Getting there
Travelling from Spain you are looking at an 11-hour time difference and 22 hours in the air – what a journey! Pretty understandable most people never go there or do it once for their honeymoon. In order to adjust to the timing better, I decided to fly Barcelona – Los Angeles – Fiji, with a 2-night stop over in LA both on the way there and back. I used 40.000 Avios + 80EUR to book Level via Iberia and then bought a cash ticket with Fiji Airways from LA to Fiji for some 700 USD return. The advantage of booking Level with Avios is that the ticket also included luggage which otherwise you would need to pay extra. I know you could also book Fiji Airways on points but it was too much of a hassle for me personally and while it´s not fully free, flying to the other side of the world for less than a thousand euros is not bad in my opinion.
Staying there
The original plan was to split the stay between Sheraton Resort at Tokoriki Island and Marriott Momi Bay, but after booking they reached out from Tokoriki saying they would be closed for renovations so I decided to just stay at the Marriott in the end.
Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay
Similarly to the flight situation I decided to do half on points and half cash. I redeemed 140.000 Bonvoy points for 5 nights (35k per night, 5th night for free for points stay) and then paid around 150EUR per night for the other 5 nights. I booked the base category room and with Ambassador elite status got upgraded to Royal Ocean Front Bure Villa which would otherwise cost 5-10 times as much and breakfast was also complimentary for elite members.
Similarly to the flight situation I decided to do half on points and half cash. I redeemed 140.000 Bonvoy points for 5 nights (35k per night, 5th night for free for points stay) and then paid around 150EUR per night for the other 5 nights. I booked the base category room and with Ambassador elite status got upgraded to Royal Ocean Front Bure Villa which would otherwise cost 5-10 times as much and breakfast was also complimentary for elite members.
The villa was in original local design with a very tall ceiling and a great sea view from the bed. Also, there is a good distance between the villas so you have a great sense of privacy. It was great enjoying the sunset from the private terrace and then reading in the bathtub.
In the resort, there are 3 or 4 restaurants, swimming pools, spa, kids club, tennis and other daily activities. The morning breakfast is a buffet with a good variety and many international options. For lunch or dinner, you can do a buffet as well or pick a more formal setting, or just grab something light by the infinity pool. In general, the food was good, fresh with lots of seafood options at a good price, but do not expect a Michelin-star restaurant in Fiji, not even in a 5-star resort. What really stood out was the people – not in terms of fine white glove service, but everyone was genuinely friendly, kind and caring. It´s hard to put this into words but it all felt from the heart. They even have good-bye songs they sing on your last day and it is something that makes you cry and want to come back again.
