UPRISING BEACH RESORT
On past trips to Fiji, I’ve stayed in either hostels or cheap hotels. While I expect that such choices would be considered sacrilege amongst the well-traveled cognoscenti here at Flyertalk, I have fond memories of my stays in those establishments – especially at the hostel on Momi Bay. It was actually a budget hotel that also offered hostel beds. The setting right on the beach was beautiful and the place was a lot of fun – popular with locals and travelers alike. Here are some pictures from that trip:
The Property
The deck outside my $8.00/night room
Evening view from my deck overlooking the pool
Sunset on Momi Bay
I spent about ten days at this place and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. The property was owned and operated by a couple of guys from Australia and – as a 26 year old backpacker – I thought it was fabulous. There was a restaurant/bar downstairs that served good food and cold beer. Local Fijians would often stop by to drink, chat and play billiards on the bumpy old pool table that had so many hills and valleys it lent a real challenge to the game. That thing must’ve come over with Captain Cook.
Sadly, that property was razed a few years ago and today is home to the 250 room Fiji Marriott Resort with prices starting at over $200.00 per night. While that might seem heavenly to some, I was looking for a smaller more intimate setting yet one that also offered high quality accommodations. And, I was willing to pay as much or more than I’d ever paid for a hotel before!
After much research, I found what I was looking for in the Uprising Beach Resort. Located 140 miles from Nadi in the pretty little town of Pacific Harbour, the property sits amidst tropical palms overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Beautiful Beqa Island can be seen just 6 miles across the lagoon.
Uprising Beach Resort on the coast
Photo courtesy of Uprising Beach Resort
Uprising Beach Resort overview
Photo courtesy of Uprising Beach Resort
Accommodations range from traditional thatched roof Bures (cottages) to larger Commodore Villas. Both are available in either garden setting or beachfront ocean view with each providing all of the amenities that you’d typically expect in any hotel room including refrigerator, high speed internet and ensuite bathrooms with open air showers.
I really liked the interior layout of the bures but they have only a ceiling fan for cooling whereas the larger villas have air-conditioning. Additionally, the villas include separate living room and bedroom, a 42” flat screen television and a large attractive veranda. I booked six nights in the larger villa primarily because I wanted air-conditioning. Total cost came to $115.00 per night, which included a full cooked breakfast each morning.
The entrance and front deck to my garden villa
The view from my deck
Garden villa interior
Villas include air-conditioning, refrigerator, sink, television
Photo courtesy of Uprising Beach Resort
The view from my bedroom
Uprising Beach Resort – Bathroom
Photo courtesy of Uprising Beach Resort
My outdoor shower
A more traditional indoor shower is available in the bathroom, along with a huge bathtub
Ocean front villa
This is what I’m going to book next time
And what of the rest of the property? Starting with check-in, the reception desk is open 24 hours and throughout my stay the staff could not have been friendlier or more helpful. I really enjoyed walking the tropical paths around the property. Here are some photos of the path to the pool and beyond past the bures to my villa…
The paths around the property were beautiful
The path to the pool
Pool with a view
The path past the bures
A typical bure interior
Photo courtesy of Uprising Beach Resort
The restaurant and bar were under a large open-air pavilion, adjacent to the pool. I really liked the setting as well as the food which was not gourmet but which I thought was good to occasionally very good. I particularly enjoyed the Fijian and Indian theme nights which offered specialized regional dishes. One night a week Fijian performers would perform songs and the exotic fire dance.
Uprising Beach Resort – Bar and Dining building
Photo courtesy of Uprising Beach Resort
Uprising Beach Resort – Bar and Dining building
Photo courtesy of Uprising Beach Resort
Dining Area
Dining view
Colorful clouds at sunset
As for day to day life around the resort, first and foremost there’s a beautiful beach. I’m a big proponent of simple pleasures such as enjoying a swim at the beach or a good book and a cold beer under the shade of a tropical palm. A volleyball court is available as well as a pool table in the bar and an on-site spa.
South Pacific Splendor
The view from the volleyball court
Photo courtesy of Uprising Beach Resort
The front desk staff is able to book a variety of adventures and activities ranging from dives to local cruises, water sports, regional sightseeing trips and golf outings. Adjacent to the resort is the practice field for the Fijian national rugby team, which was busy winning the Hong Kong 7s while I was at the resort. I rented a car for a couple of days and drove around the island. In Suva I got a bit lost but managed to drive my way out of it. Unfortunately one of the days I had the car was a rainy day.
Just a mile up the road from the resort is the village of Pacific Harbour. The main downtown district is described as an arts village with a variety of quaint shops, a restaurant and a grocery store set amidst the forested hills. I bought a Fijian print shirt there and arranged to have a couple of souvenirs mailed home to friends and family.
The slogan of the Uprising Beach Resort could be more appropriate:
It’s not perfect, it’s paradise.
Everything about my stay – from accommodations in the air-conditioned garden villa to the quality of the meals to the friendliness of the staff to the beautiful weather throughout most of my stay could not have been more idyllic. It was exactly what I was hoping for when I booked my stay. No doubt there are more polished accommodations available around the island but there was a comfortable down home vibe to Uprising that for me at least felt much more inviting than the elegant lodgings and grounds found at the ritzier resorts. In short, I would rather pay to stay at a place like Uprising than stay for free at the fancy resorts. I am already plotting a return trip for next winter. ^