Fiji

Fiji is a beautiful island that makes up part of the pacific islands, approximately three hours from New Zealand and four hours from Australia.

It’s lush tropical greenery, unspoilt beaches and near perfect weather make it a must-see destinations for those who seek a little more than just your average bucket and spade job on the costa del crime.

Fiji, although a long way to travel, is well worth it as a stopover on to Australasia or Asia. It is world-renowned for it’s water sports and is on any avid dive enthusiasts top ten worldwide dive spots list.

If there’s adventure in your soul, Fiji is the place to indulge it. The Fiji Islands in the South Pacific are an archipelago of over 330 islands packed with attractions that can be found no where else.

A nature lover’s delight, Fiji has an unspoiled, unique environment of extreme beauty and tranquility. Adrift in splendid isolation in the blue of the South Pacific it has escaped the evils of industrial progress, the incursions of dangerous animals, poisonous snakes, spiders and pestilent diseases such as malaria.

Sonaisali Island resort is a privately owned island approximately forty minutes from Nadi airport (served by Air Pacific). It’s just a short boat trip from the mainland and as soon as you leave the taxi, you are greeted with a very warm hearted welcome and every need is taken care of.

Sonaisali Island Resort

The beauty of Sonaisali is that it is a very relaxed resort in many ways. It’s not specifically aimed at any type of person – so there’s no ghastly collective of very straight honeymooning couples, there is no over abundance of screaming spoilt brats and it’s definitely not for big groups of youths out on the pull. What you get is a group of people connected only loosely by their love of relaxation, top service and prime water sports.

This makes it a great destination for gay couples and groups alike. You’re not going to be bothered by men on the prowl and you’re definitely not going to get a raised eyebrow for checking into a double. The Fijians are incredibly relaxed and welcoming to all, so even if you travel alone, you are sure to feel safe and comfortable.

It’s worth noting that Fiji is a generally cheap place to visit. If included as a stopover, you’ll find that pretty much everything is affordable, which means you can do as little or as much as you like. There’s plenty to see and do and as Fiji is an eco-friendly island, there are plenty of conversation projects to explore on the mainland as well as in the resort itself.

You can partake in island pony-trekking if adrenalin sports are not your thing, but if you need more of a buzz there’s jet-ski scuba diving available. This involves a half hour jet-ski ride to the barrier reef and then a couple of hours lazy snorkelling. This is perfect for even the weakest of swimmer – surrounding the island is very shallow water for at least a couple of miles, and then when nearing the reef, your guide ensures you are kept a watchful eye over at all times. It’s a small group that heads out daily, so you’re sure of a great day, alone or in a group.

For the hunter-gatherer in you, you can try your hand at big game fishing. It may be something that is considered to be somewhat of a male arena, but is surprising fun and even if you don’t go for the whole fishing thing, it’s still worth getting the boat early in the morning to catch the sunrise as it comes up over the stunningly beautiful island as you head off to the great deep blue ocean to have your fun.

The captain of the boat and guide are on hand to provide the equipment and advice you need for a top day out, and you’ll no doubt be surprised at how excited you get when you catch your first fish in these abundant, clear waters.

If you do find that you get into catching something, the world-class chef at the resort will prepare the fish for dinner that evening in a way that would make Nigella ashamed of her cookery skills. What’s more, he’ll personall pop out to explain everything he’s done and even invite you to help prepare if you so wish.

Needless to say, you don’t actually have to do anything in Fiji. It’s a great place to relax too. You can lie on thee private beach and have a long line of drinks brought to you by one of the friendly bar staff as you read, sleep or simply chill out to the sound of the ocean. Once you tire of lying in the sun all day, you can head back to your ocean front bure and have one of many fantastic in-room beauty treatments.

Whatever you decide to do or not to in Fiji, you’ll begin to wish you lived that little bit nearer so that you can visit more than once in a very beautiful blue moon.

Visit www.sonaisali.com for more information. Rates start at 462 Fijian dollars per night (approximately GBP140 per night, per room). Check with your local travel agent who can provide packages.

Flights can be included as a stopover on a round world flight with British Airways. Visit www.ba.com.

Visit www.bulafiji.com for more information about Fiji.