On the maiden voyage of the new Canada-Fiji Airways direct flight via Vancouver, TravelPulse spent 10 days in Fiji, stopping in Yasawa where the only resort on the island, Yasawa Resort & Spa, is Canadian owned.

James McCann, owner-manager of Yasawa Islans Resort & Spa on the main island of Yasawa in northern Fiji, is extremely pleased with this new direct connection to Vancouver. Some of his family members still live in Whistler, so not having to stop over in Los Angeles to get home cuts the travel time by several hours for someone who returns to Canada regularly from his second home in Yasawa.

To reach the almost deserted island of Yasawa, you have to board a small 6-passenger plane from Nadi. The flight lasts 30 minutes and offers scenic views of the Pacific Ocean and the small Fijian islands. Once at destination, we are almost on a deserted island...

"We come here for the beach, but we stay for the hospitality and the charm of the staff," explains James McCann. The hotelier employs exclusively residents of the village of Yasawa, the only village on the island where there is a church, a school and some shops.

On the island, apart from the village and the hotel, there is almost nothing.

"That's why we come here, there are so many islands and hotels in Fiji that the choice is vast, so if we chose Yasawa, it's because we want to live a unique experience, reconnect with nature and enjoy the beach, chat with the staff."

Indeed, Yasawa Island Resort & Spa offers something unique of its kind, an all-inclusive stay experience where everyone has lunch at or around the same time, meets at the end of the evening for "happy hour" at the sunset, dinner and watching a movie under the stars. The resort is small, intimate and the atmosphere is very communal.

Interesting and important fact to mention: there is no WiFi in the 22 "bures" that make up the resort. Each couple or family (there are two two-bedroom bures for families, two Deluxe bures and one Honeymoon bure with private pool) otherwise everyone enjoys a "home" made with traditional materials, with direct access on the beach, a large balcony to enjoy the view, a hammock, lounge chairs and ... no electronics or WiFi.

"People are informed that there is no WiFi in the rooms, specifies Mr. McCann. "At the beginning, the businessman who arrives here does not know what to do; you see him, he doesn't know where to sit, is a little disconcerted, but after three days, I see him by the pool looking at the sea, reading a book... and he's going to leave rested and decompressed. I wanted to offer that as an atmosphere, as its own offering."

Yasawa Island Resort & Spa is all-inclusive and menus change daily, so guests who dine at its one and only restaurant end up socializing, sitting together, and socializing. The resort offers daily activities including the popular Blue Lagoon Film Site Tour, plus snorkeling excursions, outdoor movies and workshops to soak up Fiji culture. But, in general, you don't do much when you stay at Yasawa Island Resort and that's exactly the goal.

Between now and Christmas, the resort will begin major renovations and improvements, having of course been very affected by COVID. Furniture has been imported from Indonesia and all bures will be decorated up to date, as will the restaurant and the beach club.

However, when asked if he will have WiFi installed in the rooms during the renovations, James is adamant: "Never say never, but never! I know it's bold, but in the end, customers are grateful to have been forced to disconnect, to interact with the staff and other customers, to take advantage of the site and the activities offered on site. I do not want to become a hotel like any other where customers order room service and listen to Netflix in their rooms, that's not the idea here and it never will be."

We love his audacity and his vision, all very Canadian.