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Fiji / Thurs Jan 31

Since the last blog post we crossed the International Date Line and lost a day! We went to sleep Sunday night and when we woke the next morning, it was Tuesday. Monday completely disappeared. Plus we've pushed the clock back another hour (3rd time so far on this trip). Now we're a day ahead of the east coast instead of being hours behind. Slightly confusing!

Today we arrived in Lautoka, Fiji. We're going to disembark for several days since we want to spend more time in Fiji. The ship will continue on to New Zealand so after our stay in Fiji we'll fly to Auckland where we'll board it again. 

After tendering in to Lautoka, we took a 40 minute cab ride to Port Denarau. There we boarded a ferry which took us to Tokoriki Island in the Mamanuca island chain. There are only 2 resorts on Tokoriki and this is a description of the one we're staying at:

Priding themselves in warm Fijian hospitality and a high attention to detail, the Tokoriki Island Resort is the go-to property for the ultimate getaway. With 36 beachfront bures and villas, the resort screams tropical luxury and guarantees optimal relaxation. This child-free escape haven has also received a number of awards including: #1 Hotel in the South Pacific, #1 Hotel in Fiji, #16 Hotel in the World, and #1 Romantic Hotel in Fiji. 

Bula! This place was amazing! We were greeted with smiles and a song as we got off the ferry. The staff knew our names within minutes of our arrival. Everyone who worked there was so kind, friendly and happy.
We stayed in a private bure which had indoor and outdoor showers, a private plunge pool and a beautiful view of the ocean and sunsets.


Our outdoor shower!

View from our bure
Inside our bure
 


 The grounds were beyond beautiful.... 



The chapel




The library area






















That's Larry hanging off the edge of the infinity pool!



The ferry came twice a day











 

The meals were all delicious and beautifully presented.

Each night the torches around the main pool and dining area were lit with a ceremony ...

One night we had 'dinner for two' ocean-side. Very romantic ...



In the background of many of these photos is Monriki Island where the Tom Hanks movie 'Castaway' was filmed.

Guests get to Tokoriki Island several ways. We took the ferry but others arrive by helicopter or sea plane.





And then all too quickly our 4 days in paradise were over. :-(  

Our new friend Noah made a lovely toast and the staff sang to us again. Then we heard the drum beat and knew it was time to board the ferry and go back to Nadi so we could catch a flight to our next stop - Auckland, New Zealand. Vinaka to everyone at Tokoriki!


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