Hopping along the outer island chains to swim with reefsharks and party on the legendary Fijian party beaches
A family holiday at Fiji's Sheraton Denarau puts others in the shade, writes Greg Bruce
We were a few hours early for check-in at the Sheraton Denarau Villas and our room wasn't available. When I went over to tell my wife and three children the news, I found the front office manager standing with them by the lobby's extensive central water feature, holding my 6-month-old son.
In a luxury hotel in any other country, this would have been unusual, but in Fiji I wouldn't have been surprised had the Minister for Tourism himself turned up to spend some time with our baby.
"Let me see what I can do," the front office manager said, upon hearing the news that we couldn't get into our room. She disappeared then was back a few minutes later with a couple of room keys and a man who would drive us to our villa, even though it was only a couple of minutes walk away.
Our ride was on a golf cart or, as our children called it, "a truck", and it deposited us at our villa, which was a giant, modern, light-filled two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with a balcony, multiple air conditioners, ceiling fans, a dishwasher, a washing machine, dryer and a bath.
We had just spent four nights on a remote island where our accommodation was excellent but not like this place, which was about the same size as our house and much more luxurious. Our girls, 2 and 4, were so excited they ran through the apartment yelping and singing the theme song from Paw Patrol.
The upstairs room overlooked the central lagoon-style pool complex, an impossibly long, winding circuit through beautifully manicured grounds, featuring fairytale bridges, myriad trees and plants, shady spots, and ample sun loungers.
I have never seen my 4-year-old happier than when she first saw that enormous pool. She wanted to get in it immediately and only get out when our plane was ready to take us home.
Not far from our front door, there was a small market at which to buy food and there were facilities in our room to cook it, not that we did — I am a terrible cook and my wife had said a week or so earlier, "You know the thing I'm looking forward to most on this trip? Not cooking." But the point is, there was the choice, the opportunity.
Beach time at Sheraton Denarau Villas, Fiji. Photo / Supplied
It was just like being at home but warmer, more fun, with less crime.
That night, we went to the Meke Lovo cultural show night at the adjoining Westin Hotel.
We were seated around the village green where we watched small chunks of dancing and singing and listened to the telling of the islands' history and legends while eating lamb and chicken that had been cooked lovo style, underground in a hot-rock oven.
Other families were there with children but none with as many as us. We made it through dinner thanks to the help of the wait staff and the patience of the other diners, who turned a deaf ear to our 2-year-old's repeated yells of, "I want butter on bread!" which is pretty much the only thing she'll eat.
Each morning, we put the baby in the front pack and the 2-year-old in the pushchair, and we walked to the small epicurean city that is the Sheraton's buffet restaurant, Feast. Each night, we came back to our room past long lily ponds teeming with frogs.
They would hop away as we approached and we would stop there in the twilight while the girls yelled "Frog!" every time they spotted one.
"I want a pet frog for my birthday," 2-year-old Clara told us.
In between, the kids played on the playground and at the kids' club, and they spent an almost unfathomable number of hours in the pool.
The wet edge gives a front-row seat for sunset. Photo / Supplied
On our second-to-last night, we ate at The Wet Edge, an outdoor restaurant bordered by the sea on one side and the resort's infinity pool on another. We were the first ones there and we took a table right at the edge of the deck, with an unimpeded view straight out across the water to the sunset.
It was beautiful, and it was 30 seconds walk from our front door. There was no sand to fight through, there were no mosquitoes, no hassles. All we had to worry about, both at the restaurant and for the entirety of our stay, was getting the food that other people had prepared into our children's mouths. If only parenting were always this easy.
Checklist: Fiji
ACCOMMODATION For details on room rates and bookings at the Sheraton Denarau, go to sheratonfiji.com.
DETAILS A four-night package with flights, transfers and accommodation is available through helloworld, starting from $1299pp, twin-share; $269 for kids.
