Caption: Rebecca Lawson , Leisa Scott, Vijay Singh (Pacific Green), Mal Chenu, Russell Blaik (Outrigger Resort Manager), Jane Hodges, Donna Parkin (Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Fiji), Kini Sarai (Outrigger Activities Manager), Ravin Chandra (Director Pacific Green).
Travel writers representing a range of Australian print and digital titles took home an appreciation of Fijian culture and cuisine and left a memento of their visit during a five day familiarisation tour hosted by Outrigger Hotels and Resorts -Fiji.
On the Coral Coast, the group went off-road on the Sigatoka Cave Safari and visited the Lawai pottery village before each planting a coconut palm at Pacific Green, Fiji’s successful Palmwood furniture manufacturer and exporter.
Outrigger on the Lagoon.Fiji’s award winning chef, Shailesh Naidu also treated the writers to a hands-on cooking experience featuring traditional Fijian dishes with the group later relaxing in the resort’s Bebe Spa Sanctuary.
South Sea Cruises ensured the writers were transferred safely to Castaway Island where they visited Modriki Island, which featured in the Tom Hank’s movie Castaway, before returning for dinner at Castaway’s 1808 restaurant.
Lance Seeto, the island’s Executive Chef and popular host of a Taste of Paradise prepared dinner, demonstrating why 1808 was voted best Restaurant at the 2013 Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards.
Outrigger on the Lagoon and Castaway Island’s Australian based public relations consultant Donna Parkin said the writers had enjoyed their visit immensely and were moved by the genuine hospitality the Fijian people had shown them.
“They were blown away by the experience and all want to come back next year and see how much their trees have grown,” she said.
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