When I’m asked about my honeymoon, a jolt of excitement overcomes me. It’s like I have a sudden, irresistible urge to blurt out stories of paradise. My speech feels pressured, I start talking faster and faster, my sentences get longer, and bundles of over-the-top adjectives dissolve into an indiscernible mess of spirited enthusiasm. This is how it’s meant to be… it’s how you know a honeymoon went right.
I still find it hard to distil my experience of so much pleasure, concentrated in such a short time.
My honeymoon was simply magical.
Before my trip, I thought magic was a fantasy only found in movies. In some respects, it’s true: you need a picture-perfect setting to truly have a fairy-tale ending after the wedding credits roll. In my eyes, there’s only one place on Earth that faithfully lives up to our sometimes-idealistic imaginings of paradise. Fiji is that place, and Sheraton Resort & Spa Tokoriki Island embraces this Utopia completely.
This country is special to me on a personal level. A year before my wedding, my beautiful wife, Angela, said “I do” as we watched a burning Fijian sun dip into a deep-blue ocean horizon. Yet, I think this country should be special to everyone. Its land, its water, its food, its people, and its culture sing to one tune. Here, in this harmony, Fiji lives in peace.
Travelling to the island was a beautiful experience. A daily cruise takes lucky Tokoriki guests to and from the resort, although more extravagant options are available including a private boat hire or a short helicopter trip. My wife’s only reservation about going to an island resort is the travel; she unfortunately suffers terrible seasickness. Ironically, the journey was one of our highlights. The one-hour trip was a joy. Holding my newlywed wife, in awe of the ocean’s dazzling aqua hues, while gliding over glassy flat waters was a romantic scene to behold. It was an intimate way to start to our holiday, which kept getting better and better.
Our first meal on the island set a precedent I didn’t think could be topped. We shared the most delectable chili crab pasta with a well-balanced bisque sauce. Portion sizes in Fiji are usually quite generous but even still, the sheer quantity of fresh, mouth-watering crab was beyond me. At least in my own experience, measly rationings of crab have become an unsatisfactory and disappointing norm. This was not the case on Tokoriki. We joked that a more apt description of the dish was crab with pasta instead of crab pasta! Paired with a refreshing flame grilled fish salad, I can say – hand on heart – our first meal made the top 5 best lunches I’ve ever had.
Our accommodation was breath-taking. Newly renovated, our waterfront digs were beautifully modern, generously sized, spotlessly clean, and stylistically in keeping with its beach-side surroundings. The bed was set with a lovely “happy honeymoon” message, written in palm tree leaves and flanked by a pair of decoratively dove-shaped towels. The bed was so comfortable, I even asked what brand it was for future reference!
One sometimes overlooked issue that can ruin a beachfront room experience is privacy; no one wants to be watched by beachgoers peering into your private space – especially if you’re on your honeymoon! Fortunately, Sheraton had great foresight when building these heavenly rooms. The villas are set slightly back and elevated above the beach. Essentially, this means you have a private access pathway from each room. From your exclusive plunge pool or your own bed, you get all the views without the viewers.
On that note, the scenery is surreal at Tokoriki. With panoramic outlooks onto the water from nearly anywhere on the resort, Fiji’s most beautiful archipelago of tropical islands can be seen at their best. With his arm stretched out into what seemed like a painting, one of the lovely staff, Lia, pointed out other famously beautiful adjacent islands: on the right was where Tom Hanks filmed “Cast Away” and on the left the newest “Survivor” season was being shot. My honeymoon was quite literally the background setting of a feature film.
In terms of activities, anything and everything is on the table. The staff truly go out of their way to accommodate any requests. They have surf sports and scuba diving, bushwalking and bushcraft, moonlight music and singing, and anything else you could think of. Three experiences really stood out to me though.
First, you’ve not been to Tokoriki unless you’ve done a cocktail class in the ocean. Throwing a cocktail shaker up and down, knee-deep in warm glassy waters, while the sun sets in the background is a peak-human experience. Second, even if you catch nothing, you must try handline fishing. An experienced sailor quickly whisks you away to fishing hotspots around the island, giving you some incredible views while you test your luck. Finally, the resort is home to a luxury day spa that’ll leave you feeling pampered and rejuvenated.
Like wearing a new watch, it takes time adjusting to the foreign sensation of a wedding ring, especially when you’ve never worn jewellery. I find myself fiddling and fidgeting with my left hand throughout the day, no matter the circumstance. Although it’s a feeling you get used to overtime.
Waking up to the sound of crashing waves and a warm gentle breeze is another foreign sensation to me. However, Sheraton’s resort on Tokoriki Island is a paradise you’d never get used to. Every day, my honeymoon was a dream I never wanted to wake up from.
