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Introduction
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to go to Fiji? Recently, I had the opportunity of a lifetime to travel there with my entire family to the Jean Michel Cousteau Resort in Savusavu, Fiji on the second largest island of Vanua Levu. Here is a brief and evolving chronicle of my journey.
First, for a little background, my distributed family has a tradition of getting together regularly for reunions and holidays whenever we can. Recently, one of my brothers moved to Sydney with his young family as his wife is Australian and they wanted to establish citizenship there and be closer to her family for a while. So, the decision was made to do a gathering somewhere in between the USA and Australia.
My sister-in-law proposed Fiji and the idea quickly gathered momentum. We found a couple of resort options and chose this one for its proximity to medical care as my mother is elderly and her condition is complex and medically sensitive. We didn't want to be on a distant island with only an emergency helicopter ride to another island.
TRIP OVERVIEW
Fiji, located in the South Pacific Ocean, consists of over 300 islands amidst beautiful water. (Source: Alamy)
The resort's main swimming pool with views and pier out into Savusavu Bay.
Day 1. Tuesday - August 19, 2025
A. Arrival
Welcome to Paradise! After a 10 hour flight, an hour layover and another hour flight from the international airport on the main island of Viti Levu to Savusavu on the second largest island of Vanua Levu, we finally got to the Jean Michel Cousteau resort around 9 am or so. Upon arrival, we got some refreshing ginger-lemonade concoction. Then we were shown to a table in the restaurant and proceeded to have our first delicious breakfast. Mocha please!
We got upgraded to an oceanfront bure close to the restaurant and main resort building.
B. Settling In
Due to some unexpected surprise we were all upgraded and got better bures than we had booked. We all got oceanfront bures fronting on the Savusavu bay. After touring the grounds to see “our” other two bures, we returned to our Bure #4 where I set up my hammock and Dave took a nap in the shade on one of our chaise lounges.
The view from our bure...! 🤯
We decided not to jump into action to join the village trip that was scheduled on the itinerary for that day. Most of the day once we got there was spent relaxing and unpacking. It was nice to not rush around after having just landed and arrived.
My brothers Dave, Michael & I all volunteered for the kava ceremony that night in front of the pool
C. Evening Kava Ceremony
The resort was allowed by the local chief to do kava ceremonies for the guests, so my brothers Dave, Michael & I all volunteered for the kava ceremony that night in front of the pool.
After a brief ceremony with several guys dressed in tribal gear presenting and washing the kava roots, we were presented with a bowl each. The tradition is to clap once upon presentation and then three times afterwards. The taste is something like a rooty tea. Initially, it made my lips numb. It’s not very tasty but also not terribly nasty.
Later after dinner we sought out the Bula Band with their kava bowl and introduced ourselves, sitting around the poolside for a few bowls with George, Bill, Jone and Kali. It was certainly fun. Part of it was just sitting around chatting and getting to know the guys in the band. Otherwise we didn’t get enough to truly feel how it generally does. Supposedly it takes at least 10 bowls to start feeling anything noticeable in the body. Still a ritual, and a fun thing to do after dinner to close it out before going back to the bures.
D. Village Meke Performance 
The resort hosted a village meke performance with traditional songs and dances. This was to be our first of such performances by different village groups throughout the week. It's an important Fijian cultural tradition and the people take pride in participating.
This was my first time ever snorkeling. It took me a bit to get it! Thankfully our marine biologist Ofa helped me around the coral head.
Day 2. Wednesday - August 20, 2025
A. Snorkeling at Split Rock
The morning ritual became: first breakfast, then a quick dash home to put sunblock on my face and legs. Then make it out to the pier to grab snorkeling gear and catch the boat before it left at 11 am.
I had been watching videos and preparing myself mentally to snorkel for a long time. I still have a very healthy respect and even deep fear of open water. But it is fascinating and considering the opportunity I had to take it. I did not, however, bring my camera in the water this time as I wanted to get oriented snorkeling before adding that additional level of complexity to the experience.
So, I went out with most of my family in the glass-bottomed boat for my very first snorkel at Split Rock. Whoa is it unnatural to breathe while underwater!!! Took me a little bit. Also Ofa took me around with a life preserver to help us float around the coral head. The fish came right up to my face as soon as I jumped in. There were so many colorful fish all around. It was spectacular. Intoxicating. Addictive! A whole new world. John, our boat driver, told me they call it the underwater forest.
Kayaking was gorgeous and it was nice to have a moment of solitude, silence and peace — one of the only times alone I had all week.
B. Solo Kayak
After snorkeling before midday, I got back to the resort full of energy and interest in the water. So, once I ate lunch, I got a kayak from the activities bure and took it out on the water. It was so easy, once I sat in and started paddling, the water was very calm and easy to navigate.
Mika, from Activites, asked me to stay on the front side of the water where he could see me, so I went around the pier and along the shore back and forth several times, progressively further out from shore and also further out towards the point at the end of the island where the wavesand wind really started to pick up.
Day 3. Thursday - August 21, 2025
Nephews Nick & Gabe with Nick's girlfriend Nova on the right. Together we practiced snorkeling in the pool when jellyfish were spotted.
A. Snorkel Practice in the Pool
Before the main field trip of the day, I raced down in the morning at 11 am to grab my gear and catch the boat to snorkel, we learned there had been jellyfish spotted, so there was no snorkeling trip planned. Still keen to get in the water, I practiced in the main pool with Dave, Gabe, Nick and Nova. It really helped to have a shallow, predictable environment to work on my breathing and I even did a few longer underwater dives, too.
We took a bus trip through several towns to reach this remote location. It was fun to see people waving to the bus as we passed by.
B. Maroroya Falls
We took a bus trip to reach the remote site. Passing through Savusavu along the coastal access road, we eventually passed through several towns. We got a glimpse into normal Fijian life as we drove by houses and schools, fields with children playing and raw natural beauty of the coastline and hills around the Bay.
Parking by the sign at the side of the road, a short incline led to a big rock with an overlook of the surrounding hillsides, draped with greenery. After this outcropping, we started up narrow trails through the dense jungle. Trails wove in and out of dense foliage and large trees. Elephant leaves grew large and green throughout the jungle.
Finally we arrived at a small wooden deck along the shores of a small stream. A short path led along the stream to a small pool at the base of the waterfall.
One by one, most of us jumped in to cool off. The rocks were slippery, but the water was very refreshing! It was exciting and fun to get under the waterfall! It was a fun moment with family and fellow guests on a very manageable and pretty hike through the jungle — and a beautiful drive along the coastline with views into traditional Fijian life along the way.
Thursday evening from 5:30-6:30pm the resort held an open bar sundowner on the pier for the guest to meet, mix and mingle.
c. Sundowner
Gorgeous. Fun, met another guest named Dave from San Mateo & his Danish partner who was lovely. They described sailing with friends around some other islands nearby. Then their friends came to meet them at the resort. What a life!
It was exhilarating to snorkel out in open water, this time was at a spot on the reef called Nuggets
Day 4. Friday - August 22, 2025
A. Snorkeling Nuggets Reef
This morning’s snorkeling expedition took us out into the open water aside the reef that bordered on the point. The spot was called Nuggets. It was exciting to ride out that direction as there were a couple of private islands nearby. Also the water was more open and felt more wild. My phone says South Pacific Ocean so I’ve officially snorkeled in the ocean now.
Having practiced twice now without taking my camera out, I decided to take it snorkeling for the first time. However, without testing my rig first, I decided to bring my chest harness and an extension boom that I thought might help to keep the camera further away from my chest.
However as soon as I dove in the water, the strap on the back of the harness slipped apart and disconnected. So, I was clutching the extension arm with the camera and harness only half attached on my torso, swimming with one arm and hanging on to my camera for dear life!
The reef was beautiful. It being my first time, I have nothing to compare it to really. The water was warm, wet and there were exotic things to see floating around in most places. It was a bit raw and bare in some places, but not all and in some places very vibrant. So a good example of coral and marine ecosystems and how sensitive they can be.
Another exciting adventure on the water. Dave drove us around — and successfully got us back to shore — on a Hobie Cat.
B. Catamaran
In the afternoon, Dave and I decided to check out a catamaran. It took a while to get out past the tidepools and into some actual wind. There seemed to be a significant windbreak offered by the coast that extended out a fair bit beyond the anchorage there. But once we got out into it Dave took the helm and skippered us around the Bay back and forth. It was exhilarating and beautiful. High pressure clouds in the sky stretched on forever.
After getting stuck around the bigger sailboats and catamarans that were moored nearby and getting close enough that our conversation prompted a curious boat owner to pop her head above decks to see us struggling to get wind and escape the cramped maze around their boat/s. At one point we wondered if we’d be able to get back in considering the difficulty in approaching the shore while maintaining some wind - which was coming almost directly offshore.
The coral here is incredible. Especially the living stuff underwater! But even this one with the fossilized star pattern is so hypnotic!
