Blogs from Fiji, Oceania - page 141

It was so tough being in Sydney that Orla and I decided we needed a week in Fiji, so we duly flew to Nadi with no plans and no place to stay and hoped that we would have a Pacific adventure. We were not far wrong with all sorts of wrangling and comedy of errors including missing boats, seasickness (not us, thank goodness!), torrential Pacific downpours and being ripped off by (probably) well-meaning, but unclear, travel agents. However, it was all part of enjoying "Fiji time" i.e. being so laid back we were horizontal and you couldn't help but have a great time on these beautiful islands: Treasure Island, Musket Cove on Malololailai, and Sonaisali. We felt almost like the Famous Five given the names but didn't think that George, Anne, Julian, Dick and Timmy the ... read more

Two weeks of sun, sea, sand, boats, more boats, red sunsets and loads of snorkeling. Fiji looks just as you see it in all the travel ads and brochures. Azure sea, white sand, palm trees, volcanic landscapes, green hills and beautiful coral reefs. Our flight to Fiji was an easy 3 hours from Auckland, and we were ushered to our hotel - Nadi Bay Hotel - a few kms from the airport, where we had just enough time to dump our bags and join in a traditional kava ceremony. We had no idea we would get to taste the famous kava within an hour of landing in Fiji. Kava is ground from the root of a plant related to the pepper tree and mixed with water, so you can imagine what it tastes like - it ... read more

We landed in Fiji after what seemed to be a lifetime, but was actually 29.5 hours from beginning to end. The beginning being New York City and the end, a small island, in the Yasawa Islands of Fiji. The last leg of the trip was the most eventful. We rode in a small boat through the crystal clear turquoise/jade waters of the South Pacific, into a torrential, truly South Pacific monsoon rainstorm. After being bounced up and down on the wooden bench seats through what seemed like, through my sleep deprived eyes, 20 foot tsunami waves,we luckily arrived in one piece to Nacula Island. We were warmly greeted with huge smiles shouting "Bula!" which means hello. My five days on the island were filled with nothing but pure relaxation. My hang out spot was the hammock ... read more

Fiji! That is pretty much it for now. Don't intend doing much while i'm here, just relaxing. It's really hot. And there are planes flying over head a lot. Bye!... read more

Woke up when the fan goes off and had breakfast. Went on a short walk through the village on the island. This is a good place because the locals are friendly and you can wander through their backyards and chat with them. There is no 'them-and-us' which exists on some other islands, despite the obvious poverty in which some of them live. A far cry from the luxury resort next door where those with too much money are spending 250 pounds a night(!) for exactly the same view. It really is too hot for much midday walking so we head back for lunch and stay in the shade until later where we walked across the island (in 10 minutes) to a remote beach with only us there, and did a bit of snorkeling in the clear ... read more