Updated by AnnaAfter the long 10 hour flight to Nadi airport from Los Angeles we were ready for some lazy beach life. Arrived at 6.30am and felt knackered but we were welcomed by the Fijian people (the friendliest people in the world!) at the airport who approached us and arranged all our transport to our hostel. For free! I think we’re going to like this country!
Our hostel - The Sky lodge - was situated 10 minutes from the airport We had a basic but clean room and an inviting swimming pool. We had a dead cheap breakfast which was a change from expensive USA. Baked in the sun for a couple of hours and looked at palm trees and realised this was gonna be a good 12 days!
We paid 5 Fiji dollars (approximately £1.50) for a trip into town with a bloke who was a shop owner at Skylodge also. He dropped us off right outside his friends souvenir shop and we politely had a quick look around it. Then it was Paul’s turn to try and haggle himself a snorkel set for a decent price. He left the shop a few times and finally got the price he was prepared to pay. Paul was desperate for a haircut and got a thorough one in a small hairdressers. The lady spent a good 15 minutes cutting his hair and another 15 minutes brushing it!
Next day we travelled on an open bus, a bus with windows ripped out for natural air conditioning. The tears flooded down my cheeks because of the strong winds but we were headed to Port Denaru to start our island hopping. From the bus we saw kids playing football on the fields, some walking barefoot to school and lots of sugarcane fields.
We checked our bags in and stepped on the big bright yellow Yasawa Flyer boat which was going to transport us between the islands. After a couple of hours we saw the beautiful Tawewa Island and the Coral View resort. We jumped on a smaller motor boat where the men threw everyone’s suitcases in the air over the water to each other, obviously used to it. As we approached the beach a handful of natives were singing, clapping and waving at us. Both men and women had flowers in their hair, Hawaiian shirts and the traditional sulu skirt . We got a BIG welcome with hugs and handshakes and a lovely ice cold drink.
We stayed one or two nights at four different islands where each one had different choices of day trips and activities you could do. We went swimming with sharks - imagine yourself in a small motorboat in the middle of the sea with rough waves and every time the boat hits a wave everybody onboard screams out loud with fear! The boat finally stops and the divers tell you to jump out of it. You take a deep breath and do it and its amazing underwater! Incredible colourful tropical fish in all shapes and sizes swim right next to you. Then its time for the diving men to feed the sharks who where about a metre and a half long. There were three of them and all I could think about was the soundtrack of Jaws……nana nana nana nana!
We went swimming in underwater caves, ocean kayaking and climbed some really steep hills and mountains. One of these hills hosted an absolute massive spider and phobic Anna ran up the hill in nanoseconds! Paid a visit to the beautiful Blue Lagoon (where Brooke Shields was swimming in the same film) and did some snorkelling. Paul did a scuba dive and was very excited when he surfaced!
There was time for just laying in the hammock between the coconut trees as well. One could stretch ones hand out and get hold of papaya, bananas or pineapple! When you heard the bongo drums everyone on the island ran to the dining area to have breakfast, lunch or dinner like their life depended on it which it kind of was - it was the only place where you could eat on the island!
One evening there was a traditional Kava (slightly narcotic juice from a root) ceremony which we participated in. The Kava tasted like dirty water but the mood was on top and everyone was singing English and Fiji songs all together aahh…
Sailed on the big “Seaspray” boat out on the Mamanuca Islands and visited the “Castaway Island” where Tom Hanks was stranded in the film. Took the obligatory picture there but I also really hurt my back on the coral reef whilst snorkelling. Paid a visit to a really poor village and saw some gorgeous children drumming and singing with wooden sticks and plastic boxes. That’s all you need.
Then it was off to the coral coast and the ride of a lifetime. This is the moment I thought I would die…really. It was pitch dark and we sat with seven other people in a minibus. The driver started the journey by pulling out tools from under his feet to screw the wheels on -promising!! He then sped off really fast but we can’t tell how much because the Speedometer was broken. I prayed all the way to our next accommodation, the Beachhouse.
The Beach House was used as the scene for the reality show “Love Island”. I enjoyed an hour-long massage for £8. It was a dream and so good! But enough of lazing around - we were off on a jungle trek with our guide Tshuta who told us all about the Fijian history and what to live on in the jungle. The long walk led us up to a beautiful waterfall where we had a really cold swim.
All in all the time spent in Fiji was a paradise on earth. It was so sad to leave it! :-( Next stop New Zealand……:-)
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