Fiji

BULA!!!

This is the one word that you hear everywhere in Fiji. If you pass someone in the street, they say it, and when anyone starts a conversation they say it. It simply means hello and good wishes to you, and that is the feeling that the people of Fiji leave you with. We have never met a race of people that are SO SO happy. :o)

We arrived in Nadi which is the second largest city on the islands, but quickly found out that its not that big, probably about the size of Bonnybridge. After a couple of days soaking up the local culture ( ok sunshine and beer ) we decided that we needed to be out on to the islands that you imagine, when you think of Fiji, and so we booked an 11 night / 12 day island hop up through the chain of islands called the Yasawas.

The first stop was to the party island resort of Beachcomber for 2 nights. When we arrived we were glad that we decided against the dorms, and opted for the double room on each of the islands. the only dorm on the island slept 100 people in the same room, while we had our own "Bure" ( small house ). The island itself wasn't as much of a party, as we had thought, but we still managed to work our way through some cocktails and local beers in the evenings. Just to relax after the hard days topping up our tans. The 2 days flew past and before we knew it we were on our way to the second island resort.

Waya Lailai was where we next set foot on land, and basic is probably the best way to describe the island...No hot water, buffet meals, a small bure with the toilet and shower behind a shower curtain. However we were not put off as we had a few activities on the island ( a summit walk, kayaking, and snorkeling), but the weather soon put a stop to any ideas that we had about doing these. For the two days it pretty much rained, along with strong winds, so we worked our way through the books which we had during the day, and sat in the bar at night...just one of the blows that life can deal you...lol.

Next stop was Korovou, which turned out to be the favorite island that we went to. The bure where we stayed was simply stunning, with a separate sitting room, en suite bathroom and HOT water. The communal area had a swimming pool to relax by and at night the entertainment consisted drinking whilst the locals put on a Fire show. The second day we hired a Kayak and set off for one of the many secluded beaches next to the resort, and soon we had our own beach to sunbathe on before having to return late in the afternoon.

At Coral View we had a trip to the Sawailau caves, which are sacred to the Fijians as this is where their ancestors believed the gods lived. To move between the caves we had to dive down for a meter and then swim through for four, in to the total darkness. So it was a little scary for everyone but worth the effort once you were through.

On Manta Ray resort, the main attraction at this time of year is to swim with the Manta rays which pass the island. You get dropped at the north of the channel between the two islands and swim with the current down to the south, as the rays are swimming against the tide. The first time we went in to the water there was a ray about five meters away, and as they are between three and five meters in size it was an awe inspiring sight. The next few times we were not so lucky as the moved past us without getting a great view of them. Then the last time the skipper of the boat had a good sighting of them and was able to drop us in a prime position, where the ray swam past within touching distance. It is difficult to describe just how magical the whole experience was...

The last island that we went to was Bounty, this is the island where they filmed Celebrity Love island, although the only part that really remains is the swimming pool. The next day we went on our final trip on a schooner which was built in Scotland called Sea spray. The boat took us out to the island where they shot the Tom Hanks film Castaway, and after snorkeling in the clear waters, looking for wilson ( to no avail ), and watching coconuts being burst open with a bare hand, we were back on board and heading for a trip to a local village to meet the chief. The chief welcomed us with a traditional ceremony of drinking Kava ( a root ground up and mixed with water ) The Kava didn't taste the best, but numbed the whole of your mouth for a little while so after the first one you probably wouldn't taste the others.


After returning to Nadi, we have decided that, to make the most of the week that we have left in Fiji, we should head back to the Islands...and have booked 4 nights on to the Robinson Crusoe resort, so we'll let you know how we get on once we are back...

Thanks for the comments, it's good to know that this drivel is being read...lol