After last year’s incredible birthday in South Africa, I seriously didn’t think anything else could top that! And now after I am back from our trip to Fiji, I can say that my 2018 birthday has definitely been the best one yet. We usually make a trip around early Feb every year as this time coincides with our wedding anniversary as well as my birthday. The main reason we added Fiji as a potential contender (and later on a clear winner!) was the ease of getting there from San Francisco. Fiji Airways now flies directly from SFO (weekly) and LAX (daily) and is just a 10 hour overnight flight! I mean the convenience couldn’t get any better – an overnight flight which means zero jetlag, visa on arrival and all in all a pleasant experience flying to paradise.

The Yasawa islands are abundant in untouched deserted beaches. Yasawa Island Resort and Spa itself has 10 private beaches and arranges private beach picnics for all their guests. Having a romantic Birthday Picnic on a Private Island with my favorite person in the world, was a dream come true in every sense! We were surrounded by crystal clear waters, lush tropical greens and soft white sands on this little slice of heaven in the South Pacific. The whole scene looked like we had stepped into a set from Lost or Cast Away, it was so surreal. It had been raining for two days straight before my birthday, and coincidentally it cleared up on my birthday and the weather was just so perfect – balmy, breezy, humid, just the way I like it! Most beaches also have tons of snorkeling opportunities right at the beachfront, infact Anush and I saw small reef sharks at our feet while we were swimming in the pristine water too. We also enjoyed walking up and down the virgin beach several times, I could never get bored of it. You know you’re a place really special when the only footprints left on the sand are yours!

The resort packed us a delicious picnic lunch – sandwiches, dessert, juice and lots of fresh tropical fruit. Everything was set up and laid out for us under a roomy umbrella, but since we love the sun so decided to spread the beach blankets out in the open to enjoy the sunshine. The resort also made me this incredible handmade floral crown made from frangipani – it was so beautiful and fragrant. I wish I could have brought it back home with me! It truly made me feel like an island queen.

A few quick words about my outfit – I love packing reversible suits with me on trips and one of my fave reversible swim brands is Koa swim. Their new collection is amazee, every piece is so pretty! I wore this white bikini which also reverses to a light yellow on the other side. The cutout details and wired V details in the bikini top are so flattering, I love it. The strappy cheeky bottom is comfy and seamless. I linked some other pieces from the brand that I am loving below as well. I wore this lightweight embroidered romper from Juliet Dunn over the suit as a coverup. How cute is the “dungaree” style of the romper?! Its so unique and works well to layer over a swimsuit or over a bralette/bandeau as well.

Suit – c/o Koa swim (top and bottom)

Romper – c/o Juliet Dunn

Turband – Cult Gaia (similar here)

Beach tote – c/o Kayu

Sandals – c/o Cocobelle (similar here)

We had the most memorable day ever, thanks to Yasawa Island Resort ! Stay tuned for more posts from Fiji. Thanks for stopping by. xoxo

Jyo

**This post is in collaboration with Yasawa Island Resort and Spa but all thoughts and opinions are my own.