Tui Tai Fiji

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tui tai Fiji does hedonistic resort packages that are up there with the best. But what about something that wraps all the best aspects of these fascinating islands into one irresistible bundle?

STORY RODERICK EIME PHOTOS TUI TAI EXPEDITIONS

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PREVIOUS PAGE Wet Republic at MGM Grand is one of the hottest pool parties in Vegas. Last year more than 10,000 bronzed and buff bodies turned up for one four-day party alone.

ABOVE The Tropicana offers more than five acres of pool area, which includes three gigantic swimming spots. For the best party, head to the adults-only Lagoon Pool. middle MGM Grand’s five pools and three whirlpools are connected by rivers that snake through tropical foliage.

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Fiji was one of my earliest international travel experiences. Still in short pants, I remember the bustling wharves of Suva and Lautoka, and a giant P&O Himalaya, stark white under the blazing tropical sun. There were the ubiquitous carved wooden swords, shell necklaces and model canoes touted vigorously by young kids, not much older than myself, all the way into town and back.

This was the Fijian tourist experience of 1971, a blueprint that remained unchanged for decades. For many Australians, it is a typical memory of their first holiday in the Fiji islands and even to this day, many still opt for the insulated, luxury resort experience that Fiji does so well.

But beyond the manicured lawns, swimming pools and cocktail bars of Denarau Island, there exists another Fiji; one of remote, deserted beaches, hundreds of uninhabited islands, unspoiled coral reefs and vivid cultural encounters. Many of these outer locations are easily accessible by light aircraft, but to voyage by small ship from a secret anchorage into tropical heaven is the sort of experience you would only expect to read about in a novel.

Savusavu-based Tui Tai Expeditions have made it a reality, offering five- and sevennight boutique itineraries on Tui Tai. This plush, three-masted yacht was acquired by current owners Tige and Morika Young in 2002 and refitted to carry just 24 guests in comfortable cabins. In 2006 Tui Tai was remodelled again with more luxurious refinements like a massage/spa studio, private cabanas and deluxe staterooms. And the ship rates include absolutely everything: meals, bar beverages, spa, laundry, activities and excursions. There’s plenty of space to flop and relax with a book or just snooze, and guests are free to be as active or as lazy as they please.

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“Grab your mask and fins,” says our guide Gemma as urgently as she can, her voice never really sounding frantic. “The mantas are here!”

We snatch our snorkelling kit, still wet from the morning’s dive, and trot promptly down to the tender, which is already idling alongside our yacht. We sling on our fins while the motor guns us across the wide lagoon, our bottoms bouncing on the edge like underinflated basketballs.

“The mantas come through here a couple of times a year when the current and tides are right,” says Gemma. “We’ll drop you ahead of them – just hang there while they go past.”

No sooner are we in the water than the great rays start gliding towards us, their massive mouths agape, scooping up the plankton driven along in the current. Two, three, five creatures weave in and out of formation, diving occasionally then doubling back in a graceful arc to rejoin the team. It’s a mesmerising choreography yet in no time they are past us and off on their quest with slow, effortless flaps of their wings. We try to keep pace, but the tide holds us back and we relent.

“How was that?” implores Gemma, but we are speechless and puffing and I can only manage a wheezy “wow!”

There’s something about the magical manta rays that sums up Fiji and the Tui Tai experience. Huge and powerful, they only exert energy when it suits them, instead arranging themselves so the food source comes to them. Graceful and serene, these huge creatures, at least three metres across, simply caress the water as they make their oceanic odyssey.

Although not all guests are ready for the go-go-go available to them on board Tui Tai,

TOP RIGHT Caesar’s Palace is not an establishment renowned for understatement, and its Garden of the Gods pool area is no exception. It’s the largest offered by any resort in Vegas.

BOTTOM RIGHT Uber-chic partygoers head for Encore Beach Club. Its eight private poolside bungalows offer hot tubs, ensuites and air-conditioning.

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Guests who like to mix watersports and wagers should head for the lavish Encore Beach Club, which offers swim-up blackjack and craps.

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I’m giving it a shot. Next, the mountain bike trek along the coastal road of Rabi sounds arduous, but hardcore peddlers would scoff. The gently undulating dirt road passes through sleepy villages where we exchange greetings in the local language. “Mauri!” (hello!) The locals are ready with a broad smile and a wave as I wobble past.

Scuba diving is one of Fiji’s great attractions and one of my personal passions, so I’m using every opportunity to get beneath the waves and there are plenty. The outer reefs attract magnificent rays, dolphins and giant pelagic fish – all against a backdrop of some of the most beautiful hard and soft corals anywhere. Divers of all experience can enjoy these waters, including my new French friend Sebastien, the proud recipient of a PADI Open Water certification he obtained on board.

Beyond carrying well-heeled eco-travellers into delirious destinations, Tui Tai also operates a charitable fund that offers medical, educational, logistic and infrastructure support to a number of tiny and remote communities. This project, driven by the desire of Tui Tai guests to give something back to the villages they have visited, played a crucial role in the delivery of relief supplies to cyclone-ravaged villages after last year’s devastating Cyclone Tomas.

Relaxing on deck in a voluminous lounge, listening to the gentle flap of a sail in the breeze, I drift off into a carefree slumber. Instead of little wooden swords and tacky shell jewellery, my new dreams of Fiji are filled with reefs of colourful fish, majestic manta rays and secluded atolls. “Excuse me Mr Rod, your beer.” Now that’s an interruption I can live with.