Wednesday 29 November 2006

"Better than I ever imagined"

"Excellent balance between adventure and relaxation."
-- Jay and Starin, USA

"Relaxing but very active. The perfect way to explore the part of Fiji one would not normally see."
-- Paul and Jane, Wales

"The visibility on the dives was excellent!!! Rainbow Reef, Purple Wall, Albert Cove. We loved the lovo night on the beach and the village visit on Rabi Island."
-- Nancy, USA

"Adventure Cruise keeps you as busy as you want to be. Staff onboard the ship were fantastic!"
-- Katherine, USA

"Better than I ever imagined. Friendly, fun staff, well organized, very comfortable, relaxing and fun. Great food! I love the warmed towel service after each dive."
-- Vicki, USA

"Very relaxing, great staff -- friendly and helpful. Food was great, loved the exotic teas and warm afternoon snacks. The diving was amazing, Daniel is a great divemaster. The hot towel service RULES!"
-- Cheryl, USA

"Exactly what I was looking for. Relaxing and active."
-- Melanie, Australia

"I loved the diving, jumping off the boat, swimming at the waterfalls. Great island locations and great staff."
-- Jennifer, USA

"Great trip, love all the action: volleyball, diving, kayaking, all good. Fiji people are very fun."
-- James, USA

The following are questions and the average scores during the adventure cruise ending 25th November 2006:(1=Poor, 10=Excellent)

Did you find the Tui Tai Experience held up to its promises? Avg. Score: 9.3

How would you rate the level of service from the onboard staff? Avg. Score: 10

Was your cabin/stateroom comfortable and in working order? Avg. Score: 9.0

How would you rate the meals served? Avg. Score: 9.2

How would you rate your scuba diving experience? Avg. Score: 10

How safe did you feel during your Tui Tai expedition? Avg. Score: 9.9

Would you recommend Tui Tai Adventure Cruises to your friends and family? 100% answered "Yes"

Tuesday 21 November 2006

"Multi-national, multi-cultural, multi-enjoyable trip"

"Very active trip. Many more new experiences than I thought possible in 5 days. Tui Tai is the best trip we have ever taken. I look forward to coming back!" -- Jeff, North Carolina, USA

"Fantastic,lots of fun and we felt very comfortable on Tui Tai. The scuba diving, hiking and mountain biking were are favorite moments, in addition to making new friends." -- Lisa, USA

"The Tui Tai Experience was extraordinary. I could not have hoped for a better experience, Thank You. The diving was excellent, even for a beginner! Daniel and Dom were very helpful." -- Deborah, USA

"The Tui Tai Adventure Cruise has something for everyone. The crew takes impeccable care of the guests, while we enjoyed the trip of a lifetime. Daniel is a superb divemaster." -- Troy and Dana, Britsh Virgin Islands

"Multi-national, multi-cultural, multi-enjoyable trip. I especially enjoyed the Discover Scuba Diving course, but absolutely everything was great!" -- Alison, England

"A unique adventure to very remote and spectacular islands. The staff and guides were knowledgeable and professional. Excellent." -- David, Suva, Fiji

"Beautiful trip all around. The friendliest staff we have seen in all of Fiji. Our highlights were the snorkeling trips and also the presentation of the dinners." -- Alba, USA

"Unimaginable trip from beginning to end. Adventures never experienced elsewhere. The scuba diving, dinners served on remote island beaches, the hiking excursions, those were a few of our favorites." -- Daniel, USA

"The Tui Tai and staff made me feel very comfortable. As a new diver I was well looked after. AWESOME TRIP!" -- Emile, USA


The following are questions and the average scores during the adventure cruise ending 18th November 2006:(1=Poor, 10=Excellent)

Did you find the Tui Tai Experience held up to its promises? Avg. Score: 9.7

How would you rate the level of service from the onboard staff? Avg. Score: 9.5

Was your cabin/stateroom comfortable and in working order? Avg. Score: 9.0

How would you rate the meals served? Avg. Score: 8.9

How would you rate your scuba diving experience? Avg. Score: 9.9

How safe did you feel during your Tui Tai expedition? Avg. Score: 9.5

Would you recommend Tui Tai Adventure Cruises to your friends and family? 100% answered "Yes"

Monday 13 November 2006

"Escapism with fun, eclectic mix of active outdoor experiences." Guest Feedback from Nov 6-11 cruise.

"Awesome cruise, with a great crew and activities for all. Keep doing what you're doing."
-- Chris, Scotland

"The diving was my favorite activity."
-- Jochen, Germany

"A great way to see the different islands. I love the Tui Tai: all of it, the biking, hiking, kayaking, waterfalls."
-- Vicky and Denise, USA

"Fun activities, a good balance of active and relaxation. Great food!"
-- Laura, Canada

"My favorite activities: jumping into the pool at the waterfalls, the beach on the last island (Rabi), just swimming off the boat was an experience I'll never forget."
-- Cari, England

"The Tui Tai experience for me was complete relaxation. I totally forgot about work and life back home. My favorite moments were the village visits, experiencing their singing, dancing and hospitality. Keep up the good work and best wishes to all the crew."
-- Margo, Canberra, ACT, Australia

"Escapism with fun, eclectic mix of active outdoor experiences. Tui Tai is a well researched and prepared programme. Nice touches including the cultural messages and handicraft items on our pillows each night."
-- Jeff, Australia

"A good balance of adventure and pampering. We loved the activity and the rest. The crew were incredibly accommodating."
-- Katlin, Park City, Utah, USA

"A`well organized and well executed adventure. The staff were all wonderful. We have no hesitation in recommending the Tui Tai to friends. Any culture that has singing as a foundation has to be beautiful. Tui Tai's support of local communities is a wonderful way to give back to the community."
-- Andrew, Nichols, ACT, Australia

"Outstanding program of active adventures, a unique cruise with an emphasis on cultural experience."
-- Jeff, Canberra, ACT, Australia

"Wonderful, exceeded our expectations, we will be back!"
-- Tracy & Steve, Australia

The following are questions and the average scores during the adventure cruise ending 11th November 2006:(1=Poor, 10=Excellent)

Did you find the Tui Tai Experience held up to its promises? Avg. Score: 9.5

How would you rate the level of service from the onboard staff? Avg. Score: 9.8

Was your cabin/stateroom comfortable and in working order? Avg. Score: 9.3

How would you rate the meals served? Avg. Score: 9.0

How would you rate your scuba diving experience? Avg. Score: 9.3

How safe did you feel during your Tui Tai expedition? Avg. Score: 9.5

Would you recommend Tui Tai Adventure Cruises to your friends and family? 100% answered "Yes"

Tuesday 7 November 2006

Perspective on Politics in Fiji

The short article below offers some insights about the way of things in Fiji. I encourage those who are worried about the threat of political instability in Fiji to read on.

The worst-ever Fijian political events occurred in 2000, and as you’ll see from the article below, even that was less serious than the risks in any major American city. This article was written by the best-known expert on violence and safety, books published in 14 languages, etc. Take a look.

Inside Fiji’s Peculiar Political Coup
By Gavin de Becker

SAVUSAVU, Fiji (APBnews.com) –
In many ways, it was a most peculiar sort of political coup that just ended in the capital city of this South Pacific island nation.
Played as a faraway sideshow by most U.S. media outlets, the takeover of the Fijian Parliament was spectacle that suggested a complete breakdown of law and order. But, as all things Fijian, it was more complex than that.

This is a nation whose indigenous Fijian population lives mostly in small seaside villages of two or three hundred people. It remains, despite recent events, one of the world’s least violent cultures. I have a second home here and have enjoyed close ties to the Fijian community since I first arrived in 1995 to do research about violence for my book, The Gift of Fear.

Pulled into the turmoil
Last week, I learned even more about how incredibly different Fijian culture is from America’s when I was pulled into the turmoil of the final phase of this eight week political crisis.

In May, rebels entered the Parliament compound and took the Prime Minister and most of his government hostage. Against a backdrop of some looting and takeovers in the capitol city of Suva, the old government declared a state of emergency. The President stepped down and left the city as the military assumed power. And, after a popular luxury resort was affected, the U.S. Department of State directed all Americans to leave Fiji as soon as possible. It all must have sounded very frightening to the outside world.

The police headquarters building just down the road from my house was also taken over.

But the word “takeover” conjures an image for American news readers that is far from the reality of what actually happened at many places around Fiji. In the case of our police building, fifteen villagers arrived early one morning and told the four police officers on duty that they intended to take over. The officers requested a few minutes to lock up some files, and they left.

Voila: political takeover.

‘Liberating’ police headquarters
Late last week I was part of “liberating” police headquarters. Local village chiefs asked me to go with them to meet with the rebels. We loaded up my truck with fruit, vegetables, and a chicken, and set out toward the building. Along the way, the chiefs of other villages waved us down and joined the delegation by climbing onto the back of our truck. As we slowly approached the police compound, our truck was halted by a tourist’s worst nightmare: a gang of serious-looking rebels manning a check-point, like something you’d see in news photos of a revolution in Zambia.

But this is Fiji, a culture woven together with peacefulness, friendliness, and deep respect for elders—even during political upheavals. Within five minutes, we were sitting inside police headquarters laughing and exchanging stories around a huge bowl of Kava (Fiji’s traditional ceremonial drink).

Rebel apology
In Fiji, “rebel” is not a full-time job but rather someone from a nearby village. The chiefs showed respect for the rebels by giving the offering of food; and the rebels returned the respect by agreeing to go back to their homes. They asked only for an opportunity to apologize formally to the chiefs and the local military officers for any harms they might have caused.

Not everything that’s happened here in recent weeks is so innocent, of course, but to put it all in perspective, more people were shot in my home state of California in the last 56-minutes than were shot during this entire political crisis over the last 56 days. That any people at all were shot makes this the worst lawlessness and civil unrest in the nation’s history, but a thousand people are shot every week in California, and we barely even pay attention.

As reported around the world, American guests were asked to leave Fiji’s Turtle Island Resort when it was “taken over” by people from a nearby village. But what didn’t get reported is that there’s been a 20-year land dispute about Turtle Island, and villagers have staged similar demonstrations three times in the past. It was not part of the coup attempt.

Safer than American downtowns
When you boil it down, fifteen Americans enjoying a tropical vacation had to leave a resort by ship and go to another resort on another beautiful beach. More tourists are inconvenienced when there’s bad weather at O’Hare. And even when occupied by Fijian villagers, walking around Turtle Island is safer than walking around a downtown hotel in just about any American city.

Even though not a single tourist has been the victim of violence here (ever, so far as I know), I certainly understand why the lack of effective authority would persuade the Department of State to advise Americans to leave Fiji. The irony is, however, that they’ll be far less safe back home in Detroit or Chicago.

More Irony: Some Americans might cancel a trip to Egypt to see the Pyramids for fear of being killed by terrorists, and then stay in Detroit, where the homicide risk is 22 times higher than in Cairo! Can you imagine if foreign governments advised their citizens to leave America every time there was a violent incident, like say, a Laker’s game where the fans got out of control? It seems we expect a much higher standard of safety from small foreign governments than we demand from our own.

Profoundly un-American
I don’t minimize the seriousness of rebels taking over Parliament, but here’s the context: Fiji is a young country, having gained independence from Britain less than thirty years ago. During that time, they’ve had three bloodless coups. It’s unreasonable to expect that power will always change hands the way we’d like, for indeed, Fiji is profoundly un-American.

Power in Fiji does not flow from its impersonation of a Western democracy, but rather from the people’s commitment to peacefulness and decency.

In America, we’d have had a commando team go in and free the hostages, but in Fiji, the military just waited it out and set up a temporary Government down the street. Sounds crazy perhaps, but all the hostages went home safely, and in true Fijian style, when the Prime Minister was finally released after weeks in captivity, he first hugged the coup leader who had just ousted his government.

Also in true Fijian style, the coup leaders had a ceremony to apologize to the Chiefs and the nation for any harms they may have caused, and then the military did the same thing.

People and not governments make up countries, and we have something to learn from Fiji—even at its worst moment

(Gavin de Becker is a widely regarded expert on violence whose best-selling books are published in fourteen languages. See Amazon.com)



Gavin exploring Fiji

Wednesday 1 November 2006

More guest feedback

"A great cultural and active vacation. Tui Tai enables you to enjoy Fiji naturally." -- Alicia and Daryl, USA

"An adventure cruise for those who like to stay active and experience the true culture of Fiji. This was a wonderful experience. All the staff work so hard to make it fun for everyone." -- Kayla, USA

"Tui Tai is an adventure around the most remote parts of Fiji. The diving is great and great land activities too. The village visits and ship's crew are fabulous. While active, it was also very relaxing.

I really loved going to my room each night and finding a little gift to read and enjoy. The small details, such as having a warm towel and a big smile presented to me after each dive, that's what makes Tui Tai such a great experience." -- Denise, Australia

"My favorite moments were the tour of the crater (Cobia) and the village visits. The Tui Tai experience is very well planned and offers an excellent variety." -- Darrell, Canada

"My favorite activities were the snorkeling and village visits. The Tui Tai is the best and most relaxing way to see all the wonderful islands in Northern Fiji. As guest services and tour guide, Linga is very, very good. His kindness, professionalism and sense of humor made the trip." -- Laura, Italy

"The Tui Tai experience is invigorating and educational."

The children on Rabi island were a highlight to us, we also loved the diving and snorkeling." -- Paul and Sally, Australia

"Tui Tai is the best adventure we have ever done." -- Sam, USA

"Great experience! The staff were first class, especially Linga, they made this trip extra special." -- Kerry, Canada

"Very lovely experience." -- Margaret, New Zealand

"Unforgettable, romantic, fun, adventure!" -- Veronica and Eli, USA

The above comments were made from the Tui Tai Adventure Cruise departing on Oct 23, 2006. Below is an average of their feedback on questions about their trip (10 is Excellent, 1 is Poor).

Did you find the Tui Tai Experience held up to its promises? Average Score: 9.4

How would you rate the level of service from the onboard staff? Average Score: 10

Was your cabin/stateroom comfortable and in working order? Average Score: 9.2

How would you rate the meals served? Average Score: 8.6

How would you rate your scuba diving experience? Average Score: 9.9

How safe did you feel during your Tui Tai Expedition? Average Score: 10

Would you recommend Tui Tai Adventure Cruises to your friends and family? 16/16 answered "Yes"