Flying Dutchman Pat

Fiji is an archipelago of more than 300 islands in the South Pacific, roughly 3000 km east of Australia. It’s famed for rugged landscapes, palm-lined beaches and coral reefs with clear lagoons. Fiji is for me the South Pacific dream; it has a very diverse landscape, it has one of the friendliest people you will meet and it’s one of the easiest and cheapest places in the South Pacific to travel around. Grab your swimming gear and join me to the gem of the South Pacific: Fiji!

Facts

• Capital: Suva
• Language: Fijian, English
• Currency: Fijian Dollar (1 €  ≅ 2.2 FJD)
• Population: 900.000
• Size: 18,274 km² (1/2 of Holland)
• Daylight saving time: Yes
• Visas: Not required for most nationalities
• Best time to visit: April/May, October/November
• Visited: 2011 (part of Pacific trip)

Nadi

I reached Fiji within 6 hours by plane from Guam. All international flights arrive at Nadi which lies on the island of Viti Levu. It’s the biggest island of Fiji and also of the Pacific and therefor a major hub to reach other smaller islands in the Pacific. You will be welcomed by a local band right after you cleared immigration. Their happy paradise-like music brings you in a sun-induced holiday mood! Best welcome ever! They should do this everywhere in the world! You will feel the friendliness and unaffected warmth of the locals from the moment you set foot into Fiji (and not only because of the burning sun). I love it!

The beach in front of my hostel in Nadi.

Spotting expensive yachts in the harbor.

Fijians are happy, they are always smiling, they love to have a chat and are completely unfamiliar with the terms ‘stress’, ‘hurry’ and ‘rush’. You’re in the Pacific; time doesn’t exist here! They greet everyone with a powerful Bula! You will use it a lot too!

The Americans were here too!

Perfect sunset over Nadi!

I grabbed a minivan and reached my hostel, Smugglers Cove Beach Resort, within a few minutes. Smugglers Cove is a great and clean place with heaps of free inclusions. They also have an excellent pool, tour desk and a beach with gentle swaying palm trees in their backyard! The hostel is packed with young British backpackers who are all traveling with an Around-The-World-Ticket with stops in LA – Fiji – Sydney. Fiji feels therefor sometimes a bit touristy as it is part of this Around-The-World chain. Something you will not feel in the majority of the other lesser known Pacific islands.

Waiting for my catamaran to the Yasawas.

I explored Nadi, a part of the island Viti Levu and Denarau Island which has a great harbor with stunning yachts. After exploring the main island it was time for some island hopping through the Yasawas!

Yasawa, Wayalailai

You can reach the beautiful islands of the Yasawa group by catamaran (Yasawa Flyer) from the harbor of Denarau. The Yasawa group consists of 20 volcanic islands which represent Fiji at its picture postcard best. The Yasawas became world famous after they released the movie ‘The Blue Lagoon’ with Brooke Shields which was filmed on the Yasawas. The Yasawa group was also the main spot for the movie ‘Cast Away’ with Tom Hanks.

The Yasawa group consists of many beautiful islands.

So many islands to choose from!

The catamaran made its way up the Yasawa chain until I reached the island of my dreams: Wayalailai. A small boat collected me from the Yasawa Flyer and brought me to the island. The locals welcomed me to the island by making music and performing their traditional dance. They were all wearing colorful clothes and a flower behind their ears. Just perfect!

The island of my dreams is waiting for me!

Bula! And welcome to Wayalailai, Fiji!

Wayalailai is a beautiful volcanic island. It doesn’t have pearly white beaches, but you will get an amazing rugged landscape for it in return. I stayed at the Sunset Waya Beach Resort where I met an awesome group of like minded travelers. There are no restaurants on the island so all meals are included in your island-home-stay experience.

The beautiful bungalows of the Sunset Waya Beach Resort on Wayalailai island.

Just another peaceful day on Wayalailai island.

There are a lot of things to do on the island or on the water, like: snorkeling with sharks, playing volleyball, sunbathing and hiking, but the best thing to do here is just relax…..take a zip from your Fijian rum and relax in your hammock under a shady palm. Island life ain’t so bad, ain’t so bad at all!

It’s a beautiful day!

Wayalailai is the best place to forget your everyday stress.

Left: It’s time for a nap under a shady palm – Right: Catching some fish for dinner!

Did you know that most of the deadly accidents that happen on the Pacific islands are a result from falling coconuts? You will see warning signs everywhere: ‘Beware of Falling Coconuts!’. Don’t park your car under a palm tree, because dents in your car from a falling coconut will not be covered by your insurance.

Snorkeling with sharks.

Wayalailai is so peaceful!

Another fun thing to do on Wayalailai is to hike to the highest point of the island. It takes roughly 1.5 hour and you will be rewarded with amazing views over the Yasawas.

On my way to the top!

A great bird’s-eye view of my bungalow.

You can see many Yasawa islands from the top on a clear day. I just love their rugged shapes.

Such an amazing view!

Yeah! I reached the top!

This is my kind of paradise!

After enjoying this remarkable view I returned to the ‘camp’ for a night filled with good food, drinks, music and dancing!

This neighboring island looks incredible from above!

Time to return to the camp!

When you visit Fiji (or the western part of the Pacific in general) you will find yourself taking part in traditional kava ceremonies. It’s an important aspect of visiting any village in Fiji or beyond. Kava is a mildly narcotic drink made from mixing the powdered root of the pepper plant with water. It looks like dirt water, it has an awful taste and it’s stronger than alcohol. It results in a numb feeling around the mouth, lips and tongue and a sense of relaxation. You will drink it out of a wooden bowl. I was not able to talk anymore after 4 bowls, so I realized I had enough for the night. The locals drink kava like how the Russians drink vodka: like water. It’s illegal to export kava out of the islands.

I love the traditional music of this island!

We had such a wonderful evening.

After 3 wonderful days it was time to take the catamaran back to Nadi. We had a stunning sunset on the way back!

I will miss you Fiji! See you next time!

One more night in Nadi and then back to the airport. When I look at the screen which shows the arrival and departure times of the aircraft’s I see places of which I’ve never heard of: Wallis & Futuna, Tuvalu, Tokelau……I’m so curious how these unknown places look like! They sound so tropical!

After Fiji I flew off to my next Pacific island: Vanuatu!

Wanna see more travel pics? Check out my Photo Gallery