That there is no underlying tension, that everyone delights in your presence and that the minute you walk in the door, every one of your kin lights up in a neon-bright smile. But the reason it stands out β I mean really stands out β is because of its open, loving, big-hearted staff. And you feel confident that when you leave the table at the barefoot restaurant where you just had the most amazing dinner of your life that Bale, Toops and Villi okay, I remember a few names are NOT rolling their eyes and snickering behind your back about the way you pronounce kokoda , a delicious Fijian speciality made with mahi-mahi, limes, green chiles and, of course, coconut cream.
Each of the bures Fijian cottages is locally handcrafted the only power tool being a drill to anchor fittings into the lava outcroppings with native hardwoods, floor-to-ceiling windows, thatched roof and infinity pool. It even has a gorgeous hardwood basketball court, a digital golf driving range and a two-lane, pin bowling alley where you can bowl sans shoes.
Suffice it to say, it was bigger and far better appointed than my digs at home with outdoor showers, two pools, its own kitchen and maid quarters, a couple hot tubs and a giant projector that pulls down in front of the foot windows on which we were able to watch The Bachelorette episode that was filmed there.
Perhaps, Billie, our Indian airport driver, summed it up best. What else would we ever want to master? Gaetane Austin, who started the family-run company 12 years ago on her kitchen table in Suva, the Fijian capital, has stayed true to her principlesβusing only sustainable ingredients, buying from local villages, insisting on eco-friendly packaging and, in the process, promoting rural community development.
So on my recent trip to Fiji, I decided it was high time to try out some of the Pure Fiji products. But, even more importantly, to enjoy a few of the resorts and spas where the products are used.
