Fiji Relaxation

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Just as the start of this trip began with an early morning flight from Hanoi to Singapore, so too did this next segment. Thinh had stayed the night and went with me to the airport this morning. We got a Grab at 04:15 and arrived with plenty of time to spare. Since I wasn’t checking a bag, we didn’t have to wait in a horribly long queue. However, I was required to get a paper boarding pass because the Hanoi security people don’t let passengers use digital boarding passes for reasons which escape me. Thankfully there was a very short line for passengers who had checked in online, which helped expedite the process. It was then time for me to head through passport control and security. I kissed Thinh goodbye and he waited until I went behind the wall to the passport control area.

Once through security, I waited for Starbucks to open and got myself some coffee. Thinh had taken a Grab bike home from the airport, which made me happy. The first bus that could get him home wasn’t leaving for another 90 minutes and I didn’t want him waiting at the airport for so long, especially since he was so tired. My flight took off at 07:35 and I was asleep before the plane was done taxiing to the runway.

I landed back in Singapore shortly before noon and had a nine hour layover until my next flight. I grabbed lunch at the airport and then went to the Jewel mall for a little while. At 15:00 I discovered that I could do early check in for my flight, which meant that I could go through security sooner than planned. Changi is an amazing airport and there are plenty of ways to pass the time at the airport, especially after security. The time flew by and before I knew it, it was time to board my next flight.

I was flying to Fiji this evening, where I would spend the next several days before my cruise. I had an aisle seat located near the front of the aircraft. Since it was an overnight flight, I had only enough energy to stay awake for the dinner meal service before I drifted off to sleep.

 
Sunday, July 20, 2025

Country 138: Fiji

I landed in Nadi, Fiji shortly after 11:00 this morning. The airport, while small, was nice. The walkways to the boarding ramps were all outdoors, which I found interesting (thankfully it wasn’t raining when I arrived!). Clearing passport control was easy and, once outside the terminal, I found my transfer driver. The drive from airport to hotel took only 15 minutes and I was warmly greeted by the hotel staff.

It was too early for check-in, but I left my suitcase at reception and went out to the beachside restaurants to pass the time. There were three restaurants all next to one another and they all had the exact same menu (they obviously had a shared kitchen). The one in the middle had the more appealing atmosphere and shade under some trees, so I chose a table there for the afternoon. I did some reading and watched Netflix as I ate my lunch. The chicken fried rice I ordered was alright, though nothing outstanding.

At 15:00 I was able to get checked in to my room, which turned out to be an apartment, completed with kitchenette and a washer/dryer. The bed was insanely comfortable! The balcony didn’t have a great view and I knew I wouldn’t utilize that space. I curled up in bed and spent must of the afternoon relaxing since I was so tired from traveling.

I eventually dragged myself out of the room and back down to the row of restaurants for a late dinner. This time I decided to eat at the restaurant associated with my hotel. I wasn’t very hungry, so I ordered a chicken wrap for dinner. The service was very slow and a bit bizarre – I was told to sit anywhere, but then discovered that the waitress was waiting for me to return to the bar to place my order, rather than coming to the table. The wrap was so-so, but just enough for this evening. Then I returned to my room and crawled into bed for the night.

 
Monday, July 21, 2025 – Tuesday, July 22, 2025

My time visiting Fiji was primarily focused on relaxing at the hotel/resort. Though, truth be told, calling it a ‘resort’ was a bit of a stretch. True, it was a beachfront hotel, but the property was very small and the only places to spend any time were at the restaurants lining the beach where I’d hung out on my first afternoon. The beach itself was mediocre – nothing like the idyllic beach that one envisages when thinking of Fiji. Rather, it was a wide and empty area, devoid of any beach chairs or umbrellas, no other beachside cafes or restaurants aside from those at my hotel, etc. It wasn’t a white sandy beach either, but had a darker color that made it appear dirty. I saw no one out enjoying the beach or the ocean during my stay. For the price I had paid for this ‘resort’, I’d expected more from the property and location.

A hotel next door to mine had a coffee shop and I went over there for breakfast my first morning. I had an iced latte, along with pancakes and honey. The portion was large and the food was good. However, the vibe of the place wasn’t relaxing and I didn’t want to stay there very long (I’d hoped to spend some time reading). I ended up back in my room for some of the morning before heading down to the beachside restaurant for lunch, where I hung out for several hours. This was much more conducive to relaxing with a good book, though the staff hovered around and I felt as though I should constantly be ordering something. I had dinner at the restaurant as well before calling it a night.

My second full day was spent similarly to the first, though I skipped breakfast entirely. I was up very early this morning and managed to see a stunning sunrise! The day was alright, though I was slightly bored. I’d hoped that this hotel would be a proper resort along a better beach (the photos online did not match reality), so I’d not planned any activities for my stay. The hotel offered several daily tours, but they were insanely overpriced and none of them captured my interest. In the evening, I got my bags ready for departure in the morning.