Bula! If you've known me for at least one meal there's a good chance I've mentioned a minimum of one story relating to my trip to Fiji. It's hard to believe that it has already been five years since we picked up our bags and headed to these breathtaking islands in the middle of the Pacific.
I need to preface this trip with one key point. Usually my best friend, who lives in Sydney, and I coordinate our vacation together so we meet somewhere in the world even for just a few days. Planning for summer 2016 wasn't simply a normal holiday, to me it was the first big trip since my brother died. I needed a getaway and a push out of my comfort zone. Even though I am a total water baby, I had never done such a spontaneous trip. We had only booked our first 3 nights of our 20 day trip, the rest we left up to chance. We ended up getting a group of girls together, all in different points in life, some of us had been best friends for many years, while others had never met each other. The five of us had one thing in common, the need for change and breaking out of our routines, and quite simply a classic adventure.
I owe my travel style to this trip. Learning how to live in the moment, to love the times that things don't go according to plan, and realizing that it truly is the little things that make the biggest difference. I hope you enjoy this itinerary, and that you get the chance to explore Fiji and its wonderful people soon!
Before Traveling to Fiji
Before making your way to Fiji be sure to check the official government websites with the latest updates on what is required before entering the island. As of right now the island is still closed non-Fijian citizens, due to COVID-19. Minster of Health website for updates http://www.health.gov.fj
In order to preserve its local island agriculture it is illegal to bring most food to Fiji. Be sure to declare anything you do bring in, and if you have stocked up with snacks for the plane (me...), throw them out before entering the country.
20 Days in Fiji
Yasawa Islands
Days 1-7
You've landed on top of the water of the north western islands in Fiji, the Yasawa Islands. From here there are several accommodation options. Below I'll take you down our itinerary, involving lots of island hopping, and less luxury. I am adding a nicer hotel at the end of this section in case you're looking to do that kind of trip.
This first hotel, Coral View Resort, is famous because of the popular Brooke Shields movie. You're next to the caves and the Blue Lagoon beach which they habitat in the film. You will be mere steps from beautiful snorkeling where you an spot ancient clams, octopus, go on a shark dives, aside from the other marine locals like the clown fish, etc.
STAY
Coral View Resort
Coral View Resort is not a luxury hotel. It is a perfect place for friends to go together, especially traveling on a budget as there are many types of room options. The staff at Coral View really made the trip. All food is included, so are most activities, which is common for most hotels in Fiji. You will become friends with guests and staff at the hotel, believe when I say they will go above and beyond to ensure you have a great time. We were all so sad to leave them.
Roll out of bed either in your dorm style room, or in your private bure and head up to breakfast in your bathing suit. You must be prepared because as soon as you hear the beat of the drum you need to run down to the beach, hop into a boat because a manta ray has been spotted in the area. This island is located just off of a beautiful coral reef where you can snorkel - please be cautious of your flippers and body parts as hitting the coral causes irreparable damage.
At night enjoy pizza hour with some beach volleyball, play games together in the common area, watch fire dancing shows, along with several other sunset options. This hotel is another one where we made lovely friends and ended up traveling together for a few days. There are lots of scuba diving options here for those of you who have your PADI.
Mantaray Island Resort
Now let me give you a different option. This island is not in the Yasawa Islands technically, but it is a good option if you want to get away from the main island of Viti Levu. If you are in the mood for some serious luxury, it doesn't get better than a private island, right? This exclusive little island embodies all of Fiji's wonders, as well as their value towards sustainability.
You will arrive here on a private air transfer from Nadi Airport. There is plenty to do and enjoy on this island, from horseback riding, diving, gastronomy, 18-hole championship golf course, spa treatments, just to name a few. I don't think you need more than this view to be convinced of this one.
Laucala Island
Before I take you to our official adventures, I need to mention that Fijian Airways is an amazing airline. Very comfortable and great food and service. I connected through San Francisco and since the flight was at night over the Pacific, all you see are stars, it feels like you're in space.
Upon arrival we decided we didn't want to spend our whole first day on the ferry to get to the Yasawas. We took a quick 30 minute flight on the seaplane with Turtle Airways. The flight was amazing! It was the perfect first experience in Fiji.
*if you want to fly the plane, call dibs on co-piloting
DAY 1
Upon arrival, we got picked up by a little boat from the Coral View Resort. We had originally booked ourselves into the common "dorm" sleeping area but quickly decided that the four of us would share our own private "Bure".
That first evening we walked down the beach and watched the sunset before heading to the restaurant common area. There we quickly made friends with other hotel guests and all the staff. We welcomed the evening with local dances, a lovely meal, and some yummy drinks.
Morning came, after indulging on delicious fresh fruit and omelets we had do decide what our first adventure would be. The choices started off with a shark dive, which I was excited about, the girls not so much. We ended up choosing a trip over to Blue Lagoon Island - where the movie was filmed for some snorkeling and beach time.
Getting to witness the locals under the beautiful blue surface was amazing. I personally live in a place where snorkeling and diving is always available, so seeing the different inhabitants and variety was really interesting and beautiful. Lots of clownfish, octopus, and giant clams that have been around for hundreds of years.
In the afternoon we headed back to the hotel and learned how to make bags out of palm leaves. The native Fijian - like most islanders, are extremely resourceful and make beautiful and efficient things using every part of the tree. Nothing goes to waste, we could really learn a thing or two from them.
DAY 2
Once the sun went to bed we had our first experience of Kava. This local "drink" has a ceremony that leads it. Now, I am not going to beat around the bush here, it looked like dirt and water mixed together. The drink was cloudy, but rest assured it's safe to consume. I personally didn't love the taste, I was glad when I looked over to my friend and saw her sharing my exact sentiments, but even more surprised when I looked to my other side and my best friend was asking for her second round. I didn't realize the effects of this drink, but once you stand up you might feel a little lightheaded.
We woke up very much seeking our true Brooke Shields moment, and we weren't disappointed. After breakfast the four of us hopped onto a little boat organized by the hotel, to the stunning Sawa-i-Lau caves.There is an option of going by sea plane, in case you aren't on the mood for the 30-minute boat ride. As you enter the narrow stairway between all of the cave walls you'll find an opening into the main chamber. For those of you who are claustrophobic, there is a hole at the top of the cave so there is natural sunlight and the cave is fully lit up. Once you arrive to the end of the stairs you can jump in and swim around. Now, if you've reached your limit, just hang out here in the main cave. For those who want a little more adventure, you can swim through a short underwater tunnel into a neighboring cave. This cave is not lit up at all, underwater you can see a little light through the tunnel from the original big cave but other than that it's pitch black.
DAY 3
At first going up for air in complete darkness is a bit unsettling, but it's only a few moments until the tour guide comes with an underwater flashlight. While the light is a relief, when he lit up the edge of the cave and you see what is a huge cliff going down into the endless abyss, there is a strange sense of vertigo. We swam around, all clinging on to a floater in the water. It was a great experience but one that I reckon doesn't need to last more than ten minutes, but that's just me.
The last evening at the Coral View Resort ended up being a party, we learned the Bula Dance, introduced our favorite tunes to our new Fijian friends and learned the local's favorites, and had beautiful conversations under the stars.
Our time at Coral View had come to an end, we departed to catch the Yasawa Flyer ferry (link below), to our new home for the next 3 days on Mantaray Island. The point of this trip was to not over plan or overthink what we would be doing or where we would be going. We decided on Mantaray Island a day before booking our beds. The Yasawa flyer is a quick ferry that stops along different islands. The hotel boat takes you and your luggage, mine had still not arrived from the US at this point, directly to the boat. Passing between the islands is a pleasure in itself.
We made friends on the ferry, little did we know we would become very close over the next few days, we still speak today 5 years later. Day 4 was a bit of a travel day, we made it in time to see the sunset before dinner, then head down to the common area to hang out with the other guests. This hotel has a very "hostel" vibe, the guests are really nice and inclusive.
DAY 4
Day 5 was amazing. Simple as that. We were told to go to breakfast in the morning with our bathing suits on and to wait for the drum. A little confused we did as we were told, that morning they explained to us that the beat of the drum meant a manta ray had been spotted in the area. As soon as you heard the loud drum anyone who wanted to witness them had to run down to the boats within 5 minutes. Three of us grabbed spots on the boat and headed out around the island cove. Entering a new bay we jumped in to join the majestic filter feeders. Now, we had been warned not to follow these animals because they feed against the current, and well, will basically definitely out swim you. Did we listen? Not really... We got distracted following a pair of underwater acrobats that we drifted away from the boat. Long story short, we got left behind and had to swim to a local fishing boat that fetched our boat. Lucky we didn't panic...
DAY 5
This day was the first day we woke up without having a plan or activity on the books, or even in mind for that matter. That being said, today was a very eventful day, the primary reason being that my luggage finally found me! It was a mission to coordinate a reunion with my bag. I will give one piece of advice if your luggage doesn't make it in Fiji. It will get on the next flight from your original airport, obviously Fiji isn't a destination that has 3 or 4 flights a day from major cities, it's likely your bag will be on its way in the next day or two. Once the bag is in Fiji it needs to get on the ferry and will get dropped off to the island you're on. If you are staying on the same island for at least five days you're fine, we didn't do that so we kept missing each other. That being said, I packed a shirt, shorts, a bikini, a mask, my flippers, and all cameras in my hand luggage, crisis averted. Even though I didn't need much to survive as an islander, I was a really happy girl when all of my clothes arrived on shore.
DAY 6
Our last full day on Manta Ray Island... We took advantage of the low tide and went exploring the caves around the island and shot some content, shoutout to @buburuby for the gorgeous pieces on this trip.
The evening consisted of swapping the day's diving stories with our new friends over a wood oven pizza. We celebrated a birthday over some pineapple-rums, also named piney-rums if you're with us, and got to experience a traditional Fijian Fire Dance. Perfect last night in the Yasawas.
DAY 7
Mamanuca Islands
Days 7-13
Now we leave the beautiful Yasawa Islands and make our way down to the Mamanucas. Our first stop was Bounty Island. We didn't love the idea of spending only one night in a hotel, but since there was no availability at the Beachcomber, we decided to stop along this tiny island.
The highlight of the island was definitely the sea turtle sanctuary located on site. Bounty Island Resort is a really perfect stop if you are traveling in a big group. We were told that the Survivor Crew had spent their days off at the hotel. There is a huge entertainment area, ideal if you plan on celebrating an event. This is not a luxury option, we enjoyed our night there, but if we did the trip again we would have skipped over this stop and gone directly to Beachcomber.
STAY
Bounty Island Resort
The Beachcomber exceeded my expectations. To be honest, I really wanted to stay away from the "party island", as it was sort of the opposite vibe of the trip. Since we were only planning 2-3 days ahead this was the only available option for those dates. Thank goodness we got a chance to stop over here. This hotel is young and fun. There are different lodging options, we opted for a shared "dorm" but not the "grand dorm" that was huge. Ladies, there are options for you to stay in an all-girls dorm if choose. You also have the option of your own private bure as well. This island has a young "spring break" feel, although that being said, there were families that were enjoying themselves too. It's extremely accessible from Nadi and Port Denarau via seaplane, ferry, or boat. Here you will find five different happy hours a day, fun events like fire dancing, hermit crab races, as well as the normal partying.
Beachcomber Island Resort
Funky Fish, what a pleasant surprise you were. We caught a boat from the Beachcomber over here, along with a few surfers that were excited for the big swell coming into Cloudbreak. If you are looking to catch some waves or enjoy some kite boarding, this is the perfect hotel. It's low key, there is a pool, which believe it or not is not always the case in the beach resorts in Fiji, and at night the dinner was the best we had on the trip. It's a great hotel to wind down and enjoy hanging out under the stars after a day of water adventures.
Funky Fish
Beach Resort
When you think of luxury destination hotels, it's likely that the Six Senses comes to mind. This beautiful hotel is located on Malolo, sharing the island with Funky Fish Beach Resort. This is a great option if you're looking to catch some waves or enjoy water sports, but with the 5-star experience. Aside from the normal Fijian activities, you have a spa, cinema under the stars, hikes, cooking and mixology classes, village visits, ocean conservation, just to name a few on a list at the Six Senses.
Six Senses Fiji
Bye bye Mantaray Island, hello Bounty Island! Leaving the Yasawa islands to the Mamanucas you feel a change. Probably because the Mamanuca islands are so easy to get to from the mainland, they are definitely more commercial, absolutely still beautiful. The relationships with people, particularly the staff, was noticeable. We all agreed the first night in this new island group, that with one or two exceptions, the service on these islands was subpar. Arrival to Bounty Island involved some hiccups in the reservation, but overall we were just happy to have a bed for the night after our day hopping on and off the ferry. This island had a turtle sanctuary, you can imagine how excited Camila was...
DAY 8
We only had one evening here, that was enough. That being said, if you were traveling in a big group, this hotel has a really fun entertaining space by the pool. Speakers, games, and a bar make it the perfect spot for a party if you have the crowd. We were told that the survivor crew had been there the day before on their night off. Our big plan was to make it to Cloud 9 the next day. So after our walk around the island, which took a grand total of about 10 minutes walk the entire thing, we enjoyed the sunset with some dinner and drinks before bed.
What a day... The four of us had completed checked-out in the morning from Bounty Island. Logistically speaking we put a lot of trust in a bunch of random strangers on day 9. We needed to get from Bounty Island to Beachcomber, but we wanted to stop at the famous Cloud 9 floating restaurant. Our luggage stayed on the boat the whole day while it moved passengers around the Mamanuca islands, all the while we enjoyed pizza and jumping from the second level of the restaurant into the fresh blue water.
Cloud 9 was a great experience, we even tried to go later on the trip again. It's a perfect day on the water, eating and drinking. The music is loud, you can definitely turn things into a party here. You can jump without being worried of hitting anything sharp on the bottom as this restaurant floats above a perfect sandbank, with the occasional fish visitor. Boats tend not stick around, if they do it's via anchor, and since it is completely in the middle of the water the only way to arrive is by boat. You must make reservations in advance as there is a maximum capacity and spots fill up days ahead.
DAY 9
My friend Amanda gets a special picture of herself on day 10 because she is a legend...here's why. I got a text three days prior from her, she told me she was in the Bahamas with her family, and went on to tell me that our trip looked really fun. I answered with the typical "you should join us!" I was obviously surprised when she asked how much longer we would be there for. When I told her we were just half way through the trip she replied with, ok, I've booked a flight, I'll see you in two days. She had asked me where to meet but since we didn't know on day 7 where we would be on day 10 I told her I would send someone to pick her up at the airport. As soon as we knew we would be staying at Beachcomber I let her know, but between the flights from the Bahamas - Miami - San Francisco - Nadi, and the lack of WiFi everywhere, I had no idea if she had in fact received the message.
DAY 10
Obviously the car I had arranged didn't meet her at the airport. She ended up taking a really sketchy drive with a man named Jack, from Nadi to Port Denarau, then caught the ferry to the Beachcomber. We were in the middle of lunch when we see a little boat pull up on shore and there she was! That day, one of the four of our original girls left us and we gained Mandy Moo. It was moments like this that made the trip so fun and special.
Late start on day 11 after celebrating the arrival of our friend with some dancing in the sand. We hopped onto a boat and explored a near by reef before making it back in time for the third happy hour of the day. At night we had a fire dancing show under the stars, followed by an incredible event, the Hermit Crab Racing World Cup. In this event we all bet on a country, the country's flags were painted on shells, all the hermit crabs would head to the starting line and participate in a race. It may not sound exciting but I can assure you it was, also a good way to make some extra cash if you're lucky enough.
*I cannot disclose country winners as it would be an unfair advantage in future hermit crab races.
DAY 11
Another lazy morning getting out of bed at Beachcomber. We had an incident in the middle of the night with some of our Kiwi roommates, the story is a bit gross so I'll just save it for another time. Nevertheless, the night involved intolerable smells and switching beds, we slept in. This was our last breakfast on the Beachcomber beach, Funky Fish Beach Resort had organized a boat to come and pick us up from the Musket Cove Marina, one ferry stop away from Beachcomber. Stepping onto a five star resort with a mini market and real restaurants seemed like a different world - everywhere we stayed in Fiji was communal dining with a meal plan bought ahead of time. On our boat over we made a friend from Byron Bay that had flown in just to surf the swell coming into Cloudbreak. This hotel was the definition of a surfers paradise. If you are looking to surf, dive, kite surf, etc. this place is catered to all of those activities. We enjoyed our first sunset on our last stop in the Mamanuca Islands.
DAY 12
I have to say, I am so proud of my friends. We had a very, very adventure-filled day 13, where it's safe to say all of us question what the hell we were doing at some point. We woke up quite early, thank you Funky Fish surfers, to boards being waxed, fins being tightened, and breakfast being served. Today was an important day because it was the day we were going to see the famous wave on the WSL stop, Cloudbreak. My brother and I always used to talk about his wave, I couldn't come to Fiji and not see it, obviously I dragged my girls along too.
I can safely say my friends are pretty much fearless, but everyone has that thing or two that makes them uncomfortable. We were on our way to the docks next to our new surfer friends, they had their boards in hand, we had our mask and flippers.
DAY 13
Does it seem weird to you that we are bringing snorkeling gear to a heavy wave during a swell? It should, we were very confused. One of the hotel staff members told us that the wave broke on a beautiful reef and we couldn't miss it. Skeptical, we indulged this idea and brought our gear along. In Fiji, you really don't know what you're going to get. So when this sturdy, metal boat, with two outboard motors pulled up on the dock I was very pleasantly surprised. Little did I know how short lived that little sense of relief would last. Literally as we got up to hop on the boat we were told that boat was going out all day and was only for the surfers. The boat's captain told us to wait a few more minutes, our boat was on the way...
A few short moments later our boat came along. This boat was the definition of run down. Just to paint a picture, we had two wooden benches seating two people each, our captain sat on the edge of the stern controlling the little motor. There was a mesh bag with yellow life vests next to a tiny anchor attached to the bow. There were some holes, a lot, there were a lot of holes. We all were skeptical but I had made such a plea to do this that there was no backing out now. We took off out of the harbor and a few minutes later saw the break on the horizon. Turning my GoPro towards the group, I dictated the excitement we had to be arriving at Cloudbreak. It was at that point that I heard a giggle from the back of the boat. When I asked our captain, who spoke nearly no English, what he was laughing at, I was answered with a "no, no, this is not Cloudbreak, this is the reef. We still have a way to go...". Up until that point the journey had been great, so we continued.
It wasn't long after passing that reef, the one we had previously mistaken for Cloudbreak, that we hit some serious swells. The little engine was doing its thing as it rode the wave down, and then would sound like an old used motorbike struggling to make its way up a steep mountain on the way to the wave crest. Amanda and I having grown up on boats in Miami looked over at each other at some point, really questioning our decision. Jackie couldn't look up and had her head firmly in Alexandra's lap, who by the way told me after that the deep blue was her biggest fear, shout out to her for being an absolute champ.
Finally, we arrived to some calm water in front of Tavarua and had a perfect view of beautiful Cloudbreak. The wave was spectacular, as were the surfers enjoying their thrilling rides inside the iconic barrels. We enjoyed our moments there and then remembered we had our snorkeling gear. When I tell you there was no way I would ever dream of snorkeling on that reef, I mean there was absolutely no way we were getting in that water voluntarily. Getting swallowed by that wave is easily one of the last things I would ever want to do.
After getting sufficiently seasick with the rocking of the boat, we made our way back to Funky Fish for Jackie's last night with us.
So you remember that dodgy boat from yesterday? I'll leave you a picture below of the state it was in when we walked over to the docks to drop off Jackie at her boat.
After we said our goodbyes, we went over to find Wilson. I know, bad joke, but if you've read until here you deserve a dad joke. Day 14 involved another snorkeling adventure, but this time right off of the island where they filmed the movie Cast Away. You would think that once you've snorkeled one reef in Fiji, you've snorkeled them all, but luckily for us that wasn't the case. Each reef hosted different types of species of coral and fish, aside from the difference in overall geography.
In the evening we enjoyed chats by the pool under the stars with our piney-rums, tomorrow morning we would say goodbye to the Mamanuca islands.
DAY 14
Pacific Harbour
Days 15 - 20
The main island of Viti Levu is where you will fly into, catch ferries from, and host to the nation's capital, as well as the adventure town, Pacific Harbour. There are several ways one can arrive to Pacific Harbour on the south side of the main island, see Day 15 below for some options.
Mango Bay Resort was the same vibe as the other places we stayed. Not luxury, meal plan including all of our food, and full of young people looking for adventure and fun. We rented our own Bure for the 3 of us, I wouldn't try to fit more than 3 people in one. The restaurant was always buzzing, you can rent paddle boards and kayaks directly on the beach front, enjoy the pool, etc. The hotel organizes events and activities for the guests every day. It's also in a perfect location for a lot of the activities offered in the area.
STAY
Mango Bay Resort
If you are looking for a luxury option in the adventure capital of Fiji, Nanuku Resort is wonderful. It is part of the Auberge Resort Collection, and includes everything the collection offers in it's hotels around the world. Still close to all the action, this hotel offers many options on site as well as independent excursions. Families are welcome here, in addition to couples who are looking for a getaway. Here you will enjoy local entertainment, classes that teach you traditional customs and island techniques. Some unique experiences include a food safari prepared by a Fijian warrior, fire walking, picnics on a private island, treetop meals, rafting, diving, trips to waterfalls, just to name a few.
Nanuku Resort
Every travel day in Fiji has been different, even the process of catching the ferries. Today we had to take a boat from Funky Fish to Musket Cove, it was the first time we were in an upscale, and overall classic hotel. Not one with a meal plan or communal dorms. It was also the first time in two weeks that we had seen a little shop, we were able to go in and buy some snacks and Fiji water, we obviously had to try it.
We then caught a very nice ferry, if you can even call it that, to Port Denarau. Upon arrival at the port we asked around to find the main bus station in Nadi. They told us to catch the $1 yellow bus, we did, it was very local, and a cool way to see the city of Nadi.
The bus station was filled with coaches, we bought our tickets to Suva, Fiji's capital, even though we weren't actually going there. The person working at the ticket booth told us to tell the driver to drop us off at Mango Bay.
*I should mention you can coordinate a private car to pick you up directly from the port, some hotels even offer a short plane ride
DAY 15
It seemed strange to us but we did as we were told. After passing through some local towns the bus came to a halt, the driver then yelled "Mango Bay". Amanda, Alexandra and I looked at each other, embarrassed that there was a special stop for the tourists. Aside from being embarrassed we were also confused, it was an empty road in between lush greenery, no hotel in site. After calling the front desk we waited about five minutes until a pick up truck with trailing dust from the dirt road arrived. We threw our things into the back and were officially welcomed to Pacific Harbour.
Our cute red bure was perfect for the three of us. We enjoyed our piney-rums and got a good night's sleep before the days of adventuring ahead.
The three of us had tossed around a few ideas of how to spend the last few days in Fiji. Though the trip as definitely done on a budget, but we wanted to "splurge" on some final activities, we were in the adventure capital after all. A pamphlet caught our eye, Terra Trek, take 4x4 buggies into the jungle, and walk to a waterfall. That was one thing on all of our list's that we had yet to experience.
We booked our cars, they are for two people each, one of us had to drive with someone from the company. The trip is so fun, just be sure you keep an eye out for some of the steeper cliff edges. We parked the cars at the mouth of a jungle entrance. From there we had a walk down, it wasn't long until we could hear the sound of water falling. The hike led to a beautiful cascade; here we could sit on the rocks and allow the water massage our backs before swimming in the pool below. After enjoying lunch we hiked back to our dune buggies to return.
The way back was just as fun as the way there. We ran into more puddles, we arrived back at Mango Bay extra muddy, the outdoor showers came to the rescue.
DAY 16
Now...I'm no saint, but when I know I have to be in a minibus going up bumpy dirt roads in the morning, I try to limit myself to only a few cocktails the night before. Did my friends listen to me? Of course not. It was a rough morning for Amanda and Alexandra. No worries though, it was nothing a few rapids couldn't fix. Rivers Fiji was the best rafting I have ever done. It isn't a challenging river, believe me, I have only been rafting a handful of times. None of us fell in, some of us got close, it may or may not have been me...The river is truly extraordinary, there are rapids, open areas, canyons, and of course loads of local Fijian stories about their ancestors. I have failed to mention thus far in this post that Fijians have the most beautiful songs and they are always singing. When the river gave us a break, the silence of the water lightly caressing the pebbles below would be gently interrupted by our guide's lovely voice.
We enjoyed lunch on rocks in between baby waterfalls. It was truly a beautiful experience, shoutout to Ben, our tour guide for being amazing.
DAY 17
Day 18 was our real last day in Fiji, no traveling involved. We started our day cruising over the tree tops. It was only the three of us, which meant we got to laugh and become friends with our tour guides. They wouldn't prank us, we would panic, it was fun. This is another example of how the locals made the activity that much better. Also, if you have been zip lining before in places like Mexico or Costa Rica, this zip lining was not half as touristy. I never felt in danger, but it felt more authentic in some way, as "authentic" as zip lining can be.
For our "last" evening, we went to a fire walking ceremony at a hotel nearby. It wasn't what I was expecting, I had always imagined them walking directly on the embers, that's not what it was, that being said, it was still really cool. We had coconut cocktails and there was another Kava ceremony for those who chose to participate.
DAY 18
Last full day in Fiji! This morning consisted of just hanging out by the beach, going for a paddle, and getting ready to leave. Once we checked out we had quite a few questions on how to get back to Nadi. If you remember a few days ago, we literally got left on the side of the road...not exactly a bus stop situation. They told us to go to the side of the road and wave down a bus. We weren't very reassured but we went for it. One bus came, then another, then another, in the 30 minutes we had waited there were about ten buses going to Suva, and about zero going to Nadi. Finally, we see a coach approaching and heading in the right direction, it was now sunset so we went for it. We started jumping and waving them down. They stopped the bus and I asked if they were going to Nadi, they said yes. The bus driver opened the suitcase hatch under the bus, we threw our bags in and boarded. As soon as we got on we realized this bus was quite different than the bus that brought us to Pacific Harbour. For starters, we were the only passengers on it, it was also much cleaner, air-conditioned, and all around more comfortable.
Alexandra and I looked at each other, very skeptical about the now moving bus. Amanda had put her head comfortably against the window and told us not to worry before passing out. There were three of them, including the bus driver, and three of us. One of the guys came over and began asking us about our trip, trying to be very nice and polite, but cautious about giving the wrong idea we kept a friendly conversation going. All of a sudden the bus came to a halt, when I looked outside of the window it was dark and we were in the middle of the jungle. I absolutely thought "this is it...this is how we go", judging by Alex's face, she was thinking the same thing. We were relieved when the driver boarded the bus again after his pee-stop. It wasn't long after that we arrived in Nadi, they invited us for a drink upon arrival, we politely declined and walked, possibly too fast to our hotel for our last night in Fiji.
DAY 19
You may be familiar with these lovely margaritas, if you recognize them it's probably because they are scattered all around the world in the Hard Rock Cafe's. I know some of you may judge, judge away...I am a fan. We went into the town, it was quite touristy but it was the only place we had really come along to buy some souvenirs and presents for people back home.
Alexandra was the first to leave back home to Sydney. Amanda and I departed Fiji shortly after making our way back to Miami.
Fiji will always have a really special place in my heart, this trip changed my perspective on so much. I need to say a special thank you to the people I met on this trip and the girls that I created even stronger friendships and beautiful memories with.
As they say over there, farewell but never forgotten. Vinaka!
DAY 20
