Fiji holiday options with special needs child

WE HAVE AN 18-YEAR-OLD SON WITH A NUMBER OF COGNITIVE DISABILITIES, INCLUDING AUTISM, AND WE'RE DESPERATE FOR A REAL HOLIDAY. WE'D LIKE TO GO TO FIJI OR SOMEWHERE ELSE WARM. A LONG FLIGHT WILL NOT WORK FOR HIM. WE WILL NEED TO HIRE A CARER FOR FOUR-SIX HOURS SOME DAYS. HE ALSO NEEDS WI-FI ACCESS. CAN YOU RECOMMEND SOMEWHERE TO STAY AND WHAT AIRLINES EXPECT IN TERMS OF DISCLOSURE.

C. NORTH, EMERALD

Travel with an autistic child is well outside my expertise but you'll find a wealth of information and advice from other travellers if you simply Google it. However, here a few thoughts of my own. Fiji sounds like a great idea, travel time is reasonable and it should give you what you need. Fiji has some truly wonderful island resorts such as Blue Lagoon Beach Resort (bluelagoonbeachresort.com.fj) in the Yasawas, which has two-bedroom villas at a reasonable price. It's a small, quiet and relaxed resort in gorgeous surroundings, but getting there in a single day from Australia is often difficult. The only way to do this is to take the Fiji Airways flight that leaves Melbourne at 11pm, arriving in Nadi at 5.50am. If that's not possible, the Denarau area on the coast near Nadi could be a good place to look for accommodation since it's close to the airport, and travel times are therefore minimal. Denarau is an enclave with some of Fiji's finest five-star hotel brands. The Terraces Apartments Denarau (theterraces.com.fj) or The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa (westindenarauisland.com) could be good choices.

You should definitely talk to the airline and advise them of your son's condition. Seating choice could be important and one writer suggested bulkhead seating to minimise the risk of disturbance to other passengers. You might consider a trip out to the airport in advance to help prepare him for the journey.