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....