Despite the fears about the journey, it wasn’t too bad! Once our feet was on Australian soil, we had a delicious breakfast and then managed to get a few hours sleep in the airport. Fortunately we had a transfer arranged in Fiji, so we knew once we landed we would soon be on our way. Ali, our driver met us as arranged and took us to a supermarket on the way to the hotel to get some supplies for our room. When booking Fiji we were confused! Most people opt to stay on the islands, however we couldn’t face getting off the flight and getting to the port for an onward boat trip – the closest island resort is around and hour and a half from the mainland.
Dropped at the hotel, we checked in and taken to our Oceanview Bure. It was lovely (although you had to squint to see the sea) The next day we had a pool day to rest and recover.
Alarm set ready for a day trip to the Coral Coast, we had arranged for Ali to take us. First stop was Pottery Village, where we took part in a welcome ceremony, drank Kava (non alcoholic) and had a demonstration of the pottery making process. Then we had the opportunity to buy some of the handmade crafts. We did buy a few small bits that would fit in our case, to support the village. Next up was Sigatoka town, took a walk around and looked at the markets/shops. Ali had warned us that the market traders will try and entice you to their shops, where your would pay over the odds for anything. Fortunately we avoided the one guy that attempted to take us to his shop, we had learned well in India. That said it was nowhere near as pressured as Delhi. A restaurant had been suggested to us, as it would be the only opportunity to eat, until we returned back to the hotel. At this point we weren’t that hungry, but we headed for King Singh’s. Walked through the door and it was more like an informal snack bar, so we had a light bite. G ordered a large beer, expecting it to be a pint. A 1.25 ltr bottle was put on the table and our faces were a picture. Our bill for a toasted sandwich/fries, omelette/fries, bottle of water, can of coke and the huge bottle of beer came to £12.15! Next stop, the sand dunes. There was the option of two walks, we opted for the shorter route as the weather was hot. The dunes are the largest in South Pacific and the sand was so hot, but eventually we reached a deserted beach. It was full of driftwood and made a striking sight. We walked along the shore and then back through the forest to the start point. By this time it had started to rain. Final stop of the day was Natadola Beach and fortunately the rain had blown over. We’d brought our towels, so had a quick paddle/swim before lying down for an hour on the warm sand. On arrival Ali had pointed us to Miriam, who was manning a massage shack on the beach. Went and spoke to her and both had a massage. G enjoyed it more than M, even though she’d asked for medium pressure, it felt pretty firm. What a great day and Ali had given us lots of info and stories of Fiji life.
The next few days, the weather was mixed but mainly with clouds and light rain in the late afternoon. We spent time by the pool and beach and walked to the local marina. We found a bar/restaurant and planned to eat there one night. We kept putting off booking a boat trip, but it was now or never and we eventually booked for our last full day, as the weather looked better.
For the second time in Fiji our alarm was set for an early morning. Collection time of 7.45am meant that we did have time for breakfast before setting off. However our room phone rang at 6.30am, the driver was here to collect us! We did point out the time on our confirmation and he said he would wait. It was an hours drive over to the port from our hotel, however we were still there over an hour before our departure. Fortunately the port has some shops, so we had a browse before getting onboard. The first choice of boat/trip wasn’t available for our chosen day, so we’d opted for the 2nd option. It was a great day though. The catamaran sailed for nearly two hours, passing by some of the islands before anchoring by a reef and a sand bar. Fully equipped with snorkelling gear, tender boat if you didn’t want to swim to the reef, paddle boards and a SLIDE! Served a delicious lunch and had about three hours anchored. We’ve done several boat trips over the years and always a little disappointed with them, however this trip was fantastic, well priced and exactly as promised. A slight hiccup on our return to the port, there was no taxi waiting to take us back to the hotel, however it was soon sorted and we made it back to take advantage of happy hour. Thoroughly enjoyed our Fijian adventure, both agreed that six nights was long enough to give us a flavour of the country and witness the hospitality. As it’s so far from England and not that easy to get to, we probably won’t make it back – but never say never.
Next stop, a three island adventure in French Polynesia – Tahiti, Bora Bora and Mo’orea
