Dear Lori,
Well, We have figured out why you guys are so excited about Fiji! Our trip was nothing short of phenomenal!! We got back to Seattle about midnight Sunday and are still talking about what a great time and what a great experience we had. The Outrigger was truly beautiful and the staff was so friendly and helpful. We did get off the property almost every day and found the native Fijians equally friendly no matter where we went. I did two scuba dives and the diving was comparable to any place in the Caribbean, including Cozumel. Beautiful coral, multitudes of fish (nice white tip sharks!), great visibility, and good dive master.
We landed at Nadi early morning in a pouring down rain. Uh-oh, we thought, this looks like Seattle! But after the first day of rain, we had pretty good weather most of the rest of the time. Not too much sun, but it was warm and water was still 80 degrees. That didn't dampen our spirits and we stayed busy just sightseeing and walking up and down the beach at low and high tides beach combing and hitting all the little beach bars and cafes, talking to locals and anyone else who looked like they could answer our questions. We met very few Americans, about 99% were from AUS and NZ. Nice folks and we came home with several email addresses from people who wanted to keep in touch.
The Outrigger has most anything you'd want........several bars and restaurants and great buffet and live entertainment everyday. Our only negative comment would be the price of food and drink at the Outrigger. We found equally good quality food and drinks at several little private places down the beach a 5-10 minute walk for less than half of what the Outrigger charged. A local beer at the resort was about FJ$7 and down the beach the same beer was FJ$3. Food was equally cheaper. But, the Outrigger has huge overhead and lots of employees so I know they must charge more to maintain the property. This is not a complaint, just an observation.
We visited the closest town of Sigatoka several times. Shopping was good for local products and the open market was a hoot. The Indians are a little pushy, but once you figure that out, you can ignore them and move on. We ate in town several times and had great food at very reasonable prices. We had curry quite a few times and it was all delicious and they'd make it as spicy as we liked. Wonderful!
The flight from LAX-Nadi was really nice. The plane was about 70% full, so we had plenty of room to stretch out and relax. A couple glasses of wine and Advil PM did the trick! The flight crew was very friendly and attentive, and the food was certainly tolerable........about what you expect these days flying coach. The flight back to LAX was a bit more stressful. The 747 was totally full, so we did not have the luxury of an empty seat between us. Nevertheless, the 10 hours went as quickly as it could and we arrived LAX tired but happy. We had a 5 hour layover in LA, so we spent that time in the Alaska boardroom and got a chance to unwind before our SEA flight.
Overall, we both give the trip 5-stars!! On the way back, we both talked about our return trip and what we'd do differently. I think the main thing is we'd stay longer, at least 10 nights. It was possibly the most restful trip we've ever had, but I think that's part of the laid-back attitude on the island. We loved it and certainly want to go again.
Thank you so much for your recommendations and help making this work so smoothly. The entire trip was flawless without a single problem. Vinaka to you and the rest of the McCoy team!!
Best wishes,
P.S. We met a local lady at a beach bar and we were invited to her village, Vatukarasa, about 5 miles from the Outrigger, for her cousin's 16th birthday. It was complete with very native food and kava ceremony until the wee hours of the morning. It was quite an experience, but that's a story for another time!
Thanks again,
B. & J. Kemper
Bothell, WA
If you enjoy the comments about this Travel Advisor, and want more information about this resort/service or any other vacation planning, click here
Posts
