Nadi

Nadi is where the major international airport is.  It is where we began on day, and where we ended our journey.  

Kava

One of our first experiences in Fiji was a simple Kava ceremony.  We were welcomed into Fiji and then spent money on souvenirs. 

 We visited Treasure House orphanage and played/talked with the kids, we could not take pictures.

They have 24 children babies to 18 years old.  The orphanage has both genders until about 8 years old when the boys are sent to a sister orphanage, the older girls stay there and help with the younger kids.  It was a good couple hours spent.

Garden of the Sleeping Giant

We visited a garden that has numerous orchids.  It is at the base of a mountain range called the Sleeping Giant.  It had some beautiful flowers to see.

 Mud Baths

 The picture is the mountains from the car park.  Due to the nature of the activity we did not get photos.  We covered ourselves in mud, let it dry and then washed it off in hot pools.  It was a fun, dirty activity.  Our swimsuits will never be the same.

The Warwick

We started our Fiji vacation (December 21, 2017 - January 4, 2018) at the Warwick Resort on the Coral Coast of Fiji's main island, Viti Levu.  We spent 5 days there including Christmas and had a glorious time.  The pools and beach were the biggest pull; however, there was also a kids club that the kids were able to do a cooking class, tie-dye shirts, make kites, and break open watermelon to enjoy.

The pool was a huge hit.  We also spent some time at the beach particularly in the kayaks.

Christmas was different, but fun.  We left our stockings out for Santa and he came clear to Fiji.  After breakfast Santa visited the resort coming in by way of raft and wearing sunglasses.

We opened gifts in our little hotel room and oohed and ahhed over what we got.  We then spent the day swimming and playing in the pool.

The kids dancing Christmas morning as we waited for Santa to sail in.

Suva

Cola-I-Suva Rain Forest

Our next destination was Suva, the capital of Fiji.  We stayed at a little cabin in the Cola-I-Suva Forest Park.  It was a little oasis just outside of a busy city.  The first day we attended the temple.  The second day we did some shopping, and played in some natural pools in the forest.

 Suva, Fiji Temple

Rachel Singleton, one of my Kaysville Young Women, served her mission in Fiji.  She was able to help us contact Melissa who watched all 5 children while Kyle and I attended a session at the temple.  It was a wonderful experience.

The Nativity Scene at the Temple

There was a series of naturally formed pools just 10 minutes from our cabin.  We had to hike down ( and therefore back up), but they were fun.  We tried a few different pools.  Unfortunately this is the resting place of my phone ☹☹☹  I took pictures on the hike down and then I have no idea where it ended up.  We searched everywhere we could think, but it was not found.  Thank-goodness Kyle had at least taken a few pictures of the beginning of our adventures.

We visited the Fiji Museum, which helped us learn about Fiji's history and then took a short stroll, because it was hot, through some gardens.

Lautoka

Our next stop was Lautoka on the North side of the island, opposite of where we were.  This meant a long drive through some beautiful country.  We chose to take the slightly longer route through the non-touristy side of Fiji and it was worth it.  The scenery was great and we got to see some villages.  The kids did pretty well on the drive, sleeping much of the time.

Belo Vula Resort

Once we arrived in Lautoka we took a boat to a small island 10 minutes from the Mainland.  We stayed a couple of nights at the Belo Vula resort there.  It was a relaxing time.  The pool was warm and the ocean inviting.  The sunsets were gorgeous!!

 

 Some down time in our room with a movie.

First Landing Resort

Our next stop in Lautoka was First Landing Resort.  We had a pool in our backyard, and enjoyed our stay there.  Our first evening we welcomed the New Year, and enjoyed fireworks from our balcony.  The following evening/night we got of rain which sounded awesome.