Bula, Bula

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A stunning approach from air, it is no wonder why Fiji is the most popular and best connected country in all of the South Pacific. The product of volcanic mountains and warm water, Fiji is so visually impressive I will go as far as to say it is the aestetically pleasing country I have had the fortune of visiting.

I went to Fiji on a stopover on my way to Tuvalu. The national carrier, Air Pacific, has flight to USA, Canada, Hong Kong and Australia, amongst other countries, so a range of people can find themselves here. The airplane was pleasant enough. The meal was filling. The only downside was the communal movie screen, which played a movie that was up there with the worst I have ever seen.

This was my first overseas trip on my own. I was hesitant, as I generally can be quite shy. I decided a backpackers was the best place to overcome this so for my overnight in Nadi, the capital, I booked a bed at Smugglers Cove.

The dormitory provided a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. As you go through customs and immigration you pass locals playing their ukulele and porters saying to you, “sit down and relax” as you wait for shuttle. Be warned, as with most of the Pacific, the people operate on island time – which can be frustrating for those in a hurry.

I checked into the backpackers, in Nadi, and one of the guys who worked there, Carlos, took my bag and showed me to my particular bed – “your on holidays, I’ll carry your bag for you.” Where else in the world would you get this service in a backpackers? The dormitory was on the beach so I went for a walk – again I was awestruck by the scenery. Smoky mountains in the distance, calm waters – which was the warmest water you will ever hop in – and a beach. I went back to the dorm for some dinner. It doubled as a hotel upstairs and had a restaurant and bar.

The backpackers was full of people coming and going. There was one English guy who had been in Australia for a few months and was a keen diver who was going to a different island the next day. Another guy was going to Hong Kong and a bunch of Norwegian people who had been travelling together for a year through the Americas and Carribean. The girls actually made a bit of extra money posing for topless magazines – they were kind enough to show me some of the pictures!

Perhaps the most interesting person I met was the guy going to Hong Kong, Andreas, who explained that travelling solo is daunting at first but he has been doing it for near on a year and he wouldn’t have it any other way. After weighing up pro’s and con’s I figured he was probably right.

Another amazing thing about this backpackers was they provide entertainment at night – this particular night being fire dancing. We were treated to an hour of different island dances from boys and girls – doing various dances such as the hula, fire twirling with batons, machete throwing and the hukka. The light of the fire against the darkness of the beach is a lovely image as it dimly lit up the mountains in the background and this was some of the best free entertainment I have ever had.

I spent another hour relaxing in a hammock on the beach before organising a cab and wake up call for the next morning. I had to catch a flight from Nadi to Suva and then from Suva to Tuvalu. The Nadi to Suva flight runs every hour, as it is only a 22-minute flight. I got to the airport pretty early – my cab driver tried to get me to buy two bottles of gin for his daughter birthday. My flight was supposed to be at 08:15 but check in was relatively straightforward so I was put on the 06:50 flight. Suva was such a small airport and is called Nasouri airport. I breifly thought I was at the wrong airport – and since there was only one flight a week to Tuvalu I almost panicked. The staff then told me I was at the right airport and check in for Tuvalu hadn’t yet begun.

I met a nice Fijian at the airport, Neil, and his sister Rahaja. I still keep in contact with them. They were giving me insights into Tuvalu. I was soon off to Tuvalu and knew I would be back in Fiji soon (as a stop over on the way back).

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