Fiji - Bula!


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Oceania » Fiji
September 20th 2011
Published: September 20th 2011
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We have had the most amazing time in Fiji, we head to Los Angeles tonight so I’m really pleased I’ve got time to tell you all about what we’ve been up too!

We were late arriving into Fiji as Air Pacific had changed our flight and then that one was still 40 minutes later than planned. The Tonga rugby team were arriving and the airport was in chaos as all of their fans had taken over. While we were all sat at the gate the crew for our plane were still stuck in traffic! When we finally got going the flight was quite comfortable – better than Jetstar! We picked up our Welcome Pack with the company Awesome Adventures when we landed. We booked the Bula Combo Pass with them for two weeks. The price included boat transfers between each island, accomadation and meals. There are few nicer resorts that we could stay at but that didn’t include meals so we’d have to pay extra for them.

The first night at Smugglers Cove on the mainland was great. The room was really big and we were pleasantly surprised to have our own bathroom. We got picked up at 7am the next morning and taken to the boat. Although we had an idea of where we wanted to stay we couldn’t book anything until we were on the boat. I didn’t like this much as I’m a planner and was worried that the places would be full. I’d gone through Trip Advisor before we came out and some islands got really bad reviews so we didn’t want to end up on one of those.
We managed to book where we wanted to stay – Wayalailai Eco Haven Resort. We also booked Blue Lagoon Resort which is one of the upgrades – it’s our little treat. Wayalailai looked promising when we pulled up and were transferred to a smaller boat to get ashore. They sang a song for us as we got off the boat and then we all shout BULA to them when they finish which means Hello. We quickly realised this is the most spoken word in the Fijian language! We were taken to our rooms after checking in and I was really disappointed. There were about 7 bures (straw roof huts) and then at the top a lodge which was all double rooms joined together. We were put in the lodge which wasn’t as nice as the bures. The point was that we paid the same amount as the people in the bures and Andy asked about moving but he was ignored! We were told our set meal times – breakfast at 7am, lunch at 12:30 and dinner at 6:30. Unfortunately, for the two nights we were there the weather wasn’t great, there was no sun, just wind and rain. Andy did a summit walk to the top of the mountain – I didn’t fancy it. He came back exhausted and said it was a really tough climb but with rewarding views.

Whilst we were there Andy and I did some voi voi weaving together and made a ‘manly’ bracelet for him to wear. I also made an anklet out of shells. The food at Wayalailai was ok, though very mismatched. The second night they put on a Fiji performance, fire show and dancing. Then we all had a try of Kava (a traditional Fijian drink.) Kava is as much a part of Fiji as the beaches and bures are. It is a massive part of Fijian culture as is drank at all occasions. The drink is made from dried and powdered root wrapped in a piece of cloth and mixed with water in a tanoa (large wooden bowl). The chief mixed the cloth around the bowl in set motions as we sat crossed legged in front. When the assistant brought the Kava to us in a small bowl, we had to clap once and say ‘Bula’ and then drink the kava in one go. We had to hand the bowl back to the assistant and then clap three times to show gratification. It looked and tasted like muddy water and made our tongues go numb. We’re bringing some home for you to try!

We headed to Coral View Resort next on the Yasawa Flyer. We had planned two nights at Octopus Resort (another upgrade) but they were full so we booked it for after Blue Lagoon. Coral View was a really nice resort. The food was so much better – Fijian curries, cold meats, salad, noodles, rice etc. We stayed in a bure with a sea view, it was really nice – we had a lot of resident geckos, we liked them because they ate the mosquitoes. What we were starting to realise at Coral View was that we were chatting to different people every night as the dining was communal on long tables. There were more couples here in Fiji so it was really nice to relate with them. Lots of people from the UK too but everyone was on long travelling trips like us because Fiji is so far from home. We even played cards with a guy who’d been an orc in Return of the King!
While at Coral View we went to the Sawa-i-lau Caves. They were amazing limestone caves, 15 metres tall above the water surface. There was lots of daylight in the first cave where we swam in a natural pool of freshwater and seawater. We then swam through a short under water tunnel into a pitch black cave. The guide shone their underwater torches to light the way. I was a bit scared but it was ok, they grab your head as you come through so you don’t come up to quickly and bang your head on the rocks. The dark cave was beautiful. They believe the caves hold healing powers to cure illness. The caves were also used in Brooke Shield's film, the Blue Lagoon. I really want to see that movie now!

Following that brilliant experience we also went to church on Sunday at the local village. It was a Christian Union mass held under a flat roof supported by wooden columns in the middle of a clearing. The mass was all in Fijian being conducted by 3 pastors but we were welcomed and thanked for coming. There was a lot of singing and dancing which was really nice. The only downside was that is ran for 2 hours and was very hot. We also went on a banana boat in the afternoon which was great fun. For those that don’t know it’s a bright yellow inflatable banana shaped boat that you have to hold on to. We were pulled around by a jet ski until we all fell off! Inbetween times at Coral View involved completely chilling out either in a hammock or on a sun lounger. Good times!

Five days later we headed across to Blue Lagoon Resort. As it was one of the upgrades, we had high expectations and it didn’t disappoint. It was lovely! It’s definitely the best place we’ve stayed in our whole trip. The room wasn’t the best we’ve stayed in, it was quite small with shared facilities but it was clean and thats the main thing. The food was amazing! Continental buffet breakfast from 7:30 – 10am, a la carte lunch menu to choose from 12:30 – 2pm. Dinner was a three course set menu at 7:30pm. It was the best food we’d eaten in six and a half months. The beach was amazing, white soft sand and crystal clear water. You could swim in it all day long and the snorkelling was fantastic just off the beach.

The first afternoon we were just going to relax but there was a free village trip going which we signed up for straight away. We were really pleased we went as it was the best thing we did in Fiji. The people of Nacula village were absolutely lovely. Our guide was great, he told us all about village life showing us where the chief lived and the newly built Methodist church. The villagers built this church in one year – by hand. No machines! Andy looked a bit worried. We also went inside the Catholic church which was a lot older and less grand. The majority of Fijian people are Methodist.

We also went inside their community hall where a group of adults were waiting for us. They performed lots traditional dances and gave each of us one of those flower necklaces that you Hawaii. I was really chuffed as I’ve always wanted one of those. They got everybody up to dance the Bula which Andy and I know quite well now. After the performance the women set up little market stalls where we could buy crafts they had made. There was no pressure to buy anything but I didn’t need any encouragement. I went a bit wild but the crafts were amazing. The best part of the trip to the village was visiting the school. The school is made up of children from four villages, 2 of them are quite far away so the children board there during the week. We sat in one of their classrooms and watched while fifty children belted out Fijian songs as well as England, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji’s national anthems. They were incredible. Then a few of the boys performed the Haka – it was brilliant! We were actually quite sad to leave, it had been a great afternoon.

Andy went hand line fishing one afternoon whilst we were at Blue Lagoon. Unfortunately, he didn’t catch anything, only the captain caught three. I did another weaving class and really enjoyed it. The teacher Theresea gave me a really complicated pattern, so my bracelet has got about three different patterns on it as I kept going wrong. We all sat on bean bags nattering away whilst weaving, it was so relaxing. The evening entertainment was good fun. Andy played volleyball one night whilst I watched. Another night we were in teams for Survivor Fiji which was a trivia quiz with a twist. There was different tasks involved as well as questions about Fiji. We had to crack open a coconut the fastest, perform a kava ceremony correctly and join Fiji and English words together. We came third overall, ten points difference! We were really proud as we had one of the smallest teams. The winners had a champagne breakfast the next morning. Our last night was Crab Racing, which was great. $3 a crab, all money going to the school in the village. One of ours made it the second round and then gave up.

We were so sad to leave Blue Lagoon, but looking forward to Octopus resort where we spent our last three nights on the island. The owner of Blue Lagoon also owns Octopus so it was a very similar resort, although twice the size. Octopus had a pool too, which was really nice although it wasn’t the biggest and you had to put up with loads of kids swimming into you. The room was really nice, a wooden bungalow and the bed was huge but sooo comfy. Shared facilities again. I couldn’t help but compare the two resorts as they are under the same owner. The restaurant was twice the size of Blue Lagoon and we quickly learnt that you had to sit near the kitchen because if you sat down the other end your still waiting for your starter when everyone else is on their main. The lunch menu wasn’t as good too. A lot of fish and vegetables meals. On the Saturday night, Fiji was playing South Africa in the rugby world cup and the villagers invited us to their community hall to watch it with them. The route to the village was a bit scary, steep steps to start and then really slippy rocks with a nice long drop to the bottom. I appreciated the workers at the resort who have to do that every day. It was good fun watching the game with the locals, they just laughed at everything, even when they lost by quite a big margin. The staff also put on a Fijian night, we had dinner from a lovo (underground oven) and they put on a fire show and bonfire. It was really good fun.

We just relaxed on the lovely padded loungers on the beach and did some snorkelling while we were there. The sea was a lot rougher than Blue Lagoon, but we had great fun in the waves with our snorkels on. I was in the pool quite a lot (when the kids were eating) I really enjoyed it. I also did another weaving class, making another voi voi bracelet. The leaves are from a Pandana Tree and they are cut and then dried for two – three weeks. Shame really. I would have liked to have done some at home.

We headed back to the mainland yesterday on the boat and have just spent another night at Smugglers Cove. All set for America now! Last country!

Vinaka (Thank you) for reading. Hope you are all well. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

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21st September 2011

wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww cool little dude great jumping pic andy. Defo on manly bracelet. Fiji looks amazing. Like the culture. LA is going to be so different. Keep having fun. Xxxxxxxxx

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