Fijian Fling

 

There’s a lot to love about Fiji, an idyllic South Pacific getaway on the doorstep of Australia. Vacations and Travel Magazine’s Sheriden Rhodes looks at what it is about this beautiful island destination we find so alluring.

Languid aquamarine lagoons, palm-fringed stretches of white sandy beach, blue-sky days, balmy nights and some of the friendliest people you’ll come across anywhere on earth – what’s not to love about Fiji?

Australian travellers have long been enamoured with this South Pacific island nation that, in 2010, became one of our most visited destinations. It offers a near-endless array of activities for adventure-seekers and it’s one of our favourite places for romance: think sophisticated resorts, decadent spas and world class dining across much of the 330-plus-island archipelago.

It’s little wonder that the fastest-growing segment of Fiji’s international visitor arrivals is couples seeking idyllic South Sea escapes. Many come here to get married, enjoy a honeymoon or simply relax with that special someone against a backdrop of beautiful tropical islands.

Last year, Fiji enjoyed a record year in terms of visitor arrivals. Close to 400,000 international tourists were welcomed to it’s sunny shores over the first eight months of 2010, including a whopping 31 percent hike in Australians and a 10 percent boost in visitor numbers from New Zealand over the corresponding period in 2009.

On the one hand, Fiji’s renewed popularity is somewhat surprising, given that the island destination has been under a military dictatorship since Frank Bainimarama assumed power in December 2006. On the other, says Paresh Pant, Tourism Fiji regional director for Australia, the current coup – one of a succession the country has experienced over the past two decades – has had little impact on Fiji’s popularity as a tourist destination because it remains a safe, clean and welcoming destination and the natural choice for many first- time travellers from Australia.

Of course, other factors play a part in the jump in the number of Aussies making their way to Fiji. Airfares have never been more affordable, with competitive flights from Pacific Blue and Jetstar giving Fiji’s national carrier, Air Pacific, a run for its money. Plus, access is easy from Australia’s eastern seaboard – departing Sydney, you’re a movie and a meal away from being serenaded by a local band as you pass through immigration at Nadi International Airport.

Above all, in an increasingly unstable world, our favourite Pacific destination continues to deliver all that’s required for enjoying leisurely, sun-kissed days, snorkelling through emerald-green waters, getting massaged while being serenaded by lapping waves, sharing romantic dinners under the stars and hosting seamless weddings where the paperwork is as easy as a visit to the local registry office.

For amorous couples, the choices here are tantalising. Many couples choose to spend at least their first night in Fiji at a decadent property in the expansive five-star resort complex on Denarau Island – occupied by establishments representing several of the world’s best-known hotel brands – before moving on to other parts of the archipelago.

Head for the new InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, which lifts luxury to a whole new level, especially with the recent opening of its Club InterContinental, an exclusive “resort within a resort.” Suites overlooking beautiful Natadola Bay come with private infinity pools, butlers and deep tubs for soaking in.

Or head to the Coral Coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest island, where you’ll find sophisticated restaurants, award-winning spas with a distinct local flavour and inviting lagoon pools to laze by.

Alternatively, opt for barefoot luxury at one of Fiji’s many romantic island resorts on the Yasawa, Mamanuca and Savusavu islands: Namale Resort and Spa, Qamea Resort and Spa, Vatulele Island Resort and Vomo are particularly spectacular. Within moments of arriving at your chosen retreat, you’ll be enjoying a flute of champagne in the sun, breathing in the scent of frangipani and drinking in uninterrupted views of the sea.

An increasing number of properties are working to be as sustainable as they are stylish. The award-winning Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort on Savusavu is one of the most romantic resorts in the world.

You can get married here, too. Slip on a slinky white gown with a fragrant flower garland and exchange your vows barefoot on the beach as the sun sinks behind the water and a chorus of heavenly Fijian voices heralds your special moment.

If it’s seclusion you’re after, why not start married life with a picnic for two on a private island? Scattered over remote azure lagoons, privately owned islets such as Dolphin Island and the exclusive Laucala Island – owned by Red Bull billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz – come complete with hammocks strung between palm trees, private white-sand beaches, discreet, professional staff to attend to your every whim, top-flight food and wine and opulent villas with knockout views.

Establishments offering luxury spa experiences are also springing up all around Fiji – nowadays, you can find island spas offering everything from grassroots Fijian bobo massages in open-air bures to the mind-blowing “Dusk till Dawn” treatment offered at the Shangri-La’s CHI spa. Other facilities worth spending a few blissful hours in are: the Namale Spa & Santuary, overlooking a magnificent tidal blowhole; The Westin Fiji’s Heavenly Spa; Qamea’s award-winning Jungle Spa, the only Guinot Institute Spa in the South Pacific; Matamanoa Island Resort’s new clifftop Veidomoni Spa, overlooking the sublime Mamanuca Islands chain; and the InterContinental’s spa, which offers a broad array of locally inspired treatments as well as yoga sessions, a steam room and an ice room.

Other romantic experiences range from sunset cruises aboard the masted schooner Seaspray to snorkelling incredible reefs and kayaking to local villages.

Another fun, couple-friendly experience is taking a billi billi raft down the Sigakota River – it’s the South Pacific version of a Venetian gondola.

And then there’s the food.

Dine with sand between your toes at the fabulous South Pacific outpost of Sydney’s Flying Fish at the Sheraton Fiji Resort on Denarau Island, savour a superb steak at Moo Moo Wine Bar & Grill at The Westin Fiji, or hold hand across a table overlooking a serene lagoon at the elegant new Navo at the InterContinental, popular for its striking glass-walled show kitchen.

Of course, many of Fiji’s most romantic experiences don’t cost a thing; writing your names in the sand, enjoying a moonlit stroll along a beautiful curve of beach, holding hands as you snorkel through jade-coloured waters, watching a tropical sunset or falling asleep together in a swinging hammock.

These are memories that will remain long after your flight heads for home, the sweet strains of Fiji’s farewell song “Isa Lei” ringing in your ears.

Photography by Sheriden Rhodes, Kodiak Greenwood, Tom Szecsodi and courtesy of respective hotels and resorts and Fiji Tourism.

Article courtesy of Vacations and Travel Magazine.