| Technically,
I've visited the Pacific nation of Fiji twice, however the first time around
was in 1997 as a stopover on my flight from New Zealand to my new home
in the United States. At the start of 2003 I made my first
trip back to New Zealand, and this time I set aside a full two weeks for
the Fijian stopover!
Fiji has been on my mind for quite some years as a good place to spend
time, perhaps even as a place to spend a few years of retirement!
The local people are extremely friendly, which is an attraction, and an
added bonus is that they speak English, since the Fijian education system
is patterned on the New Zealand curriculum. There has been
ongoing racial tension between the native Fijians and the indentured workers
brought in from India by the British to work in the sugar industry, however
this tension hasn't resulted in a systematic breakdown of law and order.
Aside from the people, the other attractions for me revolve around the
natural world, in particular the local wildlife above and below the water.
Fiji has a wide variety of highlights.
It's one of the best places in the world for diving, with a reputation
for prolific coral reefs. There are some colourful and interesting
tropical birds, as well as beautiful insects which are overlooked by locals
and tourists alike!
The great majority of tourists coming to Fiji end up with an extremely
limited view of the country. After they land at the only international
airport, located outside the town of Nadi (pronounced "Nandi", a legacy
of an early missionary decision to represent each sound in the language
by a single letter), they travel a short distance to a hotel or resort
and stay there for the remainder of their time, seeing virtually nothing
of the country. The worst place to go is also the most expensive
- the absurd Denarau resort, which has a golf course and tennis courts
but no beach, and still manages to charge up to $845 per night!
Other people go a little way south on Fiji's main island of Viti Levu to
the hotels of the Coral Coast, which owes its name to the marketing people
- there aren't many live coral reefs in this area. |
However, most tourists go offshore from Nadi, to the
Mamanuca island chain (pronounced "Mamanutha" - blame those missionaries
again!). There's no question that these islands are beautiful,
but many of them are tiny, and on the larger islands it's unlikely that
most people even venture outside the resort. The Mamanucas
seem a little pricey for what's on offer, but they're probably ideal for
people who want to lie on a beach doing nothing for a week, and I believe
that some of these islands cater very much to twenty-something party animals.
Maybe it's just my
"type A" personality talking, but I like a place with some room so I can
run around and explore and do things, so my Mamanuca experience was strictly
of the "photograph it as the boat passes by" variety.
Instead, I headed up to the southern end of the Yasawa chain, to the island
of Wayalailai. I stayed here for three days at a resort owned
and operated by one of the Fijian villages on the island.
Here, and on other
larger islands like Taveuni and Vanua Levu, I found what I came for - great
wildlife both above water and below. There are many different
varieties of fish and other creatures on Fiji's beautiful coral reefs,
as well as beautiful birds and insects
above the water line. As well as colourful
dragonflies and damselflies, there are attractive butterflies and caterpillars,
as well as a surprising number of spiders - some brightly coloured and
patterned, others large and scary enough to make you think twice about
that midnight trip to the bathroom! |
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However, most tourists go offshore from Nadi, to the
Mamanuca island chain (pronounced "Mamanutha" - blame those missionaries
again!). There's no question that these islands are beautiful,
but many of them are tiny, and on the larger islands it's unlikely that
most people even venture outside the resort. The Mamanucas
seem a little pricey for what's on offer, but they're probably ideal for
people who want to lie on a beach doing nothing for a week, and I believe
that some of these islands cater very much to twenty-something party animals.