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.
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.
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