rituals, the Fijians always follow the Kava rituals, no matter how informal the setting.

Back at the resort, I had just enough time for a dip in the ocean and a cool down in my plunge pool before cleaning off in my outdoor shower stall. Unsatisfied with my cleanliness, I then headed to my inside rain-shower for a final splash, before dressing for dinner.

Before heading out, I simply had to sample one or two (or was it three) of the freshly baked white-chocolate macadamia nut cookies the housekeeping staff had left in my room.

Viva the “Wash Down”

The evening slowed down with a gorgeous view of the sunset from the beachfront bar, where we also enjoyed the traditional lighting of the torches program. Following the torch lighting, the resort held their own Kava ceremony, and not wanting offend anyone, I had to drink four or five (ahem, or was it six) cups of Kava.



Here we learned the delightful Fijian tradition of the “wash down.” Simply put when a long night of Kava drinking leaves you feeling slightly groggy, an early morning visit to a bar and a sample of Fiji Bitter beer, or any other alcohol, will help you wash down the Kava and leave you feeling like a new person.

Dinner tonight was a barbecue buffet. The buffet part featured numerous fabulous salads, including the Fijian Kokoda, a type of ceviche served with coconut milk. I, of course, was distracted by the all-you-can-eat shellfish platter and chomped down my share of oysters, crab and shrimp. I almost didn’t make it to the barbecue where you could order from a variety of meats (steak, lamb, chicken, prawns, fish) but am really glad that I found room for the grilled prawns!

Over Water Bures

Having a little more energy tonight than last night, Janna and I walked Barbara back to her over water bure so we could see how the sea life looked at night. The low tide was dramatic, but so perfect for viewing the many, many animals below.

It was mesmerizing, like being in our own private aquarium, and we witnessed reef sharks, sting rays, shrimp, squid and many, many fish at play. Before we knew it, we’d spent two hours just watching the fish below. Just incredible.

Magical, Musical Fiji

I’m so very delighted to be back in Fiji. This is my second visit here, and based on how much I absolutely adored it the last time I visited, I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to return.

The flight was uneventful (no turbulence) but for me 11 hours is still a painful process, no matter how gentle the ride. Customs and immigrations were fairly speedy and soon enough we were headed for Port Denarau, the trendy resort area of Nadi (pronounced Nandi). We enjoyed a quick breakfast at Cardo's, a popular location with early-morning visitors waiting to catch their ferries.

South Sea Cruises

After breakfast we boarded the lovely Tiger IV, a catamaran service around the Mamanuca Islands. This lovely ferry service is operated by South Sea Cruises and is a great option for visitors who only have one day in Nadi. They can head to South Seas Island, popular with the backpackers set, and enjoy swimming and snorkeling. There’s even a massage station on the island.

Our entire ride took two hours, including stops at several resort islands in the group, and we eve passed the island where Tom Hank's Castaway was filmed. Eventually, we arrived at the fabulous Likuliku Lagoon Resort.

Likuliku Lagoon Resort

The Likuliku Lagoon Resort is a magical place, a newly opened resort that was just celebrating its one-month anniversary as we arrived. I’d been looking forward to seeing this property for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it is Fiji's first over water bungalows.

In person, the resort was eve better than expected, and we pretty much fell in love with the place during our tour. The romance was solidified during our fabulous first lunch, where I dined on cod tempura. Oh yum.

I could gush for days about the place, and have to my friends and family. It is a small resort (just 46 bures), beautiful, private, romantic with the friendly staff that Fiji is so famous for.

Private Plunge Pool

After lunch my traveling companion Barbara (another freelance journalist) and I checked into our rooms. She had one of the ultra deluxe over water bures while I was assigned one of the lovely beach front bures featuring their own private plunge pools. Not too shabby.

The afternoon was a tough one, as I had to try to decide which activities I wanted to participate in. Eventually I took a leisurely swim in the ocean, then cooled off with a dip in my private pool. Soon thereafter my jet lag got the better of me, so I was forced to nap on my private day bed overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

I woke just in time to catch the gorgeous sunset, before heading over to island’s waterfront bar for a before-dinner tropical drink. Here I met Janna, the PR representative for the property (lucky duck) wh9 is based in Huntington Beach of all places.

Together, she, Barbara and I enjoyed a marvelous dinner. Potato soup with oyster beignets (a genius--the person who came up with the idea of mixing oysters and tempura batter) followed by a Yagata beef on miso butter and mushrooms. I can’t stress enough how fantastic the food is here (and it’s included in the price of accommodations.)

Miyajima Island/Himeji City

Miyajima Island at High Tide


This morning we had the option to enjoy a walking tour (departure time 7:00 am sharp) of the island, or we could “sleep in” to the late hour of 7:30 am. Since this would be my only opportunity to see the semi-submerged version of the Tori Gate by daylight I chose option A. (Although, I do admit that I did grumble a bit at 6:30 am when I had to get up, get ready and be packed.)

I promised my male colleagues I wouldn’t publish this fact, so clearly I’m a liar, but I did find it cool that the ladies in our group all made the morning walk, while the men chose to not to join us. Only poor Mr. Hori-san, our organizer and handler was required (as a host) to join us, so wasn’t able to sleep late.

During high-tide the Itukushima Shrine takes on a whole new, nearly pristine personality. Today, in particular, the morning air was clear and gorgeous and it was well worth getting up to catch this view. (In truth, I didn’t really begrudge the missed sleep, as I had planned to get up early anyway. I was hoping to take a quick tour of the Miyajima Aquarium, but unfortunately, that was one thing I just didn’t have time for.)

Here you see Cindy-san, me, and Arline-san enjoying the morning air in front of the Tori Gate at high-tide. During our walk, we also wandered further up the hill, checking out some of the other Ryokan on the island, including the Iwaso, where the royal family stays when they come visit the island.

By the way, here’s a tip for those of you who do decide to spend the night, here. As much as the island relies on tourism for its economy, it is a day tripper kind of place, and at night this bedroom community shuts up pretty tight. If you plan to stay on the island, be prepared for deep quiet and an early night. Also, be sure to buy a meal package from the inn you’ll be staying at, because you’ll have a hard time finding anyone to serve you a meal after dark.

Here’s our first group photo. Look how well rested the men look after their extra hour of sleep.



Hiroshima

On our way back to the train station we did get another opportunity to snap more photo of Hiroshima Peace Park from “the other side.” More window hanging allowed me to capture this excellent photo.

The bullet train ride to Himeji provided a welcome nap time for our whole group.



Himeji

Once in Himeji, we checked into the Hotel Nikko Himeji, which has a fabulous location just across from the train station. For people on a whirlwind tour of Japan, Himeji’s premiere attraction is the Himeji Castle, which is an architectural feat, and really well worth seeing. It can been seen in a few hours, and with careful planning JR Pass users can arrive by bullet train in the morning, tour the castle for a couple of hours, and then return to the train station by late afternoon. For those with more time, however, the Hotel Nikko is a great central location, and allows you bit more time relax. (Okay, the relaxing is theoretical as we haven’t really had time to do that yet.)

Once we hauled our luggage across the street from the train station, we checked in and were immediately hosted by Himeji city personnel to a lovely Teppan Yaki lunch at the hotel. If you’re not familiar with Teppan Yaki, think Benihana without the theatrics.

After lunch, we were whisked away to the Kookoen Garden, which is located just outside the Himeji Castle. Here we enjoyed a traditional Japanese-style tea and then had some time to wander through some of the most gorgeous Zen gardens.

Eventually we were escorted to Himeji Castle which lived up to all the hype I’d ever heard about it.

Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms, Wherefore Art Thou, Cherry Blossoms?

The gorgeous gardens of Kookoen and Himeji Castle reminded us all that we were in search of blooming Cherry Blossom trees. Just outside the castle the air was too chilly, and no way were the Sakura trees going to bloom. Inside though, imagine our wonder when we found a warm, protected patch that had actually confused one of the trees into thinking it was spring.

Our whole group was pretty overjoyed by the blossoms, so we stood around for about five minutes snapping photos and generally congratulating ourselves. We’d already learned that a Japanese tradition is to set up a picnic (complete with Sake, of course) under the blooming trees to celebrate the start of spring. Sadly we had no sake with us.

The coolest moment, however, was when a group of Japanese people wandered around the corner to see just WHY the Americans were making so much noise. We excitedly pointed to the cherry blossoms, fully expecting to be mocked for our enthusiasm. Instead the Japanese group started chattering excitedly, pulling out their own cameras and snapping the tree from every angle. Cherry blossom season is a BIG deal in Japan.

Himeji Castle

Again, inside the Himeji Castle, I learned enough Japanese history to write a thesis, with no possible way to recount everything on this blog.

The main point being that this castle is best known for having the most modern and elaborate defensive system of its time. Also, it is the one wooden structure in Japan that has never been burned due to war, lighting or other adverse circumstances.

Again the views alone are worth the trip, but as with all historical things that end in a great view, a steep uphill climb must first be accomplished.

Not a fan of heights in the best of circumstances, I was a little, um, petrified to climb up the steep, uber polished wooden stairs built for five-feet tall, slender Japanese men in my sock feet. Totally a white-knuckle ride the whole way up. No elevators, you see, in these historical buildings. However, once at the top, there was no way I would have traded the experience for anything in the world.

Restaurant Mille

Again that evening we were hosted by the city personnel of Himeji, and even the mayor joined us for dinner. Here we learned that the people of Miyajima were wrong. You see, the best Sake in all of Japan is actually brewed in Himeji.

Not being a rude person, I felt obligated to try ALL the cups of sake that landed before me.

After dinner, we participated in an ancient Japanese custom known as Karaoke. At this point my memory becomes a little fuzzy, or maybe I intentionally lost track of just how much alcohol I ingested before returning to the hotel. In the photo, our wonderful, wonderful Hori-san gets to let down his hair a bit and perform some traditional songs for us. And Cindy san and Takahara-san perform a complicated dance number to “One Way or Another, I’m Gonna Getcha, Getcha, Getcha."

Osaka City/Miyajima Island

This morning, my premonition radar still hadn’t adjusted to the new time zone, so I still had no idea that this morning’s tight schedule (eat breakfast, check out by 8:30 and be ready to leave by 9:00 am) was in fact a pattern we’d follow the whole week. Getting out of bed at 7:00 am shouldn’t be that hard, but somehow the general lack of down time, and the sake evenings made getting up at 7 am harder and harder each day.

Osaka Castle

Our first stop today was the Osaka Castle. This is a famous location for cherry blossom viewing in Japan, but in the photo, you’ll notice the branches are bare. Although we knew we were about two weeks too early for Sakura (Cherry Blossom) season, we’d been told off a warm front in Japan, which might mean the early arrival of blossoms. Naturally, our mission for the week would be to seek out actual blooming trees.

The castle’s 8-story Main Tower is a museum today, providing numerous artifacts, drawings and facts about the history of Western Japan and the Tokugawa Shogunate. The tower is absolutely worth visiting for its grand views of Osaka.

APTEC Group

Before I forget, our hosts are a group of government officials from an organization known as APTEC (Asia Pacific Tourism Exchange Committee), which is a consortium of representatives of local cities that don’t necessarily have the same international recognition as do the big-name cities like Tokyo or Kyoto. The group invited several journalists for the purpose of visiting some of Japan’s oldest and most famous wooden structures, many of which have been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Hiroshima

After our morning in Osaka, we were (hurriedly) escorted to the Shinkansen bullet train for our ride to Hiroshima Station. Our departure time was 11:29 and I believe we hit the station at 11:22. Yikes seven minutes to get upstairs, while hauling our luggage. My tension level was escalating, but the Japanese are masters at getting people where they need to be, on time. I shouldn’t have worried, the seven minutes was plenty. (Of course there was no time for shopping. And the train stations in Japan have such lovely shopping arcades. Good for my budget, though.)

Upon arrival in Hiroshima, we were met by a bus that would carry us directly to the Miyajima Ferry terminal. The bus took us right by Hiroshima Peace Park, the site where the infamous A-bomb was dropped during World War II, but since Hiroshima wasn’t a part of our official itinerary, a stop wasn’t scheduled for us. So imagine if you will, five journalists fighting for window space, and hanging out the bus trying to snap quick photos before the light turned green.

Miyajima Island

Although Miyajima isn’t necessarily one of Japan’s top-tier destinations (or at least not for international visitors), visually it is extremely famous for the red Tori Gate that rises out of its coastal waters. This gate is often referred to as “the symbol of Japan.”

Our ferry ride to Miyajima Island gave us a great early view of this famous icon, and I was most surprised to learn that the base of the gate is not in fact completely submerged. The tidal levels in Miyajima can change up to ten feet, meaning that half the time, visitors can actually walk to the base of the gate.

It was a little daunting, upon our arrival in Miyajima, to learn that we would be followed by local media (from Hiroshima) for the day. So we were photographed, filmed and interviewed about our impressions of the island. Our first stop was a local Momiji Manju bakery. These are a type of waffle cake stuffed with red bean paste. Somewhere in Japan there is footage of me (looking like a prison matron as my group affectionately called me) baking Manju.

After the bakery we wandered (if the term “hurry up, we’re behind schedule” can possibly be synonymous with wandering) over to the island’s famous Itukushima Shrine. Along the way we were accosted by the wild deer that populate the island. They tried to eat everything in our hands, and apparently are quite partial to paper products.

We also were fortunate enough to witness a Shinto wedding procession and here you see an image of the happy bride and groom.


Itukushima Shrine

We were fortunate enough to be given a comprehensive tour of the Shrine by its head priest. He gave us a fascinating overview of much of the ecological problems facing Miyajima and Japan in general. The fact that the Shrine exists, in spite of hurricanes and floods, is a huge testament to the facility’s original architects, as well as the commitment of the locals who always come out to help in times of trouble.

In this picture you can (sort of) see how the floorboards are not tightly interconnected with spaces left deliberately between each board. The construction is intentional, in order to allow flooding waters to flow over and around the floorboards. This might not be great for the wood, but better than the alternative, which would be to have the whole floor sweep away with the pressure of the rising water.

Truthfully, we learned pages and pages of historical, geological and ecological information. I almost feel like I could write a Masters Thesis just on this shrine alone. However, there isn’t enough space on this blog to include everything, so suffice it to say that Miyajima and the Itukushima Shrine are definitely a must-see addition on any itinerary that includes Hiroshima or even southwester Japan.

The remainder of the afternoon we wandered around the island enjoying, the Daigangji (100 Tatami Mat) Temple, the Tahoto (Treasure) Tower and the Daisoin Temple. We were even allowed 45 WHOLE minutes for shopping. Heaven. Of course with camera crews following us around, the shop owners all wanted to know if we were famous, and we spent much of our time using broken English and hand gestures to explain just how famous we were not.

Kinsuikan Ryokan

We would spend the night at one of the local Ryokan (Japanese Style Inn), the Kinsuikan Ryokan. We enjoyed traditional accommodations, sleeping on a rolled out Tatami mattress. The floors in the rooms were super polished (clean enough to literally eat off of), and needless to say, shoes are strictly forbidden inside.

Kinsuikan was also the site our evening feast, and oh yum, what a feast it was. Sushi, shabu shabu in soy milk, grilled meats and tempura, finished off with cherry blossom wine and more beer than the human mind can imagine. We did learn, from the Miyajima City government officials, that Miyajima does produce the best Sake in all of Japan.

After dinner, when the tide had risen to its highest level, we were treated to a night cruise around the Tori gate. Upon our return I was feeling quite mellow, but did sneak upstairs to enjoy the (indoor) hot springs bath, which had a fabulous view overlooking the shrine.

On My Way Back to Japan

Now I know that when I travel, I ALWAYS say <> is my favorite place to travel, but Japan is truly one of my favorite places. The people are so gracious, and I always feel like I’m being welcomed home when I visit here.

At 10 hours, the flight isn’t too horrible and since we were lucky enough to fly United Airline’s Business Class, the flight was actually pretty darn great. Plus we arrived in the late afternoon, which means that our only immediate obligation was an informal (or at least as informal as the Japanese can get) welcome dinner, after which, we were pretty much able to get some sleep right away.

Our entire group would eventually be comprised of five journalists and three local hosts (babysitters, as we called them.) Three of us flew together from Los Angeles, and upon our arrival, enjoyed personalized motor coach transportation (yes, a whole 48-seat bus just for the three of us) directly to the Hotel Nikko Osaka.

The hotel was as deluxe as you’d expected a Nikko property to be, but truthfully we weren’t given a lot of time to enjoy it. Upon check in, we had a whole thirty! minutes time to freshen up for dinner. How quickly my fantasies of a short nap were dashed. This probably should have been foreshadowing of exactly how packed our week would be, but high on little sleep and sake anticipation, I had not yet tuned into my psychic “oh my gosh this is going to be a crazy week” premonition vibe.

For dinner, we feasted on Shabu Shabu, sushi, beer and sake. It was like being on the Star Ship Enterprise. If we wanted something, all we had to do was ask for it, and whatever we wanted appeared before our very eyes. Somehow my desire always ended up being some version of sake or another.

Japan’s Sake Culture

In fact, it was here at this restaurant that I learned that most Japanese tend to look down on warm sake. Imagine my surprise! The logic behind this is that most sake that used to be imported out of Japan was of a lower quality. So people would warm the inferior sake up, in order to improve the flavor. Thus, in Japan, warm sake is nearly synonymous with cheap sake. Dandy, with me, I have no problem drinking my high-quality sake cold.

Shinsaibashi Street

After dinner, we did a little walking through Shinsaibashi, an entertainment promenade through the center of Osaka. Look out 99 Cent Store, Japan has the equivalent in its 100 Yen store. I however, have vowed to behave myself, shopping wise this year, as I have no desire to repeat the shopping mania that made up my trip last year. So, I was pretty good on my first day of watching my Yen. No random acts of shopping for me. Or at least not yet.