When she was a little girl, Kelly Landry and the other children in her neighbourhood were green with envy when her next-door neighbours went to
Fiji on a family holiday. Ever since then she has wanted the holiday they had and at last her dream came true.
Mana Island Resort, a 90-minute boat trip from Nadi, has everything you could want for a holiday: white sandy beaches, the crystal-clear waters of the Mamanuca Islands and fantastic weather just about all the time. The four-star 150-room resort has been looking after families for more than 30 years. It sprawls over 121 lush hectares and has three beaches (South, North and Sunset) and two pools. Mana means "magic" and that pretty much sums it up.
It's made up of six distinct little resorts, each with its own ambience and features to suit different needs: a romantic getaway, a solo break or a summer holiday for the whole family. Accommodation is made up of Honeymoon, Beach Front, Ocean Front, Ocean View and Island bures and Ocean Front suites. Seven secluded Honeymoon bures on the beach have a private open-air spa bath and valet service.
Most accommodation has been designed with families in mind. They have large lounges, connecting rooms and two bathrooms.
Parents can have a break while the children are having the time of their lives at the Tu Vonu Kids' Club. There's a brand-new playground where they make new friends and play all sorts of games under supervision of staff fully trained in childcare. It operates from 10am until 9pm and you can catch up with your littlies for lunch and dinner in the restaurant.
South Beach and Mamanuca restaurants offer magical delights, even to please the fussiest eaters. Chefs fuse Italian, French, Japanese and Pacific cuisines. Tuck into a huge American breakfast from 7am, lunch from noon to 4pm and dinner from 6.30pm to 10pm. Indulge in fine dining or casual bistro meals and enjoy cool drinks and cocktails as you relax in one of the resort's three bars. They also serve a mean coffee brewed from locally grown beans.
Activities are endless. The waters offer snorkelling, kayaking, windsurfing, diving, swimming and even encounters with sharks. On land you can discover Fijian culture and participate in basket weaving, woodcarving and ancient cooking methods. You can even learn the traditional dance known as meke. There's volleyball, treks to great vantage points and huge bingo afternoons!
The resort's beautiful Seaside Chapel is perfect for a romantic wedding. Cloistered in beautiful tropical gardens, the chapel blends Pacific and Western architecture, oozing with charm. The Chapel minister would administer your vows as you are accompanied by a Fijian warrior and serenaded by a Fijian choir.
Location
Mana Island, a 90-minute boat ride from Nadi in
Fiji.
Cost
Creative Holidays has five-night packages including accommodation at Mana Island Resort and all meals for $763 per person. Up to two children under 11 years of age stay free in shared accommodation. Valid between October 16, 2009, and December 23, 2009.
Pacific Blue, international airline of Virgin Blue, has flights to Nadi.
One-way fares from:
- Brisbane $269
- Sydney $289
- Canberra $339
- Melbourne $349
- Darwin $379
- Adelaide $399
- Perth $409
- Hobart $429
There are limited seats which may not be available at peak times or on all flights. Fares quoted are one-way booked on the Internet. An extra $15 will be charged for phone bookings. A credit card surcharge of an additional $2 per person per one-way flight is applicable. Fares are correct at June 25, 2009, and are subject to change.
Prices correct at June 25, 2009.
For further information
Virgin Blue
Ph: 136 789
www.virginblue.com.au
Creative Holidays
www.creativeholidays.com
Mana Island Resort
PO Box 610
Lautoka
Fiji Islands
Ph: +679 665 0423
Fax: +679 665 0788
www.manafiji.com
Visas: Australian visitors to Fiji are issued a visa on arrival. They last one to three months.
Electricity: 240V at 50Hz using the same pins as Australia.
Time zone: GMT +12.
Currency: The Fiji dollar.
International dialling code: + 679.
