Fiji - Day 1 & 2 - Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa

Yesterday we flew to Fiji. For most of the year, Fiji wasn’t on our radar. First, we really wanted to visit Russia and Eastern Europe, but then Putin attacked Ukraine and that plan was out. Then we were thinking about visiting some Baltic and Eastern European nations, but when we decided to sell our home over the summer, planning a two-week trip to Europe felt daunting. It would have been one more thing we didn’t have time and energy for. We weren't sure what we should do. Then I found a deal on Tik Tok for flights to Fiji. That sounded much more relaxing and Alison and I agreed we could use more relaxation in our lives. 

We did the bare minimum of planning this trip. We bought flights, booked a hotel, and planned a few activities. Mostly we decided to figure out everything else once we arrived. 

We tried something new this trip we took Trax to the SLC airport. It was slick. We walked to the station from our apartment. We did have to switch trains, but that only added a few minutes to our trip. The train took us right to the airport terminal. While it takes a little longer than just getting a ride to the airport it could not have been more convenient or comfortable. 

The flight to Fiji, while long, wasn’t bad at all. We flew from SLC to LA on Delta on Friday night. Then we flew from LA to Fiji on Fiji air. The flight from LA to Fiji was a little over 10 hours. To me, this is a great length for an international flight. Our flight took off just before midnight on Friday. I fell asleep pretty immediately and slept for about 7 hours. Once I woke up I had time to watch a couple of movies and eat breakfast before we landed. I felt pretty good when I got off the plane. Fiji had lingering Covid restrictions, they were requiring everyone to test within 72 hours of arrival, but they canceled that requirement right before we left. So we only had to present our vaccine cards and proof of health insurance. We are so glad Covid restrictions are largely a thing of the past. It is nice not having that extra layer of stress. 

We landed around 6 am. On Sunday morning. Since we crossed the international date line Saturday never happened for us. Skipping a day is an interesting experience. The sun was rising as we touched down. The hues of orange and red over the mountains ringing the island were beautiful. A little girl was sitting in the row in front of us on the plane. She couldn’t have been more than ~4 or 5. When we landed she began telling the guy sitting next to her about how her mom bought her a special paw patrol pillow for the flight. She also wanted to show everyone that Bluey was in her PJs. She was a cute little kid and was melting Alison’s heart. 

We grabbed a taxi at the airport and headed to our hotel. We are staying at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa. It is located right in the ocean. We arrived at our hotel at 7 am. They didn’t have a room ready (which we expected) so they sent us to the buffet for breakfast. It was excellent. The number one thing we have noticed about Fiji is that every person we have met has been unbelievably hospitable. Everyone goes out of their way to make us feel welcome, more so than anywhere else we have visited. The hospitality is quite impressive. Also, 90+% of the people staying at our hotel are Australian, which makes sense since it is a pretty easy flight from there. It also means vegemite is a really popular condiment at the breakfast buffet. 

Breakfast views

After breakfast, we changed into swimsuits and sat by the pool. Not a bad way to spend the morning. This hotel is beautiful. The pool area is quite large. This would be an enjoyable place to bring kids. As long as you could get them through the 10+ hour flight. 

We spent the entire morning and afternoon lounging by the pool. It was fabulous. When we were thirsty they brought us drinks and when we were hungry we ordered tacos. What a way to spend the day. 

In the afternoon our room was ready for check-in.  It is spacious and comfortable with a nice ocean view. We could get used to this life.

 In the evening we walked to Port Denarau. The port is only a couple of hundred yards from our hotel, but most of that is water. So we had to walk the long way round, which is about a mile. Port Denarau is the closest town area - there is lots of shopping and restaurants tonight we ate at Bonefish. This is a waterfront seafood restaurant. It was excellent. They seated us right next to the water - seafood always tastes better in places that have a view of the ocean. We watched a vibrant colorful sunset as we dined and walked back under a full moon. Fiji is pretty dreamy.