Fiji

 I went on this amazing trip to Fiji over spring break, basically because Fiji Airways was having a crazy sale on the direct flight to/from Dallas (I mean, I literally have paid the same for a ticket to Montreal, so this was too good to pass up!), plus it’s low season over there so accommodations were within my budget. And it was amazing!

I stuck to Viti Levu (the big island) partly for financial considerations and partly to make logistics easier, especially since it was also the rainy season and I didn’t know what to expect. (It turns out the weather was beautiful, but even the day before my departure, the forecast looked pretty bad!) But did you know that Fiji has a total of 333 islands? There is a lot to explore!

First, know that the Nadi airport has a room where you can store your luggage securely – it is located right next to the car rental counters, and you must pay in cash. The price was FJD 10.05 for my suitcase. So I left my checked bag there and took only my backpack with me for sightseeing.

I booked a tour from an agency that was directly in the airport lobby. Obviously, I’d recommend doing this ahead of time, but I hadn’t realized that for many travelers, Fiji is a connecting destination, so they often do a quick tour between flights and there are several agencies that accommodate it. I got lucky and got a spot! (This was one place where credit cards are the way to go, so make sure you know your PIN if your card requires one overseas.)

Our first stop was Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple, which is the biggest Hindu temple in the Pacific. I love how colorful it is! You must be dressed modestly, though they can lend you a sarong to cover up, and you will need to take off your shoes for the visit. You can only take photos on the outside, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that the inside, especially the paintings on the ceiling, is worth the visit! There are also coconut trees outside, which to me are always exotic.

The next stop was the Nadi farmers’ market, where you can buy souvenirs (including honey, tamarind paste, and kava powder). I loved seeing the tropical flowers as well as all the exotic produce! I tasted the most amazing lady finger banana – I mean, it was so much sweeter and more flavorful than any banana I’d ever had before! I also tasted kava, a local drink, which… might be an acquired taste, to be honest.

The third stop was Viseisei Village, the first settlement in Fiji, founded some 3,000 years ago by people who sailed in from what is now Tanzania. We encouraged the local economy a bit by purchasing some souvenirs (jewelry in my case, which is definitely plastic instead of the pearl and coral promised, but I really like what I bought!), then I donned a sarong (women must wear one at the village), and we visited the village square and the church. Our guide told us that the locals are very happy they were converted to Christianity! The highlight for me was that they built the whole church themselves, so that they would have a place of worship that didn’t get blown down by every hurricane. The dome was particularly impressive, especially given that they built that part in only a day! We also saw the chief’s house, which isn’t actually where he lives, but where he hosts official visitors (like the British Royal Family).

The last stop on the tour was the one I really wanted to see, the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. There is a collection of orchids, as well as more expansive grounds with lots of native plants which you can take more time to explore. Upon returning to the reception area, we were given a glass of fresh fruit juice, and it was fabulous!

I really liked doing this tour because it allowed me to see a lot of things in the area, and it was affordable. I also learned things about Fiji; I knew that its main industry is tourism, but I learned that the next three are exports: in order, sugar cane, wood (especially mahogany), and Fiji water. Plus, the people are very friendly! You can expect to hear “Bula!” many, many times a day (it is a greeting, the equivalent of both “hello” and “welcome”).

Another thing I would have liked to do in the area is visit the hot springs and mud baths; however, logistics seemed a bit complicated for me given that I was still in transit between the airport and my hotel. But it’s one of the top things to do in Fiji!

My hotel was on the Coral Coast, which is known for its beaches and clear water. While it was a really nice hotel, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by the waterfront – I had not realized that the whole thing was on a lagoon, not a sandy beach like I had pictured. And there were a few problems with the billing, but that’s another story! The grounds were really nice, though, and there was a fruit bat colony right there are the hotel, which provided endless entertainment for me.

The next day, I took a cab to Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, which was wonderful. The guide who greeted me showed me the map (of which I took a photo, because they don’t have paper copies) and told me about the two trail options. Since it was already hot at 9:00am, I opted for the shorter trail. I couldn’t tell you how long it is, though, because even though the guide said it was 1.5 km (0.93 miles), I started walking uphill and after 5 minutes or so, cursed under my breath because I had forgotten to start my Strava counter. I started it right then, and by the time I came back to my starting point (the trail is a loop), my Strava indicated I had walked 2.9 miles! Is it possible that the trail is 1.5 km as seen from above, but with the many hills (Strava says elevation is 182 feet, though I didn’t start from the very beginning), it actually comes out to be more? For what it’s worth, it certainly felt closer to 3 miles than to 1 mile.

Anyway, the hike starts out in the jungle; you get incredible views of the dunes and ocean, then walk down to the beach. Swimming would be ill-advised, because the waves and currents are really strong, but of course I dipped my feet in for the part of the hike! Once I had dried off, I went back into the jungle, passing birds and a fruit bat colony, then made it back to the welcome counter. I looked at the exhibits they had, which I hadn’t taken the time to do before. There’s a lot there about artefacts that were found on site, as well as explanations about traditional Fijian culture. This was a great visit – I highly recommend it!

I spent the rest of my vacation at my hotel, wading in the lagoon or in the pool and reading, and really just enjoying the surroundings. Oh, and I tried local chocolate! There’s Vanua Chocolate, near the Nadi airport, which offers tours of their chocolate factory, but only for groups of four or more people (I asked). So I ended up buying some of their chocolate at the airport instead of going in person. I also got some Fijiana Cacao chocolate, including two types of white chocolate. In all honesty, both brands of dark chocolate had bloomed and seemed bland, as well as dry and brittle. I actually noticed that on the package of Vanua dark chocolate labeled “60% cocoa,” the first ingredient was actually sugar…