Paradise Courses offer exciting week-long holiday retreats focussed on a number of subjects. Our teachers are well-established in their fields; they’ll inspire you afresh in the course you choose, show you new ways to look at old techniques or teach you things you never knew in the first place.

Every morning starts with breakfast beside the pool before a daily morning workshops. The workshops fit the pace of each teacher’s programme – it might be a three hour writing session around a table near the pool, morning’s singing in the big bure, an intensive tutorial bent over your drawing pad, or perhaps a dawn start to catch the early morning bird chorus for the birdwatchers. Have a look at each course – and my thanks to all past course participants who have sent me their photos, particularly Julie Rickwood (all sorts of lovely images) and Jenny Carmichael (who has excelled in the quilting photos).

The afternoons are free for you to relax by the pool, have a massage, snorkel on the reef or wander into Savusavu. Or maybe you just want to keep going with your writing or painting or quilting, enjoying the tranquillity of the place and the companionship of the other people with you. And then in the evenings we gather together for a buffet dinner, and there’s time to exchange stories, listen to some Fijian singing and drink a bowl of kava.

During the week we organise a couple of local excursions so you see some Fijian life – we visit a village and watch a meke (dance), spend an afternoon on a beach and have a drink at the Savusavu Yacht Club. And of course you’re free to take your own expeditions as well – a walk through town to buy a souvenir, a boat across the bay to Mutuku Beach, a visit to the J.Hunter Pearls farm where they harvest magnificent black pearls, a steep walk through the bush to a lovely waterfall where you can jump into the deep water pools if you’re brave enough, or lounge in the shallow pools if you’re not.

Our accommodation is at Daku Resort in a range of single and double bures, cottages and villas. It’s a comfortable mid-range resort set in lovely tropical gardens, with a staff who will welcome you like family. Have a look at www.dakuresort.com

International travel from Australia
All yoga course prices are without the international airfare. Other course prices usually offer the option of including it if you wish, so you are able to book your own flights, or we can arrange them for you. We  book with either Virgin Australia,  Jetstar or Air Pacific.

Virgin Australia leaves Sydney at 8.10am (depending on time of year) and arrives in Nadi at 2.10 pm. You will then need to spend a night in Nadi and fly on to Vanua Levu (our island)  the next day. We will usually book you straight on to Savusavu although sometimes we may use Labasa to the north of us – its a 75 minute drive over the very beautiful mountains and gives you a chance to see more of the island.

Air Pacific which has just introduced a new flight which leaves Sydney at 6.10am, arrives in Nadi at 11.00am and then has a connection with the afternoon flight to Savusavu. Alternatively if this is too early there is a second flight which leaves Sydney at 1310; you will then need to spend a night in Nadi and again, we will arrange for a flight on to Savusavu or Labasa the next day. On the return, there are now two Air Pacific flights; one leaves Nadi in the evening so you can fly out of Savusavu the same day to make the connection and do the jurney in a single day, OR there is the morning flight which  leaves Nadi at 9.00am. If you use this one you will either need to spend another night in Nadi.  You may choose to book your return with Virgin  or JetStar as they leave in the afternoon and you can therefore make the connection in a single day with them too.  Please double check with us before booking as the domestic flights are sometimes very busy and we may need to book another time.

If you are coming from another city in Australia, we can also book your flight; we will advise of the price before going ahead.

International travel from the US
If you are coming from the US youwill probably be flying out of LA. Air Pacific flies from LA regularly 4 times a week departing at 2330. It is a 10 hr. 25 min. flight but as it crosses the International Date Line you arrive at 5.10 am two days later ie if you depart LA on a Tuesday night you will arrive in Nadi on Thursday morning. On the return you leave Nadi at 2230 and arrive back in LA at approx 1320 on the same day, so you get your ‘lost’ day back.

International travel from other cities
If you are coming from another part of the world and are arranging your own flights to Fiji, we are happy to advise on the best flight options. Please let us know when you plan to arrive so we can make the appropriate domestic flights bookings.

Requests for different flight dates
We are happy to book your flights earlier / later than the course dates if so requested. If this involves moving into an expensive period we will let you know and add on the difference, but this is unlikely to happen, and we will quote you before going ahead.

Overnight stays in Nadi
Where flight times make it necessary to spend a night in Nadi. We can book you into Raffles Gateway hotel for AUS$85 (standard single / double). It is a comfortable, pleasant mid-range hotel directly beside the airport, with a courtesy bus service running regularly back and forth.

Domestic flights from Nadi to Savusavu (Daku Resort)
Daku Resort is just outside Savusavu on Fiji’s northern island of Vanua Levu.
The price of your course includes the domestic flight from Nadi to Savusavu return.

The flights from Nadi is in a deHavilland Twin Otter which has 20 seats, and takes 55 minutes.

Pacific Sun have just issued a new flight schedule (Jan 2012). Flightswill now depart from Nadi at 7.00am on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. and at 1415 on all days of the week except Tuesdays.   The return flights from Savusavu to Nadi are at 11.20am on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays and at 1545 (3.45 pm) on all days except Tuesdays. You can also consider flying to Labasa, the airport to the north of Savusavu. We are happy to help you make these arrangements. You can check flights at www.airpacific.com.

It’s hard to say what it is about Savusavu that draws repeat visitors and why so many of those visitors end up full or part-time residents with their own slice of paradise. It’s an active community of locals, expats, yachties, and visitors from around the globe. It’s a quirky little place with limited choices for the dedicated shopper – but lots of endearing nooks and crannies.

Savusavu calls itself the Hidden Paradise – and with good reason. It’s off the sunset strip of commercial vacationland, away from the rush of day-glo tourists, bus tours and international hotel chains. Located on Fiji’s second largest island, Vanua Levu, it’s a 50 minute very scenic flight from Nadi. You’ll land on a beautiful little airstrip by the sea. Town is about 6 minutes over the hill from the airport, and 8-10 minutes to Daku Resort. From Daku, Savusavu town is about a 25 minute walk along the sea – or a three minute taxi ride.

Town is a mile long and has nearly everything you need lodged in colourful buildings facing the bay. You’ll find a mix of cafes, funky Indian shops, a Hot Bread Kitchen, hardware stores, video stores, a well stocked bottle shop, a post office, ANZ and Westpac banks, two supermarkets, and an outdoor/indoor fresh veggie and fruit market where you’ll find all the home grown goods – plus a great handicraft market run by local Fijian women.

If you want to get a feel for Savusavu, you could start off at the Copra Shed, a wooden building with its own wharf which was once used for loading copra from the coconut plantations onto the boats to Suva. Nowadays it’s home to one of the best restaurants in town, Surf and Turf, run by Vijendra Kumar. Vijen has worked as a chef in some of Fiji’s top resorts, and opened his own highly popular place in 2007.

For a more casual meal, pop into the Captain’s Café for burgers, pizza and fish and chips. Check out their fruit smoothies too. You’ll also find the Savusavu Yacht Club at the Copra Shed, where you can enjoy a drink whilst looking at the yachts in the harbour.

Then walk through town and browse the shops. You’ll find t-shirts and casual wear at Solanki’s, and if you want him to run you up a dress or a beach wrap. he has a tailor’s shop at the back. Further on, there’s the market where you can usually find papaya, water melon, bananas and pineapple. At the back, there’s a handicraft shop that offers things like tapa cloth, wooden bowls and shell necklaces. The market is behind the Town Council which you’ll recognise by the two extraordinary carved stone lions – a unique piece of municipal decoration in the South Pacific!

A bit further on the Hot Bread Kitchen sells fresh bread, buns and cheese rolls; Chhaganlal’s store is crammed with fabric, fishing lines, stationery, and a little section of tourist items that are fun if you’re looking for a souvenir. At the end of town the green Waterfront Building houses Bula Re, another good restaurant where you can eat or just have a fruit juice or an iced coffee.

There’s lots more….but you’ll discover it all for yourself. J.Hunter Pearls sell beautiful pearl jewellery made from their own pearl farm in Savusavu Bay; Karen Bower’s shop has a range of paintings by local artists (herself included); at Denise Melinsky’s shop in the Waterfront you can find some wonderful bits of local furniture and craft work.

Just outside of town you’ll find local villages and fantastic scenery – yours for exploring. Rent a car for a day or hop on a bus and really see Fiji.

Complete information on visitor facilities all around Fiji is provided in Moon Handbooks Fiji by David Stanley.

Read more about beautiful Daku Resort here.
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The programme includes a number of activities – and there are more if you want. We plan the courses to give you a mixture of time for the course itself, local excursions when we take you snorkelling or out to a village, and free time for relaxing or getting on with your own projects. Here’s a quick summary of what is and isn’t included (and most people find that the programme covers enough), and then there’s a description of the activities.

The cost of a course is $2180 ($1980 for yoga courses) and covers:

• Domestic flights Nadi – Savusavu return
• Airport transfers from Savusavu airport
• Accommodation at Daku Resort
• All meals during the course
• Course fees
• Activities and excursions as listed

The single supplement is $350.

Non-participating partners are welcome.  The cost is $1200.

It doesn’t cover:

• Course materials – this is mainly for the art courses. We’ll send you a list of materials before you come.
• Expenses of a personal nature eg laundry bills, bar bills, massages.
• Extra activities not on the programme.
• Travel insurance.
• Overnight stays in Nadi
• International flights to Fiji.  We are happy to quote on these and book them for you if requested. Flight prices fluctuate according to demand.

Activities

Activities vary slightly depending on the course, so have a look at the individual programmes. Here’s a quick rundown on what there is to do.

All courses include:

• Coconut demonstration – a fascinating look at how Fijians use every part of the coconut in their culture. This takes place in the grounds of Daku resort which is set in the grounds of an old coconut plantation, and lasts about one hour.

• Tapa making demonstration. Tapa is the decorated bark cloth widely used in Fijian ceremonies. One of our staff will show you how the bark cloth is made, and will then decorate it in front of you. This is more of a chick thing but some men find it pretty fascinating too.

• Beach or boat outing. We stay a bit vague on this because we judge it on the weather and on what you, the group, want to do. Sometimes we go snorkelling, sometimes we take the boat to a nearby beach, sometimes we take a taxi round to the other side of the peninsula and go to a beach for a picnic.

• Visit to Savusavu town. Well, that’s a bit of a no-brainer – it’s an easy taxi ride in and you will almost certainly go back more than once. The market is fun to look at, and there are some nice shops for souvenirs. You can also get the local tailors to make you up a garment pretty fast.

• Visit to local village for a meke. A meke is a traditional dance and they do it with tremendous energy and colour. You’ll also be able to wander around the village and see how Fijian villagers live.

• Visit to Savusavu Yacht Club and dinner in town. Dinner’s on us! (Drinks are up to you).

And then there is all this too:

• Massage. One hour $50. We will put massages on your tab.
• Great snorkeling – the resort has supplies of masks and snorkels although if you have your own, bring them along. You can go outside Daku; we can also take you to Split Rock about 5km down the road (also accessible by taxi) or out to Lesciaceva Reef on the boat.
• You can arrange to go diving, or fit in an early morning fishing trip.
• Mountain hikes behind the resort – lots of bird life although not easy to see in the thick rainforest canopy. Bring some tennis shoes – preferably not new as it often gets muddy.
• Kayaking: Doubles $35 for an hour and half; $50 for half a day. Singles $25 for an hour and a half; $40 for half a day.
• Pearl farm – Savusavu has a black pearl farm producing quality pearls. The visit takes roughly 2 hours and costs $25.
• Waterfall trip – $10 entrance and $50 taxi.

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All prices are quoted in Australian dollars.

1. Payment schedule
A $400 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking. The full amount is due 90 days before the course commencement date.

2. Cancellation terms.
Any cancellation must be made in writing (letter / fax / email). Cancellation charges are as follows:

• cancellation 60 – 90 days before commencement of course: 40% of cost

• cancellation 59 – 30 days before commencement of course: 65% of cost

• cancellation less than 30 days before commencement of course: 100% of cost

If a course is under subscribed we may cancel; in this case a full refund (including deposit) will be made.

If a teacher is unable to come due to last minute accident / illness, we will find a replacement.

3. Prices and times
Flight bookings made less than 60 days in advance may carry a supplementary charge; this is dependant on flight prices and we will advise you of the difference.

Once flights are booked, changes may be allowed at a cost, if permitted by the airfare rules. If not so permitted, no changes can be made

4. Passports.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your passport is up to date and that you supply us with your name exactly as shown in the passport. Visas are not required for Fiji for Australian and New Zealand passport holders but your passport should have 6 months validity.

5. Insurance.
You are strongly recommended to have travel insurance for this tour. Please confirm details of your insurance, or go to the link to purchase it through us. If you do not take insurance, you are required to indicate this on the booking form.

6. Health requirements.
Please ensure that you advise us of any health conditions and that you carry sufficient medication for any medical conditions. Fiji has no mandatory requirements for inoculations but you should consult your doctor for advice.