[Peanut]

I'm interested in some opinions here. We live in Brisbane so have been to both the Gold and Sunshine Coasts regularly. Beautiful beaches, huge choice of accommodation and restaurants, lots of visitors in the school holdays, tropical storms etc. Seems Fiji is just the same!

I've never been to Fiji but see it regularly come up here in the EB travel forum and have heard lots of Aussie's travel there. I would like to plan a family holiday there (kids are 5 and 7) but I'm wondering how it compares to the Coasts here in QLD, apart from having to factor in flights and possible transfers of course.

Are the resorts over there worth the cost of flights? How do you choose a specific resort? I've noticed that many people in this forum mention the same resorts (Shangri-La, Plantation etc), is that because they really are the best ones for families? How has the last cyclone (Evan??) impacted on the environment and costs, is it any cheaper?

I will do my own research too but I am interested in your opinions ladies!

[Peanut]

No opinions?

[Mianta]

Well it is a tropical island, so I guess it's a bit like the climate of tropical QLD but it is also kind of third world compared to the QLD coast. The restaurants and bars are mainly on the resorts, which can be quite luxurious, but the real Fiji is filled with shanty towns, traditional Fijian villages, poverty and a landscape that is a lot less developed than QLD.

The people are very friendly and welcoming. Despite, the coup from a few years ago and cyclone damage, which happens yearly, Fiji is still a fairly popular destination for Australians.

I have been there three times. I love it.

[Peanut]

It really does look beautiful and I've certainly read that the people are lovely, particularly with children. So its worth paying for airfares for the cultural experience then?

I guess thats my point, I'm interested in it but could I get a similar resort experience here in QLD minus the airfares (and minus the cultural experience)?

I should probably explain further: I'm interested in taking the kids to Fiji but a friend of mine mentioned that you could get a better deal staying in a resort here in QLD as you wouldn't need to factor in flights. I'm curious to see if others agree.

This post has been edited by Peanut: 17/01/2013, 05:59 PM

[Jjbeanz]

I think it is worth it as if you stay out on the islands the water is stunning, I'm not a fan of the mainland. The Fijians are lovely and great with kids. Plantation is on the cheaper side but the kids had a ball

[Nataliah]

Do NOT book a resort on Denauru Island. It's not a real island, its man-made reclaimed mangrove, so the 'beaches' are dirt, not sand. Depending on your budget the Intercontinental was beautiful or go to one of the real islands. I can't specifically recommend an island one though as we went to a kid-free resort.

I would say the main difference to a QLD holiday is that Fiji is all about the resort. There's not a huge amount of independent things to do outside the resort, often they are reasonably isolated from each other and not necessarily in or close to a 'town'. There's no theme parks or attractions like QLD. It's not a bad thing, they seem to have great kids clubs with lots of stuff for the kids. It can be expensive because you don't really have the option to just duck out and get something cheap to eat, you have to eat at the resort.

[Isadora]

We have been to Fiji twice with friends and the kids had a ball. You can't really compare it to the Gold Coast - yes you may get a nice resort without the airfare but for me it is about the travel experience, a different culture and letting my kids see the world. They loved visiting a village and playing with Fijian kids even with no common language. Was a big learning experience for them to see how others live.

I know what I would choose in a heartbeat. We felt instantly relaxed and on holiday on Fiji time

[tle]

I think it really depends what type of holiday you are after. We went to Fiji last year and just got back from the gold coast last week.

We stayed on Treasure Island in Fiji which was great with kids. They had a good kids club which meant DH and I had time to spend alone which was nice. It's a very relaxing holiday in the sense that there really isn't much to do but laze around and swim. There's no TV and only limited internet access. There isn't the touristy type things like you find in QLD. We did a day tour to show the kids the difference between our cultures but I felt really uncomfortable on that because everywhere we went people expected us to pay again despite the tour already costing us $800 (2 adults & 5 kids) and supposedly including donations to the various villages etc. I also found shopping very strange. The second we entered a store (every store) someone would follow you everywhere standing about a foot away. I felt like they thought we were going to steal from them but apparently they were just trying to provide assistance in case we couldn't find what we were looking.

[Peanut]

We went on a very hectic (but fantastic!) holiday last year to the USA, so if we do a family holiday this year then a "do nothing" holiday appeals! This is why my friend has suggested to just go to a resort on the coast, as you can do nothing and not pay as much. However, I'm fascinated by different cultures, which is why going outside of Australia even for a low key holiday sounds interesting. DH however is leaning towards Hamilton Island.

We have been to Fiji twice with friends and the kids had a ball. You can't really compare it to the Gold Coast - yes you may get a nice resort without the airfare but for me it is about the travel experience, a different culture and letting my kids see the world. They loved visiting a village and playing with Fijian kids even with no common language. Was a big learning experience for them to see how others live.

I know what I would choose in a heartbeat. We felt instantly relaxed and on holiday on Fiji time

This is pretty much what I was thinking. Where did you stay Isadora?

[Jo_P]

You can't even compare them! I live on the Sunshine Coast and have holidayed in Fiji 6 times. It's all about the culture, the gorgeous Fijian people and the relaxed lifestyle, things really do run on 'Fiji time' and that's just what we love about it. We prefer resorts like Treasure Island where there are no tv's etc and you can walk around the whole island in a half hour casual stroll.