Fiji is one of those faraway romantic places one dreams of when bogged down the day-to-day grind of life, a reverie of a place to escape and unwind in the midst of tranquility. Little did I know how accurate my vision would be of our actual getaway.
Fiji comprises 300 islands in the South Pacific. Deciding which island or islands to visit proved a bit daunting. The international airport was on the main island and to reach other islands involved either smaller planes, boats or helicopters, all of which added a significant cost in time and money to the trip. I opted to search for accommodations on the main island and decided on Wananavu Resort on the sunny north shore. It was a 3 hour drive from the airport and combined with the 11 hour flight was the shortest in duration with respect to travel.
We arrived at Nadi airport in the wee hours of the morning, so we spent the ride to the resort catching up on some much needed rest and sleep.
Upon our arrival and after a brief check-in, we were ushered to the dining area for breakfast which was happily a traditional American fare of bacon, eggs, hash browns and pancakes.
Nourished and reenergized, we headed to our beachfront bure which was a fairly nice sized room.
It had a front outdoor porch and inside, there was a king sized bed with an air conditioning unit directly above it.
There was also a sitting area on the side of the room and the bathroom with a walk in shower was directly behind it, adjacent to the bedroom.
We immediately unpacked our bags, grabbed our swimsuits and headed to the water.
I was shocked at how remote and isolated our location was.
It was very quiet, and there was nobody on the beach or in the ocean. It was as if we had the entire resort to ourselves.
For the next week, we swam in the ocean as well as the pristine pool on-site,
practiced yoga on the front porch of our bure, worked out with our TRX in the room, walked on the beach,
had many refreshing drinks and were served beautifully presented food.
The resort provided an eclectic selection of meals with some being the traditional American fare intermingled with Indian inspired dishes, paying homage to the commingling of cultures on the island.
In addition to the resort activities, we partook in a few off-site excursions. My husband went on one full day dive trip and on the other days, we snorkeled, went on a picnic at a neighboring island and
took a tour of the outdoor farmers market.
We learned a bit about the Fijian culture and was shocked to hear that cannibalism was in fashion for some time and that Indians were once brought over as indentured servants to work the fields. After a period of time, the Indians were given their freedom, and they used that opportunity to start their lives and through hard work and perseverance, successfully surpassed the Fijians in monetary success, causing a bit of resentfulness amongst the natives.
All in all, Wananavu was a wonderful place to decompress and get off the grid. The lush landscaping, the rustic bure and the serenity of the resort provided us an opportunity to recharge our batteries.
We have very fond memories of the one place in our travels that gave us the freedom to live a slower pace of life by providing us an environment in which we could immerse ourselves in the beautiful, peaceful, natural surroundings that we have come to know as Wananavu.
Wananavu Resort
Volivoli Road
Sun Coast, Fiji
My first trip to Cancun was a present from my father to commemorate my college graduation. My roommates and I chose Club Med for our celebratory vacation, because it was a direct five hour flight from Los Angeles, was all-inclusive and reasonably priced. At the time, alcohol was excluded, but all the meals and activities were part of the package.
Being on a limited budget, we opted for many of their on-site offerings which included snorkeling, windsurfing and sailing lessons.
During that trip, we met a couple of guys from Los Angeles who had previously visited the resort and knew their way around the town. They led us to the bus stop which was accessible by way of the resort next door, and we spent a few nights on the strip, exploring restaurants and the local club scene.
The bar for all future vacations had been set.
Eight years later I returned for my second visit. By then, I was gainfully employed so I was able to afford other outings which were not financially feasible on my initial trip.
There were day trips to Coba and Chichen Itza as well as outings to Tulum and Xcaret.
Of the three Mayan ruins, Coba was the oldest of the archaeological sites built primarily with a network of stone paths and structures.
People moved into the area between 50 BC and 100 AD.
Hundreds of years later, around 600 AD, Chichen Itza was established.
In contrast to Coba, Chichen Itza was quite expansive and very well developed with distinct architectural styles.
The Mayan ruin of Tulum was the newest of the ruins estimated to have been constructed between 1200 and 1450 AD.
It was also the smallest of the three sites but had the best location, jutting above the turquoise seas of the Yucatan Peninsula.
My favorite excursion was my visit to the ecological park, Xcaret, where I was able to explore caves and stalagmites while floating on an underground river.
The park also offered a few cultural shows, giving an insight to the Mayan traditions and historical background.
One of my fondest memories was lounging on one of Xcaret’s beaches, ensconced in a hammock, being lulled to sleep by the warm rays of the sun, the hypnotic rhythm of the waves and the gentle caress of the breeze.
By my next two visits in 2009 and 2014, Club Med Cancun had segued from an adults only resort to a family-oriented destination.
As always, there were theme nights, ranging from White nights which required being garbed in all white attire, to Elegant which ranged from cocktail to formal attire, to “45,” which required guests to buy “45” Club Med t-shirts from the gift shop.
The significance of that number was the celebration of the 45th anniversary of Club Med which was a successful celebration, generating added revenue prompting management to continue the evening theme on a go forward basis.
With the segue from adults-only to families, there was definitely a shift in the entertainment at the resort.
Long gone were the days when dinners made way for heavy imbibing and hedonistic dance parties.
The resort switched gears and focused on comprehensive family entertainment which involved the staff rehearsing for hours, days and weeks at a time, much like for any Broadway or Cirque du Soleil performance.
The nights were replete with choreographed dances and musicals in the indoor theatre, skits at the makeshift outdoor theatre,
trapeze performances and family friendly beachside dance parties.
The resort still had the infamous foam parties, but in lieu of the late night indoor scantily clad adults writhing to the beats of the DJ’s mixes on-site, the party morphed into a daytime, G-rated BBQ party, surrounded by families on beach beds, guests playing beach volleyball and kids building sand castles.
I have visited Club Med Cancun at various stages of my life, but it was the place for many of my “firsts.” It was my first trip out of the country, my first vacation after graduating from college, the place where I learned to snorkel and where I had my first drink.
Of all the places I have been, Club Med Cancun stands out amongst the rest, and its turquoise seas, warm sandy beaches and clear blue skies will always have a special place in my heart.
Club Med Cancun
https://www.clubmed.us/r/Cancun-Yucatan/y?CMCID=SNN82930636056
Grace Gambin
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