OBB Weekly - 2-12-19

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BULA! I have returned from a week-long familiarization trip in Fiji and it was incredible. It was so amazing it is all I want to write about in this weekly post. Apologies for missing last week. I was touring amazing resorts, stood at the bow of a boat and eating kokoda, my new favorite Fijian dish. Read on to learn more. I hope this inspires you to go to the South Pacific. I would be happy to help you plan your trip.




Travel
When I received the invitation to apply for this familiarization trip, aka Fam, I didn't hesitate. Fiji? The location wasn't even a top 10 spot on my list of places to visit next. But if it was going to be educational and a business expense, sign me up! I was one of six Travel Agents selected. I couldn't wait to go.

Fiji did not disappoint. Expect to be welcomed every morning, at every resort and even in passing on the highway or thru a village. You will see warm and welcoming Fijian smiles and a loud "Bula!" and/or wave. The landscape is beautiful, the water is warm and the food is delicious. But nothing compares to how strangers are welcomed.



When I returned to the States, going thru the gate doors, I immediately missed the Fiji spirit. I'm sure you will too.

See the video above of the welcome we received from the team at Tropica Island Resort. They were closed for renovations but welcomed us as if we were incoming guests. What an experience!


What other place welcomes you like this?
Have you been to the South Pacific?


Concierge
Your trusted Travel Agent can set you up with tours to experience what Fiji has to offer. We can partner with operators like Rosie's Holiday for transfers and unique excursions. Our team went on the Off-Road Cave Tour via an ATV. We went across a river that looked like chocolate milk, drove thru villages where the adorable children ran to the ATV to get high fives and explored a cave with only our headlamps on our head. We were in water up to our waist! Bring water shoes for this adventure! A change of clothes is also helpful. Don't even let a flat tire ruin your trip. This company had us back on the road in 15 minutes.




How adventurous do you like to be on your vacation?
Are you a thrill seeker?
Or prefer to visit the spa instead?


Event Planning
If you want a destination wedding, Fiji has it all. Exchange vows up on a hill overlooking the beach, at the beach or in a beautiful garden. The Outrigger Fiji Resort has a property with a chapel on a hill next to their spa. The Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa has plenty of beach event space including a banquet hall with a wraparound patio on the second level. The Garden of the Sleeping Giants has an open lawn space just after walking across the platform over the pond. Say hello to the frogs on the lily pads and stop to smell the orchids.



Would you marry your Frog Prince in a garden?
On the beach?
On top of a hill?

Food 
In California, it is common to see ceviche on the menu. Diced up fish or shrimp is cooked with the acid in limes or lemons. Add a variety of vegetables like onions, celery or tomatoes or other fish, plus coriander and salt. In Fiji, they have kokoda. It is basically the same concept but with coconut milk. And it is tasty! I had it with lobster for the first time at the Intercontinental.

Next, we were served tastings of it in soup spoons at the Tropica Island Resort. Then again, we had the pleasure of having a mini-cooking class at the incredible Liku Liku Lagoon Resort. See video below. I will definitely be making this at home.



Would you try this dish?
If so, which fish or kind of seafood would you use?
How would you make the dish your own?


Motivation
With all this travel, eating and stunning scenery, it makes you want to book your trip to Fiji, right? I would love to go back! Maybe with you! There is so much to explore, taste and experience. As a Certified Princess Cruises and Hawai'i Tourism Specialist, I think a Fijian Tourism certification makes sense for me to conquer next. After all, we did visit 12 resorts and ate at twice as many restaurants and dining establishments. 



By the next OBB Weekly, I hope to have more news to share with you. Until then, think of Fiji, its sandy beaches, warm waters and an infinity amount of infinity pools to dip into. Maybe put a few bucks aside to start your fund. You have to start somewhere. Money returns. Time doesn't. Let's go to Fiji! Get jumpin'! Like these Fijian frogs.




Is Fiji on your top 10 places to visit?
When you think of Fiji, what do you think of?







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