Suva & The Coral Coast, Fiji — Part 8

While the rest of the Fiji tour group was staying at Royal Davui, I had the chance to take a short side trip to the city of Suva on the east coast of the main island.

Suva is a bustling city, the heartbeat of the island. Some of the things to see while visiting this city is the Parliament House, Governors Mansion, museum and a botanical garden.

Since the British ruled Fiji for almost 100 years from 1870-1970, most of the architecture is very British. This harbor city is frequently visited by major cruise lines on their Australia/South Pacific itineraries. I highly recommend a day trip to Suva. You get to see what the Colonial era was like and enjoy great for shopping as well.

After leaving Royal Davui Resort (sadly), we traveled back along the Coral Coast to visit the Warwick Hotel., 70 miles out of Nadi, 1 ½ hour transfer.

The Warwick is rated 4-stars but I would give it 3. Rooms are tired and would need a complete renovation. They are very dark with mahogany wooden furniture. There was a strong moisture odor throughout the property. The main attraction is a man-made lagoon that allowed swimming throughout the day, while other hotels on the same coral coast are more dependent on the strong tide.

The hotel was full of Australian and New Zealand tourists, families mostly. It was very noisy and to top it all off, loud music was playing throughout the pool areas. Food was actually pretty good. The famous restaurant over the water, named “Wicked Alu,” is a great attraction, with just a few tables so reservations must be made ahead of time.

Other hotels on the main island offer similar prices, so I would say right now they are more attractive than this property, even for families or honeymooners traveling on a tighter budget.

After visiting the Warwick Hotel, we made our way to the Outrigger Lagoon Resort where we stayed the night.

We were greeted by the resort staff singing a Fijian welcome, along with a cold towel and a welcome drink.
The Outrigger Lagoon Resort is located approximately 1.45 minutes? drive from Nadi Airport. It occupies 40 acres along the coral coast.

The resort has embraced modern design with a traditional Fijian twist to the decor. There are various room categories to choose from and something for every budget. The resort’s signature service is Talai Butler service, available in deluxe ocean view rooms, suites and bures. Talai service includes complimentary arrival drinks, and champagne with canapés delivered to your room every afternoon. The lobby is quite large with large sofas for guests to sit while they wait for their transportation and gift stores. The resort is excellent for families and offers a well-supervised kids program.

Surprisingly, this resort handles one wedding ceremony a day, and we watched one take place on the lawn near the beach. They are in the process of building an adult pool and adult-only lounge area. The beach at this resort is not the best for swimming or beach activities.

The wedding chapel, Bure Ni Loloma Wedding Chapel, is located up on a hill with a BEBE Spa. The view is absolutely gorgeous here and makes a perfect setting for a wedding.

The BEBE Spa has 8 treatment rooms. There is a tour desk at the resort and various activities both land and water based can be easily arranged. Daily Fijian cultural activities include Kava ceremony & Fijian fire walking show (fee).

There are seven restaurants & bars to choose from. The food is fabulous with lots of local fruits and vegetables. Sundowner restaurant is great for breakfast with views of the ocean.

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