My Fijian Adventure

If you follow me online, you know by now, thanks to my endless uploads, that I just got back from the most magical vacation in Fiji. At first, I did not want to post a ton of pics to the @organicbunny page, because it’s not directly “Organic” related, but the more time I spent in Fiji, the more I realized it really is such an Organic place, in so many ways! From growing their own fresh fruits and veggies to never using any hormones or antibiotics in their meats, Fiji is an amazing place I really hope you all can visit some day! Many of you also mentioned that you did want to learn more about my trip, as it really is the most perfect place for a honeymoon, special occasion or just your next exotic getaway! Instead of breaking my trip up day by day, I will break this blog up by activities, that way you can pick and choose which parts appeal to you.

Travelling to the Island of Vanua Levu, Fiji-

There are many places to visit when traveling to Fiji, however, we called the town of Savusavu “home” for this trip, which is located on the island of Vanua Levu, Fiji. Getting to Savusavu was probably the hardest part, as there are no direct flights to this island. We took the train from San Diego to LA, which always works out nice, no traffic and relaxing on the train beats a car ride and $30 daily airport parking any day. Once we arrived to LA, the train station has a bus that takes you directly to LAX airport for under $20 bucks. We finally arrived to LAX, where our 9:30 pm red-eye flight awaited.

The flight was 11 hours straight to Nadi, Fiji and then from there you take a 1-hour small commuter flight to Savusavu. The 11-hour flight was rough, as you are not really comfy at any point, however, we made it work because we had to. I packed a ton of snacks as Fiji Air’s food is not edible, so, I ate those and half slept/half watched movies the entire time. They do have a nice entertainment system that plays current movies, TV and music so at least we had that. They also have plugs on the plane, which I did not know or else I would have surely brought my work laptop to pass some time!

Once you touch down in Nadi, Fiji, you quickly realize you are now far, far away. The airport is tiny but it was so cool to see the way others live. We arrived at about 7 am, beyond delirious, but right in time to watch our very first Fijian sunrise. We had a small wait for the next flight, in which I logged onto the airport wifi to text friends some pics and before I knew it, we were now ready to depart to Savusavu!

I absolutely despise small planes, they scare the heck out of me, so needless to say, I was not excited for this sight. The plane was the smallest thing ever and gave me anxiety even looking its way. Kyle, of course, thought this was the coolest thing ever, so, his excitement forced motivated me to proceed. The flight ended up not being too bad on the way there, but the way back there was no air ventilation what so ever, not even one drop of oxygen, and we were early so we had to fly in circles before landing. These small planes were probably my least favorite part of the trip but, at least, they only made up two hours total of the trip.

In Nadi, Fiji waiting for our connecting flight to Savusavu, Fiji!

Tiniest plane ever!

Arriving in Savusavu, Fiji-

Just when you think you’ve seen a small airport (Nadi’s airport), you then land in Savusavu. Sheesh, talk about the World’s tiniest airport! I think there was about 1 small room in which you unloaded your stuff into. Luckily our driver from the resort we were staying at was right on time and waiting for us nearby. He quickly found us, carried our bags to the car and before you knew it, we were on our way to the Koro Sun Resort! Staying at a resort was nice as you really are taken care of the entire time, it’s like having a 24/7 tour guide which was extremely helpful.

Touching down in Savusavu was just so awesome, you really do just drop into an entire new world, one full of plush, vibrant green rainforests, the most perfect bright blue skies and smiles everywhere you look. Not only is this place beautiful perfection, the people are the nicest you will ever meet. Everyone in Savusavu is legitimately happy, there is minimal stress and everyone really does have that laid back island vibe. You never feel they are just being nice to get something from you, they really do enjoy visitors and do their very best to ensure you are taken care of at all times.

Safety in Savusavu, Fiji-

As far as safety goes, this town was so harmless! We actually toured the local jail because my boyfriend is on the SWAT team here, and the worst crime was drugs and petty theft, literally stolen snorkel masks and possession of marijuana. We saw actual inmates while touring and even they were nice and waved hi to us, it was pretty funny. No one carries guns so it really is a safe, peaceful town that I never once felt worried about, which is nice when being so far from home.

The first thing we saw when we landed was a cow tied up to mow the grass.

Kyle & a local police officer, notice no weapons are allowed!

Checking in to Koro Sun Resort-

After a short ride through town, we arrived to our new home, the Koro Sun Resort. If you are a Bachelor fan, you may recognize this resort from a few seasons back! I actually had no idea about this until we arrived, we chose this resort because Merlyn from Shop Conscious Beauty actually owns the resort which made me feel much more comfortable knowing we would be safe and sound the entire trip. As soon as we pulled up to the hotel, we were greeted by the cutest little musical welcome ceremony by the staff and after that, we were quickly whisked away to our Edgewater Bure to receive an Organic and all natural Coconut foot scrub on the patio of our beyond gorgeous room. As soon as we got to our room, our eyes popped out of our head because the view was really beyond words. Our bungalow was right on the water, overlooking the most sparkling aqua blue water, talk about a dream vacation!

The Koro Sun Resort is truly full of the most vibrant, beautiful colors, the sky bright blue, the water even more perfect, and the landscape? Full of tropical, flawless florals and botanicals, there really is something pretty to see in every direction, it’s almost like sensory overload. One minute you see a perfect hot pink flower, the next you notice the perfect puffy clouds, the bushes bright green, even the bugs are metallic perfection! This place is unreal, we never wanted to leave. Once we were properly pampered, we then started figuring out what we wanted to do. Luckily, the resort has a ton of ideas for you, so, here were our faves!

A relaxing “Welcome” foot massage after 24 hours of travel!

View from our patio!

View from the bed!

Best Attractions to Book at Koro Sun-

One of the hugest plus’ to this resort was that they do most of the event planning for you! Every day they have a list of available activities you can choose from, as well as what will be offered throughout the week! They do all of the work for you by offering rides to and from the attractions and most of the time even send you off with a freshly packed lunch. If you do stay at this resort, be sure to ask what attractions they have while you are staying there, and if you see any of these below, be sure to book them in advance as they were so, so amazing. To see a full list of activities, click here.

Namena Island Day Trip- This was for sure the best part of the trip as you are taken by boat about an hour away to a total private, beyond magical island that has a population of about 50. The entire island caters to those that visit, treating us to a homemade BBQ style lunch, snorkeling tours and more! The trip also includes diving and deep water snorkeling so for those interested, the boat will take you out to dive and snorkel into some of the best dive spots in the World! We did not dive, because we’re both scared of it haha, but we did snorkel. Honestly, it was terrifying because you’re in the middle of the ocean with nothing in sight, and yes, there are sharks. But, with that being said, it was the experience of a lifetime and I am so happy Kyle made me do it. We saw the most amazing things, thousands of beautiful fish, sea turtles, small sharks, unique corals, eels, starfish, barracuda, pretty much anything that lives in the sea we saw.

Once we were done diving, we headed back to Namena Island for the BBQ lunch and then spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beyond perfect island. I really do not think I have ever seen anything more beautiful, totally travel magazine status! There are hammocks you can lay in, as well as chairs right on the beach, with literally no one in sight besides who you came with that is scattered about the island. The day went perfect, until the boat ride home in which I got so seasick, I ended up throwing up off the back of the boat, all while the entire boat watched, fun times! For those that get seasick, I strongly suggest taking something before you go on the boat ride as it can be rocky! This day trip was for sure essential, do not skip out on this!

Welcome to Namena Island!

Lunch decor, island style!

How perfect can one place be!? – Namena Island, Fiji

Rainforest Spa- I know I said Namena Island was the best part of the trip, but man… the Koro Sun Rainforest Spa might actually have been the best part of the trip! I am a huge sucker for unique attractions so this was a dream date for me. Not only is their spa located in the middle of the rainforest, literally a small hut high in the rainforest, they only use Organic and Natural products! I was lucky enough to get two treatments, a couples massage, in which we both agreed it was the best massage of our lives, and then the Banana Wrap treatment everyone raves about! The Banana Wrap comes with a full body coconut sugar scrub rub, followed by wrapping your body in giant banana leaves to absorb all of the nourishing oils, finishing with a 30-minute massage. While this was a unique service, the full hour body massage was my most favorite, if I could have someone rubbing my back all day, I would, which is why this was my fave.

This spa was so amazing because it’s not fancy at all, the massage and exotic setting make it so one of a kind, no fancy spa can even come close! It is so beyond relaxing to just lay with open air flowing in, just feeling the cool breeze on your skin while the bugs, birds, and water flows in the background. Don’t worry though, it’s netted off so nothing can come in other than the wind. If you visit this island, you can not leave without a massage from the Koro Sun spa! Plus the dollar converts in our favor, making it so affordable for an hour long, professional massage.

Kayaking, Paddle Boarding, Bike Riding- They have these activities available pretty much at any moment thanks to their on-site Activities Shop. Simply swing by and let them know you want to do any of the above and they will provide you the equipment for free! This was so awesome as you really can just finish lunch and say let’s go for a bike ride or let’s go snorkel and they are there ready for you. You do not need to book these, you can just show up and let them know you’re interested! The bike ride was really fun, you get to explore the island while getting some exercise, there was so much to see! Tide pools at low tide, the cattle farms the resort gets their local meat from, stray dogs that follow you, amazing landscapes, the way the locals live & more! The best day for bike rides is Sunday as no one is really on the roads that day. This way, you can ride in the middle of the road and it won’t matter as much.

If you do snorkel around the resort, you won’t see too much, mostly Medusa Worms, these hideous long, scary, snakelike worms with a Medusa head, those alone kept me out of the water… You will also see eels, starfish, fish and sea cucumbers. Honestly, once I saw an eel, I was done with the shallow snorkeling and refused to go back in the water hehe.

Biking around town, so much fun, even in the random rain.

Our new  friend.

Village Tour & Waterfall Hike- This was a really fun attraction as a tour guide takes you and about 5 others to a super small village to hike to their waterfall. Because the waterfall belongs to the village, you have to go to them to ask permission to use it which made for a fun tourist attraction. You also can not use their land unless you bring a “gift” so, on the way we had to stop and get the village Chief some Kava root as our trade for using their land. You get to meet the Chief, as well as shop from their small collection of handmade goodies. I bought some shells to store earrings in and enjoyed seeing how they make Coconut Oil from scratch! They even let the guys give it a try, who knew it was such hard work!?

Once you tour the village, you then go on a short walk/hike to the waterfall which was so pretty! The walk was about 10 minutes and not really a hike at all so if you are anti-workouts, this really was effortless. Once you get to the waterfall, everyone swims and takes pics, super cool!

Kyle making fresh Coconut Oil!

Farmer’s Market- Every Saturday the town has a huge farmers market which is a definite must see! Here you will find endless amounts of fresh, Organic fruits, veggies, nuts, fish, Kava & more! My favorite things to get here were spicy nuts and fresh Coconut waters! Oh, and pineapple, so delicious! If you ask the hotel, they will book you for the trip which includes a ride there, however, riding the bus is always a fun option to see how the locals get around town.

Happy Hour on top of the Mountain- Because the owners, Merlyn’s parents, live on site, every Monday night they invite all guests up to their home to see the incredible view overlooking the hotel. Their house is located on the very top of the mountain so you are able to see the full property, the water, the sunset, the bats… yes bats, and more! We missed this event because we were on another trip, but, fortunately for us, we got to visit their house a few nights later for our own VIP viewing and it was incredible. Merlyn’s parents were so kind the entire trip, they really make it a point to meet all guests, as they dine with everyone at almost every meal if they are in town. The resort really is their pride and joy so plan on meeting them if they are there while you are!

What to Do in SavuSavu- Honestly, there is not much to see in the actual town, the stores are full of stuff you won’t really want but I guess it’s fun to learn that for yourself! What I did enjoy in town, was fresh ice cream from the Surf & Turf restaurant, the farmers market I mentioned above, and lunch at an all Organic, new cafe called Grace Road. They also have a really nice pearl shop, however, the pearls were very pricey so we left quickly. You can rent mopeds to drive around town but Kyle didn’t have his license on him so we were not able to, it looked really fun!

Homemade coconut ice cream from Surf & Turf!

The Surf & Turf is considered the fanciest in town…

Fresh juice from Grace Road

Hotel Accommodations- The Koro Sun Resort really was overall an incredible place to stay, not only was it beautiful, the staff was so friendly and helpful, there really was no stress at any point ever! The hotel is very nice but I would not say it’s technically luxurious, as they do a nice job at preserving the culture while also keeping things modern. The rooms are nice, but you can plan on finding a gecko or two in the rooms. This is no Four Seasons, this is the real Fijian deal here! We stayed in the Edgewater Bures and this would be my very top pick for a room choice as it is right on the water, it really was perfection.

The resort knows this is not for all, but for those adventurous or looking for an authentic Fijian stay, the Koro Sun does a nice job at accommodating that but in a nice way. The rooms are very clean and they do provide plug adaptors to ensure you get electricity, but they also warn you about possible power outages so if you need strong wifi and tons of power, this might not be for you. This resort is best for those looking to disconnect from technology while re-connecting with those they’re with as well as nature. There is wifi throughout the resort but the connection in our room was not super strong which actually was nice because it forced me to put my phone down a lot. The pool is really nice too, as it looks right out into the water, they also have a swim up bar so you can grab a drink without leaving the water!

The pathway to our Edgewater Bure

Our very own bug catcher, eek!

Meals & Drinks- All of the food is freshly made at Koro Sun and the best part? It’s included with your stay! That’s right, 3 meals a day, plus snacks were included which really saved us so much money! The food is really fresh, healthy and tasty, and, they were so accommodating to my gluten allergy which was a huge bonus I was not expecting to have. The chef really made sure to keep me full and one day even made me a gluten free pizza. They grow many of their veggies and fruits fresh in their Organic garden which was beyond cool, especially to see in person! Who knew pineapples grow on bushes?

Each day they give you a daily menu and from there, you select what you would like for the day. They give you a few options, or, you can always make up something on your own, some days I would just order rice and veggies if I was craving that only. Drinks are not included in the stay, however, they do have happy hour each day which is always nice. Many days we would grab a cocktail at the poolside bar and just relax in the sun.

Coupon Code- Overall, this trip was genuinely a trip of a lifetime I encourage everyone to take at some point in time. Not only was the Koro Sun Resort so accommodating and reliable, the entire city of Savusavu is so untouched by tourists, it was the most perfect place to getaway to. You really can disconnect from all stressors, and spend all of your time just enjoying life. The Koro Sun Resort made planning tourist activities a breeze and would be the absolute best place for a special getaway.

Because I’m friends with Merlyn, she was able to arrange a booking discount for my readers, so, for anyone interested in this trip, code organicbunny will save you an additional 10% OFF, which even works on current deals they have which makes for a super sweet deal! If you’d like to book with my code, just shoot Marissa the booking manager an email mentioning it here: [email protected], I promise it’s worth every penny spent, I hope everyone can visit someday soon!

Goodbye, Koro Sun, hope to be back soon!