Blogs from Viti Levu, Fiji, Oceania - page 9

Fiji - Land of Smiles.... So Nadi isn't really what you expect when you disembark the overnight flight to Fiji. For myself.. i guess i was expecting leis and flowers, not the dull worn tiles of Nadi Airport. But on the outside it is a different story. Opening the door and getting smacked in the face by the heat of the tropics is one of my most vivid memories. I also remember the smiles of the Fijiians as I walk outside. The intense tropical heat agrees with me. My hair loves it and has a life of its own in a warm climate. The waiting driver of our car has a life of his own too...he is a very fast driver. The clouds loom ominously over the horizon as our "limo - a 1984 something" bumbles ... read more

We got up early for our flight and I went straight outside onto the terrace to check out the view. It was breathtaking. Since being in Fiji we’ve only been on small islands so to be in the middle of a dramatic mountain range was amazing. It was already hot and sunny even at 7am. I was sorry that we didn’t have longer to enjoy the place as we felt really at home there. Around the corner from our room was the bar area, and in front of that was a pretty swimming pool. It wasn’t like a posh swimming pool in an expensive resort, there was something rustic about it, maybe it was the bridge that went over it and all of the plants around it. Everything about the place felt comfortable to us and ... read more

Well, hopefully you are still reading the blog, it has all been a bit quiet! We have just got back from 10 nights in Fiji. A beatiful island with lovely people. We stayed in a 'bure' which means house, just few metres from the beach. The resort had freat faciltities including a fabulous pool. The walk along the beach was amazing, with a lovely cooling breaze, a fabulous view and the gentle lapping of waves. Best of all, there were loads of hermet crabs. As a result it became tradition to stroll back along the beach after breakfast and spot them. In fact what Bella liked most of all was picking them up and saying "Hello little Fella". The room itself had an outside bath and shower. In case you're wondering it was walled off - ... read more

We flew back to Fiji from Samoa for just a few days. How nice to be back in the land of Bula! :) Just enough time to get another dive in and this was a doosey - a shark feeding dive! I was at first not sure if this was environmentally responsible. Seems that whenever humans upset the natural balance of things there's some critters that lose. Toby was afraid it would be like watching animals fed at a zoo. But other people we had met who had done it raved about it. And they were right!!! After taking a giant stride into the water, I looked down and saw sharks circling below. As soon as we sank to the bottom we saw a huge striped lion fish with white plumage. The dozen of us divers ... read more

I was relieved to be leaving Chong’s Place. Stu had been kind in his description. It was a state, there was clearly a lack of female presence for some time, I don’t think the house had been cleaned for 2 years, and there was a very dark atmosphere about it - and I won’t even mention the kitchen! I am happy to experience basic living and have embraced it many times on this journey so far, but this was just plain dirty and unkempt. So we were off to find a more traditional form of accommodation, the problem being that Fiji is not cheap and there are few budget options. The popular Beach House was located in the middle of the Coral Coast and seemed to be a firm favourite with those on a budget. It ... read more