Sunday, 1 March 2026
Ryan and I have been saving to travel somewhere for a while since after we got married. It was hard to plan during that time because the international borders have just started to open. We started travelling locally for a while but it was still different since it wasn’t really a couples vacation - we had our alone time but we also spent time with some friends.
Fast forward to the end of 2024 when we decided to just book the trip we have been saving up for in the last 2-3 years. When doing our research, we were looking at either Japan or Fiji. Two very different countries and experiences. After going back and forth a lot, we decided to go with Fiji.
We asked for a quote from Flight Centre and after calculating the cost of everything, we booked our trip! I will have links to the resorts and activities we did at the end of this post.
Details of the trip
Our travel dates were 30 May 2025 - 6 June 2025. We flew with Fiji Airways (except for Wellington to Auckland which was with Jetstar).
The purpose of our trip was to switch off, relax, and celebrate our anniversary. We haven’t had a trip with just the two of us and relax since our honeymoon in 2021. This was the perfect time to do this.
We stayed in Denarau Island and stayed at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa. Denarau Island is home to a lot of the 5-star resorts in Fiji. It’s easy to get around the different resorts if you want to resort hop. You can take the Bula Bus and this basically goes in a loop around all the resorts and then gets you to Port Denarau. Port Denarau is the central hub for both tourists and locals. You can find local restaurants and cafes here as well as booking your tours and going on your tours.
Accommodation details
Our experience staying at the Hilton Fiji was great. The hospitality was top-notch, amenities were complete, the resort is one of the biggest resorts on the island. It has three restaurants, a gym, a spa, the Bula Express (which goes around the resort and can take you from your room to anywhere you want in the resort), a kids club, and nine swimming pools (two adult only pools). All the staff around the resort were really helpful and friendly with all of our questions.
We did observe that they can get quite understaffed especially during the breakfast and dinner services, which is two of their busiest services. Island time was also taken seriously when they didn’t immediately clean up our room service dishes outside our door (this was the instructions and we had to cover the plates due to the birds). The offerings for their spa was extensive but they didn’t have a separate couples massage package. Just keep this in mind if you are thinking about staying here.
We spent most of our time relaxing at the pools of the resort. Not always swimming but just lounging pool side as well. You can order food and drinks and they take it to your umbrella or cabana. Just make sure you have your card with you so you can pay (if you didn’t set up room charges).
By the way, we booked airport transfers to and from the hotel with Flight Centre too. This just made it easier for us and we didn’t have to stress about booking taxis or anything like that.
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We also tried some of the neighbouring hotels’ services.
First up, Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa. Their lobby was modern and looked luxurious from when we first stepped foot. They have a Pure Fiji store on-site, a few restaurants (we only tried two + their cafe), pools, and a spa. Walking through their lobby, you can view the pools from there and a little bit of the beach. We tried Solis Restaurant for lunch and KOKO restaurant for dinner on different days. We also tried their pastries and drinks at the La Parisienne bakery. The one thing you can’t fault in Fiji is their food. Everywhere we went, the food was great. We also booked a couple’s massage at Sofitel’s Spa which was very relaxing. We were asked to keep our essentials in a locker in the changing room and we changed into the robes they provided. We also chose a beverage for after our spa session.
The second and last hotel we checked out was the Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort. This hotel was the epitome of luxury in the island. It was giving Crazy Rich Asians vibes. We booked dinner at one of their restaurants which was the Tatavu Grill & Bar for our anniversary celebration. Our table was by the beach front which was perfect for the view. There was a fire show performance that night but it was on the other side of the restaurant so we couldn’t see from where we were sitting. We chose this restaurant because they had a lot of seafood offerings which did not disappoint. We stayed for dessert but we weren’t expecting them to give us a free chocolate cake for our anniversary. It was such a lovely surprise along with a song for our anniversary too.
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Final thoughts
Our Fiji experience was so great last year and just what we needed. Normally, when we travel we have a list of things to do, but this time around, since we were in Fiji, our goal was to disconnect and relax. I'm not really a fan of hot weather but being on a tropical island for a week was quite nice. The heat was different to what we experience in New Zealand. Funny thing is, we were already talking about coming back before we even left. That's how much we loved this trip!
Hotels and experiences mentioned:
Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa
Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort
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Sunday, 22 February 2026
Wow! Time has definitely flown by.
I was looking at my older / archived blog entries and I couldn't believe I started sharing personal reflections almost 10 years ago! It will be 10 years this August to be exact.
So what has happened since then?
A lot! Yes, a lot has happened in the last 10 years.
When I started this blog, I was in my early 20s. I had just finished university and marching up to receive my diploma. I was working part-time at a supermarket while looking for my first full time job.
Now, living in my early 30s, I have a stable corporate job which I love. I get to work with amazing people who are passionate about what we do. I get inspired everyday to do better. I have stepped out of my comfort zone countless times doing my job. This is where my growth continues to flourish. Everyday I have something to learn just by showing up.
In 2016, I was already in a stable relationship. This year, we will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary. I remember it like it was just yesterday. I even have a blog post about planning a wedding during a pandemic. Since getting married, we have learnt so much more about each other and we still do everyday. We are not perfect but we show up for each other even during the challenging times.
Our fur baby is turning ten this year too! He's a handful but we wouldn't have it any other way. We love him and wouldn't trade him for anything else. We are so grateful and thankful that he has lived this long. We are definitely savouring this time since he is already in his senior puppy years.
The pandemic happened and we couldn't travel for a while.
The world stopped and it was quiet. We learned how to be flexible and be resilient. Entertaining while in isolation. Not being able to get out and socialise was a new concept for everyone. We learned how to appreciate the little things and the little moments. When the pandemic happened, the world did a reset. The air was cleaner, traffic was minimal, people were disciplined and patient and kind. But that didn't last long though. Coz once it opened again, it was back to normal. It was like it never happened.
Once we were allowed to travel again, it was quite nice and refreshing. Starting locally, we have travelled to Christchurch and Queenstown.
We've also gotten to travel to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Fiji, and Melbourne in 2024 and 2025.
Having a few days to recharge and reflect is always a good idea. We seem to have developed a pattern of finding a few days in the year just to do this which is good for our mental and physical health.
Not everything was positive though.
We lost some close family members like my grandma from my mom's side and a few other extended family members too.
I tried my hand at starting a business, ran it for about 2 years, got burnt out, and decided to close it and do it as a fun/creative hobby instead. (More about this later)
I've been finding my way back to strengthen my spiritual journey. I was missing something last year and I think this was it. Having my life turned upside down in the last 2 years has been a challenge and it was an internal battle with myself. So I decided I needed something to help me with this and it was to go back to my relationship with God.
Being back here feels like a full circle moment after a few years of not writing. I started this page to share my personal stories and I know I'll always go back to writing and photography as my creative outlet. It's so good to be back!
You'll definitely be seeing more of me again on this platform :)
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Tuesday, 7 June 2016
In one week, we had celebrated mom’s birthday, mama and papa’s (grandparents) anniversary, and papa’s birthday. This was also during the week of their arrival. Imagine how hectic that would be. Trying to find restaurants to eat and stuff like that. We also had the opportunity to celebrate Mother’s Day for the first time in 8 years with Mama. Me and Aly (sister) surprised mom and mama with a bouquet of flowers. After a week of celebrations, my grandparents finally got to relax at home. That was before they got surprised by my Tita (aunt) and my cousins who arrived from Australia. Believe me, that was a hard secret to keep. Especially when they kept asking who was coming to our Auckland trip. Lol.
While they were here, they got to witness my graduation ceremony. Graduands had to march along Lambton Quay towards Civic Square. Luckily, the weather was good and it wasn’t raining. The downside, it was cold under the shades. We handled it pretty well though. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the parade, but with friends walking with you, it was definitely fun. The ceremony was also a good experience. It was solemn and the speeches were just great. It wasn’t overly long, but I was hungry towards the end. :p After the ceremony, we took photos and headed out. The family went home before dinner while me and Ryan decided to hang around town while waiting for time (grabbing some food along the way too). At dinner, we invited a few of our closest family friends to dine with us. Overall, the whole day was fun. I was just disappointed that I had to go the work the next day. Lol.
During the same week, we headed out to Auckland for my sister’s birthday and a continuation of my graduation ceremony with her. The first night spent in Auckland was buying the essentials and buying dinner. While waiting for our parents and Ryan to arrive, we had dinner at Mama and Papa’s apartment (where they checked in for the weekend). It was getting late so we headed back to where we were staying and just hung out for a while. When our parents arrived, they were tired so they only had dinner and went to their room.
The next day, we hired a van to go around the city. Unfortunately, the weather was bad. Our first stop after going to Aly’s house was Devonport. Because it was raining, we didn’t enjoy the scenery as much. We managed to sneak in a few photos though when it wasn’t raining. For lunch, we headed to Westfield Albany. Most of us had Japanese food and it was good. Our last stop before dinner was Dressmart for some shopping. We had an hour to shop before they closed and so everyone decided to split up to make the most of the time. Ryan bought some shoes and I bought some PJs. Dinner was at a Chinese restaurant near the Sky Tower. While everyone was full, we had still room for dessert so after dropping off Mama and Papa at their apartment, we went to buy some ice cream. How many times do we get to be in Auckland and have some Ben & Jerry’s, right? So we bought 3 tubs of different flavoured ice creams. It is now officially one of my favourite ice cream places. Lol. To end our night, we watched a movie before heading to bed.
Last day in Auckland, our parents and grandparents headed home to Wellington and we were left alone to explore. While Aly was at Church, me, Ryan, and Kaela started our half day adventure in the city. It was a bittersweet moment when we went to Ponsonby to checkout a Sony store. It wasn’t a store, it was Sony’s head office. What was sweet was, we got to go back to Ben & Jerry’s to have more ice cream, before lunch. Lol :D
After Ponsonby, we headed back to the city. We were trying to get to Queen Street but we didn’t know what bus to take. So we ended up in Grafton. We thought, might as well take photos here before going down. We took photos in front of the Auckland University’s Grafton campus before catching the bus to the city. We got off the bus and walked down to Queen Street instead. Rather than going through the main street, we discovered a shortcut. We passed through Myers park and who would’ve thought there was going to be a park this big in the middle of the city. We took a few photos in the park and made our way to the Korean BBQ restaurant. That was the best Korean lunch we’ve had and it was worth our money too. Definitely going back next time we visit Auckland.
After lunch, we had some time to go around the city before going back to get our luggage back at our apartment and go to the airport. We also had to meet with Aly before heading home. So we decided to do our shopping. We bought bread and cake rolls to take home. I was going to buy shoes, but they didn’t have my size. :( I bought a spare battery for my camera instead and bought doughnuts for Ryan to take home. We spent most of our money on food than shopping. Lol. We then met up with Aly for a few minutes and then we headed back to out accommodation to pick up our luggage. After picking up our luggage, we went straight to the bus stop to wait for the airport bus. The first bus didn’t come, and we thought the next one wasn’t going to come too. Luckily, it was only a few minutes late and we got to the airport in time.
Friday, 29 April 2016
Plans don't always turn out to be the way we want them to be. I tend to forget that I am not completely in control of my life and that I would need all the guidance and wisdom I need. I get lost and distracted along the way which makes me disappointed in myself rather than being proud of what I have achieved. I start comparing myself to other people like my friends and family and think, why am I not where I want to be?
To start off my year, I realised that I have been surrounded by negativity, gossip, media. This is what I wanted to change. I want to be able to cut out all the negativity in my life and be open more to the positive aspects of each situation. I want to learn how to be more kind and selfless, putting what others need before mine. I know this will be challenging, but I want to become a better person. As human beings, we tend to judge other people based on their appearances and external capabilities. I am slowly learning how to get to know people past their external appearances and base it on what their personality is.
"Love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:31)"
Upon reflecting about the last year, I realised one thing. I didn't let God fully run the course of my life and started planning for myself. I didn't seek Him enough. That is why this year, it will be the year I learn to grow more in Him. I want to fully know Him more.
"Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30 NIV)"
This year will also be the year I will be graduating and hopefully to start working. Finding a job will be another challenge for me, but I know that God will provide me the right one when the time comes. He will be the one to challenge me this year and will also be the one to prepare me for whatever it is He has planned for me. I am looking forward to what He will want me to become and more.
This verse will always be one of my favourites. But I haven't been fully invested in living by this. Throughout the year, I will try to live by this verse. I will do my best in everything and leave the rest to God.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)"
2016 will be the year where I grow spiritually, mentally, physically and personally. I still have a lot to learn and every day is a new day to do that. Giving up will not be in my vocabulary and I will keep on pushing myself until after I reach my limits. Take the time to appreciate what you have in your lives. But never stop pushing yourself to something you really want to do. Set a goal for yourself, a new goal for each day. Find your inspiration and motivation. You are more than capable of doing something you're passionate about.
BE A GOAL DIGGER! PUSH YOURSELF!
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