John Kidde Writes

If you have ever heard the phrase “Island Time,” you have most likely been on a tropical island at some point.

Given the context, it can be used jokingly or derogatorily. I’m using it jovially today.

If you have never heard of the phrase, it is said to help make up for the leisurely pace at which some people move. Basically, it’s a mea culpa for possibly being tardy or not stringent on arrival times.

Neither my partner nor I had been to the South Pacific before (and no, I’m not counting New Zealand because I’m thinking more tropical), and after an eventful first half of 2024, we decided that we needed to get away. We had originally looked to Europe, Portugal in particular, but then we thought about Lisbon in August and realized that with all the walking we would be doing, our vacation would be better if we were more sedentary. Enter Fiji.

Google Flight Alerts came in super handy here. We were able to get an alert, duh, about reasonable fares to Nadi, Fiji. The rest is history…

After booking our flights, it was time to find somewhere to stay. We initially looked on the “mainland,” where we would be able to arrive at a resort by bus alone, but then we wanted to completely get away from it all. That brought our search to Tokoriki, specifically Sheraton Tokoriki.

The Republic of Fiji has over 330 islands! Since traveling between islands can take a lot of time, we opted to stay in one spot and enjoy our little slice of Fiji.

Thanks to our friends at South Sea Cruises (no, this is not an ad for them; they were very friendly and helpful in the booking and arrival processes of our journey, so I am calling them “friends”), we were able to get to our resort. Well, it was either travel by a reasonably priced ferry or an opulent helicopter. Ferry time!

Thanks to our advanced booking, getting to the port from the airport was easy! We rode in a van to the port direct from Nadi Airport. Once there, it was a seamless check-in and luggage drop-off, and all we had to do from there was wait for our ferry.

There are a number of shops, restaurants, and bars at the port. Killing time was no problem. We ate and bought a Bula Shirt. It’s like a Hawaiian shirt but, you know, Fijian.

Once it was time to leave, we boarded our ferry, and off we went!

The ride out was gorgeous. The sun was shining, the water was calm, and everyone on board was in good spirits. Since these islands are much smaller than the mainland, we had to disembark our ferry and load onto a much smaller boat that fit about 20 people.

The smaller boat was able to navigate the shallower waters and coral reef surrounding the island. Once guided onto the shore, we hopped out and were greeted by the staff, who performed a song and offered us a tropical drink before we officially checked in.

After checking in, we dropped off our bags and washed up a bit because we had just gotten off a nearly 12-hour flight and were probably due for a rinse-off. We wandered over to the bar to get a drink, a Fiji Gold Beer, and a little something to eat. Then…we passed out for six hours! It was not until someone from the hotel knocked on our door asking if we needed turn-down service that we woke up.

Jet lag is no joke!

Keep in mind that this trip took place in August 2024; your mileage may vary in terms of weather and activities you might participate in if you also head to Fiji.

I say all of that because we watched a lot of Olympics coverage. Did we use a VPN to watch the US Women beat Brazil for the Gold Medal? Who can say? Did we spend an entire day in our room watching movies and Olympic coverage because it was pouring rain from sunup to sundown? Yes, yes, we did. Every other sunny day was spent outside, though. We maximized our sun time. Whether it was reading by the pool, reading on the beach, or lounging by the pool or by the ocean. We did a lot of lounging and reading.

Remember, everyone: wear sunscreen!

I have been a fan of the television show Survivor since its inception. Although I was only 13 years old when it first aired, I was glued to the TV every week to see who would be voted out. Fast forward to today, and I am still in love with the show as I was 25 years ago.

I was giddy once I found out that where we were staying was close to where they make the show in its current format. I looked up the map of islands on Google Maps and saw it with my own eyes. I have applied only once before, and obviously, I did not make it.

My partner is hell bent on getting me on the show. So much so that she had me record an audition video while I was sitting in the water with the island that they use for the show over my shoulder.

I am still editing the video. Audio is a pain in the ass.

The stars come out every night, and we are amazed every night. Finding the Southern Cross was a fun challenge for us on our nightly trips to the bar/restaurant. Without light pollution, the sky becomes a gorgeous spattering of stars. Words and photos do not do it justice. You will need to go out there and see them for yourself.

I don’t know what else to say about Fiji, man. It was gorgeous. The people were friendly, generous, and welcoming. It was time to head home after spending the better part of a week basking in the sun, wading in the water, and reading up a storm.

I know that this is one avenue for enjoying Fiji and what it has to offer. I also know that resort life on a small island is not the same as life on the mainland. I encourage others to take the flight out to Nadi or Suva and take in what Fiji has to offer. This is a proud country populated with people who welcome you in and want you to experience their Island Time.