I still can’t believe I went to Fiji. I am happy to say it WAS on my bucket list and now it is crossed off. Yay! Fiji was a fantastic country with beautiful people. The food was excellent ( I will get into that more), the weather was dreamy and the experience of visiting the South Pacific was so meaningful.
Before I went to Fiji I spent hours reading and researching to prepare for this trip. I wanted to know more about the culture, what to expect and see what others have experienced in Fiji. None of the hundreds of videos I watched and blog posts I read gave me any of the information I am about to share with you.
Here are 5 things you need to know before you go to Fiji
Before I went to Fiji I spent hours reading and researching to prepare for this trip. I wanted to know more about the culture, what to expect and see what others have experienced in Fiji. None of the hundreds of videos I watched and blog posts I read gave me any of the information I am about to share with you.
Here are 5 things you need to know before you go to Fiji
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Wearing My favorite look I made especially for my trip to Fiji
Get a Rental Car
I can’t stress this enough. You. Need. A. Rental. The island has so many great things to do and to see but taxis are rare. Initially, I was going to rely on taxis and UBERS but neither were as available as I thought. Having my own car let me hop in and go. It was not a fancy rental which was totally okay but it got me where I needed to go. If you check out my Fiji VLOG, all of the excursions I did required me to drive there. Good thing I had my rental car.
You must visit Garden of the Sleeping Giant in Fiji. It so lush, green and looks like a scene from the Jungle Book.
Places to Visit in Fiji:
- Garden of the Sleeping Giant
- Any of the many beaches
- Downtown Nadi
- Chicken Express, the KFC of Fiji
Chicken Express is the equivalent of KFC in Fiji.
There So Many Resorts in Fiji
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Traditional American Style Breakfast at Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay
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Fiji is a small island but boy does it have a lot of resorts. There are over 100 resorts in Fiji so it can be difficult to choose. There are also many reviews, blog posts and vlogs about different properties in Fiji. For me it was simple. I am a loyal Marriott client and after reading online, I learned a new Marriott resort opened in April of 2017. I had to check it out.
The Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay is a resort with everything for everyone. Upon arrival we were welcomed with fresh ice tea. The lobby is outdoors so while we being checked in we had a full view of the property. There are great facilities for children including a daycare, playground and children’s pool. I made many kiddie friends while I was there and even though I don’t have children, I never felt like they were disrupting my trip because they had their own space to jump around. |
Lounge area in our suite
The property was so large you needed to travel in a golf cart to get around. There was so much to do on the resort. With over 5 restaurants, a shopping area and a variety store, we pretty much did not need to leave. There was also an adult only pool area. I loved going to the adult pool because of the lovely cabanas, poolside bar and restaurant nearby.
Chilling at the Adult Only Pool
Marriott in Fiji property has many different types of rooms to fit any budget. Because the resort is so large, there are traditional hotels rooms as well as over water villas and beach side villas. With the variety of rooms there are different price points. You could have a family style room or a private honeymoon experience like I did.
The room we stayed in was one of a kind. It was a completely detached private villa with a private beach. This room was one of the most stunning rooms I have stayed in my traveling career. There is a complete tour of the room in my video on my Youtube Channel. I loved the wet room with athe rain shower. The soaker tub was my absolutely fav as well as the King-size bed.
The resort was pretty much a world of its own. Along with excellent service from the staff, there were many actitivies, performances and places to lounge during the day. You pretty much did not have to leave the property for any entertainment but we did.
The room we stayed in was one of a kind. It was a completely detached private villa with a private beach. This room was one of the most stunning rooms I have stayed in my traveling career. There is a complete tour of the room in my video on my Youtube Channel. I loved the wet room with athe rain shower. The soaker tub was my absolutely fav as well as the King-size bed.
I love suites because they have sitting areas I can relax in after a long day at the beach. The private patio doubled as a breakfast spot and as place to get quick workout in. the gym on the property was very far away from our room but that is only because we had a the best room on the property so it was quite a bit of way from the lobby and common areas of the resort. Every morning we ran to the gym just so we could burn those extra calories.
The resort was pretty much a world of its own. Along with excellent service from the staff, there were many actitivies, performances and places to lounge during the day. You pretty much did not have to leave the property for any entertainment but we did.
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Go to Fiji During Mango Season
Just before heading out to get Mangos. See more on my Youtube Channel.
TIP: Leave the resort and hotel if it is safe and experience the local food and culture.
We went to Fiji in November because it was the best time with our busy schedules. What we did not know was it was the best time to go because it was mango season. If you didn’t know my husband and I are both in love with mangos. So this was major treat.
Everyday after breakfast we would hop in our rental car ( See item 1) and drive out to the main road and buy mangos from the fruit stands on the side of the road. We enjoyed getting mangos and pineapples everyday. They were super fresh, organic and a complete relief from the traditional breakfast at the hotel.
Everyday after breakfast we would hop in our rental car ( See item 1) and drive out to the main road and buy mangos from the fruit stands on the side of the road. We enjoyed getting mangos and pineapples everyday. They were super fresh, organic and a complete relief from the traditional breakfast at the hotel.
Watch my VLOG for clips of the mango stand and great ladies who helped me select the sweetest mangos.
WIFI Woes
All Smiles even without Data or reliable WIFI. Wearing an outfit I made with a Nina Ricci print from Dubai.
One of my biggest fears is showing up in a country and not having WIFI. Well I lived through this nightmare in Fiji. Before I left the US, I called my service provider ( they will remain nameless) and let them know I was going to Fiji, New Zealand and Sydney. They put the note on my account, made some changes and told me I was all set. When I arrived to Fiji, I turned on my phone and to my surprise I had no data. Talk about an instant panic because I was planning on using Google Maps to direct us to the resort. I had to get the directions to the resort the old-fashioned way. I asked for directions at the information booth, one of the airport staff wrote down the directions and we used her hand written map to get us to the resort. So 1991.
I was not happy and called my service provider to find out they did not provide service to Fiji. I would need to get a SIM card or local data plan. By this time I was over it and decided to soley use the resort WIFI. Ladies and Gents, that was a big mistake. The resort WIFI was not consistent at all because once again we were in a secluded area as well as it being a pretty new hotel with a wonky WIFI situation. HMPH! Lesson Learned.
Know Your Islands
FIJI is made up over 300 islands. Pause. Yes I know. Soo many islands right. I would suggest you confirm what island you are staying on and how to get there. This will help with planning your flight, transportation and the excursions. We stayed in Nadi and some of the excursions we wanted to enjoy were on other islands. We weren’t too happy about the cost of getting there. Whomp. Whomp. Nadi had a lot to do so we were okay with this mini mistake.
Wearing Gideon’s Needle
FIJI is a gorgeous country. It is extremebly beautiful, full of culture and the people are so kind. The whole experience of traveling to Fiji, being in the South Pacific region and enjoying the glorious beaches made my trip amazing.
Fiji needs to be next on your travel list.
Go. Explore. Enjoy.
-MsChurchDress
Fiji needs to be next on your travel list.
Go. Explore. Enjoy.
-MsChurchDress
Vibrant photos.
I need a Fiji do over. One thing I got wrong was going in January, torrential rains and a cyclone watch the entire week I was there 😭
And even though I’d been advised to hit Suva for optimal experience, I, too made the mistake of flying into Nadi and staying put. Didn’t really have a choice due to the weather, though.
Your pictures are beautiful and make me want to hop on a plane! My mother went to Fiji years ago during her trip to Australia. It would be amazing to do that. The mangos look delicious! Love your outfits too. Great info.