A taste of paradise

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Bula!

We've just spent 4 days and nights in Fiji. We had thought about going to Fiji on and off for a while, but it was just weighing up the cost etc, but luckily the cost of flights had gone down and down in various sales, so we thought it had to be done, as we are over this side of the world and we never may be this way again.

After much researching on the net, we booked a place called the Hideaway Resort, as it had really good reviews, but had pretty respectable prices. We thought this will be our 4 days of luxury after months of cheap and basic accomodation, and before we head south and go back to caravan's, hostels and campsites!

When we arrived, late Thursday afternoon, it was 32c. Heaven! After an hour and half on the coach to the resort, we were not disappointed. We were greeted with a cold towel to cool off and a bottle of Fiji water and some very friendly staff. We had an ocean front bure, and it was so nice inside. It had a lovely big comfortable bed, a bathroom with two sinks and a shower each end - one indoors and one open air one so you could have a shower and look up at the sky! What a treat. Our bure was also right at the far end of the resort so it was nice and peaceful and private. I've never stayed anywhere that nice before and it was about the cost of a Travelodge room in the UK! Also, that rate included breakfast, which was amazing....so much choice, everything you could think of and all so tasty.

It was pretty much a lazy few days of mostly eating, drinking, swimming and soaking up the sun, but we did managed some kayaking and some snorkelling too (they were free, whoop!).

Everyone says that Fijian people are really friendly, but they really are, and it's the little things like that, that make your holiday. It's not just the people on the resort either - one day we we walking along the beach and a young local boy came up to us and said hello, asked our names, where we were from etc then wished us a nice day, shook our hands and off he went! He was only 8 years old - that would never happen at home!

One day we went to a Fijian market and we ended up buying this hand-carved wooden Fijian Cannibal Hunting Sword! It's so cool and we thought it would be a good keepsake to hang on the wall somewhere in our house...when we eventually get one!

Every night they had some kind of Fijian entertainment, like traditional village dancing etc, but being the cultured person I am, I loved the Frog racing on the last night! They were 5 Frogs and one was representing the UK, and as we were the only Brits there, we got to name him, so he was Dave, but he lost both races, so we were $3 down, dammit...

All in all it was a lovely few days, and so relaxing. We were pretty sad to leave, but we're finally leaving Brisbane tomorrow, so we've got lots of adventures ahead of us.

We're heading to Byron Bay first, and then slowly making our way down to Melbourne. We'll be there for Christmas. Which reminds me, I keep forgetting Christmas isn't far away. It's very bizarre seeing Christmas things in the shops, and then walking out to hot sunny weather. Who knows what we'll be doing on Christmas Day, but it'll just be nice to be somewhere different.

Lots of love

Maria and Ben

xxx

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Comments

[Helen]

Wow!!
Fiji is so on my list of places to travel to now!! Your pics are just gorgeous. And I'm so pleased you loved Fraser Island, have got a little tear in my eye remembering how gorgeous is was, can't believe I was there not so long ago. Miss you loads xxx