By playing in the Kava Cup golf tournament, based on what I have personally experienced, you will have the time of your life in the Fiji Islands. The Fiji Islands offer a myriad of adventures: exquisite accommodations at the InterContinental Resort & Spa, championship golf that hugs the South Pacific ocean, fine dining, visiting an authentic tribal village, speed boating down the Sigatoka River, a memorable night on fascinating Mana Island, and camaraderie with the friendliest hosts on earth—the Fijian people.

When arriving, the first thing you see is the countryside’s variety of green hues. Vibrant gradations of green, leafy plants blanket the earth reminding you that you’re in tropical paradise.

The luxurious InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, with its grand opening in 2009, features every modern convenience and amenity you ever want while vacationing.
Located on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches and featuring five restaurants and bars, a serene spa, 18 holes of championship golf, and four swimming pools, the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa is nestled amongst 35 acres of lush indigenous vegetation and defines all that a tropical retreat should be.
The resort includes the world-class Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course. The 18 hole par-72 course meanders through the beachfront landscape of Fiji’s Coral Coast and features 15 holes with views of the ocean and coral reefs. “Designed by international golf circuit regular and Fiji’s own Vijay Singh, Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course is breathtaking at first sight,” writes Matelita Ragogo in Air Pacific Islands. “Even if you don’t play golf, you’d want to start.”

Among the numerous memorable holes is the 4th where the greenside bunker is on the beach itself; and the 16th tee, where if you take a few steps back, you’re standing on the reef—that’s how close this golf course gem is to the ocean. “Fiji has been calling out to have a world-standard golf course built and it was just waiting for someone to have the passion and vision to do it,” says General Manager David Roche. “As far as the layout is concerned, as well as the quality and the way the golf course is maintained, there is nothing better in the region.”

Highlights of my trip to the Fiji Islands, beyond enjoying the ocean-side golf, include walking and relaxing on the pure white beaches, jetting down the Sigatoka River on route to the Fiji village, and experiencing first hand a kava cup ceremony and the way Fijians live within their village.
Of all the beaches I’ve ever walked on in the world including Hawaii, Jamaica, Sandestin, to name a few, none are more beautiful than the beaches of Natadola Bay. The miniature grains of sand sift through your toes and massage the soles of your feet. The vivid white sand connecting gradations of teal waters and the pure blue skies reminds you that you’re in paradise.

An exciting adventure I will never forget was our excursion on the Sigatoka River Safari. Excursion isn’t quite the right word; “fast adventure ride” is more accurate. The safari takes you into the heart of the Fijian interior aboard jet boats to places you never knew existed and to meet real people living the real Fijian village lifestyle.
I witnessed the Kaicolo (Mountain People) utilizing the mighty Sigatoka River as their forefathers did for centuries. Villagers waist-high walking their horses from one bank of the river to the other. Fijians wash their clothes and bathe in the river, waving furiously to make sure you know that they are welcoming you. Villagers standing high on the riverbanks, smiling and shouting “Bula” (Hello).

After your 45-minute jet boat ride and the captain throws out the anchor, you walk through a shallow part of the river, step on shore to meander on a dirt path toward the village. In an instant, life changes to ancestral customs and lifestyle that goes back hundreds of years. I enjoyed immensely the face painting ceremony that welcomes guests (other tribes) to the village and the intoxicating (literally) kava cup drinking ceremony.
The intricate making of the kava drink from the roots of the kava plant mixed and ordained in the large kava bowl is fascinating; a ritual that began in the 1700s. The village chief offers the bowl to the visiting chief and the fun begins. Then the kava bowl is passed to all those that wish to indulge.

Fijian tradition dictates that the oldest villager is the chief. I, being the oldest from our group, was ordained the visiting chief. So, I was “required” to sip a lot of kava. I willingly complied. Saying goodbye to the villagers wasn’t easy because a permanent bond had been established. The authenticity and friendliness of the Fijian villagers will forever be embedded in my heart, and I will carry their message of friendship throughout my life.
You can partake in the wonderful experiences the Fiji Islands have to offer by playing in the 2010 KAVA Cup golf tournament, October 10-17, held at the magnificent InterContinental Fiji Resort & Spa and its Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course.

Special pricing at very affordable rates for all GolfNews Magazine readers is being offered. For full details to play in the KAVA CUP including itinerary and pricing, log on to http://www.kavacupfiji.com or call Mana Luxury Golf KAVA Cup at 1-800-873-6360.
By Dan Poppers