tropical islands

Bula Fiji!

After Sixty hours of strenuous travel that began when we left Huahine in French Polynesia, we finally arrived in Fiji and it’s capital city of Nadi. Now we had to think clearly and make arrangements for our three-week stay, though the lack of sleep sure made this challenging! We decided to visit two areas of Fiji. The first: Kadavu Island, well known for scuba diving and authentic village life. The second: Yasawa Islands, famous for its sunshine and beautiful beaches.

It’s a shame that people have been frightened away from Fiji because of its recent political coups. The Fijians are some of the most laid back, friendly, and hospitable people we’ve encountered in our travels, and the ‘unrest’ has had no effect for visitors other than to decrease tourism by 60% during the last year. It’s a budget travelers dream, visit now – get off the beaten track and you’ll find deals everywhere and space plentiful in your own private slice of paradise.

We were able to arrange an inexpensive flight to Kadavu just a few hours after we arrived in Fiji. A scenic one-hour small plane flight that brought us to a small dirt landing strip; luckily, we had called ahead to arrange our transfer to Ono Island since it was a one-hour outboard boat ride to Jona’s Paradise – our home for the next eight days.

Locals commuting back home, Kandavu, Fiji

PHOTO: jonas paradise crew

At Jona’s we quickly adjusted to the relaxed Fijian style and started getting to know the locals. Maggie, the resort manager, was quite the character. His flamboyant gay demeanor was very disarming; he would constantly have us laughing at his comments of affection towards other male members of the Fijian staff. The interesting thing was that no one took offence and often played up the teasing from Maggie. It was hard to not smile when seeing a Fijian dressed in a colorful flowered sulu & matching shirt wearing lipstick!

Philippe, our scuba dive master, who dove over 3500 times in Fiji and knew the surrounding reefs better than anyone. Our dives included spectacular sunlit canyons, abundant fish, sharks, large sea snakes, and beautiful soft corals. Jona, owner of our resort, is known as the best fisherman in Kadavu & provided fresh fish for our lunches and dinners (we discovered the other resorts in Fiji were not eating fish due to the difficulty of catching them during the rainy season). Fresh fish combined with garden fresh vegetables, fruit, home-baked bread and Fiji Bitter Beer helped us stay fed and happy.

Local fisherman often provided our dinners

After a couple of nights of rain, Lindua (Jona’s wife) insisted that we move into one of the bures (thatched hut). The price wasn’t in our budget but refusal of her offer would have been an insult, so a comfy bed with mosquito netting was a nice change from our steamy tent. Best of all, Lindua didn’t charge us a higher rate.

Most evenings we sat on grass mats with villagers and drank kava – a Fijian institution. Beginning as early as 3pm we heard the familiar thump of kava roots being pounded into powder. Kava looks and tastes like muddy water – even the Fijians sometimes make sour faces while drinking a bowl. So why drink kava? It’s a cheap and plentiful mild sedative that numbs your mouth and insures a good night sleep. More importantly, kava brings you together with the Fijians for formal ceremonies and casual social scenes (like going the neighborhood pub).

PHOTO: Fijians drinking kava

During our eight days in Kadavu, we became familiar figures in many different villages and we were always greeted with a heart-felt “Bula”! Numerous other Fijians made us feel welcome and our temporary adopted family included us in their daily life of church, school concerts, village visits, and the local ‘store’.

We had the fortunate opportunity to join our Fijian hosts at the village school Christmas concert. 88 kids sang, danced, and performed skits, which the locals found very entertaining. It was interesting to spend a day in a Fijian village and we learned just how friendly Fijian kids were by taking their photo. As soon as our camera came out of the case, the kids came out of the woodwork – it only took 30 seconds for a mob scene of about 50 kids to develop.

As we motored away from the island to the airport, the heavy rain and choppy seas couldn’t wash away the smiles from our faces while the entire staff waved goodbye. Many of the prominent island locals thanked us for coming to Fiji and for our genuine interest in their culture. Small things like that is what we remember and miss most of all. Jona’s Paradise was exactly what the name says.

Fijian school children

We chose to spend our last two weeks in Fiji in the beautiful Yasawas, the island group where we spent our honeymoon. We flew on the Turtle Airways seaplane and hoped for a chance to stop off at Turtle Island (we thought it would be great to show our faces and worry the staff that the over-active Americans had returned for a second honeymoon). Unfortunately, we found that it would have been easier to get inside Buckingham Palace than to set foot on this exclusive resort. The ultimate torture for us was that from where we stayed on a neighboring island, we could see and almost swim to Turtle Island.

Our first stop, David’s Place, was a big let down compared to Jona’s Paradise. The resort was in need of a face-lift and beach clean up. However our bure was nice and located on the beach with cool breezes, so we decided to stay for a few days and dive with the local scuba dive operation. We quickly discovered that the dive shop, Westside Divers (Westside@is.com.fi), was top notch; new equipment, beautiful fast boats, great service, and small dive groups (averaging 4 people).

One day after diving, we dropped off a diver at a nearby white sandy beach on a new resort (opened Sept 8, 2000). The guys at the dive shop guys told us that this resort was called Oarsman Bay Lodge and was associated with Turtle Island. With a quick radio call and some fast arrangements, we reserved a spot at Oarsmans Bay Lodge. We arrived to a tradtional Fijian greeting on the beach (singing the same song we heard arriving at Turtle Island five years ago) & we smiled about our luck of stumbling across this wonderful place. Our bure was perfect – airy, tons of windows with fine mosquito mesh screens, and our own bathroom with hot water showers – oh what luxury!

Yasawas means ‘the sunny islands’, so we were expecting clear blue skies and starlit nights…instead we got “rain, rain, rain!”. No matter, we had a great time with the Fijians. When the sun did appear we made the most of it. I floated on the turquoise waters while Dale tried surfing on the free kayaks provided. The Fijians were very entertained by Dale’s attempts to surf – he received constant ‘encouragement’ from the shore along with laughter when he crashed. Small sailboats were also available, so we tried our hand at navigating the craft in moderate winds. After watching us take a few laps across the lagoon one of the Fijians decided to go for a ride with Dale. After only a few minutes of sailing across the lagoon the Fijian suddenly jumped out of the boat and swam to shore (maybe Dale’s sailing skills weren’t quite perfected yet).

On full moon large, sharp-clawed crabs ran across the sandy lounge area of the resort to deposit their eggs in the ocean. Even though they aggressively defend themselves Dale caught several which the Fijians cooked up for a tasty treat. Our last day we bushwhacked our way up the highest peak on our island, which overlooked Oarsman’s Bay Lodge & the surrounding Yasawa Islands.

PHOTO: top of island

After enjoying three fun, relaxing weeks in Fiji, sadly it was time to leave. Mode, vinaka vaka Levu (goodbye and thank you very much) Fiji, we’ll be back!

Aerial view of Bora Bora

Ten hours after leaving L.A., our flight arrived in Tahiti – 2am local time. We were greeted with a tiare (a fragrant white flower with a yellow center) to wear behind our ear, and our passports were quickly stamped. Now we had several hours to kill before the inexpensive public transport began, so we hung out in the airport cafe and met other budget travelers. Jay, a fellow traveler and a surfer from England with long blonde dreadlocks, seemed to know what he was doing, so we asked him for directions to the local bus to Papeete. He was headed in the opposite direction, but spontaneously decided to change his plans in order to join us.

At 6am, we hopped on ‘le truck’ with Jay & two Swedish girls, the only other people on the bus who spoke English. After a 15-minute ride, we arrived in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia and also the main transportation hub to the surrounding islands. Everyone congregated around the central marketplace, which was full of fresh fruit, snacks, and local art – we enjoyed a baguette egg and ham sandwich and planned our first day.

We hadn’t worried about traveling around the Society Islands since most guidebooks said it was “no problem” booking the fast catamaran boats. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the harbor we learned from the fishermen that all the fast boats were ‘kaput’. So we went with the flow and decided to take a ferry to Moorea, the nearest island, and figure everything else out later.

We found the best spot on Moorea to camp, Chez Nelson, and set up our tent on the beach right next to the ocean (we enjoyed using Club Med’s facilities just a 100 yards down the beach).

PHOTO: tent on morea beach

With the communal kitchen, bathrooms, and friendly atmosphere, we quickly became acquainted with our fellow travelers. Jay, who has been traveling and working around the world for the last six years, has a relaxed demeanor and outlook on traveling that helped us begin our journey in the right frame of mind. He pitched his tent and hammock next to us, and together we enjoyed much of our time just relaxing. We often cooked our meals together and sat around afterwards comparing travel stories. A few times just the two of us ate alone at nearby restaurants: the creperie was a good breakfast stop, and on Halloween night we sat outside at the Hibiscus restaurant enjoying fresh fish and a spectacular lightning show. The storms were dramatic & the rain was surprisingly frequent and torrential; trying to dry out in this warm and humid weather was unfortunately a downside of camping.

Once we figured out the logistics of traveling (lodging, transportation, and food), we had free time to enjoy activities. Since we spent most of our budget on necessities, which oftentimes were outrageously priced ($17 for a bottle of sunscreen), we had to find creative ways to get the most bang for our buck. Our big splurge was for a humpback whale island tour with Dr. Poole, a renowned marine biologist. We were fortunate to spend about 30 minutes watching a mother and baby humpback play at the surface. Other activities on Moorea included morning yoga sessions on the beach. Dale & I became ‘instructors’ and taught Jay and the two Swedish girls a few basic routines while the rest of the camp watched and laughed. Dale also became known as ‘gadget’ man – our water filter was a big hit since tap water wasn’t safe to drink and bottled water was extremely expensive. After four relaxing days on Moorea it was time to move on – we decided against taking the slow ferry (18 hours) and flew (45 minutes) to one of the outermost of the Society Islands, Bora Bora.

Chez Rosine Masson Pension

We stayed for 7 nights in Bora Bora at Chez Rosine Masson pension – the best value for our money ($50 a night vs. $500 a night for the over the water bungalows of the luxury resorts just down the beach). Our small room in this house was clean and fairly quiet (except when the roosters crowed, which seems to be the 4:30 am alarm clock for all of French Polynesia).

Sharing accommodations in close quarters allowed us to spend time with several interesting travelers. Stacy and Charles, who we met in the airport in Tahiti, are a younger and more energetic version of us on a much tighter budget (they ate a lot of pasta and baguettes!). We were amused by stories of their daily excursions, such as their determination to bushwhack their own trail through the jungle to the mountaintops, and especially the ‘frisky’ stingray that swam up Charles’ shorts. They had a great method of deciding who gets to do which jobs – rock, paper, scissors – a tip we began using ourselves.

Another interesting couple was Nicolas and Lucy, newlyweds on their honeymoon, maintained a crazy lust for life and numerous contacts around the island. Nicolas often sang to himself around the house and loved to swim in the ocean during huge rainstorms. He was the test pilot for the household bicycles, which are no longer available for rent because of his big crash (the chain fell off). Most importantly he knew the police and fire chiefs who he used as his own personal taxi service and which also provided us with free rides. His connections even extended to the local fishermen who brought a huge 30 lb yellow fin tuna to our house; for several nights the entire household ate fresh sashimi and tuna steaks. We enjoyed his wonderful crepes, which were creatively made with beer in the batter and survived his potent drinks made mostly with rum soaked in fresh cut fruit.

It’s easiest to appreciate Bora Bora’s unique beauty by viewing the island from a tour on a motorized outrigger canoe. Reefs circle the entire island and create wide, shallow lagoons, which are as warm and turquoise as the water in a swimming pool. Most of the white sand beaches are on the surrounding small islands inside the lagoon, called ‘motos’. Here our tour stopped for a scrumptious picnic lunch: It wasn’t your typical hot dogs and hamburger BBQ…our Polynesian guides prepared a beautiful buffet of fresh fish and fruit which we ate from hand-woven baskets made with palm fronds. Another day, for a different vantage point, we decided to bicycle around Bora Bora. This was definitely a more strenuous endeavor; it was the hot humid season & we felt like we were going to melt by the end of the 20-mile trip.

Kayaks next to luxury huts in Bora Bora

For nighttime entertainment we dressed up in our tropical shirts and pareus (a sarong skirt) and snuck into the big fancy resorts to watch traditional Polynesian shows. Dale had a knack for getting involved . . . he was selected out of the crowd to learn to dance Polynesian style and a few nights later he was chosen to play a wooden drum, which he did with much better rhythm.

Maupiti – the smallest and most isolated of the Society Islands – is just a two-hour ferry ride from Bora Bora, so we decided to venture away from the tourist traps to experience authentic Tahitian life. The island’s circumference is only 6 miles, so we rented a 2-person kayak and lazily paddled around the island. Many say Maupiti is like Bora Bora was before the tourist glut – quiet and unspoiled, a true picture of traditional Polynesian culture. We found this rumor true – and best of all everyone we passed during our brief stay returned our gaze with a friendly smile.

For our last 10 days in French Polynesia, we chose to relax in the ‘sacred islands’ of Raiatea, Taha’a, Huahine. To explore the large, sparsely populated island of Raiatea we took a personal tour with an American anthropologist. He explained how he believed that these islands are where believed to be where Polynesian culture originated and where migration began to Hawaii, New Zealand, and other South Pacific islands. We went to an ancient mare (ceremonial site) and learned the significance of tiki idols (human-like statues believed to have mystical powers) and human sacrifices (which dictate the strongest warrior must be killed to ensure a victorious war). Raiatea has no sandy beaches, so we camped in a resort inside a coconut plantation. It was a peaceful setting until we tried to sleep: When the nightly winds picked up the coconuts began dropping all around our tent – we never did get use to the sudden thud!

Our best ‘bang for the buck’ tour in French Polynesia was a day excursion to and around Taha’a. We toured a vanilla plantation where we learned that vanilla is produced from an orchid in a very labor-intensive process, and also enjoyed 80 proof vanilla rum samples. Next we stopped at a pearl farm and had a detailed demonstration of how Tahitian black pearls are made. Then we saw a few endangered turtles at a rehabilitation center where they were waiting to regain their health and be released to the open sea. We appreciated another picnic feast at a motu and after eating more than our share of BBQ fresh fish, fruit, and bread we went drift snorkeling. The small ocean inlet had a strong current, which allowed us to float past the coral and fish. When it was time to return to Raiatea we were surprised to be visited by a pod of dolphins that rode the bow wake of our boat – a great finish to our day.

The last island we stayed on was Huahine, an idealic place that epitomizes what everyone imagines in a South Pacific paradise; white sand beaches, lush valleys and mountains, plentiful fruit and flowers, and a charming port town with colonial buildings. We stayed at the remote southern tip of the island called Huahine-iti at an ‘eco-campground’. It was a beautiful setting but very rustic: The Polynesian family owned a botanical garden and provided us with free mangos, papayas, and bananas but no toilets or toilet paper – a cruel joke! . Our favorite fruit was one we had never tasted – soursop – it had the consistency of cotton candy with a sweet honey-like flavor. We also found an authentic French Polynesian restaurant that was definitely worth the splurge.

PHOTO: mare on huahine beach

Our last night we stayed in pension in the town of Fare, treating ourselves to a night away from the tent’. We visited more maraes and a pearl farm by riding bicycles in the sweltering heat – Dale was not happy. Luckily, I finally found the perfect pearl earrings to end my quest and even Dale found a mother of pearl turtle necklace.

In order to cheaply get back to Papette from Huahine, we rode on a cargo ship, local style – sleeping outside on the deck for the 9-hour overnight journey. Budget traveling isn’t for everyone – our journey from Tahiti to Fiji wasn’t easy. After 10 hours in very rough seas, we arrived back in Papeete, Tahiti at 4:30 am. When the ship docked we quickly packed up our sleep mats and ran with our packs to catch ‘le truck’ before it filled up – the only transportation at this time of the morning from the port to the airport.

Now we had 21 hours before our 1:30 am flight departed for Fiji, so we killed time by shopping in the city – hot, humid and filled with exhaust fumes. Finally, we boarded our plane for Fiji and thought the six-hour flight would be a chance to catch up on sleep. But two hours into our flight we had a stopover in the Cook Islands, and for some reason we had to exit the plan and wait for 90 minutes before we could board again. Finally we flew across the International Date Line (skipping Thanksgiving) and landed in Nadi, Fiji at 7:30 am.