By 
Two weeks of Bula Spirit from Fiji left their mark on me in 1999.
Now, with a child in tow, it was only fitting that Bua’s 3-person group had a memorable week, the first Christmas, a family outing. Still, this was uncharted territory.
For this trip, unlike the first, finding out as you go and backpacker accommodation in a basic thatched-roof hut (bure) wasn’t going to be enough. We had to factor in the needs of a 9 month old now with amenities like a crib, basic kitchen facilities, and at the very least a fan at the top of our wish list.
It would take some homework, so after a lot of diligent research online and phone calls from Bec, it was finally resolved. We would stay just 4 kilometers from Nadi International Airport at Club Fiji Resort.
Now we just had to get there, I told myself, secretly fearing the great unknown of having to fly with a child. But a combination of timed bottle feeding and a small dose of Phenergan turned our initial fears of EQ issues and possible tantrums into a mute point and Kaia passed her first test with flying colors. If only navigating the icy moving immigration and customs line in Nadi would have been half as easy.
But eventually, we passed by and found our driver patiently waiting for us to take us home for the next week. Located a few hundred meters from the island’s main road on a dirt road in dire need of grading, we were happy to find Club Fiji, the well-kept, waterfront, palm-fringed oasis as shown in the photos. from Trip Advisor. .
All we needed was to sort our gear, and in less time than it takes to sip a cup full of kava and clap three times, we were quickly settled in. In our daily routine a delicious included breakfast, water time, naps by the water with Dad, walks on the beach, outdoor tour bus trips by local bus and many drinks at happy hour before dinner. All interspersed, of course, with Kaia’s feeding and, more importantly, getting one staff member in particular who couldn’t do enough to help boil Kaia’s endless supply of baby bottles for her next round. feeding, would of course be interspersed with Kaia’s feeding.
Annie’s smile was as big as it was genuine and she took a special interest in Kaia and adored her every morning for breakfast with hugs, kisses and nips on the cheek and, Daddy’s favorite, with extra servings. It was a level of kindness and affection that would accompany us throughout our time in Fiji, none more so than when we boarded a fast ferry to South Sea Island for Christmas Day.
I’ve worked in tourism long enough to know that no matter how unique and exotic your office is, there are times when it’s still just that – a job. Especially on the big vacations when, truth be told, being with friends and family would be your first choice. It is in these moments when it is more difficult to maintain that sincere smile.
But apparently, the South Sea Island crew didn’t get that memo. “My family will be reuniting later this afternoon,” an island employee decked out in a Bula shirt assured me with a big, nonchalant smile that suggested he was happy right where he was, thank you very much.
And why not? It really didn’t get more postcard perfect than the tiny pile of coral their time cards punctured there in the middle of a turquoise South Pacific. It may very well have been ‘just a job’, but it was definitely one that he seemed to enjoy and was an attitude shared by virtually all of his co-workers and that helped raise the bar for friendly hospitality to a whole different level.
In the end, Fiji with Kaia opened my eyes to the fact that traveling with a young child has its own unique set of rewards. Rewards in the form of an ‘open heart’ policy that makes travel rewarding in ways unimaginable for unfettered parents.
But then, I should have known better after being there once. It’s called Bula Spirit for a reason.
And that spirit, along with Kaia leading the way, probably ruined me … however, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that we intend to test the theory.