Fiji - Paradise Found
Upon arriving at Nadi Airport, my travel buddy, Mark and I decided to hop a seaplane to the Yasawa Group of Islands. {I had read about them in the Loney Planet Guide while inflight.} My friend and I love adventure and rarely make any serious plans...I love to see what a place offers and then decide when I get to a destination. It's good to have ideas of what you want to do and what you want to see....but I thrive on flexibility. Taking a different road, so to speak.
In the airport, we head to a travel office and inquire about the Yasawa Island chain. We are greeted by friendly faces that told us about a resort called "Safe Landing" on the Island of Nacula. Even After a 10 1/2 hour flight, we are still game to catch a seaplane to the remote Island resort.
Immediatly upon arrival, we were invited to join a small group of guests on a cave snorkeling adventure. We were whisked away by a small boat and snorkled through caves. Later, we are brought to a tiny unknown island where our tour guides have just caught all kinds of fish and lobster and cook it right on a fire on the beach.
Nacula is the third largest of the Yasawa Group, a hilly volcanic island with four villages. It is about 10 km long and 3km wide. Nearby is the Blue Lagoon famous for the movie it was named after as well as the location for the movie "Castaway".
We stayed in little huts called "Bures" and we are just steps away to the beautiful, sparkling, blue-green water.
At night, we only had the moon to illuminate our path to the toliets. It felt so fun and a bit primative, but that was part of the charm. It was a bit scary when we heard a rustling sound overhead our thatched roof. In the morning, the cookies that we had left out, had been nibbled on!
We woke early and hiked to the top of a cliff that overlooked our secluded beach and watched the sun rise.
On Sunday we decide to go to the next village and attend the Church. It was a wonderful experience as we looked around, there are only a few of us tourists.
It's a great experience sitting on the floor of the preacher's home and all of us talking about our countries and customs. He tells us that Christianity was brought to Fiji by Missionaries and that only about 100+ years ago, canibalism was practiced! Wow. What are we having for lunch, I inquire?! Fish soup. {I sure hope so}
On our last evening on Nacula we ask one of the staff members if he could build us a bonfire on the beach! He happily obliged and it was so wonderful sitting by the fireside as we got to know other guests/travelers.
The next morning we took the small boat back to the beachside terminal, where our Seaplane took us over to the main Island of Fiji.
We stayed at "Club Fiji Resort" ....tiki torches lit the way to our Bungolow, complete with a cute little porch.
The next morning we took a boat trip to Robinson Cursoe Island. Upon arrival we were greeted by locals singing a happy welcome song! Once on the island, the custom is that the 'tribal chief' makes a Kava drink that is made from the root of a pepper tree that.....quite honestly tastes like dirt....{not that I have tasted dirt.} This wooden bowl was passed around for all of us to drink from, in the Kava Ceremony. Before drinking from the bowl we are told me must make a loud clap with our hands.
We had a wonderful time on this island with Island Dancers preforming for us ...I saw them practicing before hand and the girls asked me to join them to teach me some moves! The Fijians are so warm and friendly!
We also had a Polonesian Luau with pork cooked underground....afterwards, firedancers walked on the hot coals! I didn't offer to try that...thank you very much!
This is an Island that is so incredibly beautiful and tranquil....I would go again......and again!
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