Juliette Sivertsen checks into the Uprising Fiji
Getting there: Tourist Transport Fiji offers transfers from Nadi (2.5 hours) and Suva (1.5 hours) airports.
Check-in experience: Delightful. Staff were eager to please. A porter helped carry my bags to my villa; he insisted he didn’t want me working up a sweat in the tropical heat.
Room: Garden-view villa, with high ceilings, a thatched roof and a gorgeous deck. They’re set up for couples, but extra beds can be added.
Price: FJ$295 per night.
What's so good about this place? The revolving TV between the bedroom and living room — one side, a flat-screen TV, the other, a mirror. The tropical garden is serene and there are hammocks dotted along the beach to soak up ocean views and sea air.
And the bad? The inside lighting isn’t particularly bright. What’s in the neighbourhood? Adventure activities — Pacific Harbour is the adventure capital of Fiji. The Establishment offers a hearty meal with top-notch Fijian hospitality and there’s an arts village. Toiletries: Body wash, shampoo, shower cap. Food and drink: A continental buffet breakfast was included in my stay and the lunch and dinner menu was extensive. The bed: Queen-size bed with a Fijian-patterned throw. A room with a view? A view of the beautifully landscaped tropical garden. Bathroom: Spacious with a bathtub, overhead shower, a long vanity and giant mirror. Each villa has a private outdoor shower.
Free Wi-Fi? Yes, but it can be patchy in parts of the resort.
Noise: The villas are reasonably far away from the rest of the resort and the tropical garden makes for a peaceful setting.
Value for money: The garden villas aim to provide 4.5-star value for a 3.5-star price. Exercise facilities: A swimming pool, gym and a rugby field. GM James Pridgeon said the Fiji Sevens team stayed in the resort ahead of the Rio Olympics. Contact: uprisingbeachresort.com
Perfect for: The Uprising has a wonderful community feel, thanks to the communal dining area, so it’s ideal for travellers wanting to meet new faces and soak up authentic island vibes.
The bottomline: An ideal base for exploring adventure activities or to relax, unwind and disconnect. The resort is working hard to become carbon neutral, banning plastic containers and bags and planting mangroves to offset emissions.