Our final Bula time.

[jase05]

Really enjoying these photos and the TR.

 

[drron]

Cyclone coming

The last plane out of Fiji is almost gone.
VA have cancelled their flights.FJ have brought forward their flights but cancelled evening flights.
JQ and QF still on for this afternoon.

 

[drron]

Well the final Fiji flight to BNE arrived 3 hours ago.
The QF and JQ SYD-NAN flights have both left and the QF flight has landed in NAN.Interesting to see if they get to depart.

 

[drron]

Back to the report.
Back to the bure and took a picture of the resort map.
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Our bure was on the ocean in the little bay at the bottom left corner.Have no doubt that there are plans for eventual growth of the resort in the top of the map.
Whilst taking that photo there was a very loud plane noise.went outside and it was a very large plane.
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I then walked around the part of the resort to the left of that map.This is where the more expensive of the ocean front villas are situated.
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Which to me was silly as the ocean front there is not a beach but a rock wall.
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This is a lagoon front bure.like ours each building houses 2 rooms.They do have a beach and would be fine for young families.
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[daft009]

Are you guys ok with the cyclone coming soon?

 

[drron]

Yes back at home.
So at the end of this point of land was a pontoon.
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with views of an island in the lagoon and the opening to the sea.
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Where future developement may occur then views into the countryside.
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The sea and Mananuca Island in the distance.
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Some water birds.
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[drron]

And the last of the views.
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The lagoon and overwater bures.
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[drron]

So summing up Marriott Momi Bay.It is expensive for what you get though the 25% tax is not helping.There is nothing close to the resort so you are stuck with the high food prices.Fortunate that as a lifetime plat we got a free upgrade and breakfast included.We basically only eat one other meal per day apart from breakfast.
So we had 3 dinners-all early and one lunch.Apart from the main meals we only had 2 entrees and 2 desserts.A glass of wine and a beer with each meal.That along with 3 cans of tonic and 4 magnums set us back $F501.21.Tax was included in that.%F100.55.

Our beach bure was perfectly acceptable apart from 2 design problems.The mattress was on top of a large wooden base which was very easy to run into.
second the free standing bath with no where close to put soap and shampoo.I put them on the bathmat.
Then the problem with service but it is Fiji.We however had a very poor room attendant for 2 days.Made the bed and emptied the rubbish bin.Took used towels and didn't replace them.Were left with only 1 towel,no bathmat or hand towel after the second service so complained.Fortunately a great supervisor,Sai.C,who fixed the problem quickly.

A lagoon bure would be very good for a young family.

We did reduce costs by taking our own wine and gin for afternoon drinkies.
If not on a breakfast rate it would be wise to stop at a supermarket on the way in to get some food supplies.Do your research as if you get your transfer driver to pick a supermarket it is very likely to be one of the dearest.

In the end we thought this was the best value stay.

 

[drron]

So now off to the Sheraton denarau.Had a different driver taking us this time.We had asked to stop at a supermarket on the way as our son and family were going to stay at the Sheraton villas but not a breakfast rate.He drove us to the Fresh supermarket at the back of the golf course.As it turned out was a deal more expensive than the convenience store just outside the Villas.two bags of groceries and a dozen beers-$F175.

checked in.Once again the elite desk wasn't staffed.3 agents,2 with a couple each and one on the phone.Waited about 10 minutes and an asst.Manager walked by and checked us in.Upgrade to a seafront studio but not a beach facing one.
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And the view.
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[drron]

That evening we went to Vai the beachside restaurant.As always accompanied by a beer for me and a glass of Sav blanc for mrsdrron.
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She had the beef cheeks and I a fillet steak medium rare.Both good.
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On the way back to the room watched the colourful,little,Fijian parrotfinch.

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[drron]

Next morning we had breakfast at Feast the Sheraton's buffet restaurant.pretty ordinary.
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And this was the eggs benedict.A poached egg on a soggy bun in out on the buffet.
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[drron]

About 1600 we went over to the Westin to check in for our son.The room was the families Christmas present plus their flights.As I had booked their room they got upgraded to a sea view villa and free breakfast for the 5 of them.Plus I also got the 1000 points.Win,win,win.
So here is the room before the real cyclone hit.
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The second bathroom.
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And the second bedroom.
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Sheraton villas on the left,hotel on the right.
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[suze2000]

That extra bed is weirdly placed. I'd have moved it.

 

[drron]

We did.It went into the second bedroom so the 3 grandkids could sleep in the one room.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

That extra bed is weirdly placed. I'd have moved it.

I did as soon as I saw it there ! Rang and got a big fijian boy to move it to the second bedroom - all 3 kids in one room with their own bathroom ! Each grand kid spent two night in the rollaway. The room was serviced every day.

 

[drron]

That evening whilst waiting for the family arrived we went over to the golf club for dinner.in the past you could charge it back to your room but not now.So miss out on plat discount.fortunately though prices are a fair bit cheaper than the resorts.So a beer for me and a glass of a different sav blanc for mrsdrron.
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Now I had already ordered before finding out about the charging rules.So I had to head back to the room to get my wallet.Fortunately there was a woman staff member who knew what she was doing so didn't cancel the order so the food arrived not long after I returned.The fellow on the till had absolutely no idea.The lovely Fijian lady came over and took over and everything fixed.
Mrsdrron had a caesar salad with shrimp which was excellent.I ordered the maple BBQ glazed rubs-not a spelling mistake that is how it was described on the menu.
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Now I was expecting ribs but instead 3 maple glazed pork chops.Was fine.
It was nice eating there at night as a lovely breeze and nightly entertainment that was surprisingly good.Stayed on until sunset.
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[drron]

The next morning it was to the Westin for breakfast.We thought it a little better than the sheraton.much tidier and slightly better food.
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I enjoyed this dish-a baked quail egg over a tomato and onion base.They even had an eggs benedict station.naturally not the greatest but a big step up from the Sheraton.
After that it was a day in the pool.Drron,in black,with the grandkids.
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And the family.
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We had a late afternnon nap before rejoining the family at the Wet Edge restaurant near that pool.
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[drron]

So a casual dinner at the Wet Edge.Some of the families food.Toasted sandwhich,beef cheek and fish tacos.
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The children's meals came out first which led to a humourous exchange with our youngest grand daughter.She has been the master of wit since about the age of 18 months.her meal included fries so she handed me a chip-would you like one of my chips poppie.Why thank you I said as I accepted her offer.She then said-"Aren't you going to take a photo of it poppie?"
So mrsdrron had a pumpkin salad and I the fish and chips.
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The adults shared a coconut creme brulee.
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[drron]

The restaurant wasn't really busy so we stayed on talking until the sun began to go down.
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And on the way back to the room a familiar sight.
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[drron]

The next morning we had decided to go to Port Denarau and see if any fishing trips available.But on awakening this was our view.
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The Carnival Spirit.Max capacity 2124 lost souls.Tenders were down and already taking people to shore.
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So it was back to the pool.
That evening we again went to the golf club for a pizza dinner.They were pretty good and the trio playing were excellent.Even better was the view when we walked back to our room.
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It is a great view seeing a largish cruise ship leaving.But then the sunset.
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So Plan B was to go to Port Denarau the next day,Christmas Eve.