PHOTO: Fans of the movie “Castaway” can visit the island used in the film.

For those clients who pine for the days of old Hawaii – without all the ghosts of Elvis – Fiji has a spot just for them. Granted, it will take a little more time to get there (Fiji is twice the distance of Hawaii from the West Coast), but the rewards will be waiting at touch down.

Into the pint-sized international airport and just beyond bustling Nadi, with its blue-uniformed school children walking home along the main road, are ocean views, cottage hotels, local restaurants and a secure knowledge that one is in a small, peaceful and smiling country.

The “Bula!” mat is out and the place beyond has all the markings of a meeting between the “land that time forgot” and roadside shops on the North Shores of Oahu. And pretty soon, as the road veers south along the perimeter of Viti Levu, things begin to look more Jurassic than shrimp shack.

Viti Levu, the main island and international port of entry amid Fiji’s 300 or so islands in the Pacific, spans some 4,000 square miles in area and puts mileage on cars heading from Nadi to Suva, about a 2 ½-hour drive away. Fortunately, in between lies Sigatoka, a sleepy village on the river near the coral beach where Outrigger on the Lagoon makes its home.

Agents familiar with the Outrigger brand and clients who stay at the Hawaii-based hotel company’s resorts in Waikiki will find much of the same efficient and friendly service in Fiji. But they will find much more. This is a resort that most families and visitors do not usually leave during their stay and there are plenty of reasons why.

Outrigger on the Lagoon is small by some standards: 207 rooms and suites and 47 bures. But the property stretches along some 40 acres of pools, restaurants, bars and beaches and provides an easy all-problems-answered solution to where to stay in Fiji without going broke and without having to leave the kids at home.

PHOTO: Rooms are spacious and offer privacy for families.

While families are one of the top three markets for this property, the resort does not ignore adult couples and the weddings market. Rooms run fairly standard with 500 square feet of utilitarian space, tile floors, sit-down balcony views, television, coffee/tea service and all the usual room amenities – plus free Wi-Fi Internet access. They easily fit three adults or two and two with the comfortable pullout sofa. But couples who want a little more – or families who want a closer walk to the beach – can choose a bure, literally a stand-alone Fiji-style cottage with a private front porch. These run from 538 square feet to 1,248 square feet for a family bure. Accommodations can be configured for travelers with disabilities. Deluxe Ocean-View rooms, suites and bures come with Talai butlers who unpack and iron clothing, recommend tours and activities, and make restaurant reservations.

Adults with and without children can get plenty of alone time at this Outrigger. The property keeps 40 trained full-time nannies busy with its mei-mei clubs and kids take to their caretakers like coconut to rum.

“We saw that children really picked up on the warmth and friendliness of the Fijian people. Children here are literally raised by the whole village. There is always someone around to take care of them and give them a cuddle,” says Peter Hopgood, regional general manager of Outrigger Resorts. “So I said ‘let’s bottle this’ and we rolled it out as our nanny service. We call our nannies mei-meis and we saw how quickly this struck gold.”

Rates run around $25 an hour and children 6 months to 12 years get playmates, play time and plenty of guided activity. Adults can lounge at the adults-only pool, get some spa time at Bebe, a sophisticated standalone spa on a cliff overlooking the ocean, or have cocktails and dinner at any of the onsite venues.

A family pool with slides, falls and a lazy lagoon attraction is where most of the action takes place at Outrigger. The beach is somewhat rocky, and strong tides mean the water is not really swimmable until late afternoon. The adult pool is quite apart and quiet, with lounge and food service.

Free activities happen daily according to a daily program given to guests and include yoga, golf training (at a facility that is a five-minute walk away), poolside hair braiding, pool sports, happy hour, torch lighting ceremonies and, on certain nights, a pulsing fire show.

Restaurants run the gamut from buffet to fine dining, with some ambient lounges to explore in between. Guests lucky enough to catch Chef Shailesh Nadu at his post (when he is not out winning culinary competitions or acting as a guest chef onboard the Crystal Symphony) can learn to create Avocado Seafood Kokoda or Masala Curry Chicken in the back kitchen of the Ivi Restaurant. Guests chop and stir at state-of-the-art cooking stations while learning what it is like to grow up in Fiji with a passion for food. Cooking classes are offered Thursdays at 11 a.m. for $65 per person, including keepsake apron and a delicious lunch.

Rates at the Outrigger on the Lagoon start at $318 per night, not including meals. Full meal plans are available for guests 13 years and above for $70 per day or $23 for breakfast buffet only.

While the downside of a stay at this property may be that it is really not near any of the usual distractions (malls, shopping, movies) and its beach area is not the most inviting, there are plenty of activities that can be arranged: visiting a nearby village with lunch, speedboat river ride and Kava ceremony; hiking; rafting; bird watching; snorkel and scuba trips. A five-minute walk away brings a particularly wonderful side trip: the Kula EcoPark. There, visitors can see bats, snakes, lizards, birds, fish, and a host of odd species native to these islands. The small entrance donation goes to the upkeep. Trained guides offer insights on the animals. The eco park is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

A bit farther afield is another Outrigger-style treasure: Outrigger Castaway Island. This is the barefoot vacation many people seek in a Fiji holiday. The 66 freestanding bures of Outrigger Castaway inhabit an island all its own on the far side of the Mananucas. There is little to take your mind away from the lulling rhythm of the ocean tides or the rock waterfall sounds around the property’s two pools. This is an island where time slows down – no must-dos or activities other than the boat rides scheduled to some of the most amazing snorkeling, diving and island hopping to be experienced on this planet.

If there ever was such a place as the island Tom Hanks wandered endlessly in his semi-silent oeuvre playing a marooned castaway, it is in these parts – quite literally. The actor and film crew used a nearby uninhabited island for their “Castaway” movie shoot and the Outrigger Castaway Island runs regular boat tours there that include a picnic meal or cold champagne, a swim in the island’s calm warm waters and, of course, an optional conversation with Wilson Tom Hanks volleyball and companion in the movie. It just so happens that some of the best snorkeling in the hemisphere is found off a shallow shelf just a short speedboat ride away from that island so the bundling of the two activities is a winner for anyone who comes this way.

Back at Outrigger Castaway resort, there is also plenty to do if food, lounging, swimming, fruity cocktails, poolside pampering and even hiking are of interest.

On the dining side, the tiny resort in the middle of nowhere has one of the world’s most up-and-coming chefs at the helm. Lance Seeto is a household name in these parts of the Pacific and is gaining traction across the seas as a culinary power. His philosophies mix local cuisine with Chinese, India, Australia/New Zealand, Micronesian and Malay dishes to come up with some fresh new approaches to food, which he bestows upon guests who have dinner at 1808 (named for the year the first Chinese arrived on these islands). Seeto is the culinary ambassador for the country and is also creating menus for Fiji Airways on its international routes.

Meal plans available at Castaway include dinners at 1808 as well as the buffet-style breakfasts and lunches to be had in the main café area.

Bures at Castaway Island run from 468 square feet to 1,292 with porches, visual divisions for bed and living areas, and very ample bathrooms. No television here, but there is free Wi-Fi in the lobby lounge and restaurant area. Rather, guests enjoy the sound of the waves, the cool spaces, the large chamber-like shower, private commode, day beds and a hammock outside the property along with chaises overlooking the water.

The configurations make it easy to set up families comfortably, and families comprise 65-70 percent of the visitor profile. This also accounts for the resort’s 40 percent average return rate for guests.

Similar to its sister property in Fiji, Castaway Island offers a mei-mei program for kids, and two pools – one adults only. A quiet spa enveloped in tropical foliage offers two open-air shacks for atmospheric massages. A semi-private area by the adult pool offers mini massages and pedicures. Great gelatos happen at the kids’ pool. Guests can hike to a cliffside lookout for a fun family workout. The round trip takes about an hour and runs a little over a mile.

For downsides and caveats, one to consider is whether to reserve an island bure or ocean bure. Not all bures offer views and sounds of the waves. Another is getting to the property. A fun take-in is the ferry from the Nadi port area. It takes about three hours to reach this island and is quite comfortable with an air-conditioned interior of ample seating. If time is a problem, the 20-minute helicopter transfer option should be considered.

Rates at Outrigger Castaway Island start at around $513 per night, not including meals. Dining packages are available. Outrigger offers the chance to book a Heli-Combo Package that combines three nights at Outrigger on the Lagoon with three nights at Castaway Island. It includes a one-way helicopter transfer plus two spa treatments at Bebe spa at Outrigger on the Lagoon and a Dolphin Safari for two at Castaway. The package runs through March 2015. 

(Contact: Joan Marso, joan@marsomarketing.com).