Fiji 2012 - Visit to ShangriLa Resort next door

Another day in paradise, ditto the days before.

Kate and I decided to visit the very swanky ShangriLa resort on an island next door. Four pool, six restaraunts, its own shops, spa, kids club, you name it.

We had a great lunch,

With beautiful gaardens

a great beach

 actually several great beaches

we even had a swim in the adults only pool!!

On the way back to the car we spotted this sign!!

 But all those other people! We have grown used to our own pool.

Fiji 2012 - Malaqereqere Villa

We spent a full day here, decided that we didn't need to go next door to the Shargri La Fijian resort as this spot was so nice.

My morning coffee was lovely

The pool a perfect temperature

Then in the late afternoon all the locals, including their horses, enjoyed a swim in the lagoon

We watched a classic sunset

I think this may rate as one of  the most chillaxed days I have ever had!

Fiji 2012 -Move to Malaqereqere Villla, Coral Coast

We enjoyed a final swim at the villa, and breakfast at Wananavu before we headed off. I think that I had become more used to the roads as the potholes didn’t seem so bad.

Once we got back to Nadi to found us a good supermarket and we restocked, then headed south and east on the Queens Highway, which was a much better road.

Found Malaqereqere villas easily, the caretaker had all his family over and so we were greeted with plates of lovely food as they helped us into the villa.

The villa has an amazing eating area with glass doors on all sides so you can sit and watch the glorious sunset.

Its a beaut spot, on a lagoon, and you can see and hear the big waves breaking out on the reef. Where we are is called the Coral Coast as a big coral reef sits offshore, making this large tidal lagoon.

Of course we tried the pool, and it was lovely.

Its a short walk through the garden down to the lagoon

Now you may have noticed my wrap in this picture, I'm covering up from the sun as my photosentive rash ( I think from the shingles drugs, makes my skin really sensitive, and looks horrible!!)

The tropical plants are lovely, I particularly liked this one with purple underside to the leaves. Unfortunately I don't think it would survive the Greghamstown frosts!!

Fiji 2012 - stormy day of reading and movies – Sat Jan 7

It rained and stormed all day so we just had a couple of pool swims, and read all day.

That was interspersed with left over curry and samosa's, which tasted even better today!

I finally got time to watch the highly recommended Bridesmaids and yes it even made me laugh!!

We will be sad to leave Bularangi tomorrow!

Fiji 2012 – rainy start, massage, and dinner cooked in villa by Manju - Fri feb 6

Today the weather went from rain to sunshine  and back again all day. We had a quiet morning reading, swimming, and generally lazing about.  My cooking skills haven’t improved any with the change in location, so my tuna rissoles for lunch fell apart!!

 

We are all in the wars a little health wise, Tom is recovering from pre trip sunburn, Kate has had bad stomach cramps and now has a spreading sore on her forearm, and since the day we arrived I have had a really bad rash on my arms, which I think may be a photosensitive reaction to all the shingles drugs I was taking!!! Phenergan and ice pack are not really helping, it is sooo itchy!!!

Tom and I learnt something new about snorkelling, that when there are waves you get tossed around!! So we didn’t stay out long. Kate watched from the gazebo and told us how silly it looks from above when people snorkel!!

In the afternoon Kate and I enjoyed our first trip to the Spa at Wananavu. My massage was lovely, as only massages by very generously proportioned Polynesian women can be. Kate had a sugar scrub and came out all soft and new, her beach walk while waiting for me was cancelled by downpour, but its so warm that it doesn’t really matter if you get wet because you aren’t cold.

Tom stayed home to be with Marju as she cooked our dinner. 

Roti, Fish Curry, dhal, and vegetable samousa.  Enough to feed us for days, and really really nice. Kate got lessons in making the roti and samousa’s! I got an attack of the guilts after laying in bed past passage while Manju cooked, so I drove her home afterwards. It makes me realise how privileged I am, she is putting her first of 3 daughters through uni, lives in a very modest house, and comes and cooks and cleans for us on holidays.

We finished the day with more swims and reading, this sure is a relaxing place. With the time difference I am up at sunrise ( 6 here, 4 at home) and in bed soon after dark ( 8 30 here, only 6 30 at home). I predict that my weird sleeping will be even worse when I get home.

Fiji 2012 – Snorkel, swim, eat and read – Thur feb 5

Another lovely sunrise, coffee in the gazebo

 Snorkelling, out to the edge of the reef

Loch Ness Margie

Organised for Marju to cook us dinner tomorrow night

Attempted dinner at the other resort nearby, Volivoli, but were rained out. We headed off with not rain, back down off the headland, but by the time we were a the turnoff the rain was torrential, the road a muddy bog, and my nerves very frayed. So we returned and had another yummy dinner at Wananavu resort.