Stay at the beach a little longer
For some years, travelers to Fiji have had an airport check-in option that allows them to extend the time spent at their resort. On Denarau Island, near the international airport at Nadi, several resorts have Fiji Airways check-in lounges where they can get boarding passes, check their bags, and have their documents checked so they can go to the airport with their carry-on bags just 90 minutes prior to departure.
The catch, however, was that travelers bound for destinations in the United States couldn’t use the service because of TSA restrictions. Those restrictions ended earlier this month, when the Fiji Airways Resort Check-In Lounge at the Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort became TSA-accredited.
The service is available for travelers booked on a Fiji Airways flight (it’s the only airline flying nonstop between Fiji and the United States), and check-in isn’t limited to guests at the Sheraton – any Fiji Airways passenger can use the check-in lounge at the Sheraton. Fiji Airways operates check-in lounges at several other resorts on Denarau Island, but currently only the Sheraton location is accepting check-in from U.S.-bound passengers.
Fiji is a South Pacific country 10 hours from the U.S. West Coast. Many travelers from North America stopover in Fiji en route to Australia or New Zealand, but a number of travelers are electing to spend their entire vacation in the island chain, which has a number of secluded island resorts in the upper upscale and luxury tiers.
Continue Reading Article After Our Video
Recommended Fodor’s Video
One of the most secluded of these is Royal Davui Island, located a half-hour flight and a half-hour boat transfer from the main island of Viti Levu. The adults-only island retreat has large villa units with open-air living rooms, infinity plunge pools on outdoor decks, and sweeping views of the surrounding Pacific. As if being on a private island with just a handful of other guests wasn’t secluded enough, the resort staff can also arrange a solitary Robinson Crusoe-style picnic on a nearby sand cay, leaving guests on their own (with a cell phone in a waterproof box) to commune with the seabirds and ocean life for a few hours on a sun-baked Fijian day.
Other properties are more residential, like Nanuku Resort, where many units have full-service kitchens and laundry facilities for extended stays, along with little niceties like a personalized welcome message spelled out in the bottom of the villa’s private infinity pool in white pebbles. Both Nanuku Resort and Royal Davui are located near Beqa Island, home to the country’s famed firewalkers, who walk on hot stones set for hours in a smoldering fire, without injury. At both resorts, demonstrations of the ritual are available for visitors.
Many travelers to Fiji who visit secluded resorts dotted around the country often elect to spend the final night or two of their visit at the resorts on Denarau Island, which are just 40 minutes from the international airport at Nadi, allowing for easy transfers on their departure day. There are specific timelines for baggage drop and boarding pass issuance prior to departure, and the departure lounges may only be open certain hours for check-in for certain flight departures in the morning and evening, so it’s worth checking the signage posted outside or calling Fiji Airways for detailed information about checking in at the resort desk in advance to avoid disappointment.
Resort check-in is available for Fiji Airways passengers at several other resorts on Denarau Island for passengers bound for other destinations in Oceania—including U.S.-originating passengers who have stopped over in Fiji. Participating resorts include Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, and Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa.
