15 Things To Do in Fiji

Each wedding anniversary deserves a special celebration, and given the dramatic circumstances surrounding Pierre Png and Andrea De Cruz’s union – one year before they wed, Pierre donated part of his liver to Andrea when hers failed after she took slimming pills – each marital milestone must be especially poignant for the couple.

While romantic Pierre declares that “every day is a special, meaningful day for us, so our anniversary is just a significant date,” they were delighted with the chance to mark their 15th wedding anniversary in a country neither had ever visited: Fiji. Says Andrea, laughing, “The only thing I knew about Fiji before the trip was Fiji Water!” But post-trip, it’s clear the couple can’t wait for a return visit.

Here are the celeb couple’s recommendations on what to do in the sun-drenched archipelago known for its beaches, coral reefs and clear lagoons, as well as the friendliness of the Fijians that makes a difference to the whole experience.

1. Island-hop on a yacht
Andrea: There are many small islands in Fiji and an island-hopping yacht trip is the best way to explore them all. The staff on the yacht made it such an unforgettable journey. They served us a feast of fruits like pineapple and papaya, and they were really entertaining – they sang to us and wove headgear and animals out of leaves for us.
Pierre: I remember they made a kite, and even a fish attached to a line. Each piece was so intricate, like a piece of art.

7. Visit the Fiji Cultural Village
Pierre: When you go to a cultural village, it can sometimes feel boring or cheesy. But this was nothing like that. There were people walking around dressed in traditional outfits, showing visitors what village life used to be like. We even visited the headman of the village and asked him questions… like how many wives he could have! Haha!
Andrea: There were also huts where you could watch the villagers do things like pottery and wood carving with ancient tools. I remember they were very proud of their weapons.
Pierre: There was even a performance where they re-enacted how Western life was introduced to the island – I played the village chief and it was so much fun.

13. Drink kava
Pierre: From the moment we landed in Fiji, the one thing that everyone we met told us to try was kava, Fiji’s “national drink” that’s made with the root of a pepper plant, which is pounded into powder and filtered into water like tea.
Andrea: That naturally made us very curious about what it tasted like.
Pierre: We finally managed to try it at the market we visited on the quad bike tour and it tasted very… unique, almost earthy. We’d heard that kava can give you a numbing and relieving sensation, and I felt its effects almost immediately, when my lips and throat started getting warm as I drank.

Check out this vid of their relaxing trip together.

Fiji Airways operates twice-weekly direct flights between Singapore and Fiji (with thrice-weekly flights in the peak month of April).