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Shangri-La's Fijian Resort Reviews Review 1: visited September 2001 reviewed by Andrew & Linda, ACT Review 2: visited March 2002 reviewed by Michelle Mexon Review 3: visited October 2002 reviewed by Lucinda Gardner, Melbourne Review 4: visited June 2005 reviewed by Paul, Romsey, Victoria Review 1: visited September 2001 reviewed by Andrew & Linda, ACT We found the kidsholiday site recently when planning our holiday. We ended up deciding on ten days in Fiji at the Fijian Resort in September 2001. As we found the feedback of others very helpful on the site, we thought we'd provide an update so others can gain from our great experience too. Travel September 11 was not a great day to fly but we managed to get from Canberra to the Fijian with our three boys [ 4 mths, 2 1/4 and 5 1/2]. Air Pacific/QANTAS was fine, not the normal overseas standard we've experienced with others but ok. Total travel time was about ten hours ex Canberra including the 1 hour bus trip from the airport to the Resort but all up, it didn't seem that bad. A hint or two: if you're flying with a baby - try and book one of the seats which has the baby cradle at the front of it[ask your travel agent to check this out]. The second one is getting through Customs at Nadi Airport. The humidity hit when we landed and it took sometime to clear Customs etc, so have something to keep the kids occupied and a drink available if possible. The Fijian Resort The Resort is fantastic from most perspectives. Once you get used to Fiji time [ i.e. we'll do it when we're ready], then you can settle into a great holiday. The Fijian people really made our holiday. They are so friendly and happy at all times and truly adore children. You feel extremely welcome every where you go (especially if you have two or three kids in tow!). Our main babysitter for our boys was a lovely lady called Sereana who broke down and cried when it was time to say goodbye to us all - she was a very kind and warm person. Importantly, we had interconnecting rooms so didn't feel crammed together and the boys could go to bed without being disturbed by us. The Resort is huge but we didn't feel lost [I'd heard others mention this] . We were located at one end of the Resort in the Coral Wing. This was great for us as we enjoyed the walking and there is now a pool [3 pools in all] down that end too [ I gather its fairly new as someone who'd been there before said it used to be pain walking to the pool at the other end of the Resort] The place is made for kids and parents with kids. I'd say you might even feel left out if you didn't have kids. We picked the Fijian for the good reputation they have with kids and the fact the Kids Club would cater for our 2 yr old [ some only start at 3]. We kept the boys with us in the morning at the pool, then they went to the Kids Club in the afternoon. We'd then do the Kids dinner session with them [5.30pm to 6.30pm, and it's free or included in the price], head back to the room and settle them into bed before going out to dinner ourselves, leaving the boys with a babysitter [ $5.00 per hr, 3 hr min]. The Resort looks after this very well, with the same sitter looking after your kids each night. We used two, and both were great and the boys loved it. Our older boy ended up spending some nights to 8.30pm in the Movie/Games room which is also pretty well supervised. Both our older boys went to the Kids Club most afternoons, the 5 yr old for longer periods than the younger one who went there after his sleep. Whilst the 2 yr old was eligible to be there on his own [2 yrs upwards], in hindsight we'd probably have a separate sitter specifically look after someone that age at the Club or doing other things. The supervision is a little relaxed and we sometimes thought the younger ones needed special attention which the overall management at the Club couldn't handle. We didn't have any problems but that would be our recommendation. The kids do all sorts of fun things at the Club and love it. Each Tuesday, all new kids get a certificate and a Kids Club t -shirt - we now can't get it off our 5 yr olds back! There is also an activity program for 8yr olds and over, but we didn't focus on that except to see them doing lots of game activities such as soccer, volleyball, touch football etc Eating We found the food was always of a good standard. Our breakfast was included in the price so we tended to eat a "late and large" breakfast which we all enjoyed in one of the restaurants which overlooks the beach and one of the pools - beautiful setting. The Kids free lunch and dinners were also served in a lovely spot with some form of entertainment at the dinner session each night to keep them occupied. Our tip here is to get to the dinner session early to get the best table and leisurely time for dinner - otherwise, the rush is on, not unbearable but hectic. Mum and Dad can also have a drink whilst the kids eat!. You can take the kids to the later dinner sessions at a number of restaurants but you pay for this [prices are reasonable]. The adult meals are good with a range of restaurants including an up market one (with a French menu) if you want to dress up a bit. The Lagoon restaurant changes the theme each night ranging from $26F to $40F per person in price plus drinks[ Curry, Seafood, roast nights etc]. The other has an Asian theme. You can also go to local Fijian restaurants - basic decor to say the least, but great food, cheaper than the Resort. Overall There's plenty for the adults to do too. The 9 hole golf course is great, so are the tennis courts. We're planning our next holiday, and I think it will be to The Fijian again. Everyone in the family was catered for and we had a great time - what more could you ask for! Finally, the political situation didn't impact on us at all. Sure, the politics is there but the Resorts are a world to themselves and appear removed from the goings on on the other side of the Island. Review 2: visited March 2002 reviewed by Michelle Mexon We highly recommend the Shangri-La Fijian Resort and so do our children aged 10, 8 and 7. Flight: I took too much cabin baggage: they didn't need a jacket because we all got a blanket. The bottled water was good for waiting to go through immigration when we arrived which seemed to take forever. Make sure you ask them to stamp the book if your kids want the reminder in their passport. Our children loved the food and the colouring book kept them occupied for ages. Food: We all had a huge breakfast each morning. There are a choice of two with the Lagoon Terrace being much larger and therefore noisier, but close to the main pool. The Takali Terrace breakfast was a much more subdued affair - it is near the pool that is adults only and so frequented more by couples, but children are still welcome. The children ate the free lunch each day between 12 and 2pm. Although it was sometimes a struggle to get them out of the pool they loved it once they got there - always a nice buffet, plenty of variety with cold makeup cordial. At night the kids' meals were a hectic affair from 5.30pm to 6.30pm but this also coincided with the happy hour in the adjoining bar so we would order a cocktail and sit with them while they ate. The Lagoon Terrace has a theme night for dinner and at an average of $30 each was good value. A glass of wine was $6 and soft drinks $3 to give you an idea. The beach bar and grille also did a set price barbecue with sweets. There are plenty of choices for meals, all great. We found eating such a huge breakfast we didn't want lunch but the kids always ate it and we would often have an ice-cream later in the day or grab some kebabs around the pool. Room: We were in a family room - double bed and two singles - and had an extra bed and found there was plenty of room. The huge TV had around the clock cartoons which was a hit with the kids. There were tea and coffee making facilities and a mini fridge we filled with Tim Tams and cordial when we took a trip into Sigatoka. The rooms were made up every day, even when we forgot to put the sign on the door and was always a lovely surprise to come back to. We were in an ocean view room and strolled out the screen door to a manicured grass then on to the sand and lapping water complete with little fish and bright blue starfish. The payoff was it is quite some way from the areas the kids loved most - the big free form pool and the restaurant. It was very very quiet though and the walkways were all covered which we needed during a few showers. Kids Club: Yes we took three children but they only went to the kids club twice! They proudly wear their t-shirt they got but didn't exactly spend much time there... they were too busy snorkelling, on a kayak, canoe, playing lawn bowls or in the pool with us. The movies on at night were generally Tom and Jerry and they preferred to stay in our room and watch TV on the few nights we went to dinner without them. Our daughter, aged 10, had her hair braided. At $1 a braid it can be expensive if you have a thick head of hair. She had 34 plaits but they stayed in all holiday and almost two weeks after we came home. Now that is value! Loved it: * The bicycle village tour was $46 for the five of us and truly a highlight. We actually saw a pig hanging from a tree which was later put in the ground for that night's tea! The little boys loved seeing the hair being burnt off it. Take money with you because we called in to a shop and bought a bottle of coke each for $1. * A tour to South Sea Island was well over $200 but included lunch and all cold drinks on the day. Although it was too windy for us to do much snorkelling, without a doubt the coral viewing in the glass bottom boat was THE highlight of the trip. Highly recommended. It was an hour trip back into Nadi on a slow old bus but then a nice 20min trip via air-conditioned cruiser to the island and only about 12 of us on it all day plus staff. This is a very long day for the children so not a good idea if they are too small. We left around 8am and got back around 7pm. * A trip "outside" the security of the resort across the road to Geckos restaurant is a must. Young people from the youth centre entertain with singing and dancing and their stories are great. nice meal, slightly cheaper than the resort but not much. Worth it for the entertainment value. So so: The firewalking and dinner was expensive at $170 plus another $21 worth of drinks ... none of us were too sure it was all that great, so if you are running out of time, don't worry too much if you miss that one. The trip into Sigatoka was a way to see how most Indian Fijians live and their poor lifestyle - old women laying their fruit and veg out on the road, but having not been to Bali before we got a little scared when they split the children up and took them off to different stalls. Hang on to their hands! A good chance to get some cordial and treats like chips and bikkies - although not cheap ($3 for Tim tams, $5 for a bottle of Cottees make up and $2 for a 1.25ltr bottle of coke it was much cheaper than the resort.) Money: you book everything on to your room account which you pay by credit card when you leave - except for trips outside the island which are paid directly onto your credit card or by cash. On the advice of our travel agent we took Australian cash. We changed $500 over at the airport into Fijian $ and then had to change another $100 later to keep us going. You get a copy of everything you sign for (even a $3 ice-cream) and can keep an easy track of this by asking at the desk for a copy of your bill every couple of days. There will be a $5 charge for the Sigatoka hospital fund on it but we were told by another couple they had been charged that about 10 times on their bill, so make sure you check it's only there once! Checkout: We had a dreaded 3am departure from the hotel ... until the airline rang to say the flight had been delayed and instead of leaving at 7am would leave at 3pm. What joy for us and the honeymoon couple who overheard us telling the front desk we would be checking out at 11am.Some people had not been notified by the airline because they had not reconfirmed their flights! It's just a phone call but can save a lot of angst. But if you do have the 3am checkout and your "deal" included breakfast, just confirm with the front desk because they told us we could order room service on this last day to the value of the breakfast ($44). Take plenty of sunscreen, much more than you estimate you will need. Take aeroguard, but non aerosol as ours got confiscated on the way home! If you need sickness tablets for the flight, take extra for any boat trips you may do to make sure you have enough on the way home. They were hard to get and not available at all at the Nadi airport. We took an exercise book for each of the kids to record their daily activities, stick mementos in etc etc which is a nice keepsake and was a good way to wind down at the end of each night. Review 3: visited October 2002 reviewed by Lucinda Gardner, Melbourne Flight We left Melbourne at 12.50am so checked in the night before. The kids were very excited. Do your duty free shopping one at a time as my kids didn’t like the shopping they just wanted to get on the plane. Flight was good. The children meals came out first and they got an activity pack each which kept them busy for a while - they got some sleep but not enough. We got to Fiji at 7.30am their time. The kids were really tired by then not having my much sleep and it was warm when we got of the plane which made it worse and then a 45 min wait to get through customs. We had a transfer waiting for us which was good so kids slept the 45min drive to the resort. Room We booked an ocean view room, which was beautiful looking out over the ocean. There was TV which was good for the children cartoons. It was good for when we where getting ready to go out. Their room was very spacious - it has everything one needs. Change beds every day. They give you an option to have it changed every second day. They also have a bed turn down service at night as well. Food We ate at the lagoon terrace restaurant for breakfast and dinner. If there are two adults dining, children eat free which was good. We just let them serve themselves - they couldn’t believe you could have pastry etc There was a very big wide variety off food. Iit was excellent too. The dinners were excellent too - every night was different which was good and once again a wide variety of food. We had a glass of champagne every night that was $7.00 per glass. Soft drinks were $3.00 per glass. We ate lunch at the Beach bar and grill which overlooks the beach and the main pool. Kids lunches were $6.00 each and had a choice of a kids menu. Lunch for adults costs around $15.00 for a main meal. Once again beautiful food. I recommend you get your food included in your package, as it is quite pricey for a family of 4 from comments I heard from other people who didn’t have it included. Kids Club We put the kids in the kids club. Once they stayed there for four hours - along time. When we picked them up they didn’t want to go, they had a great time and got a t shirt and certificate. We were by the pool a lot and they have something every hour for kids and adults e.g. beach volley ball, fish feeding, crab racing, swimming races. So kids are well entertained during the day. Cruises We went on the Robinson Crusoe Curse which is an all day Cruise. You are taken out to the island where they provide activities all day for adults and kids. The kids went on a treasure hunt and turtle watching. Adults can go fishing and snorkeling. It’s a great day I highly recommend it. Cost $70.00 per adult and $10.00 per child. This includes transfers from resort boat, trip, all food and all you can drink . They have fire walking, coconut tree climbing and lots more. We also did the sunset cruise which leaves the resort and is a good one to do as well. Shopping We did most of our shopping in the resort. We did venture out to Sigatoka and I did find a lot of things, which I looked at were cheaper in the resort which was quite surprising. We didn’t go into the market only because we were hassled as soon as we got there and it was very crowded. A Bus leaves the resort and takes you to Sigatoka the cost is $10 per adult. And they pick you up in three hours. We decided to catch a taxi which cost us $25.00 for two people for a round trip and they will pick you up when your ready to leave. Money Everything in the resort is charged to your room, you only had to pay for things you did outside the resort upfront e.g. cruises, shopping trips. Keep all your receipts so you know what you have spent it are very easy to get carried away. We got a copy of the bill three days into our holiday just to check what we had spent. We took Fijian dollars over and ended putting it all on the bill, as we didn’t need cash in the resort. Check Out We had a late check out 4pm in the afternoon. The day you leave ring reception and ask if you can have the room for the day. Usually you can if it is available. We had it until 3pm which was good. The kids swam till 2, went back got the kids ready packed and checked out around 3pm. We had a late lunch and left at 4pm. Worked out well. Duty Free Shopping Fiji duty free shopping is very expensive so if you can get all your shopping for souvenirs do it at the resort or town. Overall We loved every minute of it. Kids didn’t want to come home they were busy in the pool on the beach and with all the pool side activities I give this resort 10 out of 10. The staff were friendly and loved the kids. I would like to give a special thanks to Fiji & Pacific Specialist Holidays Sportswell Tours Sydney and Air Pacific Melbourne for without their help we would not have been able to go on our first overseas holiday. Review 4: visited June 2005 reviewed by Paul, Romsey, Victoria Introduction: Bula! (Hello!). From 30 May to 10 June 2005, we travelled back to Fiji after being there some 17 years ago. This time we stayed at the Shangri-La Fijian Resort after recommendations from several travel agents as well as raving reviews from family and friends. We stayed for 11 nights with our family, consisting of three children: 6, 10 and 13 years. I will say from the outset that the resort was fantastic! Accommodation: We stayed in a newly renovated Ocean View room which was located about 200 metres from the main shopping hub of the resort. The rooms were spacious enough for our family of five. Each day they were fully serviced by staff. The room contained an air conditioner which was a great relief as the average temperature was 30 degrees each day with the nightly temperatures hovering around 24/25 degrees. We had the opportunity whilst we were at the resort to have a look at a Lagoon View room. These rooms are slightly smaller than the Ocean View rooms but are close to the main pool, activities and the Lagoon Terrace Restaurant (Buffet meals). The Lagoon View rooms are also about $100 (Aust) cheaper per night. Activities: There are plenty of activities organised for both adults and kids every day around the main pool and lagoon lawn area. These include: pool volleyball/basketball, beach volleyball, cricket, bocce, spear throwing, banana eating contests, golf competitions..... Just to name a few. You quickly become accustomed as to what the next activity is with Johnny's familiar call of "Volleyball Noooooowwwwwww or Beach Volleyball Noooooowwwwwww!" Use of the snorkelling equipment is free for the first 2 hours and was a daily activity for myself and the family. If you're lucky enough you may see Nemo (Clown Fish) swimming among parts of the reef in the lagoon area. Deep sea fishing, reef fishing and lagoon fishing is available but a cost. Motorised water activities are also at a cost with the cheapest being the banana boat ride for $12 (Fijian) for an adult. Just remember that if a child is over 12 years of age he/she is charged as an adult. Meals: Our meals were prepaid through the travel agent before we went. I very quickly discovered that this was a mistake, as it was cheaper to pay for our meals at the resort. Through the travel agent we were charged $33 (Aust) per adult and also the same amount for my 13 year old's dinners. When we got to the resort we found that for the buffet dinners adults were charged at $33 (Fijian) per head and children 13 to 17 years were charged at $18 (Fijian). When you convert the Aussie dollar to Fijian dollars ($1 A = $1.24 F), you quickly realise that it was certainly cheaper to pay at the resort! The Lagoon Terrace is the main restaurant at the resort and you will find that most people tend to eat there as buffets are served for breakfast and dinner. You will find that buffet breakfasts are included in your accommodation costs. Kids under 12 stay and eat for free. The food selection at breakfast is huge. You can choose from cereals, cooked breakfasts, fruit, pastries and the list goes on. We also had dinner each night at the Terrace Lagoon with the kids. Drinks can be a little expensive with a standard glass of Coke costing $3.50 (Fijian). A 600ml bottle of Coke was a dollar dearer and perhaps better value as it could be shared between two. A can or stubby of Fiji Bitter cost $5 (Fijian). The kids had lunch each day preferring to have a takeaway lunch box from the Lagoon Terrace. Lunch generally consisted of a box of chips with: chicken nuggets or mini hamburger or mini hotdog or chicken wings. They also had the option of a sandwich. Lunch also included a cup of soft drink. My wife and I tended to have a large breakfast each morning and didn't really feel like lunch. If you wanted lunch you could still eat at any of the restaurants or from the Bar and Grill. Lunch however will cost on average between $15 - $20 (Fijian). Each afternoon we would indulge in a soft serve ice-cream or the usual Drumsticks, Paddle Pops etc. The soft serves are $1.70 each and the Drumsticks $3.50. Just remember that apart from the duty free stores and other shops at the resort, everything is billed to your room. I suggest that you check your room bill about every three days. Also a little tip regarding drinks and snacks, I suggest that you visit Sigatoka which is located 10 minutes south of the resort. You will be able to do all your shopping there for Duty Free goods, groceries, beer etc. The drinks and snacks are certainly cheaper buying them from the supermarket. Tours: We went on two tours run by the Shangri-La Fijian Resort. The first tour was the 'Village Bike Ride Tour' which was run by an employee of the resort by the name of Josh. It was an easy ride of about 20 minutes to a local village. You stop a couple of times on the way as Josh explains a bit about the other villages you pass on the way and the their culture. On arriving at our destination, we entered the village church where Josh explained village life. From there we walked around the village and were introduced to the women and children living in the village. The women displayed some of their local crafts and you were able to purchase them. So remember to take your wallets/purses. This tour was very reasonably priced. The tour is conducted Monday to Saturday at 10.00am or at 3.30pm. The second tour we went on was arguably the best. This tour was called the 'Sunset Village Tour'. It is run from the resort on Monday and Friday evenings. The tour commences at 5.00pm where you are bused to a beach where you will watch the sun set. To our surprise, drinks such as beer, champagne and soft drinks were provided whilst being serenaded by singers whilst you watch the sunset. From there you are bused to a village located across the river in Sigatoka. You are greeted by traditional warriors in costume and escorted to the village community hall. The friendly villagers then entertain you with traditional singing and dancing which was fabulous. During the evening you are invited to partake in a traditional meal which consists of chicken, local vegetables, fruit, just to name a few. This is not included in the price and if you partake you will be asked to make a donation towards the village. Everyone on the tour were all more than happy to contribute! The tour ended at about 8.45pm and we arrived back at the resort just after 9.00pm. If you want to expose your children to traditional Fijian life and culture I strongly recommend that you take the opportunity to go on this tour. We were thrilled with this tour. It was also very reasonably priced. The third tour we went on was to the Kula Bird Park. The Kula Bird Park bus provides two tours a day whereby the bus will pick you up from the lobby at 9.15am or 3.30pm. You can book via the tour desk or pay when you arrive at the park. The bus trip is free to the park. The trip is about 30 minutes and you are at the park for about an hour and a half before you are returned to the hotel. On arrival the staff allow you the opportunity to handle several iguanas as well as a baby boa constrictor. This provides a good photo opportunity for the family. From there you are free to walk around the park to see the native birds and native vegetation. Summary: We had such a great time at the resort that we intend to go back in the next couple of years with family and friends. The Fijians are the friendliness people that you will ever meet and they just adore kids. This is truly indicative of all the staff at the resort! The Shangri-La Fijian Resort is truly a 'family' orientated resort. The kids spent most of their time either in the huge family pool or at the beach which is located only 50 metres away. It provided mum and dad the opportunity to unwind and slip into Fiji time. For children up to the age of 12 years they can join the 'Little Chiefs Club' which organises supervised activities for them each day. Overall I would rate the resort as 10 out of 10. We hope that you enjoy the resort as much as we did. Moce! (Goodbye!) Links Readers Reviews Trip Advisor Reviews Website Family Packages Fijian Information Page |
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