Nadi
We stopped by Fiji primarily to break up the flight back from New Zealand back to the US. We had always wanted to visit this island paradise and heard glowing reviews from my husband, who had just returned from a diving trip there. The idea of a few days at the beach before heading back to civilization was too big of a lure to pass up!
Our purpose in selecting Fiji was not necessarily to tour the island, but more to relax and enjoy ourselves in the sun for a few days. The Sofitel Fiji Resort was a perfect place to accomplish this! We stayed in the “Adults Only” part of the resort which was outstanding. No kids screaming at the pool, there was a restaurant and bar right in the area and mocktails and hors d oeuvres were served all afternoon poolside. I thought I’d never get Mom to leave!
The rooms were top notch. Very comfortable beds and the usual amenities. The small room refrigerator held some drinks and snacks, of which you could trade out for snacks and drinks you preferred.
The beach was nonexistent at this particular location and the pool area was separated by a retaining wall from the ocean. The pools were large and beautifully landscaped, and you did not have to rush out to “save” a chair in the morning.
Breakfast was included and was served in an outdoor open area where you ordered from a menu of several selections. Dinner and lunch options included the restaurant in the Adults Only area plus several restaurants in the family area of the resort. All of the food was very good and reasonably priced.
Mom and I availed ourselves of the spa for an hour massage one day and it was stellar. Again, reasonably priced. You can’t be TOO relaxed at a beach resort!
We went outside the resort several days to walk down the to harbor and walk off all of those hors d oeuvres. The resort was located in a safe and prosperous area which had many what I’m sure were very expensive homes. The harbor had boats touting trips to snorkeling and dive sites, but we were content to rest in our loungers at the hotel.
As a sidenote, we like to stop at a convenience store on the way to any hotel or resort to pick up some necessities. Your driver will usually allow for this and a little extra tip is a small price to pay, but do be quick. It is always less expensive to pick up a bottle of wine, cheese/crackers and sweeties at a small shop instead of having to dine at a restaurant for every meal. Which is usually way too much food for us in one day anyway. Sometimes we do split meals, especially at dinner, if the servings are large. To avoid issue with the restaurant, we ask in advance and usually order wine, a separate salad, vegetables, etc. to round out the order and avoid any side-eye looks.
All in all a very nice three days of complete relaxation before yet two more long flights to get home. If you have the time to stopover, we highly recommend it!
Where we stayed: Sofitel Fiji Resort; Adult Village. Centrally located, good breakfast buffet. Rooms very nice. Also had stocked snacks and drinks in mini-refrig and served mocktails and hors d’ oeurves
How we got there: Flight from Auckland and private transport to hotel.This was at the end of a four-week private tour through New Zealand. We began in Auckland and ended in Queenstown with a stop over in Fiji..
General Accessibility Information: Major tourist areas, hotels and some transportation in most major cities are accessible. Tourism Transport Fiji (TTF) offers wheelchair accessible transfers, day tours, and beach wheelchair rentals. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements.See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.
