Skip to main content

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!


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hobart / Mon & Tue Feb 12 & 13

We're docked in Hobart for a day and a half. Hobart is the capitol and largest city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. It's also the second oldest capitol in Australia. Yesterday we went on a private tour with Karin and Joe - a couple from Georgia that we've gotten to know. We took a hike in beautiful Mt. Field National Park, went to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and saw a number of other scenic and historical sites.  To get to Mount Field National Park we drove along the Derwent River. The National Park was quite scenic. We took a long walk and saw some beautiful waterfalls, huge trees and the random wallaby (small kangaroo).   Russell Falls   After Mount Field we had lunch at a cute local restaurant located on the river. Our waitress had an interesting story to tell us about a Zombie Run she'd taken recently in Auckland. Crazy! After lunch we spent a bit of time looking for a platypus. Our tour guide found one in the river n...
Post a Comment
Read more

Monte Carlo / Sat Apr 6

This afternoon we docked in Monte Carlo. We'll be here this evening and all day tomorrow.  As we left Barcelona yesterday the wind picked up and it started to pour. The weather was foul all night and even this morning but as we got closer to Monaco the rain stopped. It's cloudy and chilly (high in the 50's) but it was worth going out on our balcony to watch our arrival. Here are some photos as we pulled in. The Oceanographic Museum The casino Sunday we were in Monte Carlo all day so we spent several hours walking around this amazing city. We saw all the highlights including the Oceanographic Museum, the Cathedral where Princess Grace was married and is buried, the Casino, the Palace and the changing of the guard at noon, some of the gardens and statues and the Market. We had a small bite at the Cafe de Paris and saw where the Grand Prix will be held next month. The Oceanographic Museum Jacques Cousteau was Director of the Ocean...
Post a Comment
Read more

Farewell / Sun & Mon Apr 7 & 8

Three  months have flown by and we've had the most incredible experience. Hard to believe it's time to head home. Crystal did everything in style for our farewell - from the entertainment to saying good-bye at the airport. The singers, dancers, musicians and acrobats that performed on our last evening were amazing! Crystal flew in performers from around the world and the show was outstanding! They even had two people who did a Cirque de Soleil type act. We were in Monte Carlo so the show had a James Bond casino theme.   All the performers on the stage at the end There was a balloon drop to start our journey and another one at the end. It was a very festive way to finish our cruise.         On the day of our departure Crystal provided a private car and driver to take us to the airport in Nice. It was a pretty drive with beautiful views of the Alps. As soon as we got to the airport, a Crystal rep met us and took us to their privat...
Post a Comment
Read more