“We didn’t just
see the tourist sights, but also visited, for example, the city
hospital – rebuilt after its destruction by Cyclone Wilson. We also
saw some religious buildings, and both rich and poor parts of the
city, as well as the nearby beaches where the locals go to relax at
the weekend. Apparently it can get very crowded, because it’s open
to everybody. After leaving town, we quickly turned off the paved
road, and travelled down dusty, gravel tracks to reach the most
remote rural settlements. Welcome to the country! We saw small,
scattered dwellings, mostly made of wood, which merged seamlessly
with the surrounding greenery. In contrast to Asia’s ubiquitous
trash problem, Fiji’s tidiness amazed us.
In local
agriculture, if they aren’t growing fruit or vegetables, most
farmers tend livestock. Almost every family has someone who would
work (or would have worked) in the sugarcane processing industry,
which used to be an enormous part of the economy, with vast shipments
regularly leaving port. Competition in the sugar business is tough,
however, and Fiji fell behind. By the time they realized the danger
it was already too late, and now the main factory can only provide
work six months a year. (2020)”
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“We stayed on the
southwestern part of the island, which is famous for its beautiful
coastline. Our plan was to visit the village of the firewalkers, then
pamper ourselves a little with a stay on the gorgeous Peal Resort
beach.
The ritual of fire
walking is a serious one, though these days it has become quite
touristy. That was why I was so pleased that the crowds had vanished
by the time we arrived, and though the embers were still hot, the
place was mostly deserted. After a little persuasion, we were granted
permission to spectate. It’s a phenomenal place – we just stood
in speechless silence for minutes at a time. But I’ll let the
photographs do the talking.
Later, at the Pearl
Resort, we got some serious relaxation, swimming in the wonderfully
warm (unbelievably warm, actually) Pacific Ocean.
We experienced so
many beautiful things in Fiji that we’ve already resolved to come
back, though the massive distances involved are a bit discouraging.
Swimming back to our floating hotel after a day outdoors, so
exhausted that we immediately fall straight into bed… Though
today’s activities went on so late that we had a midnight supper –
a thing so unfamiliar to us that though the food was good and
healthy, we both felt a little sick. Today’s trip was tiring, and
so full of experiences that it’s good to just chill out for a bit
and do nothing.”
(2020)
“Between March
25th
and April
9th we
spent fifteen days in Fiji, and visited several islands. Maybe you’re
already jealous, imagining all the fabulous adventures we had. Well,
it was an adventure, but a bit different to what you’re probably
expecting.
Fiji has
two distinct seasons: From May to
November is the dry season, when there are usually no tropical
cyclones. During these months the water temperature is lower (it can
drop to around 22°)
but also calmer, and the chance of rain is lower. (Still, be aware
that Fiji is a rainy country,
and some parts receive heavy rainfall all year round, for example the
eastern part of Viti Levu, and the whole of Vanua Levi). They say
that it’s best to visit Fiji between July and September. From
December to April it’s summer, which is the rainy season. Cyclones
form out in the Pacific Ocean, and those are no joke.
They told us that
these days, during the rainy season, on average you’d have to
contend with one or two cyclones per month at most. Unfortunately –
as we can attest – they aren’t regularly spaced, and we survived
two while we were there. (Incidentally, most guidebooks mark March as
the end of the cyclone season, but the facts on the ground did not
bear this out.) A cyclone means a lot of rain, extremely high winds,
limited daylight and floods(!).
For the fifteen days
we were there, it rained every day.
Every single day. Pretty wild, huh? This messed with our heads so
much that we ended up shortening our visit, compared to our original
plans. Still, don’t forget that the weather can be fickle: We met
an elderly couple who spent two weeks on the Yasawa Islands, which
belong to Fiji, at the same time as us, and only had five days of
rain. The rest of the time it was glorious sunshine.
Weather aside, we
were able to ‘enjoy’ the various forms of local
transportation. The buses were fine (we
were the only white travelers on board) but the ferry to Vanua Levi
was genuinely disgusting. The local people lay about everywhere on
deck, the toilet stank, and the trip took four hours. The boat to the
northern part of the Yasawa Islands (Seabus) wasn’t much fun
either. It was completely full, and we were crammed in together with
laborers going there to work. The sea was very rough, and water from
the roof leaked into the interior.
Accommodation
is also an interesting topic. The quality of hotels is generally
lower than you’d expect based on the prices and reviews on
Tripadvisor. If you don’t come face-to-face with cockroaches,
centipedes and millipedes (10-15cm long) in your room, you’ll know
you’ve found a good place. Be prepared for the furniture in your
room to be ancient and very careworn, and it’s impossible to find a
table that doesn’t rock because one leg is shorter than the others
(this goes for the nightstand and the TV table too).
The wifi
was weak in every hotel, and every tourist we met complained about
it. In general, the better hotels start at around €200.
Neither of us have ever been in worse
hotels than in Fiji.
As for food,
our experiences were mixed. In some places we ate mackerel or lobster
that had been prepared with surprising skill, but in other places we
were served food that was either tasteless or plain disgusting. The
prices were more acceptable, but by no means cheap (except for the
lobster on Savisavu, which we loved). Avoid hotel and resort
restaurants.
Payment.
It was an unpleasant surprise to discover that every payment by bank
card also included a 3-5% supplementary charge. ATMs allow a maximum
withdrawal of 500 Fijian dollars. You either need to check that your
bank does not add a supplementary charge for every payment, or bring
a lot of cash (preferably American dollars).
The other unpleasant
surprise was the mosquitos.
We had already experienced tropical mosquitos in rainforests, but
their relatives here were in a totally different league. They’re
small, so you don’t see them, but they had no trouble at all
finding us after dark. Only the locally purchased deterrents
successfully kept them away. Don’t brother bringing anti-mosquito
spray from other trips, because it won’t work.
The locals are
genuinely very pleasant and happy to help, and everyone speaks very
good English.
So, who
should visit Fiji? First
and foremost, keen divers. If you want
the unforgettable experience of snorkeling or scuba diving with
sharks, and seeing bull sharks and tiger sharks feeding right in
front of you, this is the place. For anyone else, however, forget it:
The beaches are better and the food is tastier in Thailand or the
Philippines, and anywhere in Southeast Asia will have lower prices
and better quality – plus it’s closer to Europe. Fiji is
15,000-18,000 kilometers away from Europe! (B.S. 2018)
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Our most memorable experience in Fiji was when we attended the kava ceremony. We were there as part of a tourist visit, but it’s important to recognize that the ritual surrounding the kava plant – a herb which causes intoxication – is an important part of social cohesion in several Fijian communities. At a gathering of about 20 villagers in grass skirts, a local bigwig appeared amid a great deal of hocus pocus, to heat the plant in a carved wooden receptacle that reminded me of a wash basin. Then came – for us at least – the difficult bit: the concoction was poured into a wooden cup, and all the tourists present had to drink it. I should emphasize that there was only one cup, and we all had to share it. Not only did the drink itself taste disgusting, but I also had to mask my hygiene concerns. True enough, I may indeed have felt a little intoxicated a while later, but it was the drinking itself which sticks in my mind as the challenging part. Still, I’m not complaining, at least we had a great and unique experience in Fiji. (Karl, 2018)
