What to expect on a Ladies Surf Getaway?
The locations and resorts we select provide us with so many options in terms of surf breaks for different conditions and other water and land-based activities, it’s hard to get a feeling for what to expect simply by listing all the activities!
So what does a week on a Surf Getaway look like? Let’s take you through what we got up to with our shredders in Fiji on our last Ladies Surf Getaways in Fiji:
After arriving at the resort and settling in our beautiful resort rooms, all with their own little deck and beach access, we had an introductory chat about what to expect on the trip and what breaks are nearby the resort that we’ll be likely to surf throughout the week, pending conditions. The most important note from the coaches Jenny and Serena is: this is your holiday – we will make decisions each day for the group on where to surf based on the conditions, but you are free to join or decide to take a morning or afternoon to yourself, go for a SUP paddle or a snorkel, or relax at the resort.
Surfing
The first day was a perfect intro-to-reef surfing day for those who surfed reef for the first time or needed to regain some confidence. The waves were small and clean. Our breakfast orders were taken from the boat to be ready when we’d get back to the resort – our luxury surf holiday had begun! The afternoon provided slightly bigger waves and lefts, for a good all-round first day.
The following days we split the group up a few times to take the more advanced surfers out to Frigates, one of the better-known breaks off the Coral Coast – for a reason! Frigates is further on the outer reef and when the swell hits the reef on the right angle, it’s firing! The other half of the group surfed the nearby breaks. Having two surf coaches on the trip means we can split the group up by skill level, and allow for people to choose how much they want to challenge themselves.
At the end of the week, the swell had dropped and everyone ended up surfing Frigates! Having so many breaks nearby the resort meant that whatever the conditions there was always a suitable wave somewhere.
Yoga, Volleyball and Spa time
Every day there was afternoon Yin yoga on offer, in the stunning yoga studio built on an elevated wooden deck, overlooking the lush and sacred rainforest with the sacred Banyan tree as feature. Bel, the on-site yoga instructor provided classes that helped restore our bodies after a big day of paddling.
During their afternoon break, the staff would play their daily game of beach volleyball, where some of the girls joined in. And the spa on the deck was a perfect spot to relax after a big day full of activities.
Fijian culture
One afternoon when it was too windy to surf we arranged a visit to a neighbouring local village. It happened to be International Women’s Day and the school principal invited us as a group of women to have a talk in their senior classes about our backgrounds, professions and education – providing inspiration to the young girls in school to encourage continuing their education.
After the school visit we were invited by the elders in the village for a traditional Kava ceremony and helped finishing a fence at the local kindy, to ensure the kids have a safe and enclosed play area. During the visit, we met some of the family members of the staff working at Matanivusi. It was great and reassuring the see the positive impact the secure employment at Matanivusi resort had on the community.
Surf Getaways is very conscious of making sure our ‘surf tourism’ has a positive impact on the communities we visit: ensuring our accommodations strive for sustainable business practices and supporting local initiatives. This trip, we all contributed to a fund set up by Matanivusi to buy more computers for the local high school and donated surf gear for the weekly surf classes Matanivusi offers to the kids from the nearby villages.
The last dinner at the resort was a traditional Fijian Lovo dinner, where the food is cooked in the ground, tightly wrapped in a weave of palm fronds. The ladies on our Getaway helped preparing dinner, making coconut milk and preparing the cassavas. One of the ladies on the trip, Rosalie, who has worked as a chef, even joined the chefs in the kitchen to prepare a traditional dish.
Arriving on the trip as strangers, everyone left as friends, making arrangements to meet up for surfs together when back home. The lovely staff at Matanivusi and Island life will be missed, but the surf spirit isn’t going anywhere!
Vinaka Fiji, we will be back!
Does this make you want to plan your next surftrip? We’d love to see you on our Surf Getaways!
Check out our upcoming Ladies Surf Getaways.
Hope to see you in the water with us soon!
