Fiji Finale
For our final few weeks in the South Pacific, we went back to Fiji to explore two more islands. When we arrived here two months ago, we enjoyed the three biggest islands, Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and Taveuni. Now we picked one island on the Yasawa Islands group which is famous for its white sandy beaches and picture-perfect island photos, but also for being accessible via the Yasawa Flyer ferry, a rather large ship that travels to many of the long row of islands stopping at a number of popular resorts along the way.
For our final destination, we picked the uncrowded Kadavu Island, famous for its birds, rainforests and much smaller and more remote villages. We later found out that this island is also known for its strong Kava. The Fijians drink Kava religiously, and when you mention Kadavu, you’ve hit the gold standard of the Kava root. As Kava is made out of a plant and causes a slight tingling and numbing sensation when sipped, it is free and therefore an excellent substitute for the money-costing beer. It is ill-advised to drink both at the same time.
Yasawa Islands
After a long transportation day involving an early flight (60 minutes), a bigger boat ride (90 minutes) and then a smaller, choppier boat ride (60 minutes), we finally arrived. We were thrilled with our choice of accommodation and the people we met along the way. We bonded with a lovely Indian couple during the two boat rides and over drinks later in the afternoon.
The place was relatively huge with over 100 guests, having two swimming pools and two restaurants and full of families with kids including many more Americans than we’ve encountered throughout our entire stay in the South Pacific.
Every night during dinner, the staff played guitars and ukuleles while singing island songs.
Cultural night performance by the staff
We were excited having a spacious outdoor bathroom, with a beautiful outdoor shower, surrounded by flowering plants that attracted many butterflies.
We spent our time diving and snorkeling in the sheltered reefs easily accessed with a short boat ride of only a few minutes. We snorkeled often as the reefs were so comfortable and close during low tide. While floating on the sea, we watched a shoal of five purplish squids swimming near the surface, beautiful to observe. They also became curious and would dart closer to us for a better look before circling back to the safety of their shoal.
A highlight for us was swimming in the Blue Lagoon caves where the movie The Blue Lagoon with Brooke Shields was filmed.
We first swam the scenic outer cave which was open to daylight where the famous cave scene was filmed. Then we had some excitement as we were challenged to hold our breath and swim underwater (with a dive mask) through a narrow passage, just to emerge after a few short feet on the other side in a pitch-black, second cave. Fortunately, our guide steered us to safety with a flashlight. The reverberation of our voices in the fully enclosed chamber sounded chaotic and discordant. We, of course, had to swim back the same way, which was not any less heart-pounding.
Kadavu Island
Picked up at the airport
After disembarking at the “arrival shed” of the miniature airport, we walked down a short, dirt path, crossed a village road, and directly onto a beach where we waded through the water to climb aboard a small dinghy with our luggage.
We sailed twenty minutes along the lush palm tree-studded coastline and past a never-ending white sandy beach to our final lodging in Fiji and in the South Pacific, again only accessible by sea. It was a small place with most of the staff living in nearby villages.
This Crimson Shining Parrot endemic to Kadavu island liked to hang out next to our Bure
As a group of birders had just departed, all that remained were a German couple who had been traveling already for 6 months while working remotely. We bonded immediately and enjoyed each other’s company often taking excursions together. We love meeting like-minded people with interesting life plans in the more remote places we have traveled. Our accommodation was nice, but … rustic. Fortunately, we were entering Fiji’s winter months (27 degrees Celsius) and a ceiling fan met all our basic requirements.
Our lodging was in an intimate place …
… with garden paths between the bures
Cocktails were plentiful and colorful
After dinner, we played billiards or the German card game Skat or Rummycub. Later in the week, other guests arrived who were also quite compatible, but for much of our stay, it was only the four of us.
One night was dedicated to kava and music and Randy joined in with his Ukulele
We snorkeled off Buliya Island where huge Manta Rays hunt for food close to the surface. Aside from the awesome spectacle of these magnificent creatures gracefully swooping and swirling mere meters below us as we watched on in amazement, I also spotted an octopus chilling on the reef, his skin pattern blending in so well with the plateau that you really needed to know where he was to see him.
We picnicked on a deserted beach of a small, uninhabited island. The beach was spotless with fine-grained sand and shady palm trees. An occasional pacific reef heron would soar past as we chilled on blankets drinking beer and eating tortilla wraps filled with spiced chicken curry, surrounded only by turquoise water as far as the eye can see. So idyllic!
We also snorkeled a reef called Wall Street, which was huge with lots of hard corals of many shapes and colors like we’ve seen before. Tons of fish swam along nooks and crannies. We returned to the same reef that night for a snorkel with flashlights and basically learned that all the fish went to sleep hidden within the reef safe from predators. So, overall, night-snokeling cannot compete with night-diving, where you encounter way more interesting phenomena including luminescent sea life.
The most excitement of that outing was spotting a white-tipped reef shark patrolling the area - those reef sharks are primarily nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. Briefly glimpsing the dark eyes and blunt nose of the grey shark in the flashlight beam was spine-tingling knowing it was out there cloaked somewhere in the darkness of night. Fortunately, they’re also harmless to humans.
The Southern Cross Constellation (and very much what the sky looked like to us)
Photo courtesy of ESA
We witnessed the most amazing night sky of all time sailing back to shore! Cloudless and moonless, we stared up in awe at the blanket of lights blinking in the black abyss of space. I was thrilled to see the Southern Cross, a constellation only visible in the southern hemisphere.
Our divemaster, Voe, brought us to an underwater valley bordered by beautiful coral cliff walls in our final scuba dive. Along with the stunning underwater landscape, we also spotted two species new to us, a huge porcupine fish resting among rocks and an electric clam in a shallow recess that sparked blue lightening along its flesh, like the glowing streak between two Tesla coils.
Here on Kadavu, our visit to a village was more intimate compared to others we partook of in the South Pacific and therefore felt truly authentic. It was Voe’s village, only 10 minutes away by boat, where we were welcomed on the beach with a greeting song from the villagers and their children. We sat on mats woven from banana leaves for a welcoming ceremony and our first taste of the infamous Kadavu kava.
Preparing the kava root
Fiber from the base of the leaves of a coconut palm is used to strain the kava. The oft-used strainer is passed down from generation to generation of kava masters.
The small village of 60 people just started hosting visitors, and their interest to share insight into their life style was highly captivating to hear.
Our divemaster, Voe, with his grandson
Especially the pull of every family and individual to stay in the village or venture out for education or work, and when to return home again; how single people find partners in other villages; how everyone is connected and know so many people in the area and how important the rituals are and celebrations in their lives.
Little Joe was our guide. He recently returned to the village after working in the hospitality industry on the main island.
We had to wear a sulu to enter the village
And finally, how difficult it is to decide how much outside lifestyle to let permeate the daily life of their village.
Of all our experiences during those final weeks in Fiji, we had the most fun floating on black tire inner tubes in the calm waters of the bay while listening to island music from the boat speakers. Drinking Fiji Gold beer, we watched as the setting sun lit up the high clouds with red and orange hues. Afterwards, as the sky turned darker shades of blue and stars popped into view, we held onto a rope tossed from the boat and grooved to island music as we drifted slowly through the small waves back to shore, the ocean water warmer on our skin than the cooling night air.
What a way to end our time in the South Pacific!
