quote:
Originally posted by shlandrews
well, another one bites the dust...
warren's last windsurfing instructor has quit as well! not sure on the state of the kiting instructor, he didnt seem the most happy employee when i was there.
i was there recently in july for a week or so. most negative things you have heard about warren on this site are true, although he will give you a different versino of events involving the kite mag guys. i had a versino of events confirmed by a few people on the island that he actually spent a night in jail for trying to fraudulently file charges against one of those guys for assault after he took a dive and said he was punched by one of them... charming man.
he is condescending towards staff, aswell as guests.
i stayed there a couple of times when i was in fiji. the first time, i was told boat support was apart of staying at safari lodge, and he was providing it 'simply because he wanted me to have a good time'. great, i believe that was one of the few positive things i could say about warren. infact i even offered to pay the driver's wages and the boats fuel costs, warren still insisted it was aprt of my stay at safari lodge. on my return the second time, i assumed this was again free, but i was infact then charged $85 per 1-2hr trip without being informed of it in the first place. he then tried to charge me for parking my car on his property! i found this quite unbelievable, especially as i had driven him, 2 of his staff, and 3 of his guests at 3am in the morning to watch the Australia v. Italy world cup game. now, i dont know about you, but that should really justify no charge for a car park?...
as an individual, warren has little concept of respect for his guests, inparticular the female ones. may i warn you now, if you are female, warren is married(or as good as) with child, but i know of many occassions when that really hasnt stopped him. one of those times was with a girl i ended up hooking up with at safari lodge. warren made her stay there incredibly uncomfortable because he had continually tried to hit on her, not recognising her unwelcoming reactions. she would have left within a day into her stay had it not been for us gettin together, which then made my stay with warren uncomfortable aswell. yes, we should have just left, but i was there to kite and was a beginner needing the boat support and believed warren's insistance that nowhere else in fiji could you kitesurf safely...
there are a long list of things i could write about warren, but those are just a few of what personally affected me. i write this so you have an informed opinion of safari lodge. alot of people find warren fine to get along with, but they are generally only dealing with warren as a host, not as a person.
i also recommend that if you are going, he charges alot more to people who pre-book than those who 'turn up'. some friends of mine staying there where charged $300 per night for a double, which was previously let for $80 per night. i know i was charged at a higher rate upon departure as to that i was quoted over the phone and via email.
nananu-i-ra is a beautiful spot, but i would recommend another place to stay, there are several other cheap places to stay on the island. i also only recommend going if you are advanced rider, launching from the beach is dangerous and gusty. the beginner's beach requires boat support(apparently $85 per trip) and the wind is off shore... so you spend alot of time getting in and out of a boat and re-inflating bladders.
fiji is a great place to visit, and the people are the most genuinely friendly, welcoming people you have ever met, all with the one exception i met on nananu-i-ra...! i was in fiji for over a month, as part of a company providing affordable solar lighting kits and other renewable concepts to the people of fiji. it was such a shame that my time there was only spoilt by an ex-pat who believes his small title of land makes him king and a right to treat people in whatever manner he feels is advantageous to his greedy, sleezy ways.
grow up warren, learn some responsibility and respect towards your wife and child, conduct your business in a fair practice and perhaps not so many guests will leave unhappy(although i do recognise some people do seem to leave happy and content).
good luck in finding the perfect fijian holiday. the SE corner of Veti Levu is perfect for kiting/windsurfing, many beaches without coral breaks and all on/across shore breezes. i drove right along the coral coast(southern side of veti levu) and you could pretty much pull up anywhere and whip your gear out and get on the water. the wind felt alot more consistent aswell.
i welcome warren's reponse, i would like to know from him why he didn't have the courage to deal with me personally when i left and all the added charges began to arise. apparently he was 'in a meeting and unavailable to talk to me' when i was settling my bill..
sam
Shlandrews,
These Fijian threads always crack me up.
Warren always cops a bashing but he comes back for more.
The man must be punch drunk.
Sam, I read your post thoroughly, lots of complaining and bitching,
but in the end you scored the girl.
Congrats dude, you're the man.
Look, this is my take on it.
If you don't like the resort and its host,
you pack up your gear and leave for greener pastures.
You don't hang around for days and days experiencing bad vibes,
and then whine about the bill when you check-out.
But the main problem with the whole nature-sport resort thing is this;
Some guests can place a very high expectation upon the host,
to magically provide ideal weather conditions for kiting/surfing/snowboarding etc whatever.
That's unfair.
As a guest, you need to be hopefull of good weather conditions,
but not expect Ma Nature to turn it on instantly upon your arrival.
Guests need to have open minds and be happily surprised if the weather does co-operate.
Enjoy the people and the place and be less obsessed about the whims of nature.
