New Zealand Travel Pictures Newlyweds' Travels to New Zealand, Fiji and Hawaii

Tips for Staying at Bibi’s Hideaway – Taveuni, Fiji

Master Bedroom in White Cottage

1. There isn’t any way to hang your clothes, except outside on the clothes line, so plan accordingly. There are dressers to put your clothes away, but if you were planning on letting the wrinkles fall out of a dress you’ll have to rig something. You could bring wire hangers and bend them to fit into some crack in the bamboo.
2. Write down the high and low tides for each day before you arrive, so you can plan your snorkel trips accordingly. You want to go out just before high tide and return not to long after hide tide so you don’t get stuck or end up with coral scratches on your belly.
3. Bring soap and shampoo. The bures come with toilet paper, tea, coffee, powdered creamer and sugar, but no toiletries you would expect at a typical hotel.
   

   Gas Range for Cooking

4. The fridge is gas powered so it runs 24 hours a day. You also have a gas stovetop for cooking.
5. Bring mosquito repellent. There are screens on the windows, which helps greatly, but there must be holes. Bibi’s does provide a few mozzi-repelling incense things.
6. Bring your own snorkel gear, (mask, fin, snorkel) so you can snorkel for free at the beach down the hill.
7. Plan on walking a lot – so get very comfortable flip-flops. I find the cloth Reefs wonderful, but try walking for 30 minutes in yours before coming. The plastic ones will not do.
8. Bring plenty of cash, few places take credit and they charge an extra 5%.
9. If you don’t want dogs hanging out around your bure, tell them to ‘go home’ from the very beginning.
   

   Paulina brough over fresh pineapple and cucumber one morning

10. The tangerines are still sweet even when they are green. If you can’t find any ripe fruit, pick it while it is green and leave in on the counter for 1-3 days. You may be pleasantly surprised!
11. Don’t forget to charge batteries for your camera, or whatever, between 6-9.
12. There are a couple stores nearby. The closest is next door, but has a limited selection. The next is to the right it is a few minutes past Coconut Grove and they sell alcohol and beer. The largest is a few minutes farther down the road, past the pretty beach, is the largest grocery store. Don’t expect a supermarket, but you can get some nice Indian soups that go great with rice. Also, there are always taxis around the last store, so stock up and then take a taxi home for $3 Fijian.
13. Taxi from the airport is only $2 Fijian.
    

    Collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris, small blue bird with white chest and golden eyebrows

14. Early mornings and evenings are great for bird watching on the property. We didn’t see the famous orange dove, but we saw a large Fiji Goshawk just outside our room. The little blue bird photographed above was always around, along with little green birds.
15. The public beach is to the left of Bibi’s. It is not just across the street, but a couple minutes walk down the hill. You’ll pass a couple private beaches and then see a red bridge which crosses to the beach. If you reach the dive shop you went too far, but they allow you to swim there also. Prince Charles is a little farther down, just pass Tramonto Restaurant.
16. The snorkeling is a little better at Prince Charles, but it isn’t that great – maybe because of Hurricane damage. If you haven’t had amazing snorkeling before you’ll love it. Lots of fish, but the coral is damaged.
17. Bibi’s is a great place to stay, but don’t expect the amenities of a resort. Paulina and Jim are very friendly and helpful, but you should do your research before you come. Keep a list of things you want to see – all the taxi drivers know where everything is located. Don’t plan on walking to a hotel lobby and having someone suggest a day’s activities.
    

    Indian Food provided by Krish from next door

18. The neighbor next door (before the store) provides Indian food for $10 Fijian or a Fijian Lovo for $15. It is great and is delivered to your door! Just ask for it sometime during the day.
19. Taxi prices vary, we were charged $70 Fijian to get to Bouma Park and back. The driver waited for us, so we didn’t have to worry about setting a return time. The coastal walk and triple waterfall hike were the same price. It is $40 to get to the water slides.

This may sound like a list of reasons not to stay at Bibi’s – but I loved it! I just want to pass some information along. Paulina and Jim are very nice and helpful. They even brought us fresh pineapple one morning. I loved the privacy of the bure and not having to talk to someone in a hotel lobby every morning. We could go days without talking to Paulina or we could join her for a cup of tea.

Enjoying the sunset from the Honeymoon Bure

For more, check out this Bibi’s Hideaway Photo Gallery page.

Aerial Photo of Rainbow Reef

We arrived at Bibi’s Hideaway on June 1, 2010 a few months after the devastating Cyclone Tomas. The estate was beautiful, but the signs of the hurricane were obvious. Thirty foot palm trees littered the lawn and large bushes were half uprooted and struggling to stay green. The bures appeared to be in perfect condition and I read the reefs around the island sustained only minor damage. Unfortunately the high winds had knocked down all of the fruit, so we wouldn’t be able to pick our breakfast from the numerous fruit trees located on the property.

Young Pineapple Fruit At Bibi's

A change in flight times had us land in Taveuni around 8:00 AM, four hours before we were expected. Paulina, the caretaker at Bibi’s, welcomed us with a smile and showed us to the large white cottage. We had reserved the Honeymoon Bure, but as guest has just checked out that morning it wasn’t read for us. Paulina assured us that we had full use of the other cottage, we could shower, cook or nap until our bure was cleaned. We didn’t want to create more work for her by dirtying the cottage, so we decided to walk over to Coconut Gove for Breakfast.

Coconut Grove Resort - Matei, Taveuni

We were a little worried we had missed it during our walk, as it was slightly farther than we had expected, but once you are familiar with the area you realize it is a short walk. Coconut Grove’s restaurant is located on the second floor of the resort with an excellent view of the ocean. Coconut Grove is a small resort, with only a few bures and a small restaurant. They also sell a few things in the reception area, some pearls, sarongs and postcards. People rave about the cooking at coconut grove, but I’ve only tried the fruit shakes and the grilled cheese.

Prince Charles Beach, Taveuni

The weather was perfect – warm air, lots of sun and a cool breeze. We spent the afternoon walking on the beach and dipping into the ocean to cool off. The water is crystal clear and unlike so many beaches I’ve visited I didn’t see a single piece of trash floating in the water.

On our way back from the beach we ran into the Indian man who lives next door to Bibi’s and provides dinner to the guest. We were so excited to have dinner delivered for only $10 Fijian! He knocked on our door at about 7pm with two warm plates of chicken curry, some dahl soup, and a pumpkin side dish all over rice. The dinner was delicious! It wasn’t spicy, but it was so flavorful! I haven’t eaten much Indian food, and Paul’s had it even less frequently than I have, so coming here and eating it all the time has been a real treat. We can’t wait to go home and try to cook it ourselves.

I thought having only 3 hours of electricity would be bothersome, but we actually shut off the lights before the power went out at 9pm. I was exhausted and the warm air was so relaxing after the freezing nights in New Zealand. As much as we enjoyed New Zealand, nothing compares to being in a tropical climate.

Friendly Dog At Bibi's Hideaway

Wai O Tapu Mud Pools

There are lots of bubbling mud pits in and around Rotorura, but I think the coolest place to see mud boil is at the Wai O Tapu Mud Pools. The Wai O Tapu Thermal Wonderland boast sulfur pits, colored pools, boiling mud and a geyser for a $30 admission free, but the mud pools, which are located just north of the park, are free!

Boiling Mud

Bubbling Mud

The mud pools is actually one huge pit, not a series of small pools. This is what makes it unique from the many other mud pits in the area. The area smells, just like the rest of Rotorura, but it doesn’t have the horribly inescapable stench of the Wonderland Park.

The pit is located just a few feet from the car park and there is a short boardwalk that runs along one side of mud pond.

Mud Bubble Popping

The pictures just don’t do this place justice. As soon as you step to the side of pit you can hear the mud boilings and splashing. If you are in the area, definitely check out the Wai O Tapu Mud Pools!

Mud Rings