McCoy Travel Reviews

3 Big Benefits to Booking a Condo with a Travel Agent

2011-02-03T08:44:00.004-10:00

Recently we've all been hearing a lot of our clients telling us that they are booking a condo directly with an owner, rather than with a travel agent, because it costs less.

Before you make that decision, let us explain the benefits of booking through a travel agent and a reputable management company, like Outrigger Hospitality. Here are three great reasons to book with a travel agent.

1. You will be able to check-in and check-out at the front desk of the property vs. having to go to another off-property location, like a realty office, to pick up the key.
2. You will enjoy regularly scheduled housekeeping services.
With owner-direct bookings, the unit may only be cleaned only after the guest leaves.
If you need or want certain types of housekeeping or maintenance services during their stay, and if they booked direct with the owner, they may have to arrange for these services themselves, via the owner or the owner's representative. If you book through the agent, we'll take care of this for you.
3. You will have overall peace of mind knowing that you have an experienced travel agent behind you if you need assistance to make your vacation experience match your expectations.

It's your vacation and your time to relax. Let us book your condo for you. Give McCoy Travel a call to book your next Outrigger getaway to any of the Hawaiian Islands.

Fiji Family Vacations Video - Travel with kids and have fun!

2010-12-10T05:37:00.001-10:00

Fiji Family Vacations Video - Enjoy the islands with the kids - Enjoy amazing kids clubs and amazing activities. Lots to do for kids of all ages - Fiji Escapes Travel is here to help with your reservations! 800-LUV-FIJI http://www.fiji-islands.com/ Call today and enjoy places such as Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji or Castaway Island Resort with a fantastic kids club and the friendliest people on earth!

My Heavenly Fiji - JM Cousteau Fiji Resort - Melissa McCoy's review and Video

2010-12-01T12:05:00.002-10:00

Bula!
Staying at the JM Cousteau Fiji Resort in May of 2010 was one of the most relaxing experiences I had enjoyed in a couple years. I stayed in both the Villa and their Honeymoon Bure with jacuzzi on the deck. The service and food were both spectacular. In Melissa fashion, I packed up my kayak with a bottle of french champagne and paddled out to MY private island for a perfect late morning/early afternoon awaited me. The resort boat came out and brought my massage therapist so I could receive a pampering massage under sway palms. My picnic lunch was gourmet to say the least. I am looking forward to my return visit to this most enchanting Fiji resort. Please don't be shy now, give us a ring at 1-800-588-3454 (in Hawaii) to find out about current and last minutes specials.Or email us at vacations@mccoytravel.com. Make sure you include your name and phone # if you are looking for specific dates/offers.
Also visit our Fiji Escapes Blog
Sota Tale (see you later)
Melissa

Kona Village - So Amazing Hawaii's only Thatched Hut Experience!

2010-11-30T16:03:00.001-10:00

Aloha!

What an incredibly serene place to relax! Kona Village, on the Big Island of Hawaii, oozes relaxation with the sounds of the ocean all around and sassy palm fronds dancing in the breeze. Take a nap in your hammock, snorkel in their pristine cove, enjoy a massage in the oceanfront massage "hale". Whether a Family Vacation, much needed relaxing get away, a honeymoon or wedding, Kona Village brings the South Pacific to you without having to fly there!

The McCoy Travel gang had a really wonderful time together. Sue and Mark both flew out from the east coast. Everyone had their family or good friends with them. The Resort extended such amazing hospitality to us which is exactly what the staff extend to all guests. I felt like I had stepped back in time, enjoying a small thatched hut resort warm and welcoming staff.

We have exclusive offers and values at Kona Village. All meals and many activities are included. And we have even more in store for you. Call us in Hawaii at 1-800-256-4280.
For many last minute specials on resorts in Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti, Mexico, Thailand and beyond.
Fondest regards
Melissa

Visit my other BETA blog too
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Fiji Islands BLOG

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel - Hiapo Cockett Reviews

2010-11-25T13:05:00.006-10:00

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Amazing Big Island beach is almost an oxymoron. While you can find stunning ocean views, swimming beaches are rare. Then, if you are looking for a 5 star resort in addition to a great beach, your list gets very short. Fortunately, compromise is not necessary if you choose the Mauna Kea. The most northern resort on the Kona side, it is a good hour or so from the airport. Situated on an amazing cove with the type of white sand that dreams are made of, the Mauna Kea was always a nice resort with the perfect location. A couple of years ago a sizable earthquake caused some minor damage. This gave the owners a perfect excuse to close the entire resort and spend $150 million to not only make the needed repairs, but to completely redesign the rooms.

Now, with only 258 rooms total, you have a state of the art resort with everything one could ask for in a Hawaii resort. Brand new rooms feature great beds, big screen HDTVs hidden in a wall cabinet, iPod docks, dimmable lights that have master controls at the door as well as your nightstand, and the bathrooms: THE BATHROOMS! Twin sinks that are WELL LIT (and dimmable) L’Occitane bath products (including their fizzy bath cubes!), and in the bathroom area is a tub big enough for a 6’3” me to float! It has a design that lets you fill the tub to the brim (neck high for me) and if you splash a bit too much, IT DOESN’T MATTER as the whole bathtub area is tile and drains into the shower area. This shower area has a huge rain-shower-head in addition to a hand held shower. Many of the rooms offer a view outside to either the mountains/golf courses or the ocean. These rooms feature a second balcony off of the tub area (with a privacy curtain, of course).

Dining options abound with 5 different restaurants, plus room service, a weekly luau, a special Sunday brunch (this whole chain is famous for their gigantic brunches), as well as their famous Saturday Clambake. If you are a drinker, make sure you check out Monettes steak and seafood restaurant, where you will find one of the most exotic liquor selections anywhere, and the Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar (named after the spot where they attract manta rays at night) where they offer 48 different wines “on tap” letting you sample many different wines without necessarily buying an entire glass.

Mauna Kea, I think I’m in love.
Hiapo Cockett
213-784-4910
Hiapo@McCoyTravel.com

Kona Village Resort - Reviews by Hiapo Cockett

2010-11-25T12:57:00.005-10:00

Kona Village

There are very few places in Hawaii that feature the same kinds of individual bungalows as found in other parts of the Pacific. Add to that a dearth of resorts that include meals other than breakfast. Finally, there are no other places in Hawaii that allow you to disconnect from the outside world the way that Kona Village allows.

Built on 80 acres on an oasis surrounded by old lava flows, 120 individual thatched roof huts line the shores of the ocean, beach and brackish pond. Run more like a family operation, you will feel your many stresses melting away because of the many little touches: no televisions, radios, internet access or clocks are in the rooms, thus eliminating the constant droning white noise of the outside world. Cell phone use is highly discouraged outside of your room. Even the path lighting is subdued. Just as a blind person has other senses enhanced, you will find more stars in the sky, more rhythm in the waves crashing to shore, and notable by its absence: a complete lack of busy sounding noise common in most resorts.

Quiet does not mean boring. Kona Village features a full activities desk with sailboats, kayaks, snorkeling gear (AMAZING snorkeling conditions and turtles abound), cultural activities, hieroglyphics tours and a full gym are offered complimentary. Massages, golf, and helicopter tours from their own helipad are some of the options available for an extra charge. Weekly paniolo (cowboy) BBQ’s and twice weekly Luaus are included in the meal inclusive rate. You can call our very own activity hot-line for pricing and reservations: 877-256-4248

Nowhere else in the US will you find a more genuine and relaxing stay than at Kona Village, as evidenced by their HUGE repeat clientele list. Check out of the world, and into Kona Village.

Aloha,
Hiapo Cockett
213-784-6143
Hiapo@McCoyTravel.com

Honua Kai - Hiapo's Hawaii Reviews

2010-11-25T12:48:00.006-10:00

Aloha,
As we start the Holiday Season, Thanksgiving reminds us to count our blessings. I am thankful that I have been able to visit several new resorts this Fall (some new, some new to me!)

Honua Kai
First was the new Honua Kai. Finished about a year ago on the North side of Kaanapali Beach, Honua Kai raises the bar on fine Hawaii condominiums. Fine touches abound inside and out of the studio, one, two and three bedroom units. Starting with the common areas, 3 pools form the focus points. One of the pools has a nice waterslide for little and big kids, a sandy-bottomed area, a couple of grotto caves with waterfalls, and water fountains for the delight of your little ones. Signature red umbrellas highlight the beautiful grounds surrounding the pools, where you will also find cabanas (for a Hawaii bargain price of $25/day!) and covered couples lounges. Next to the pool, you will find creative dining served up by Dukes Beach House, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which also handles poolside service. In the main lobby, you will find Aina Market, featuring an amazing selection of local gourmet favorites, a gelato bar, a fresh and creative sandwich menu, and some of the better beer and wine selections available on Maui.

Inside each of the suites, you will find some of the nicest amenities available in a Maui condo. Kitchens replete with marble counters, stainless steel Bosch appliances, plenty of nice dishes suitable for entertaining (including my personal requirements: a martini set!). Each bedroom has its own big screen LCD TV (with all digital cable), some of the most comfortable beds on Maui (let alone in a condo), and a separate bathroom with DEEP tubs, and separate glass-enclosed showers. Even the living rooms have queen-sized sofa beds featuring the same fine linens found in the bedrooms, and another big screen LCD TV. The in-room Bosch washer and dryer made it convenient to unpack clean laundry when we got home! Complimentary wireless/wired Internet further add to the long list of amenities.

Other services include 2 gyms with state-of-the-art equipment, available underground valet parking (think hot car relief), and a kids club that takes 3 years and up (the only one I know of that takes under 5 years in Maui). Daily maid service and room service make this condo feel more like a full service hotel. Do yourself a favor; the next time you are thinking about a condo in Hawaii, there are few nicer places than Honua Kai. My wife is already bugging me to plan our next stay.

A Hui Ho, (Until next time)
Hiapo Cockett
213-784-4910
Hiapo@McCoyTravel.com

Lorena Reviews: Westin Maui Resort & Spa

2010-09-16T10:19:00.006-10:00

Aloha,
I really enjoyed it my stay at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa and wanted to share my reviews with you. I can honestly say that I would definitely go back and recommended it to you for a couple of reasons, first of all the staff are very nice and friendly! So Aloha oriented! I love that and it really makes a difference.

The Resort is really beautiful. The lobby area has a beautiful waterfall, koi pond, and multiple tropical birds (flamingos and parrots) making it delightful with the soft tropical breezes. The pools are connected, but they have separate pools for the kids and the adults. The room was lovely and very comfortable. It had a gorgeous views of the ocean, very clean and with those heavenly beds full of fluffy pillows ,you really sleep like a baby!

The spa was my favorite thing, full of amenities and the staff were excellent. The beach is amazing in that area, great for swimming and long walks.

Everything was well maintained and super clean, what a great weekend. I was there with friends from work with and with Meghan Silva who spent a whole morning with us showing us the Property, she was wonderful. Thank you to Fernando too, It was great meeting you for the first time and you are so nice and pleasant to be around.

Many Mahalos to the Westin and their crew. Give me a call and I'll be happy to share more information with you and help you plan a great trip to Maui!

Lorena Acuna
Lorena@mccoytravel.com
800-256-4280 ext.106 or 213-784-4094

Caroline Gold at the Westin Maui

2010-09-14T10:56:00.007-10:00

Aloha Welina Mai! Welcome to Westin Maui

The Westin Maui Resort & Spa is the premier location for a dream Hawaiian vacation. Situated on Ka'anapali Beach, the Westin Maui Resort & Spa is the most romantic escape in all the Hawaiian Islands... the dramatic point at which the legendary Black Rock of
Ka'anapali meets the ocean. Anchored by the Black Rock itself, this spectacular Maui hotel beckons hopeless romantics, discerning honeymooners, and fun-seeking families."

Family-friendly: This site visit was enlightening especially regarding the huge multi-pool area, truly a focal point for the hotel. It's only Maui rival is on the other side of our Island. I just had no idea Westin Maui's recreational area was this extensive; the décor and facilities were truly outstanding. For families, it's truly wonderful and more competitive pricing than the other resort. I'll be recommending Westin often in the future!

Ocean view room on 7th floor was wonderful. The room was quite spacious and
elegant, as well as very comfortable.
Heavenly Bed was exceptional. I slept well and awoke very refreshed. (And yes, Melissa was right about those delicious Westin sheets ! )
An exceptional feature was the sofa/living room area for reading and projects.
The bathroom amenities were great, I relaxed and rejuvenated using both the shower and bath.
The balcony, although small was sweet for early morning tea.
I really liked having the fridge, just right for a few snack items.
How refreshing not to be charged for the bottled water!
I didn't use the entertainment center so can't comment on that.
Guest Services: I especially appreciated guest services bringing me a hot water electric pot for making tea -- I used it often and each time I felt grateful for the extra service.
Spa facilities were beautifully appointed. I enjoyed relaxing at the end of my stay in both the steam and dry saunas, and used the whirlpool as well. (I would have liked the whirlpool much hotter personally, more like a hot tub, just my personal preference & not sure if I could have set it myself) The relaxation lounge was lovely, I felt very pampered with the lemon water and fruit/nut snack choices. This spa tour was a sweet gift before my departure on Sunday.

Overall, I found my experience at the Westin exceeded my expectations.
Mahalo & Give me a call if you'd like more details on specials and your travel options!
Caroline Gold
213-784-0240

Joanne at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa

2010-09-14T10:21:00.001-10:00

Aloha,
We had such a wonderful stay at the Westin Kaanapali Aug 20 - 22. My entire Family loved this property. From the pool to the jacuzzi and not to mention the great beach directly in front of the property (this was so convenient). I would highly recommend the Ocean Tower (ocean view of course) as these rooms are absolutely fabulous. The decor, room service and maid service were fantastic! There is enough to do at this Resort to cater to any clientele (Honeymooners and Families with children of all ages or just the couple wanting to vacation). The Spa, ahhhh, this was the highlight of my weekend. It is absolutely the most relaxing atmosphere I have been in.
Joanne Earles
213-784-4708
joanne@mccoytravel.com

Bora Bora - The Most Romantic Island on Earth -Exclusive 1-800-256-4280

2010-09-10T07:29:00.003-10:00

Bora Bora offers the best of luxury, honeymoon experiences and family vacations. Nothing compares with the beauty of the 1,000 shades of blue in the Lagoon surrounding Bora Bora. Whether romancing away in your own overwater bungalow or frolicking on the beach, this MOST romantic island of love, will enchant you beyond belief. I am sharing my own pictures from recent trips, including March 2010. There are 1,000 reasons WHY to visit Bora Bora. The prices have never been better, nor the selection. Four Seasons Bora Bora, St. Regis Bora Bora, Intercontinental Thalasso, Bora Bora Pearl, Bora Bora Nui? Go to http://www.visit-tahiti.com/borabora/ and call us in Hawaii 1-800-256-4280 for Exclusive Platinum VIP offers.
If you are considering the other islands of Tahiti, Hawaii or Fiji, we will assist you in understanding the differences and help you make the right choice to fit your needs.

NEWSFLASH: KAANAPALI ALII, MAUI QUICK REVIEW

2010-09-10T07:21:00.001-10:00

Aloha!
I have just a few words to say about this really wonderful condo property I just stayed at, here on my island home of Maui. The Kaanapali Alii, 4 Star Condo, is smack dab in the heart of Kaanapali Resort. For some people, that may not be a good thing, but for those that enjoy being within walking distance to shopping (Whaler's Village is almost next door) and a very eclectic array of dining options, this resort is in the PERFECT location. The new pools (pictured here) really changed the feel of this property. There is even a "quiet pool" for those folks who prefer not to have kids in the pool they are enjoying. Another GREAT touch. Each unit is decorated by it's owner so no 2 are alike. The Premium units have more upgrades and are highly recommended (by me :)

The Alii (as we call it), is operated like a hotel with a bellman, daily maid service, room service provided by the Westin (a limited menu but not bad at all), 2 spa treatment rooms (operated by the Westin) that are located in their NEW and fantastic gym, AND signing privileges at the Westin and Marriott (both next door to the Kaanapali Alii). The facial I received while I was there was fantastic (and I receive quite a few facials in my work).
Okay, this was just a NEWSFLASH. Now back to my Fiji reviews.. Namale Resort & Spa is next. And then.. watch for another NEWSFLASH about Maui's Puunoa Luxury Condo in Lahaina, right on the ocean!

See you later. And be sure to call us here in Hawaii for ever changing exclusive offers for Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti and much more 1-800-256-4280.
http://www.mccoytravel.com

Epic Fiji Journey - Namale Resort & Spa

2010-09-09T07:24:00.000-10:00

Namale Resort & Spa, my Fijian Garden of Eden, holds a special place in my heart. We had stumbled upon this gem way back in 1992 (before Travel Agency), and spent 4 lovely nights at this, then, 6 Bure resort in the jungle on the ocean. There was not much else in Savu Savu in those days. We drove up in a 4 wheel drive rental jeep, parked, and never left the resort for 4 nights. That was in 1992. My visit this time was 18 years later, and I can quite honestly say, that even though there have been an incredible amount of changes over the years, it still feels the same to me.
I have visited Namale Resort & Spa often over the last 18 years. Each time, I spend a bit of time trying to locate my/our "farewell" stone, the cement block you write in (wet), upon your departure, and placed somewhere on the grounds of the resort. Inevitably, I find some of my staffs "moce stones" (moce - pronounced Moe -they and means goodbye). This time I spent little time looking for the past, as my future lay ahead, at the Duvata Grand Villa. All of those hot days at the outdoor conference, and the last 3 years (it had been that long since I had visited), I have been dreaming of Duvata :)
Stay tuned-I'll be back later to add to this post. I have to scoot to Kaanapali. I have alot to say about Namale and it's all great! One tip I would like to give you here is PLEASE be sure to back up your computer back up (yes, double back up). Unfortunately, both my laptop harddrive and back up drive went south a few days ago, so pictures will be a little late in coming. I have no choice but to PAY to have my hard drive scanned, or my 5 weeks in Fiji, a photo journey, won't be the same.
Sota Tale.. see you later.
Melissa

Puunoa Luxury Beachfront Condo in Lahaina was AWESOME!

2010-09-08T07:05:00.001-10:00

Aloha! Puunoa Beach Estates could be one of Maui's best kept secrets even though it has been part of our island for more years than I remember! This 2 story beachfront luxury condominium complex has 2 & 3 bedroom units, all beachfront, with sunset/island views to knock your socks off, the sound of the soothing ocean murmuring beyond the reef, and a turquoise lagoon not unlike many South Pacific beaches I have been on in my life. Contact us at 1-800-256-4280 here in Hawaii, 7 days a week for exclusive savings and values for Puunoa, as well as other fine vacation properties/resorts on all the islands of Hawaii. or email vacations@mccoytravel.com. Visit our Agent Reviews to see where the McCoy Agents have been visiting and reviewing.
Stay tuned for many more Hawaii and Fiji blogs from my recent visits to fantastic resorts in both areas.
Have a wonderful September
Aloha
Melissa

Tahiti in April with Lori Evans

2010-09-07T06:42:00.000-10:00

From the moment you step off the plane in Tahiti you are greeted with a heartwarming "Ia Orana"! (This is the Tahitian way to say Hello..welcome!)

There is a trio of smiling musicians, singing and strumming guitar and ukulele and two local beauties dancing for you as you make your way to claim your bags. The balmy, fragrant, tropical air immediately begins to caress your face and you breathe it in and smile as you realize that you have just entered French Polynesian paradise!

While I could literally fill a book with details of each place I visited in 14 days and all the fun activities that I enjoyed and the delicious meals that I consumed, I will begin with giving you some highlights of my time spent at some of the truly incredible resorts in Bora Bora..

Le Meridien Bora Bora-

I really loved my stay here in one of their 2 bedroom beachfront bungalows with private plunge pool! These 5 Beach bungalows share their own beautiful beach overlooking the resort's private lagoon, and Mt Otemanu behind. The lagoon at this resort is also the home of a wonderful turtle sanctuary! Guests can learn all about them, from the on-staff naturalist and participate in the daily feeding PLUS you are able to swim and snorkel with them and there are literally dozens of them! The staff is so warm and friendly and you feel like a member of their family.

Le Taha'a

This private island resort, home of the famous Taha'a vanilla is truly a lover's paradise.

Be sure to bring some vanilla beans home to put in your bottle of rum or other favorite beverage to enhance the flavor and remind you of your time spent there in paradise! Cheers!

This top of the line Pearl Resort has thought of everything to make a couple's experience heavenly. My Taha'a over water bungalow had a luscious king bed facing out the giant picture window overlooking the lagoon with Bora Bora in background!

The Tahitian delicacy, Poisson Cru Raw fish marinated in lime and coconut juice, prepared right in front of you by the executive chef was the very best I've ever had!

Four Seasons Bora Bora;

This is a truly stunning property with undoubtedly the largest and nicest beaches in all of French Polynesia. The level of quality and service and attention to detail here is in keeping with the trademark that is Four Seasons.

I luxuriated in my Mountain view Over-water bungalow that perfectly framed Mt Otemanu in the background. Not only was it wonderful to wake up to the incredible view of the lagoon each morning out my bungalow window, but it was sheer heaven to be able to sit in the giant soaking tub with a glass of wine and watch the sunset.

You name it and it is available here for the asking.. breakfast in your bungalow delivered by canoe, wave runners, private beach dinners, kayaks, bicycles, and on and on...

They have state of the art gym with such technologically advanced equipment that you don't really even notice you are working out it is so smooth and easy to use! They have heavenly spa nestled in a very private area of the lagoon with every treatment imaginable and a wonderful yoga salon.

The complimentary "Kids For All Seasons" club and will fulfill your child's' dreams. I was really impressed by their awesome teens club, with it's own pool and entertainment area, and their own private teen's only beach .. so that your teen can hang out and be totally cool with their "like kind". What parents with teens wouldn't consider that heaven sent too?

Needless to say the cuisine was incredible. One of my favorite places to dine there for a lighter meal was the Sunset Restaurant and Bar for sushi, and other Asian-inspired small tapas.

Intercontinental Thalasso Resort and Spa

This was my final night in Bora Bora and it was a wonderful finale to say the least. The Sapphire over-water bungalow I had here was exquisite and had every creature comfort with giant walk-in closet, multiple shower heads in the walk-in shower, Cleopatra style soaking tub overlooking the lagoon and nice big deck split level deck for sunning and swimming in the pristine. My favorite thing of all though, was spending several hours enjoying their Deep Ocean Spa. This incredible sanctuary for the mind and body has glass floored over-water treatment rooms so as I had the signature 90 minute Deep Blue massage I was watching the marine life swim beneath me! This incredible spa uses hydrotherapy with water drawn from the Pacific ocean at a depth of 900 M!

Stay tuned for more to come ..the island of Moorea!
Lori Evans
213-784-6135 or 866-369-4068

Mike Brown at the Fairmont Kea Lani

2010-09-05T13:06:00.006-10:00

Aloha,
If you are going to do your Birthday in style then you have to add the Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea, Maui, Hawaii as your next Birthday Destination. I just celebrated my, ahem, 50th going on 29 again, Birthday last weekend at the Fairmont here on Maui and I was treated like a Rock Star. The kind staff upgraded me to a Kilohana Suite. These are located Oceanfront at the end of the Wings. They are at elevation, so have amazing panoramic views of offshore Islands and the Sunset. From Dec-Apr, when the whales are here, this is a perfect vantage point for watching the whales cavorting out of the water in the warm tropical Maui waters. The Kilohana Suite is equipped with a powerful set of binoculars and there are many lookout spots on the huge wraparound balcony of these Suites. An amazing property for honeymoons, weddings and family vacations.

The Suite itself is very spacious. Separate Bedroom with access to the Balcony. Balcony has plenty of deck furniture for lounging. Living room has a wraparound glass wall to take in the incredible view. Living Room also has a large screen TV with Bose sound system , gaming equipment, and wireless Internet. Internet is free if you join the Fairmont Presidents Club ... which is also free. Self Parking is free, there is no "Resort Fee". 24 Hour Fitness Center in the Resort is Free, Wallstreet Journal or local paper was delivered to my Suite every morning.

These things can add up to big savings when you take in overall cost of a Resort Experience. The Kilohana Suite just like the other Rooms at the Fairmont Kea Lani, has a large marble Bathroom with large soaking tub, his and hers sinks and a separate shower from the bathtub. The Suite has a mini-fridge and a microwave. For me, the best part was that it came with - a beautiful white chocolate and raspberry Birthday cake, nice '06 Red, box of chocolates and a discount coupon for their luxurious Resort Spa :)

Hmm wonder what you may get on Your next Birthday here :) :)

Aloha,
Mike
800-256-4280 ext.109

Faye's Mother & Daughter trip To Maui

2010-09-05T07:50:00.008-10:00

Aloha!
My young daughter and I had the opportunity to stay at Westin Maui this past week. We had an oceanview room with a fantastic view over the resort pools and out to sea. The room was beautifully furnished and we enjoyed the welcoming chocolate amenities. The water slide was a huge attraction and my daughter spent many hours playing with new friends. The pool and grounds are great for young and older - with an adult pool in a well located area. It was also close enough to walk next door to their favourite restaurant with the Golden Archs although we did have a very nice lunch - gourmet pizza at the poolside restaurant also. We had a mother/daughter "couples" massage in the spa. This was such a treat! after 50 minutes we were so relaxed and content to sip lemon water in the spa Serenity Room overlooking the beachfront. It was a very enjoyable stay and we loved every minute of this Resort!
Contact me for great savings on your next trip to Maui!
Faye
213-784-0210 or 800-256-4280 ext.129

Mauna Lani Point - Big Island with Faye

2010-08-09T04:04:00.002-10:00

Aloha!
We stayed 2 nights at Mauna Lani Point. The condo was two bedroom with luxurious furnishings Tommy Bahama style - a fully equipped kitchen with lots of inclusions, Books, Games and CDs - even some snorkeling gear. Spa tub in the master bathroom, flat screen tvs in the bedrooms and living room. The view was beautiful and would be fantastic during whale season. The Kohala Coast was sunny and completely "Vogless". We took a sunset walk along the oceanfront cliffs and watched a beautiful full moon rise up over Mauna Kea - it was so bright it was like daylight!

The view and the immaculate grounds and the beach was only a walk 10-15 minutes to the beach (Or call the complimentary shuttle which will take you to the beach, Mauna Lani shops or resort areas) The pool area was very peaceful with a huge spa pool and BBQ area.

It was a very relaxing weekend. I would recommend to couples looking for luxury privacy and great views, also to families with small children. The staff were very friendly and helpful.
Give me a call for reservations and special savings at 213-784-0210

Faye Bartlett

Kaanapali Alii with Mike Brown

2010-08-07T04:33:00.001-10:00

Aloha,
What another gorgeous day it is here on Maui. Just back from staying and experiencing the beautiful Kaanapali Alii for 2 nights with my 2 kids. Wow, I could not believe how awesome the Alii Rooms are furnished. With a Full Kitchen , washer/dryer, huge balcony, nice living room and 2 bathrooms , one with a bathtub in it. Parking was free, but you do have to pay for Internet connection.

Best part for me was to see how huge the front Beach has grown, This has to one of the best stretches of sand on Maui!! Pool was fun enough for the kids. They have 2 pools. The Other is for quiet people :) They also have 2 jacuzzis and a large BBQ Social area a 2 big flat screens in operation by the pool. No Liquor Outlet at this Condo Resort though, so BYO by the Pool. You can order food to be delivered by the Westin next door , but you pay a lot for delivery and min order is $35 before 20% tip is added. But you can always stock up yourself with supplies on the way to the Condo no probs. I loved the Alii best as the condos were exquisitely furnished and the Beach has to be one of the best in the World !!!!!

Mahalo Kaanapali Alii,
Mike
213-784-6129

Melissa McCoy in Fiji - Bula!

2010-07-10T09:35:00.006-10:00

Aloha Everyone!

It's been quite some time since I have updated you on my comings and goings, as well as what the McCoy crew have been up to. After a less than stellar 2009, 2010 started off with an incredible amount of people wanting to travel ASAP and we were busier than ever. And so... off we went on some jaunts of our own here at McCoy Travel! Although not everyone has traveled YET in 2010, we all share our knowledge so we can better assist our clients. So you know where we have been, and that we are out there beating the pavement on our clients behalf, here is the short list :)

The agent that traveled the furthest was Hiapo Cockett and his wife Mary. McCoy Travel had earned a reward trip to Rome from Perillo Tours. Hiapo and Mary were eager to accept (with Hiapo also being our top producer for Perillo tours). Hiapo and Mary spent their whole week in Rome really getting to know that spectacular city. Click here for Hiapo's review & pictures.

Fiji was the most traveled destination for us this year (not surprising). Lori Evans enjoyed a week of diving at Beqa Lagoon Resort with Maui Dreams (a Maui Dive operation). Lori and Maui Dreams, work closely together to "craft" fabulous dive holidays. Afterward, Lori and Rachel meandered over to Vatulele and Taveuni. Mike Brown joined me at the Bula Fiji Conference in Nadi. Prior to his arrival to the conference, Mike was able to savour the flavours of Namale Resort & Spa and Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Resort & Spa. After the conference, he was our McCoy Pioneer by heading out to the Yasawa Island chain were he visited Viwa Resort.

I outdid myself this year and I'm still trying to catch up, after a whopping 5 weeks in Fiji! starting the week of the Bula Fiji Conference. My blog is lagging behind my travels, but please feel free to click here to follow along as I fill you in as I have time to write. Also, please remember to back up your computer back up, as computers/ backups DO crash at the same time (Yikes) and mine is having surgery to resurrect ALL of my photos/videos from the last 3 years (not to mention the 5 weeks in Fiji ++). I stayed at 13 resorts and visited another 2, in 5 weeks. In order of experience..

Castaway, Mana, Sofitel, Namale Resort & Spa, Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Resort, Intercontinental Natadola Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Vatulele Island Resort, Qamea Resort & Spa, Taveuni Island Resort, Taveuni Palms, Matangi Island Resort & Radisson Denarau. Visited were: Koro Sun Resort & Rainforest Spa, Malolo Island Resort

Sue Michailidis, and her hubby and son meandered down to Riviera Maya in Mexico in May. Some of the properties she visited are the Presidente Intercontinental, Ritz-Carlton Cancun, Grand Velas and Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita. Please visit her reviews here.

McCoy Travel sent Lori Evans to Tahiti in April for 2 weeks. What a 2 weeks it was visiting such incredible resorts as Sofitel Maeva Beach Resort, Le Taha'a Private Island & Spa, Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort, Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa, ~ Four Seasons Bora Bora and Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa topped off a most amazing experience. Visit Lori's reviews here.

I spent a week in Tahiti in March (blog), with focus on Bora Bora. It was a whirlwind but very very worthwhile. On Moorea I visited the Sofitel and then Tahaa Island Resort & Spa, InterContinental Le Moana Resort Bora Bora and was then WOW'd by the Four Seasons Resort & Spa. (Melissa's trip advisor review)

Fondest Regards from Maui
Melissa

Melissa McCoy

Hiapo in Rome 2010

2010-06-13T08:33:00.002-10:00

Aloha,
I wanted to share with you my notes about my recent trip to Rome! Hope you are well, and I look forward to hearing from you and helping out with your next incredible vacation!

Rome…
The Eternal City…

I have been told that Rome is called the Eternal City because it has been there for so long. I have another theory: It takes an eternity to experience all of the history, the art, and the food. Bring your most comfortable shoes, bring SEVERAL extra camera batteries, bring a cell phone with GPS, internet service (so you can look up “what the heck is that?!”) and Google maps (an iPhone is my personal choice). If you have a camera with GPS in it, that will help.

Along with my favorite traveling companion (my wife), we braved 31 hours of airplanes and airports to experience the biggest time change possible (12 hours difference from Hawaii). Our home away from home was the lovely, 4 star, and boutique style Rose Garden Palace Hotel. Located a block or two from Villa Borghese and in the corner of what is considered central Rome, the Rose Garden Palace Hotel features comfortable rooms with high ceilings, parquet hardwood floors, marble bathrooms with VERY deep tubs, an eclectic blend of antique and modern style furniture, flat screen TV’s with satellite service, rich burl wood walk-in closets, all staffed by a friendly staff whose professionalism is exceeded only by their charm. The common areas of the resort include a lobby bar replete with polished marble, a fully equipped gym (for those of you that need more exercise than walking MILES AND MILES every day), sauna and a relaxing grotto with a ~20’ X 20’ “whirlpool” (sitting depth, regular pool temperature, tile bench running along all sides). Spa services are offered. The restaurant serves a complimentary continental breakfast (which includes hot items), as well as lunch and dinner. This resort is used by Perillo Tours (our host for this trip) and would be comparable to the Hyatt Regencies that are featured in Perillo’s Hawaii tours. Dinners are elegant and feature creative dishes served by attentive staff fully versed in knowing the best wine pairings for their dishes.

No matter what tour you take, with all my heart, I implore you to extend your stay in Rome. There is just too much to see: In the time of Jesus, Rome was a thriving metropolis. Around the time the Pilgrims were arriving on the shores of America, Bernini was busy sculpting grand fountains including the famous Trevi. A hundred years before that, Michelangelo was doing this little paint job for Pope Julius II, perhaps you have heard of it: The Sistine Chapel.

Our second day was comprised of 2 of Perillo’s half-day tours. First was the Coliseum, the world’s first Superdome. Built in the first century, it stands as a skeleton of its original glory, stripped of the white marble skin the adorned most of its surfaces. Here the first rock stars performed: Gladiators. Performing their blood-art on a wooden stage covered with sand and constructed over hidden galleries, they performed for the Caesars, but the adoration of the masses was perhaps their real motivation. Inside the three levels of ancient archways are the venerable causeways where thousands flocked to watch the grandest spectacle of their time. While most of it is in ruins, part of the theater has a reconstructed wooden stage and a few of the bleachers are being recovered in the alabaster hued marble that made this structure worthy of being the centerpiece of the throne of the known universe.

Do yourself a favor and climb the (dangerously steep) steps to the second level. Here you will find a nice souvenir shop and many cases of gladiatorial armor (mostly recreations, but several real pieces as well).

Next is the half-day tour of the Vatican. To say that a half-day tour is too brief is the grandest exaggeration I could conjure. In 2006, the Vatican Museums celebrated their 500th year. With the purchase of a sculpture of Laocoön (the priest who inspired “beware Greeks bearing gifts”), Pope Julius II began a habit that 500 years of Popes continued: art collection.

Comprising of 54 GALLERIES of art, you will find not only masterpieces of Raphael and Michelangelo, but also so many unnamed artists as to boggle the mind with the shear mass of the creations. Exiting the museums, you are lead to St. Peter’s Basilica, the grandest monument to Catholicism ever imagined. Dwarfing all churches, St. Peter’s even has markers in the main hall showing how some of the world’s most famous churches elsewhere would fit cleanly inside. Besides the grand altar build over the (even grander) tomb of St Peter, the many chapels are wall to wall with Papal tombs, running from the modest plain white marble for Pope John Paul II to the ginormous and extravagant red and white marble, Bernini designed tomb of Pope Alexander VII. And the Pièce de résistance: Michelangelo’s Pieta. I could have stood and stared for hours at this one piece.

I cannot blame Perillo tours for the shortness of the Vatican visit. They arranged to get us to the head of the lines, showed us the most important pieces and enough history to whet our appetite for more. As their tour includes days “on your own”, they can also arrange to set you up with more detailed experiences for everything that Rome can offer. They even offer “extended stay packages”. Please take advantage of your time in Rome.
The rest of our days in Rome were spent following particular artists (Bernini may be my new favorite), exploring countless churches’ art collections, wandering the ancient Forum and Palantine (trust me, take 2 days and bring a lunch), and counting our blessings for being able to take the tiniest peek at Rome, for which the title “Eternal City” seems just a bit understated.

Feel free to call me with any questions about your travel interests.

Hiapo Cockett ,
Toll Free 1-800-588-3454 x102
Local 213-784-4910
Click here to call me on our dime I'm ext.102.

Mike Brown Fiji Reviews

2010-06-05T08:55:00.002-10:00

Aloha and Bula Bula , Hope you all are having a wonderful 2010.

I just returned from my latest foray to the fabulous Fiji Islands. I visited some wonderful Resorts and attended a very positive Tourism Conference. I must say right off the bat that the Exchange Rate continues to be a very positive reason to go to Fiji. The US Dollar really goes a long way to give you much more bang for your buck!

Fiji is among the top 15 best rated countries for American travelers during the current recession in the US financial market. This has resulted in a 26% increase in US Visitors to Fiji compared to last year. Once they come back they are reporting just how amazing Fiji Islands really are.
For Instance, Mana Island Resort was recently listed by Trip Advisor readers as one of the "Top Ten Best Beaches in the World." Mana is the only Mamanuca Island resort offering all inclusive pricing - Call me for more details.

Also, The new InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa has been included in the 2010 Conde Nast Traveler Hot List, one of only three South Pacific hotels and resorts to make the definitive list of the world’s best new hotels. They offer everything from Champoinship Golf, to horseback riding on Long Beach, and even Surfing and Scuba.

More accolades are pouring in as many discover just how beautiful and friendly Fiji and its people really are... Something Melissa McCoy and all the experienced staff here have known for a long time.

So let me tell you the latest from the Resorts that I visited this time around..

Westin Resort and Spa is in Denarau, Nadi. This is the oldest "fine" hotel in Fiji, originally the Regent. Westin added all of their well known ingredients, including the Heavenly Bed, and created a unique and relaxing environment. One short night and away I went to....

Namale Resort and Spa.. I discovered a private path to a private bluff overlooking a massive blowhole. At the end of the path was a woodedn deck/platform at elevation with both a daybed , Private Dinning Table ... and SCOOP>> a big 4 person blue modern Jacuzzi Spa Tub .. You can arrange a private meal, champagne and sit in this jacuzzi and watch the Blowhole, rolling crashing waves, under the sun or stars :) Talk about Romance !! Food is awesome , Dive Shop is fully operational (did you know you get a free dive or discover Scuba dive each day included in your Tariff ?????). The many Resort Pools are serene, and there are a ton of activities available to you. Let us NOT forget, that Namale now has a 18 hole golf course (you play 9 one way and 9 the other). Golf is also included, free, in your vacation package at Namale. Best part for me was the massage in their $2.4 mill Cliff-edge Spa :)

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Again, great food and there is now more Beach sand at the resort. Diving was incredible with their Fulltime Staff Marine Biologist (he is from Hawaii). Lots of great Fish ID which I love. During this visit to the resort, I was reminded that every child 5 and under gets their own personal Nanny assigned .. for free !!! So if you come with two 5yr olds and a 4 yr old .. you get 3 Nannys assigned !!! This Resort does a wonderful job of catering to both families and Honeymooners, so couples should definitely consider this Resort a perfect destination too.

Side note .. Did you know that all Resorts in Tahiti accept children? Yes they do. A country known as a premium romance destination, opens families and kids with open arms, at all resorts. So we ask, is it that important to go to an adult only resort in Fiji? Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort has found a spectacular balance for couples and families. It has so much to offer both!

Koro Sun Resort ... They just constructed a new main Reception/ dining Building. I liked their semi Overwater Bures with private pool. You can literally walk out your front door straight onto the dive boat .. 4 paces max !! Their Dive Operation is receiving the highest PADI accolades. But the best is the Rainforest Spa with a natural stream cascading past your private massage Bure .. so serene.

Sofitel Resort... has the Mandara Spa on beachfront.. Wow !
Their activities department is run by Adrenalin Fiji and they offer Hot Air Balooning, Jet Ski Safaris, Scuba, Sailing and a choice of Sport Fishing Launches. We were at this hotel for the 4 nights of our conference so I was not able to enjoy as much as usual, But as always, the friendliness of the staff, live Fijian music during your breakfast buffet, and consistently great food, makes this one my favorite Nadi resorts. Nadi is not my favorite, but Sofitel is!

Viwa Island Resort ..Brand New Adults only Escape.
This is my new best kept secret for Fiji. It is a remote Island in the Yasawas, where they get the best Fiji weather any time of year. Just 11 Bures, well spaced out with air-conditioning and large front porch. Panoramic Beach views. Perfect white sand beach , great swimming and pristine coral reef to snorkel on right off the beach in front of your Bures. I personally think this Resort is underpriced for the quality of the Bures and Resort facilities. It takes an hour to walk accross the center of the Island so it is not small. The guests that came on my boat brought their surfboard and Kite Surfing equipment and this was their second trip there already ! Full Dive Shop in operation there. I had a great massage right on my Porch. Food is good, especially their chocolate croissants with Breakfast. Viwa is offered a stay7/pay5 Special, so 7 nights in your own Bure for 2 people including Continental Breakfast is less than $2000 incl tax.
Add air from LAX and Boat transfers and you are still under $5000 total !!!

Alright, so it is no longer a secret! Lets talk, Fiji is booking up fast. In fact, is selling out MONTHS in advance. Some great values are still being offered, if we can get you in!! If you are thinking of Fiji (or Hawaii and Tahiti for that matter), now is the time to act on your desires for the vacation of your dreams. Check back soon for more pictures, which I am still going through - they'll be loaded soon.

That is all for now, call me soon, Moce Mada , Mike

Mike Brown
Direct:1-213-784-6129 or 800-256-4280 ext.109

Sue - Mexico, Hawaii, Fiji & Tahiti

2010-04-15T08:46:00.001-10:00

Aloha to all of my fellow travelers!

I hope this email finds you well and enjoying your summer. I've had many happy travelers visit Hawaii, Mexico, Fiji and Tahiti so far this summer. Do you have any great trips planned?

In June, I came back from a family trip to the Riviera Maya in Mexico. We stayed at beautiful resorts, and traveled throughout the Riviera Maya.
We started in Cozumel, at the Presidente Intercontinental. This spot was great for diving, and minutes from the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park. They have their own dive operation on-site, which made things easy.
We then went to the Ritz Carlton in Cancun. I love this resort! It's really a great deal believe it or not--and the service, food, pool and accommodations were outstanding. It also was on the most swimmable beach of the resorts that we went to.

Next we drove south to Grand Velas. This is an all suite, all-inclusive resort. Huge rooms, beautiful pools, and the restaurants were very chic! This resort had a staff dedicated to playing with the kids, which made it a lot of fun for my son. Tommy was busy playing water polo, soccer on the beach, ping pong - lots going on other than hanging out in the hotel kids club.

We ended our trip at Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita. With just 90 suites, this resort had the most intimate feel. It also was the one resort with iguanas - finally, we found lizards in Mexico! We're kinda strange that way, we love seeing all the iguanas. And lots of beautiful birds: parrots, peacocks & song birds. Each room in this resort is decorated from places that the owners have been. Our room was decorated from a town in India; neighbors rooms were Athens & Tahiti...you get the picture. Excellent food here too. I'm still dreaming of their coconut french toast!

If any of you are looking for some great travel deals, Mexico is the place. I would recommend each of these resorts.

I'm off with my lap top next week to a family reunion in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin population: 704....anyone ever been?!

Enjoy your summer, wherever it may take you....
Sue

Sue Michailidis,
Toll Free 1-800-588-3454 ext.119
Local 213-784-6158

Lori and Sue in Fantasic Rome 2009 - Perillo Tours

2009-12-30T09:44:00.002-10:00

Warm & sunny Aloha from Maui,

Wow! It's that time again... I hope you have had a good year and are healthy, happy and anticipating a joyful holiday season.

Thanksgiving Day reminded me to reflect again on all the blessings I have. Along with good health, I am grateful for a loving family and friends, the personal freedom we have in the USA, and the ability to travel the world. It is priceless to be able to experience other cultures, make new friends and create wonderful memories.

This has been a year of great adventures. Please allow me to share some with you. (pictures)

In April, a friend and I enjoyed a wonderful tour of Rome, Italy with the fabulous Perillo Tours. (they are the experts on Italy and if you have never been I highly recommend going with Perillo as the group size is small and intimate and they get you to the front of the lines. Their guides are personable and really add an insiders flavor to what you are seeing. The cuisine in Rome was "delizioso".

From there, I was off to to Berlin, Germany where my twin daughters are living together and teaching school. I thoroughly enjoyed touring that amazing city with them and the Brauts were great too! The three of us then went to Spain for their Spring break. We visited, Barcelona and also went by train to Valencia. Such fun and so much to see and do. We were on a quest for the best Paella in Spain and consumed much Sangria, and as girls must do, we went shopping! The famous architectural wonders of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona were fabulous. Valencia was lovely, with wonderful historic sites, beautiful parks, and there were those delicious Valencia oranges!

In September, I returned to my beloved Fiji with my good friend and fellow dive pal, Rachel, from Maui Dreams Dive Co. Being avid divers as well as gals who appreciate luxury and pampering, we enjoyed 3 glorious nights at Namale Resort and Spa, residing in the breathtaking Duavata Villa. Our last 4 nights were truly heavenly spent at Qamea Resort and Spa. Fiji's underwater world is like watching the movie Finding Nemo. Maui's has great sealife to behold also, but it's tough to compete with sites in Fiji like Rainbow Reef, or the Great White Wall in Taveuni. We came home with huge smiles on our faces!

In November it was a week in Seattle, and a stay at the beautiful Westin Hotel downtown to celebrate with my father his 91st Birthday! He sure loved sleeping in their signature "Heavenly Bed" and so did I, even his snoring right next to me failed to disturb my slumber. My dad attributes his long and happy life thus far to setting goals and then reaching them. One of them was to see all 50 states by the age 75. He accomplished it and has visited 14 countries! His motto is "always have a trip to planned to look forward to" He plans to come back to Maui in March!.
I agree with my Dad and I also believe the slogan "we don't live to work, we work to live"! Traveling to great destinations and learning new things is really LIVING!

I hope you will call or email me and let's plan your next travel adventure, or just to say hello. I would love to hear from you!

I wish you the very happiest holidays and beautiful memories made with your loved ones.
Warm aloha,
Lori

Lori Evans
Direct:1-213-784-6135 or Toll Free 866-369-4068
Lori@McCoyTravel.com

Hiapo Fiji 2009 Reviews

2009-12-15T10:00:00.003-10:00

Hiapo & Mary - FIJI 09

In Heaven, the word “Fijian” must translate as “beloved family”. Any absence from them takes a little something from your soul, and yet, when you are reunited, you are more than whole again. The Fijian people have always been known for their friendliness beyond their terrific service, but when 2 different Fijians approach me and say they remember me from the last time I visited. This is more remarkable as they remember my name and how to pronounce it (not easy), AND they both worked at different resorts, AND I had not been to either resort in over 5 years!

Likuliku Lagoon Resort:
Likuliku is my first stop and to a potential customer, I must say this: Don’t be afraid of leaving the big city and going to a 3rd world country on a small island disconnected from the rest of the world. You will find comfort in the modern design of the bures, luxurious beds and linens, large polished stone sinks, TV’s (DVD’s only, no cable), iPod docks, phones (for service calls only), powerful air conditioning (most Fiji resorts seem to suffer weak A/C), and every detail seems brand new. This new concept may clash with those who have traveled frequently through Fiji, but for the first-timer, the average American traveler, and those seeking superb luxury service without sacrificing a contemporary design, this is your new little piece of Heaven on earth.
The beach is long and beautiful; the water is as calm as an unoccupied swimming pool. The small spa has 2 treatment rooms currently (more to be built soon), so book early and often. They have 2 bars, one adjacent to the only dinning room and another on a small island connected by a bridge to shore. We were here when all but one of the almost 50 rooms were full and there was never a crowd. The horizon edge pool faces the ocean and has several nooks and crannies than one can feel a little more private, but if you want more privacy, book a Deluxe Beachfront Bure (like mine!) which has it’s own private (deep) plunge pool on a deck with a GINORMOUS day bed under it’s own thatched roof.

Besides the friendliness of the Fijians, the dining experience deserves special notice. Many new resorts get fresh training from fantastic chefs, but often suffer within a year or so requiring repeated refresher courses. Likuliku has been open nearly 2 years and I am happy to report no such problems. Not only is everything amazingly fresh, but also each meal seemed to be better than the last with amazing creativity and presentation to match the best restaurants in the world. Augmenting your meal, dinner also features 3 or 4 musicians singing with the familiar lilting Fijian voices. If you listen carefully, you will hear not only the Fijian local songs, but a few of your favorites from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s sung in a new way! Pay particular attention to the “percussion section”: one singer pounding on a square box with a fist and a water bottle filled with course sand, all emulating a small drum set. During one of our dinners, about two dozen of the staff came together and sang several local songs. This, I promise, will be one of the highlights of your trip as they are renown for their singing voices, singing practically from birth, all in 3 or 4 part harmony, all to stir something special deep within your being.

Vatulele Island Resort:
I know Vatulele has a meaning in Fijian, but I believe in my heart that the correct definition is “big”, make that “HUGE”. Everything about this place is big. The villas are 2000 square feet including the patio. If you have one of the villas with a plunge (like mine!) you have a 25+ foot long, 5+ foot deep, horizon edge pool. Surrounding your villa is a huge jungle with a huge variety of jungle birds (more songs, coos, trills, and whistles than anywhere this side of an Amazon jungle). If you walk your private sand path towards the water, you will find a huge, white, sandy beach (shared by less than 20 villas) stretching over a quarter of a mile. Fronting the beach is a turquoise, barrier reef protected lagoon so huge that seaplanes can land right along the beach.
Then you get inside your villa. Your bathroom has a shower huge enough for you and maybe seven of your closest friends, two showerheads, towels that are AT LEAST 6 ½ feet long (well over my 6’ 3” head). In the sunken seating area you will find a build-in sofa and love seat, coffee tables made of huge chunks of tamarind wood (DON’T try to move them, they weigh enough to throw your back out!), a wine fridge, LCD TV (DVD player only), TV reception is very rare in Fiji.

In your boudoir area, you will find a huge king size, elevated bed with a romantic netting underneath which is some of the most comfortable, soft, breathable linens available. Behind the bed (and under the new hidden air conditioning unit) is a very well appointed wet bar stocked with an assortment of sodas, water, milk and coffee and tea making equipment (check out the cute little individual chromed kettles for making tea).

Then, if this is not enough for you, they have what is consistently voted “the sexiest accommodation in the Pacific”: The Point. A twisting path takes you through some of the thickest jungle on the resort; a wavering, patterned stone inlaid path leads you to a huge double doorway with a stone Buddha head witnessing your entry into your own personal piece of paradise. Perched on the vertical lava cliffs, overlooking the aforementioned lagoon is a two story, pristine white villa. Separated by the rest of the resort by it’s location, The Point has it’s own private, horizon edge plunge pool (overlooking the lagoon), ANOTHER separate pool with waterfall, surrounded by thick, verdant jungle on one side and the shear lava cliff. In the bathroom, besides a multi-headed shower, is a pristine white tub for two, AGAIN with a view of the lagoon. With such an accommodation a personal butler is, of course, included (with his own residence connected just outside your door).
With all this “huge”, you may find it surprising that the thing you will take from Vatulele is a restored soul. The very air around you breathes relaxation into your body. You will feel your blood pressure drop, you will stop looking at your watch, you will forget your shoes in your room, and all of your cares will disappear like a whisper in a forest.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort:
In the entire world, there are few people who truly love children the way the Fijian people do. And in all of Fiji, the one place that has the best reputation for children is Jean Michel Cousteau. Not only do kids stay and eat free (up to 2 before an extra charge applies), but their enormous varieties of activities are mostly included without additional charge. Now when I say they love children, I do not mean in a passive-aggressive way where some caregiver smiles until you turn your back, there is love to be seen in every gesture and smile of the Fijians. This morning during breakfast I saw a child of perhaps 2 years collecting plumeria flowers from the ground, she clearly needed one more, but she had cleared the ground of all flowers. Along comes a Fijian, not one who was assigned as nanny, but just one of the crew cleaning around the deck, and she reaches up into the plumeria tree and plucks another flower for the little girl.

For the children, there is a “Bula Club” full of activities ranging from arts and crafts to “edutainment” teaching them about the native plants and their uses. They have a family pool (separate from the adults-only, aptly named “tranquility pool”), which has a water slide.

For the adults, they have snorkeling and diving trips led by their own live in marine biologist, who was our personal snorkel guide, pointing out the unbelievable variety of fish and coral.
Here is the conundrum. When most people think of the term “family resort”, they think of a family Club Med, perhaps a Beaches Resort (nothing wrong with either of them), or (if more upscale) one of the better Disney resorts. Sadly, this conjures visions of screaming, ankle biting, rug-rats, dragging their exhausted parents around by the arm. Nothing could be further from that image here and Jean Michel Cousteau. Here, the family dining hours are (slightly) separated from couples dining hours, and the family dining area is on the far side of the main dining room, so even during breakfast, you do not have couples with the families, AND if mom and dad need a little “us time”, the loving Fijians take the kids and give mom and dad a much needed inoculation of love. And OH IS IT ROMANTIC! The “tranquility pool” is lined with brightly colored daybeds, each with it’s own individual ceiling fan above it, at night, the pool transforms into the romantic dining area of your dreams: surrounding the pool are kerosene lanterns, the lighting in the rest of the room is subdued, allowing each table’s candlelight (candle lanterns with a collection of local tropical flowers) to become the focus point.
And when it comes to dining, WOW! You typically have “dinner specials”, how about “breakfast specials”? Well presented, every meal is a delight to the palate, where fresh local ingredients are combined by some of the best chefs in the Pacific. Every night, the “Bula Boys” sit around their Kava bowl and sing, not only the local Fijian folk songs, but also some of your favorite covers (I heard some Clapton, U2 and even a Bob Marley song).

The rooms follow the color themes of the pools with bright linens, open airy spaces, large dark wood cupboards, and standard bedding for 3 in the entry level rooms (roll away beds supplied for a second child). Their ocean front rooms come with 2 person hammocks and several of those also come with a second room raising the occupancy up to 5 (6 with a roll away bed).
Their Point Reef Villas have the best views on the resort and are quite a bit larger coming standard with a king bed and 2 single beds and a wet bar. One of them even has a private Jacuzzi on the deck overlooking the ocean.

At the end of the resort, with the best view is “The Villa”. This is arguably one of the nicest rooms in the Pacific and has their ultimate luxury appointments: two rooms, one is a seating area with convertible sofa (perfect for traveling families), besides a bathroom with a stone shower and dark polished wood everywhere, it has a small kitchen with refrigerator (stocked with soda, milk, water, fruit, candies, beer and wine), it even has a washing machine and dishwasher built into the sink (not that you would be expected to use them). Between this room and the master suite, there is an open atrium with a dining area, several lounges, a huge day bed under a thatched roof and ceiling fans over everything. There is also a hot shower at the edge of your deck, just so you do not have to rinse the salt water off with cold water. The centerpiece to this area is a large, horizon edge plunge pool overlooking your own chunk of beach with chairs and a hammock. This is a great place to hang out and enjoy a sunset cocktail with snacks (complementary every evening) and watch not only a perfect tropical sunset, but also the cute little toads and land crabs that scurry about at that time.

Then comes the real “wow factor”. The master suite is entered through sliding louvered doors. The first thing that meets you are the twin, large, glass bowl sinks separated by a stone staircase. On the far side of the room is another stone shower, this one with two showerheads. The centerpiece of this room is a large stone Jacuzzi with room for two to lie down side by side. Both the shower and Jacuzzi face one wall of the suite composed entirely of floor to ceiling glass, this faces your own private courtyard. In your courtyard is a waterfall supplying a perfect sound to carry you off to sleep. Also in the courtyard is ANOTHER shower, again with 2 showerheads (were they worried I might ever get dirty?). Another dining area rounds out the courtyard. Ascending the stairs brings you into the boudoir, complete with a four-poster, curtained bed with it’s own ceiling fan, twin walk in closets (with automatic lights), and an iPod dock, and CD player that supplies hidden speakers throughout the villa.
If you can’t find your own “happy place” at Jean Michel Cousteau, you just aren’t trying!

Savasi Island:
If you ever wanted to say you rented your own island, but don’t have the kind of money to do so, maybe you should consider a “semi-private island”.
Savasi Island is near the town of Savusavu on a small island connected to the main island by a small bridge built from the coral that is abundant in the Fijian North. Rich with natural tropical trees, shrubbery, fruits, and flowers galore, Savasi Island is a 3 star alternative to the ultimate privacy of having your own island. There are only 2 villas, each with 3 rooms: 2 master suites with a living room in between complete with a kitchen. Each room has sweeping views of the Koro Sea, with decks extending to the cliff edge. Below each deck are either: a coral flat (common through much of Fiji), or a small coarse beach, both affords complete privacy. Your host, Ma, handles your day to day needs, while her husband (a former chef at a few of the finest Fijian resorts) handles your meals, cooked to your time schedule, using the native flora and fauna as abundant sources to tempt your palate all with the skill you would expect to find in a MUCH more expensive resort.
The rooms are casual in design with lots of Fijian cultural décor: clamshell lamps, tapa cloth murals, giant headboards and tables made from the local Fijian timbers. Savasi Island: Champagne dreams on a beer budget.

Namale Resort and Spa:
Namale holds a very special place in my heart. I was raised in Southern California and that side of me is prone to this little devil that sits on my shoulder and screams “GO-GO-GO, aren’t you bored with ANOTHER perfect sunset, ANOTHER perfect meal, ANOTHER beautiful location?” I have since learned that he is completely insane. If you believe you have an undocumented case of ADHD, Namale is your tropical cure. Less than 20 bures and villas comprise the resort, sitting on 500 acres of cliff top ocean front views, this piece of Heaven has more activities than any of the other resorts in Fiji. They have an 18 hole golf course (9 holes with 2 approaches per hole), horseback riding, their own waterfall, 2 pools, 2 Jacuzzis (one overlooking an ocean blowhole), a putting course, volleyball, an indoor basketball court, tennis court, ping pong, mountain biking, kayaks, sailboats, water skiing/wakeboarding, water trampoline, banana boat, and air conditioned gym, and my personal favorite: “the Kava bowl”. Here is a 2 lane bowling alley, a virtual golf room, self serve bar, internet café, pool table, air hockey, foosball, darts, even a video game machine, and a projection screen theatre supplied by an Apple TV loaded with what seems to be hundreds of movies.

The most important feature is, of course, the Spa. Sitting on an ocean cliff overlooking their own ocean blowhole, 4 treatment rooms flank their hydrotherapy room. This piece of Nirvana is a large room with a glass wall (so as not to obscure your perfect view of the ocean), 4 different aromatherapy tubs, a HUGE Jacuzzi tub (for you and about 10 of your friends, maybe 20 if intimate!), a refrigerated plunge pool, sauna, and an indoor waterfall to take care of those tension filled shoulders and neck.

To begin your trip to massage heaven, each treatment is begun by giving your feet and calves a hand wash and scrub, finishing off with a wonderful coconut lotion rub. The treatment we had was the couples “Ultimate Fusion Treatment” (ask for it by name!). Hot (and I do mean HOT) oil is poured generously all over you and massaged, accupressured, deep-tissued, and even rubbed in with hot smooth stones! I reached another plane of existence repeatedly (my wife, on the other hand, said I drifted off several times).

All of their bures offer traditional Fijian thatched roofs, lots of ventilation, Asian themed décor, indoor and outdoor showers, and the fluffiest towels in all of creation. Their Honeymoon Bures offer oceanfront views, and Jacuzzi tubs as well as being larger with more private locations. For those of you with a bit more in your budget, you need to pick one of the villas. Listed as “the Sexiest rooms in the South Pacific” they feature air conditioning, 2 person Jacuzzi tubs, private plunge pools, projector TVs supplied with hundreds of movies on an Apple TV, WiFi, and several other features. Each unit is unique but our unit “Civa” (pronounced THEE-va, meaning “pearl” in Fijian) was hidden in it’s own magical piece of forest near the Spa. The bedroom had A/C, a comfy seating area, projector TV with Apple TV, WiFi and a Bose CD player with hidden speakers throughout the room. Opposite from the entryway was a formal dining room with wet-bar and it’s own open air, private bathroom with outdoor shower. On the other side of the bedroom, separated by a protected, open-air walkway was a walk-THROUGH closet with powder room. Another walkway takes you to the master bath: Large open shower with ginormous showerhead, Jacuzzi tub for 2 with an ocean view, large bowl twin sinks, a double seating deck overlooking a sweeping view, and another outdoor shower. There are few private decks to compare with the one we experienced at Namale: a free form pool swept about 40 feet from one side to the other, horizon edged on the cliff’s edge, lit a magical blue at night, with 3 sets of lounges, just in case you need to invite a bunch of new friends to your room, and another lounge in an elevated lover’s lookout, like your own personal tree house of romance.

The people are the special treat and the true heart of Namale. This is a place where everybody knows your name within a day or two of arrival. From the wait-staff at the restaurant to the “bula cart” driver (how else do you expect to get around a resort where the main grounds are over 300 acres, but by golf cart!) everyone shows a level of caring you would only find at a family reunion. Even the “bula boys” (the nightly entertainment band) do more than just sing and supply kava, they joke, they chat, they bring a level of joy beyond what can be reasonably expected from a house band. Our first night we were surprised to find that TWO HOURS had passed chatting and laughing, exchanging stories, sing-along songs, and meeting other guests. They have mastered the art of infectious happiness.

Taveuni Island Resort:
There are some people that want to go to an exotic locale and “live local”, and then there are those of us that like to have familiar contemporary designs IN a local tropical garden setting. If there were a contest for most beautiful resort, Taveuni Island resort would have to be the top contender. Taveuni is known as the Garden Island. It earns this name by being one of the lushest places in Fiji. It is also know for its amazing bird watching opportunities: multicolored parrots, mynas, boobies, and songbirds of every assortment.
In the midst of this tropical splendor, atop a cliff overlooking the most amazing view of the ocean and islands of Fiji in all of Fiji sits Taveuni Island Resort. There are less than a dozen bures, most near the cliff’s edge (Deluxe Ocean Front), with a few sitting elevated behind them (Deluxe Ocean View). A dining area affords the same amazing view over the ocean and to the surrounding islands in the distance. Even the cliff-side horizon edge saltwater swimming pool does not skimp on the vistas. If you are one to sit and absorb the majesty of an amazing sunset, you have found your Nirvana.

The rooms differ from most of the Fijian resorts in several ways: natural colored and lacquered wood poles, slightly flattened, give the visage of being in a wood cabin, albeit a very luxurious one. In Fiji, it is common to use very dark polished wood. Where typically you find a lot of florescent lighting, here you find soft decorative sconces influenced by the native fauna. An opaque bed canopy, with a Balinese design, covers the bedding, making you feel like you are in an Arabian Nights based movie. The bathroom continues the elegance with large, hand-blown glass bowls with concentric ocean wave patterns in the ridges of glass. The shower has a glass door that opens to a tiled outdoor shower with a giant showerhead. The crime would be to use the indoor shower at all, because the privacy and view from the shower is as amazing as the view from anywhere else in the resort. All of the rooms are suites with the living area enclosed by two sets of sliding, accordion glass doors, each designed to afford you the best possible view.

The whole resort is intimate in size and feel, with a quiet you will find nowhere else. In fact, you are likely to notice nothing but the sounds of the birds and the breezes lofting their flights. Add to all of this a beach that, while small in length, is so beautiful and soft as to make most other Fijian resorts green with envy.
Taveuni Island Resorts defines the phrase “little slice of paradise”.

Qamea Resort and Spa:
What would possess a sane person to do the following: travel 10 ½ hours from LA (hours more from most US cities), fly another hour and a half on a third-world country, 20 passenger prop plane, then take a 30+ minute drive down a dirt road that was last graded decades ago, and finally take a 20-30 minute ride across an open ocean channel in a small, aluminum, and open air boat. Those that have taken the trip to Qamea know the destination is the reason for the journey.

The sole resort on a large island, this resort has less than 20 bures, no kids, an amazing little beach running the length of the resort, and more Fijian smiles than should be legally allowed. Meandering though the resort is a new sand path lined with little stone bures that are your nightlights (complimented by tiki torches). This path is a great way to explore the resort’s jungle, wetlands, river stone swimming pool, gigantic chess set, and their greatest addition, their jungle spa.

Built deep in the Qamea jungle, set into a hillside, is their Jungle Spa. Comprised of several mini bures, every type of spa treatment from facials, to scrubs, to waxing, to massages to their ultimate treatment: the “Qamea Night of Decadence”. This over the top experience starts with a Fijian warrior in full battle dress, complete with war clubs, who then escorts you to the spa, which had been emptied of all other guests. There you are first introduced to your Guinot, Paris trained therapist, given a treat of fruit and champagne, then given a full body scrub, followed by a candlelit outdoor shower, and topping it all off with a 75 minute couples massage (or facial). Normally, this would be enough to send you to heaven, but this is not just another 4 star tropical resort, this is Qamea. Your Warrior escorts return to guide you back “unharmed” to your bure where you are greeted by your own Fijian Band (voices gifted by God), a lobster dinner (or one of several other choices), more champagne and candlelight to set a mood that will live in your memories forever.

I can go on and on about the contemporary and artistic décor, the superb owners Ron and Bryce (who are often at the resort), and a staff that makes most other Fijian staff seem a little rude by comparison (if that is possible). The biggest testament you will find is “cocktail hour” when staff and guests gather by the bar and share the day’s stories. The gigantic grins, the coy giggles, and the infectious joy coming from what were yesterday’s strangers, give pure pleasure to be shared with your new friends.

The Wakaya Club:
There are people in the world who think that $2000+++/night is a ridiculous sum of money to pay for a vacation (especially considering there is a 4 night minimum, no specials AND that does not include your international airfare OR the ~$1000 inter-island flights for 2). I was one of those people; likely you are one of those people. All those opinions change once you have been to Wakaya.

Formed by an ancient volcano, Wakaya Island stands at a distance from neighboring islands, is surrounded by a barrier reef and is a marine and wildlife sanctuary. Wild horses (with a 3 day old foal making his appearance for our visit!), dark furred deer, wild pigs, brilliantly colored parrots, kingfishers, mynas, tropical doves, large fruit bats, and a myriad of other creatures form the background against the well developed, but neatly kept, tropical grounds.

They say that God is in the details, if so, then this is where God rested on the 7th day. Every detail is well thought out and executed by the 6 staff members for every guest. Every detail of your bure is refined: well lit and framed artwork, the timeless design of the furnishings (I remember the same sofas, but the cushions seemed to be brand new), a mini-bar that seems to replenish itself automatically, a dirty laundry bin that magically empties itself and softens, cleans, folds, presses, and hangs (as appropriate) all of your laundry (usually by your next meal), his and her vanities stocked with everything you could need from toiletries to a first aid kit, THE softest towels, labeled light switches (so you don’t have to play the “what does this switch do?” game), a music player connected to hidden Bose speakers, an outdoor shower with perfectly matching smooth lava rock walls, a fruit bowl and cookie jar (THE BEST IN-THE-ROOM COOKIES EVER!) that also refill themselves magically, his and her foot showers on the entry steps, hand woven bamboo ceilings and so-clean-you-can-eat-off-them- floors. This is the standard in the most basic accommodation at Wakaya.

If you can afford better, my favorite of all rooms (ANYWHERE) is the Ambassador’s bure. If you take the details of the other rooms, add a HUGE, two story tall living area, a formal dining area and a state of the art kitchen (not that you would cook for yourself, but for the chef to come to you), and make it a two bedroom unit (each bedroom alone is about 2/3rds the size of the “regular” 1650 square foot suites), make each of the 2 showers large enough to hold 10 of your intimate football-player-sized friends, add a tiled bathtub large enough for two of those football players to lie side-by-side while admiring the little garden solarium, (but wait, there’s more!), then you add your own spa, equal if not larger than the resort spa, complete with two adjoining massage parlors connecting to a ~10’X10’ watsu pool (body temperature pool for relaxing or to have a floating massage performed therein) complete with 2 canopied lounges and a reclining Buddha to complete the theme. Step outside of your personal spa, and you find your personal golf cart. Did I mention the bure faces the ocean and fronts one of the nicest (but small) patches of sand in Fiji? And this is just your accommodation.

Your activity list is as long and as well serviced as your bure. Do you want something active? Snorkeling trips (with your personal boat), 2 tanks of diving included/day to those who are certified, kayaking, golf (with optional golf pro), croquet on a professional field, tennis (again with optional pro), gym with great equipment (well chilled and with optional personal trainer), hikes with historical guide, Boulez (bocce ball), and sport fishing (additional cost). Feel like a little relaxation? A spa, absolutely ocean front, with twin treatment rooms, and a watsu pool/lounge area is ready to take away all of your worries and your pains. What is my personal favorite? A private beach picnic to beat all others: padded wooden lounges under a thatched palapa, a hammock, table and lounge under a shady tree, all overlooking an amazing beach and amazing ocean without another soul within view. You supply the intimacy, and Wakaya supplies the rest. Did I mention the best picnic lunch ever? Start with your favorite beverage, whether that is soda, beer or a bottle of Taittinger Reserve Brut, add roasted lobster, barbequed prawns, grilled tuna (or whatever was caught that day), an amazing pesto pasta salad, and you start to get a feeling of what Heaven holds in store.

When it comes to food, there is no equal to Wakaya. Trained by celebrity chefs, the creativity, preparation, presentation, service, and quality of your meals will make every subsequent meal elsewhere suffer by comparison. Starting with breakfast, one of the best lattes I have ever had is just one drink option. First comes your continental breakfast (not a self-service buffet like all the rest, but table service): a fruit platter of THE ripest, none-of-that-pesky-rind, no bruises, and THE juiciest morsels presented from a plant. Follow this with a basket of different breads, all just out of the oven, always different, always tasty. Then you get to your hot items: an omelet without crust, yet not undercooked, fluffy, and not greasy. Perhaps you want something sweet? How about French toast, stuffed with bananas whipped to a butter-like consistency, all coated with a cinnamon and sugar crust. My new favorite was a lemon soufflé, sliced into little disks, and fried up like pancakes (paradise on a plate!). Lunches of caught-hours-ago Kokoda (walu chunks marinated in freshly made coconut cream and lime juice) and fried chicken that is juicy as a great orange, but perfectly cooked, coated with a crisp crumb coating that will disintegrate once it hits your tongue. Dinners of delightful curries, fresh mahi-mahi with sun-dried tomatoes over salt and vinegar potatoes topped with lemon garlic aioli are only samples of the ever changing options. If you want something else just ask. The word “no” does not seem to exist here. Desserts will haunt your dreams: lemon and almond tart, topped with tiny peaks of meringue, each peak topped with a blanched almond and garnished with sugar coated and roasted zest of lemons and oranges, or a “bananarama”: bananas in caramel sauce, stacked between layer upon layer of crisp filo dough, topped with a dollop of creamy vanilla ice cream.

I have made it my life’s work to find equal to the Wakaya Club. My wife and I have even made a game called “At Wakaya”. It goes like this: “At Wakaya, (and then we point out how Wakaya is superior)”. It is an easy game as I have (happily) failed to find anywhere we could not play the game. My search will continue (it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it), and I expect to never find an equal.

Intercontinental Fiji:
Let’s pretend that you don’t like the little intimate feel, you want to do the “big resort” thing in Fiji: golf, spa, multiple restaurants, multiple swimming pools, in-town shopping, people watching, multiple bars, see a luau, you need a kids club because the little ones are coming along, you want a TV, a phone, and a radio (uncommon in Fiji resorts). Previously you had a number of choices, popular with the New Zealand and Australia crowd, BUT, now you want a great beach also, and you were thinking about getting married in Fiji so it needs a chapel (ideally one that will web cast your ceremony so those who cannot attend may see it live), AND you want something with terrific service (4+ stars). Until a few months ago, I would be trying to send you to Hawaii. Now there is a resort that has all of this and more: The Intercontinental Golf Resort and Spa.

Sitting by itself on a mile and a quarter long white sandy beach, the Intercontinental is spread over 30 acres, has less than 300 rooms, a kids club for 3 age groups, a family pool with water jets, fountains, and beautiful night lighting, a dive pool, and a third horizon edge, ocean view adults only pool with clamshell cloth covered couples “love pods”, a vodka specialty/tapas bar with adults only lounge, a bar and grill with pizza oven, a casual dining restaurant, a fine dining restaurant with show kitchen, and room service (of course).

The rooms are light and very contemporary with flat screen TV’s, Bose sound system with extra speakers in the bathroom, showers with handheld and rain-shower heads, twin vanities, ample closet space, and unique patios: a heavy privacy curtain can be used to seal off a daybed, a chair and a 2 person “Cleopatra” soaking tub with romantic seashell votives to light your mood.

The whole resort consists of 8 rooms clustered into “bures”, all two stories, spread out over the grounds. As there are no other resorts on this beach, so even a place this large is dwarfed by its surroundings.
Service is unusually good for a large resort, especially considering they have been open for less than a year. Smiling wait-staff, the groundskeepers share a friendly “BULA!” greeting; even the porters announce the arrival of new guests with the beating of the lali (Fijian log drum).
Beware large Fiji resorts, you have a new standard bearer and they mean business.

Yasawa Island Resort:
OK, you are a discerning traveler, you heard great things about Fiji (all true), but you’ve heard about Fiji beaches and how they tend to have a lot of shells, coral bits, lava rock or how the first 10 or 20 yards into the water are “coral flats”, and while many of them are gorgeous, you want it all. There are plenty of soft sandy beaches at several of the resorts, but they do not have it all. Either they are small, or they have the exposed coral at low tide, or THEY JUST AREN’T PERFECT AND DAMMIT, I DESERVE A PERFECT BEACH! Welcome to your dreams at Yasawa Island resort.

Yes, Yasawa Island Resorts has more soft, sandy, and golden white beaches than most the others combined. The beach in front of the resort is over 1 kilometer of perfect, soft-like-butter, sink up to your calves sand. But on either side of the island, extending for a 45 minute boat ride in either direction is beach upon beach upon beach of golden deliciousness. And that is just the setting.

Comprising of 18 bures total, the resort has everything you could ask for in a secluded boutique style resort: Tennis, scuba diving (more unmapped dive sights than virtually any resorts has identified ones), kayaking, sailing, snorkeling, soaking in the beachfront horizon edge pool, visits to an underground collection of sea caves (where they shot scenes from the movie “The Blue Lagoon”, and their specialty: private beach picnics. Yasawa Island is home to about a dozen private beached, each with amazing views of the neighboring islands, each with superb snorkeling, and each with so much privacy that you feel like the only couple in the world bures.

The bures are spread along the beach, each well over 1000 square feet, come with large decks with daybeds, hammock, and palapa covered lounges out front. The insides welcome you with a separate sitting area and one of the more fun bathrooms: twin vanities, a dark stone slate shower with twin shower heads (so she can’t hog all the hot water!), and a hot and cold outdoor shower built into a tree.
The newest addition to Yasawa is their beachfront spa. In addition to two indoor treatment rooms, it also has an outdoor massage area where you can enjoy the breeze, accompanied by the gentle crashing of the surf. On the far end of the spa is a large Jacuzzi enclosed by a wall that opens to reveal the ocean, and beyond that is an outdoor plunge pool for those balmy days.
Service, especially at meal time, is exemplary. Meals are presented with extraordinary attention to presentation as well as taste. Even breakfast is a treat with their famous crab scramble and lobster omelets. Oenophiles have special reasons to celebrate as there are few Fijian resorts with better wine lists.
Yasawa, perfection on a beach.

Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hou'oli Makahiki Hou,
Hiapo

Hiapo Cockett ,
Toll Free 1-800-588-3454 x102
Local 213-784-4910
Click here to call me on our dime I'm ext.102.

Hiapo Reviews September 2009

2009-09-30T09:58:00.001-10:00

Aloha And Bula from Hiapo!

I wanted to check in with you and hope that you had a wonderful summer!

It has been nice to hear from many of you this past year to assist in planning your vacations. I have been busy working with many Fiji Resorts working up new deals to give you more value and choice than ever before and will be visiting many of the properties next month.

I love assisting you with your travel plans and look forward to helping you with your next great vacation or adventure to the South Pacific!

I have been speaking with many of you about your holiday travel. Vacations are being booked earlier and earlier, and some properties are already completely sold out for the Christmas and New Year holidays. It is never too early to begin thinking about travel during that time of year. If you are considering a Vacation during Thanksgiving or Christmas, please give me a call at 213-784-4910 so that we can discuss the options available to you. I will do my best to find availability for you at the property of your choice, by working closely with the resort management and our wholesalers on your behalf. Click here to call me on our dime I'm ext.102 and I am in the office Monday - Friday.

There have been some interesting developments since we last talked. Of much interest are the new flights from Honolulu direct to Samoa. Have you seen the new Survivor Series on TV?? It is set in Samoa this time and you see some awesome Island Vistas.

So all you diehard Island Fans looking for a new South Pacific Paradise... check out Sinalei Resort in Samoa - here is a video!

I know we are all looking for that extra value Special without compromising the quality of our Holiday so here is the latest upcoming specials at some of my favorite Resorts in Fiji....

Vomo Island Resort is offering a Stay7nts/Pay just for 5 in their Beachfront Villas between 10Jan2010 and 31Mar2010.

Yasawa Island Resort has a Stay9/Pay6 Special from 1Feb2010-31Mar2010

Vatulele Island Resort has a Stay7/Pay5 in their Deluxe Beach Bure (without pool) from 5Jan2010-31Mar2010

Taveuni Island Resort has a Stay7/Pay5 Special in their lovely Oceanfront Villa ( this includes beverages , own chef, on-call staff, private plunge pool, and private Beach). The panoramic view from this Villa is without Fiji parallel !!!

Taveuni Palms Resort.. stay 10 nights and receive unlimited Spa Treatments free of charge from your on staff personal masseuse.

Jean Michel Cousteau Resort.. Stay7/Pay5 in their Villa ( awarded best in South Pacific) Special is good between 11Jan 2010 and 26 March 2010

Namale Resort and Spa is offering either a Stay7/Pay5 or a Stay10/Pay7 till 31Mar2010
These Villas are also Outstanding with huge private pools.

Important News..
It now looks like Fiji will be under El Nino drought conditions early next year. Not good for Fiji, but good news for those who want sunny days :)

Thank you again for allowing me to be part of planning your dream vacations. I look forward to going to work each day and helping to plan custom dream vacations around the world!

I will be leaving for my trip to Fiji with my beautiful wife Mary in mid October, and will update you on all of the new features when I return... We'll be staying at Likuliku Lagoon Resort in an overwater bungalow, Vatulele Island Resort, Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort, Namale Fiji Resort, Sullivan ferry from Savu savu to Taveuni (Prime minister cabin.. 5 hour sail), Taveuni Island Resort, Qamea Island Resort, Wakaya Island Resort and possibly Yasawa Island Resort... We'll only be at each property a couple nights, but we'll make sure to take lots of pictures and see what kind of specials I can bring back to you.

I truly enjoy finding the perfect destination for each client, and hearing all about your trip and seeing pictures upon your return! The smiles in those photos bring a smile to my face as well.

So please get with me soon to help you decide where you would like best to go in the next year or so. Look forward to hearing from you. Click here to enter to win a FREE trip!

Mahalo, Aloha, and Bula !
Hiapo

Hiapo Cockett ,
Toll Free 1-800-588-3454 x102
Local 213-784-4910

Mike Bula Fiji 2009

2009-09-21T09:17:00.001-10:00

Aloha And Bula from Mike!

I wanted to check in with you and hope that you had a wonderful summer!

It has been heartwarming how many of you have contacted me this past year to assist in planning another vacation, or just to say hello. I have been busy working with many Fiji Resorts working up new deals to give you more value and choice than ever before.

I love assisting you with your travel plans and look forward to helping you with your next great vacation or adventure to the South Pacific!

I have been speaking with many of you about your holiday travel. Vacations are being booked earlier and earlier, and some properties are already completely sold out for the Christmas and New Year holidays. It is never too early to begin thinking about travel during that time of year. If you are considering a Vacation during Thanksgiving or Christmas, please give me a call at 213-784-6129 so that we can discuss the options available to you. I will do my best to find availability for you at the property of your choice, by working closely with the resort management and our wholesalers on your behalf. Click here to call me on our dime I'm ext.109.

There have been some interesting developments since we last talked. Of much interest is the new flights from Honolulu direct to Samoa. Have you seen the new Survivor Series on TV?? It is set in Samoa this time and you see some awesome Island Vistas.