Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Bula!







Our first travel post will be about none other than our fabulous Honeymoon!  We spent a week in Fiji and loved every single second of it. After scouring the hotel's website for what felt like months, I had high expectations of what we would experience.  Fiji did not disappoint. 

 Our plane to Taveuni.  The entire plane. 


Location:  Taveuni Island, Fiji.  Taveuni is located an hour northeast of mainland Nadi in the Fiji Islands and is known as the Garden Island of Fiji.  It's very lush, with waterfalls abundant and plant life growing beautifully for miles on end.  There are few "resorts" on this island and the hotels here focus more on local culture as opposed to pool size.

The Meridian Line!  Stood in yesterday and today! :)

Bouma Falls

Hotel:  Paradise Taveuni Resort   We cannot say enough great things about this resort!  The staff was so attentive and friendly and seem to genuinely enjoy their work here.  The bures were clean, updated and the outdoor shower was stunning.  There isn't television or Wi-Fi in the bures (or the entire place for that matter) which allows you to truly unplug.  You'll go to bed at 9pm and wake around 7am feeling like you just had the best night's sleep of your life.  Because you just did.

 


            Staff:  They all knew your name before you arrived, they all wanted to chat and get to know you better and all genuinely seemed to enjoy what they do!  Our favorite staffer was probably Mikaeli though.  He was so willing to share his story and the stories of the island and we were like kids waiting to hear a bedtime story for all of it.  He would insist on being our guide for certain excursions and even sat with us at the airport until we literally boarded the plane.  He's a good man, with a gentle heart and a life that we would think is sub-par by American standards yet he is the happiest man I think I've ever met.  We miss him so much!
 
Mikaeli

Spa:  WOW!  That's all I can say!  We enjoyed a 3.5 hour couple's massage treatment (massage, sugar scrub and a facial), pedicures and another couple's massage during our stay.  Cannot say enough great things about this spa!  It's perched on a small ledge overlooking the ocean and the sounds reminded me of one of those spa CDs you can buy at Bed Bath and Beyond.  Only this time, we listened to the real thing! 


Diving:  I got my advanced certification while in Taveuni and I couldn't be happier that I chose to complete it there.  The diving is literally the best in the world with many divers putting Fiji above the Great Barrier Reef in terms of beauty.  We saw more coral than I think we'll ever see in our lives, school of thousands of fish, manta rays, sharks, pilot whales, massive titan trigger fish and so much more!  It's impossible to sift through the photos from our diving excursions and pick just a few so feel free to visit http://curtisgulick.com/curtisgulick.com/photography/fiji2010/ to see some of the pictures we captured underwater!  We're uploading more daily so check back often to see my husband's incredible photography talent! :)

Out of 10 stars, we give Paradise Taveuni 12.  :)  We cannot wait to return!  If you're considering a trip to Fiji (which we highly recommend) let us know and we're happy to help!

                                

How We Did It:  75,000 American Airline Miles each; flew from DFW to LAX to NAD.  
American from DFW to LAX and Air Pacific to and From Nadi.  Coach all the way.  
Tickets would have cost: $2400 for two, LAX - NAD - LAX
$800 for two, DFW - LAX / LAX - DFW
Saved over $3000 using miles! 

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