They can be the fussiest of customers at times, but the return guest to Fiji has a special connection to these islands. In this second last episode for the season, Chef Seeto finally returns home but discovers his island home has been taken over by the return guests!
Every hotel and resort in Fiji has their share of repeat clientele, the returnee guest. These are strong relationships bonded by a lifetime of connection to the land and its people. They can be the most stringent and overly fussy, but these are not just any visiting tourist, they are family. Since Fiji’s tourism began back in the 1960s and ’70s, the returnee has been visiting and nurturing their adopted Fijian family, or in some cases, an entire village.
Fiji’s best
travel ambassadors
When I first arrived to Fiji, I didn’t get its allure. What is so special about this place that attracts the same people to return, year after year, sometimes multiple times in a year? What is the secret of Fiji’s island resorts that many of their customers are repeat clients? If you think it’s just the tropical weather and mai tai by the beach then you’d probably be wrong. They’re not just returning for a holiday; they returning to catch up with their Fijian families; the staff.
Return visitors are the most valuable clientele that any business loves because they’re ambassadors. They are also the best travel agents recommending new friends and bringing the next generation of family members to their little piece of island paradise.
In Fiji, they are known as the returnees, and this is the incredible story of Mana Island Fiji’s multi returnees who have been coming back since the resort opened for business more than 40 years ago.
History of
Mana Island Resort
Mana Island Resort and Spa, Fiji was the brainchild of Australian tourism pioneer and industry icon Errol Fifer, who recently retired to Australia earlier this year. It opened its doors on October 9, 1972. Within three years a Japanese consortium took over and by 1991 the current Japanese owner began expanding the resort to its current capacity of 152 rooms with six different categories to cater for honeymoon couples and families alike.
It undoubtedly has the best beach frontage — two in fact — of the entire Mamanuca archipelago. Many of the long-term returnees have seen the resort grow in popularity and size, and much of their connection to the staff, their families and to the local village of Yaro stems from this relationship.
In a lot of ways the resort has been the newborn child with both return guests, staff and the koro nurturing the business to maturity. It’s not hard to see why returnees feel a deep sense of ownership and connection to their adopted Fijian family.
Legend of Mana
Nearly every Fijian island has a story to tell, and Mana is no different. There are several versions of this ancient legend but according to the island’s mataqali, this is the legend of Mana that dates back more than 3000 years and happened as the first people landed at Vuda Point. In search of a mythological island with rich land, the great warrior chief Lutunasobasoba and his general, Degei, arrived to the region in 1500BC, on board a giant double hulled war canoe. Legend has it that his armada was carrying treasures from the Temple of King Solomon in Judah, including a special box called the katonimana, which in Fijian literally means the “Box of Blessings”.
On nearing Mana Island in the Mamanuca chain, they encountered a violent storm and the box was mistakenly thrown overboard. Knowing the great chief would be angry, two warriors were despatched by General Degei to search for it. But what they found was a great diamond-headed sea snake. The snake moved towards the speechless warriors and to their amazement spoke; telling them he was Manamanaedina, the legend God of Mana. He told them he meant no harm but the box of blessings must now remain at Mana and could not be taken away.
The two warriors realised they could not return to the armada and decided to erect two lookout points to stand guard over the magic box for eternity. The two stone heaps are still visible on Mana Island today.
Cooking with the elders
In tonight’s episode, one of Mana Island’s oldest staff members and iconic frontliner Aunty Biu, teaches me how to cook traditionally. Aunty has a long history and connection to the resort’s returnee guests and I managed to convince her to show me how she used to cook for the returnees in the old days.
Like a lot of mascots including Castaway Island’s Lingo Reece, the older staff remember when way back then when homestyle palusami was prepared the traditional way inside a scraped coconut shell, with fresh coconut milk and no tinned meat. Every wrapping and binding is made from natural materials like plant leaves, not tinfoil. We go hunting for nama, sea grapes just off the shores of Mana Island and you’ll be surprised by their juicy size!
This was a great episode to film as it not only touched on traditional cooking methods but it explains why people keep returning to their favourite resort, year after year.
Locals believe that this box is still buried in the ocean between Likuliku Resort and Mana Island. It is this box that they believe has brought great blessings to all the villages in the area and the people who visit the surrounding islands. Maybe that’s why the returnees to this region feel a deep sense of connection and spirituality — that box of blessings seems to touch everyone who visits, even 3500 years later.
* Lance Seeto is the award winning chef based on Mana Island, and is Fiji Airways’ culinary ambassador and host of Fiji TV’s Taste of Paradise. Sunday 7.30pm only on Fiji One and online at tasteofparadise.tv
