Blogs from Fiji, Oceania
May 11th 2012
Hi Fiji The grass skirt icthes a little but the draft keeps it cool, the trip was great, calm seas but a strong consistant wind made progress steady, no cell phone so see ya soon Ta Ta for now... read more
April 29th 2012
Fiji : The Islands Fiji is around 1331 miles from Auckland travelling North along the same timeline. The total number of islands constituting the Fiji Islands is 332 of which only 110 are inhabited. The two main islands of the Fiji Islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. We arrived in Nadi (pronounced Nandi) 3 hours from Auckland. Fiji has just gone into it's winter period with temperatures a cool, low 30s. With the heat comes a slowing of pace, it's called 'Fiji time'! On the 3rd of April the military government declared a state of emergency due to severe flooding throughout Nadi and loca areas, 5 people died and hundreds were evacuated from their houses flooded to the rooftops. When you look at the area you can understand why. The flat plains around Nadi and ... read more
April 29th 2012
Villages: Bula! (Hello!) We went to several villages on the cruise. To attend church, visit a school and have a feast We were asked to respect the culture by dressing modestly, covering shoulders and legs (to below the knee). Every visit included lots of singing and dancing and usually a handicraft market- at which we bought some lovely shell and coconut gifts (Neiria bought a rather fetching ankle bracelet) then we worried about bringing then back through biological security in New Zealand (you simply declare it). Everywhere you go, even on the ship there was the traditional "Sevusevu" ceremony, where like the Maori culture you are welcomed to the village declaring you come in peace. The appointed Western chief presents the kava which is a root of the pepper tree or yaqona to the village chief ... read more
Fiji- Captain Cook Cruise Yasawa Islands
Published: April 29th 2012Oceania » Fiji » Yasawa Islands » Naviti Island
April 29th 2012
The Cruise: All cruises are famous for the food- no less this one. Glad to say we managed to eat and drink a lot in the seven days. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food was good. Now we're back in NZ and eating much less! Each day we had an itinerary crated by the hospitality manager, Florian. Usually a visit to the beach to swim, snorkel and laze around and some sort of cultural visit as well. At night the entertainment was always singing and sometimes the Meke, singing and dancing. The first place we went to to practice snorkelling was a cay- literally a small area of gorgeous sand temporarily out of the water for a few hours before the high tide covered it up. There was quite a swell, and, not being used to ... read more
April 26th 2012
With indulgent time on our hands here in KL it occurred to me: where were on this day during previous trips? Then checking some old diary folders I came across this… Wednesday 25th April 1990; Taveuni, Fiji. An early rise and caught the 9 a.m. bus to Prince Charles beach with David and Oscar. The small white-sand beach slopes down to a chunk of reef that is exposed at low-tide. Fabulous coral and a myriad of different fish made for great snorkelling interrupted only by sunbathing breaks when we tucked into David’s rum. Again there are no buses back and, with no taxis in evidence either, we decided to try hitching rather than face a nine mile walk. Luckily a truck stopped and we piled in the back. The leggy woman driving was part of a ... read more
April 21st 2012
Now this is why we came to Fiji; the weather idyllic, the ocean waters crystal clear, the palm trees posing a natural shelter as you kick back and think of sweet nothings. For those that live on the island, Tiger Woods’ exploits or the latest outbreak of George Bush meltdown matters not. The islanders bask in paradise!! South Sea Island is a coral outgrowth no bigger than a football pitch. Its amenities totalled a puddle sized swimming pool, a rickety table tennis table and a row of inviting hammocks… Now maybe I’m alone in experiencing hammocking difficulties, certainly many ‘hammockers’ appear incredibly content, nestled in their roped cocoon. But I write to you today to think long and hard the next time you wish to hammock down for some quiet time. My initial hammock mounting attempt ... read more
April 15th 2012
Naviti Island – Korovou Eco Tourist Resort Our next stop was Naviti Island at a resort called Korovou Eco Tourist Resort. So far we have really had a chilled time and the two places we have stayed have had a really chilled, laid back and enjoy the feeling of nature and what’s around you. Korovou was none of this! When we arrived the Vengaboys were pumping loud on the speakers, the pool was surrounded by 20 women sunbathing and chattering. The beach wasn’t as nice here either, rocky and shallow. Our bure was nice though. We were shown to it by Sigi, one of the staff at the resort. He was a real hoot but very different from the Fijian staff we met at the more northern resorts. While we were on Naviti Island it was ... read more
April 13th 2012
My husband and I just returned from a wonderful 7 night stay at Royal Davui. We are a couple in our early 30’s without children and are trying to travel to beautiful locations around the world. We have been to Tahiti, Bora Bora, the Maldives and Bali, so Fiji was definitely on our list of ‘must go’ places. We did a lot of research before coming to Fiji and the exceptional service started before our trip as I talked with Chris several times via online chat and he was always available and was so prompt answering all of my questions! We were looking for an adult only resort with white sand beaches, wonderful service and privacy. We especially wanted a place away from all the touristy places on Fiji with luxury accommodations and a chance to ... read more
April 11th 2012
We arrived in Fiji early in the morning. We didn’t sleep too much on the flight and were wrecked by the time we arrived. When we stepped off the plane, the heat hit us right away! Great to be back in the hot weather. As soon as we stepped into the airport, a few men playing guitars and singing met us at the entrance. It was the first of many warm welcomes we received here. The next step was the slowest immigration queue I have ever encountered and this too was the first of many of the laid back procedures of the Fijians! It didn’t help that there were about 100 Filipino men arriving to work on fishing boats in the region so I suppose it was more difficult to process this paperwork over the average ... read more
