ONCE in a while you come across an individual whose longevity and experience in the country’s booming tourism sector literally fits easily into a Hollywood movie script.
And Munendra Goundar is one of those people.
In his 39 years at Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa, the Sigatoka man has seen it and almost done it all.
Catching sea snakes, racing crabs with movie stars, pushing laundry trolleys, scrubbing pots and pans and enticing tourists to participate in the resort’s popular activities on and off the island. Mun, as he is fondly known by his peers — is a jack of all trades.
He was multi-tasking before the word existed and his enthusiasm for making a weary traveller feel like the trek from Nadi Airport to Yanuca Island was well worth the effort has given the 54-year-old a wealth of friendships and acquaintances.
“I don’t know how many people can say they have friends from all over the world,” he chuckled.
“I can, I’ve got friends everywhere and when they come to Fiji, they make their way to Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort because they know I will give them a good time.”
Mun has cheerfully ensured guests to the resort lived the Tourism Fiji marketing slogan ‘where happiness finds you’ long before it was concocted.
So how does he do it?
“That’s a very easy question to answer,” he said.
“Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort is not just a place I go to work, it’s my home. It is because of this resort I have been able to feed, clothe and educate my children.
“So when I come to work every morning, I come with that attitude. Whatever I put into my job, that’s what I will get out of it because my friend, what goes around comes around.”
Since joining the popular family retreat in the late ’70s at the tender young age of 16, Mun has put his heart and soul into growing Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort’s activities portfolio.
Working with resident general managers — he has been through 10 of them — and food and beverage executives, Mun played a pivotal role in introducing firewalking, fire dancing, crab and frog races on Yanuca Island.
“When I started here, one of my jobs was to catch and clear all the sea snakes (dadakulaci) from the swimming pool.
“We don’t have them anymore because once cats were introduced, the snakes just disappeared.”
Mun’s snake adventures were shared with a frequent visitor to the resort in the ’80s, Australian actor Paul Hogan of Crocodile Dundee fame.
“He loved the crab races we used to have in the Black Marlin Bar, he was a really nice guy. One time we even partied together on Cuvu Beach.”
Mun considers his brush with the Australian cinema icon as one of the highlights of his career.
Over the years and with the changes to management, many of the activities that used to make Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort unique were shelved for various reasons.
Things changed, however, when Craig Powell filled the general manager role recently.
“Now, I can say that we are back on the map. We have Spice Nights on Thursday – this is a Bollywood-themed show and authentic Indian cuisine. We also have bonfire and barbecue at sunset on Saturday with fire—walking and the Natadola Magic Tour is another of Craig’s ideas that is drawing a lot of tourists.
Because, here they get to visit the world famous Natadola Beach, visit schools and also contribute to projects at these schools to help the students have a more comfortable learning experience.”
To say that Mun loves his job would be an understatement. He lives it and breathes it.
“I got offers to go to other resorts and my international friends even ask me to go to their country and work for them but I always say no because I love Fiji.
“I was born here and I will die here.”
