The final place of stay during our media trip was at Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji in Sigatoka, on the Coral Coast region in Southern Viti Levu. Opened in 2005, the Outrigger is a beachside complex designed to replicate a Fijian village. Around the property, accommodations include 254 hotel rooms, suites and differently placed sets of bure bungalows. And just recently, this AAA five-star accredited resort opened an adults-only Vahavu swimming pool, bistro and banquet pavilion.
I enjoyed my stay inside my oceanview suite, yet I think one of the resort’s best scenic views, in my opinion, can be found at reception, on the upper level of the property’s main building. This facility also contains shops, conferences and meeting rooms, and a “grab and go” eatery. Head to the ground level to exit and follow walkways leading to the resort’s restaurants, cafes and bars and pool area.
Dining options include Ivi Restaurant for fine dining; Sundowner Bar & Grill, with an extensive steak and seafood menu; Baravi Restaurant and accompanying bar, for eating by the pool lounge or bar side with Asian-inspired cuisine options; and Vale Ni Kana, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner inside a bure. And get before dinner drinks or a nightcap at the Vakavanua Lounge. A tennis court, fitness center and golf driving range (accessible by a underground tunnel) are also offered.
Guests receive personalized service called “Talai Touch.” As the Fijian word talai means “to serve,” among the Talai butlers’ deliveries is a nightly offering: a complimentary pairing of canapes and champagne (or other choice of beverage) right to your door.
On Sunday afternoon, I went for my spa appointment at Bebe Spa. You are escorted to this spa (Bebe is the Fijian word for butterfly) by car, as the sanctuary is based on a mountain ridge above the resort. Its high-hill location provides lovely views of the South Pacific’s ocean waters and also ties in with the notion of providing a sense of getting away. With the picturesque scenery, it’s surprising yet understandable to have a wedding chapel called Bure ni Loloma on the grounds as well as a Kalokalo Bar for perhaps a cocktail after your service is completed.
Spa services extend to specialty facials, body wraps, exfoliations and hands and feet treatments. With massages, offerings include ones that incorporate Fijian and other South Pacific techniques such as a Fijian Bobo massage that centers on using fluid strokes from the hands, elbows and forearms. As for me, I opted to get a Dilo and Cucumber Body Wrap, which is tailored to sunburned skin (which, due to being fair skinned, I had gotten a bit of). The wrap contains dilo and coconut oils to restore moisture to the skin and cucumber helps with cooling.
Around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, our group went to a village called Korotogo — a short drive from Outrigger — to attend a morning church service. Arriving early, we were able to take a quick walk and met and talked to older and younger residents who also were on their way to church. Dressed in their Sunday best, a group of small children walked back with us and sat near us for the roughly two-hour service. When the service ended, we got to enjoy a photo op with the children, who were very good in church!
In the early evening, we packed up again and returned to Nadi for our Fiji Airways flight back to Los Angeles. Moce (goodbye) and Vinaka (thank you), Fiji!
She Is Going Places 