Return to paradise

After a three-year absence, Garry and I finally returned to Fiji for a much-needed Spring break. The decision to return was an easy one after Garry secured another of his renowned deals at the Sofitel Waitui Beach Club on Denarau Island. We first visited this tropical paradise in 2018.

This trip was also Garry’s first commercial flight since March 2020. Little did he know that our flight back from a Melbourne trade show that year would be the last time he’d board a commercial airline for 2.5 years. Thanks to my flights to New Zealand in May last year, and again in April this year, it was my third international flight since the pandemic began.

Of course, this is the COVID era so our travel included a mandatory testing regime. Garry was required to register for a COVID RAT test at the hotel within 24 hours of arrival. I was exempted from this requirement after securing a waiver letter from my doctor. This advised the Fijian authorities that, in the 30 days prior to departure, I’d already had COVID and was fully recovered.

Garry successfully completed his test without incident. I’d already warned him that if he failed the test, I’d leave him to isolate in a designated quarantine room elsewhere in the hotel while I continued to enjoy our beach club room. However, karma almost got the better of me.

Upon arrival at the hotel, the staff kindly advised us that they’d “upgraded” us from the ground floor garden access room we’d booked. We took one look at the new room on a higher floor room and demanded they restore our original booking. Instead of the private tropical garden vista we’d booked, they’d moved us into a room with a tiny balcony that looked out over soul-destroying views of concrete paths and stairways. Below is the view that greeted us on our first morning in our restored booking. I’m so glad we made a fuss.

We then spent ten glorious days lounging by the pool. We had made plans to do a day trip to an island. However, in the end, we barely left the resort. The package Garry secured included a daily meal allowance, daily massages (or a spa treatment), high tea, and a cocktail hour. We honestly struggled to spend our daily food and beverage allowance and missed a few massage sessions. Our first high tea was a definite winner when our first day of sun-baking by the pool was interrupted by a dramatic tropical downpour.

As the final day of our vacation drew near, unbeknown to the other party, Garry and I had each researched options for extending our time away. We quickly realised that for a couple of hundred dollars, we could change our flights and extend by another week. We then asked the hotel if we could extend our booking. It agreed to accommodate us in the same room for another five nights with the same benefits at the same rate. We then booked the neighbouring Sheraton hotel for our final two nights.

The additional week of leave was a blessing in disguise. After more than two years of COVID isolation, business stress, and emotional fatigue the extra time off was just what we needed. We also enjoyed our time at the Sheraton. It gave us a feel for another resort on the island that helped benchmark our experience at the Sofitel. We decided that the food was potentially better at the Sheraton while the beach club pool and staff were better at the Sofitel.

I also took some time to restock my tropical shirt collection. I’m now officially the uncle that always makes an appearance wearing loud Hawaiian shirts.