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“Bula vinaka, Fiji” The iconic, stylish and sophisticated, Radisson Blu was stun-
ning, with leading edge design and a genuine, inviting ambi-
The word “Bula” (pronounced as boolah) literally means ance and certainly impressed our little party. Our “standard
“life” and is most commonly used as a greeting, meaning accommodation” was more like luxury than standard.
“hello!”. Using bula in this way is to express wishes for
one’s good health and the full saying is “Ni sa bula vinaka,” The weather was very kind to us with only one cloudy day,
(pronounced as nee-sahm-bula-veenaka) which equates to otherwise beautiful sunshine. Being a tropical destination,
“wishing you happiness and good health.” An appropriate Fiji weather is generally pleasant and fairly mild through the
response to bula in this context is “Bula vinaka.” year, however there is a wet and dry season. February falls
There is no doubt that the highlight of our recent Fijian visit into the middle of the Fijian summer and experiences the
was to find such a happy and committed people, who make warmest temperatures of the year along with high humidity.
that extra effort to ensure that every visitor enjoys the very During our stay the maximum temperature reached 33°C /
best in hospitality, warm, thoughtful service and the kind- 91°F and the minimum was 21°C / 70°F, which was at night.
ness that has made Fiji such a special destination. Everybody, We found the weather “perfect”.
but everybody, calls Bula out to you and this encapsulates the
Fijian spirit. If the scenery doesn’t do it, the people certainly What really impressed us was the fact that we were encour-
will. aged to “walk” next door, and to all the “other next doors”,
or to take the Bula Bus to visit the more distant venues. This
On our visit, Birthdays were the most celebrated occasions bus takes you on a round trip of about 20 minutes and takes
at all the Denarau Island resorts. There were weddings on in The Terraces, Port Denarau Marina, Sofitel Resort, Westin
the go as well, and I am sure a number of honeymooners, Resort and Spa, Sheraton Villas, Sheraton Fiji Resort, our
but Birthdays topped the list. The staff, all musically talent- Radisson Blu, the Wyndham and the Denarau Golf and Rac-
ed, sang Happy Birthday to you, etc., with a second verse of quet Club. The 5 day pass was relatively inexpensive.
Happy Long Life to you…etc. to the same tune. We thought
that this added a really nice touch and it, being our youngest There’s also a great selection of restaurants throughout the
daughter’s 35th Birthday, we got the full treatment first hand. resorts and the port facilities, offering tempting cuisine such
We flew from Melbourne, Australia direct to Nan Nadi, Fiji as sushi, burgers, spicy curries and seafood platters. Sunset
on a Virgin flight that took 5 hours flying time. Our return is normally when one gets to witness the nightly cultural
took longer due to us having to fly via Sydney to catch an on- performances.
ward domestic flight to Melbourne. But I am sure you would
much rather hear about our “Resort” style holiday on one of Our best value for money was a 20 minute boat trip to South
the amazing 333 tropical islands that make up the friendly Sea Island that took up most of the day.
Fiji Islands in the heart of the South Pacific.
The island could not have been more than a couple of acres
We were booked in at the Radisson Blu Resort Fiji, which is and we were greeted off the boat by the locals and treated to
located on Denarau Island from the 11th to the 19th Febru- a BBQ lunch, followed by cultural singing and warrior war
ary. Denarau Island is only a bridge distance from the island dances. There was snorkelling and a semi-submersible boat
on which Nadi Airport is situated. The resort is right at the ride, where you could view the corral and fish life that is so
water’s edge and alongside other well-known hotel chains, prevalent around the island.
such as The Hilton, Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa, Sheraton Fiji
Resort, Big Blue Fiji, Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa, The Not only would this have been good value at FJD$180 per
Palms Denarau and The Terraces. All are beautifully laid out person, but we got it for FJD$10 instead, and, all we had to
in their individual styles, catering for the most discerning do, was sit through a 90 minute presentation on a type of
traveller. time / share at the Wyndham next door. Mind you, it would

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