Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Fiji March 2015: Fiji Thoughts & Royal Davui Resort

THOUGHTS ABOUT FIJI 
&
THE ROYAL DAVUI RESORT
Royal Davui
Fiji is one of the more magical places in the world.  I know Fiji seems far away and it is but it is worth a visit because it is special.  The Fijian people make this a special place.  Tourism and your comfort is in their blood.  Their smiles are real as is their hospitality.  You are welcomed “home” with a huge, loud, “BULA” and they sincerely mean it.

Fiji is beautiful and quite unspoiled.  There are so many islands that comprise Fiji.  Some
Wonderful Fijian People
have expensive resorts while some are for “daytrippers” which are people finding their way around the islands looking for basic accommodations and everywhere in between.  Some resorts are all inclusive while others are not.  There is a resort for everyone.  There are resorts for adults only with strict age limits while others are more family oriented and all from 3-5 star.  


Having a travel consultant that knows the differences can make your trip.  I ran into two sets of people who had booked on the internet and were unhappy with their plans.  One did not realize that amount of children that were at their resort and it was their honeymoon.  The other couple received bad advise about their flight which they missed.  They also had a very long 8 hour layover at Fiji's domestic airport with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

The Fijian waters are clean with tons of fish and coral to see.  Remember, this is the land of Fiji Water!  

Right now, I'm at Royal Davui which is an adult only resort with only 16 bures up on a hill overlooking the blue, blue water.  It's sunset and everything is quiet and the air is still.  Beautiful!

Getting to Royal Davui is a challenge and not for nervous travelers.  We left our previous resort, Likuluku at 11:00 AM on a large catamaran and arrived into Port Denarau at noon.  Rosie Holidays transferred us 20 minutes to the domestic terminal where we waited for our flight that left at 3:00 PM.  

We saw our plane at the domestic terminal.  It was a twin engine with 10 seats.  We flew 40 minutes across the island and landed on a small air strip.  From there, we were transferred 10 minutes to a boat dock off a tiny local motel.  The final leg of our journey took 35 minutes on a speed boat.  I asked a member of the crew if the ride was always bumpy (which it was) and he said sometimes less and sometimes more.  We arrived at 4:30 PM.  The return will be the reverse.
Premium Plunge Pool Vale
We were shown to a Premium Plunge Pool Vale.  The room is divided into different areas with only the bedroom/bathroom having air conditioning.  The view is beautiful as I've mentioned.  There are stairs from one room to another and this could be challenging to someone with mobility issues.  

The property is quite small.  Because it sits on a hill you need to access places such as the restaurant, beach or spa via stairs.  The beach is small but has all that is needed to make it comfortable.  There are plenty of non-motorized sports and daily activities such as snorkeling trips or a visit to the local village planned to keep you interested.  In general, the service is good but not at the 5 star level.
Premium Plunge Pool Vale
The spa is small but lovely. I had the best treatment with Nina in my Fiji travels so far.

The food at Royal Davui is the most limited that we have had during our time in Fiji.  It's good but not great with many items just missing the mark.  Most non-alcoholic, alcoholic drinks and snacks are not included in the all-inclusive rate.

For me, part of this journey has been learning about the logistics of Fiji.  How to get around the islands, the best routing for guests trying to explore, and the differences between the resorts.  Royal Davui is not for everyone.  If you are looking for an adult only resort that is romantic, tropical and far from crowds you will be happy at Royal Davui.

Stay tuned!

The World is Our Playground!



Mari

No comments:

Post a Comment