Bula from the Fijian Islands....

Arriving into New Zealand was the first of our two flights that would take us to Auckland, this visit just for 23 hours.

The following morning would be taking a 3 hour flight to Fiji, and our return to explore the land of the long white cloud or as the Maori's call it Aeoteroa, would recommence after a 4 day trip across the South Pacific Ocean.

Oh Fiji - what a place! 

The first thing that hits you apart from the heat and humidity (85-90% most days) is the sincere warmth and friendliness of the fijian people.

Our first encounter with the hospitality was the traditionally dressed band in their colourful shirts and grass skirts greeting everyone disembarking the plane by playing a traditional welcome song.... (more about the songs later).

The smiling passport control officer was the first of many saying "Bula, Welcome Home", the same greeting was repeatedly, by the customs officer, the taxi driver, the hotel check in staff.

On arrival at our hotel (Intercontinental) in Natadola, an hour's drive south of Nadi Airport, another welcome song greeted us, a shell lei placed over our heads, very welcoming.

This was the first time we saw the "Lali" (a traditional drum carved from a log of tavola) beaten with the use of 2 sticks, the Lali was being used to announce our arrival, we later found out the Lali features quite highly in Fijian life. 

A local welcome drink then offered, and despite being warned it was heavy in alcohol, it would have been rude to turn it down!

We learned the word "Bula" the regular greeting of "hello" between people means "more life and good health", and exchanged in the most upbeat and enthusiastic of manners, it cannot help but make you smile.

I also had to enquire " Why do you say - welcome home?"  The hotel staff's response "You arrive as a visitor you leave as family" said with warm sincerity.

If you have ever been on holiday where you felt maybe there was a little of the "compulsory" in the approach of staff greeting their guests, the Fijian way was not of that ilk, it was very much a smiley friendly custom. 

The hotel with its lush tropical green gardens is located on a long white sandy beach, opposite was Navo Island, a smallish island about 50m across the water at low tide, its inhabitants were mainly goats, and we regularly saw herds chilling on the beach in the morning... sunbathing and minding their own business! 

Three full days in Fiji.... so what to do?

The next morning we headed back north to the port of Denarau, an area of reclaimed land as previously full of mangroves... now a man made island connected by a small bridge, boasting an expansive golf course, gated community homes with sail up pontoons, a marina and sea terminal, for exploring many of the 300+ Fijian islands, (it reminded me of a much more upmarket, greener and humid Port Solent!).

Our trip with Cruise In Fiji, was a full day out exploring the Mamanuca Islands off the north east coast of the main Fijian island that we were staying on of Viti Levu.

The day would finish off at Modriki Island, made famous as the location for the film Castaway with Tom Hanks and his mate "Wilson". The island is owned by the grandmother of the tour operator, going ashore is by family permission only.

Our boat with its 2 x 300hp engines held 25 people, and was well equipped to take us to our first stop of snorkelling off an amazing white sandbar spit about 40 minutes from shore.

En route, the tropical islands we navigated through were incredibly picturesque, each one passed was just as beautiful as the next one, long white sandy beaches and dramatic green hillsides, some inhabited with hideaway cove resorts, some looked as natural as they have always been. 

The sand bar stood out of the ocean as we approached it, a high strip of pure white sandy beach around 40m long and about 10m width, tapering into the sea at either end, on approach it looked like a huge white surf board floating on the water, one of those wow moments (for the sailors reading this - think a much much more scenic, warmer and picturesque Bramble Bank in the Solent!!)

You could swim on to the sand bar, as the boat anchored 20m away in around 5m of sand surrounded by a reef of coral. 

Swimming around the boat and over the reef were many exotic looking fish, the coral very colourful and varied, it was just like a scene out of Finding Nemo... amongst the plentiful fish there were quite a few little blue Dorys darting about, plus a little inquisitive shark! I asked the crew member who was snorkelling next to me in the water about the baby shark, to be told all was fine as it was a vegetarian!

We then headed off to Monu, another Mamanuca island to swim and snorkel before heading to Modriki for lunch, and more time in the inviting 30 degree crystal blue ocean.

A short time after we arrived at Modriki some threatening heavy rain clouds eventually arrived, so we ate lunch onboard and had plenty of time to go ashore and explore the island or a sunbathe once the rain departed.

Our one hour return to port was only dampened by another cloud burst, a real drencher in humid conditions, thankfully the boat was prepared, and there was plenty of space under cover as we headed back.

Our second day was spend by the beach, swimming in the sea generally just pottering around. 

Whilst exploring the beach and shoreline, we had some amusing conversations with a couple of locals, especially the boat captains who's small boats were waiting on tourist custom, offering tours of the goat island with its caves, and a visit to their village for Kava (more about that later).

Should we be interested, we should come to their office to make a booking,  when pointing out their office - each a different palm tree on the beach. There was certainly a little friendly trade competition, the number of free coconuts offered to us if we would be interested increased from office to office!

So back to the songs, in Fijian culture they sing songs to convey different messages, some can be fairly lengthy but enjoyable nonetheless. We witnessed many of the staff (up to 10 or so) making up an impromptu choir in the restaurants and at breakfast, singing a message via song as a collective with great harmony.

As well as on your arrival, Fijian farewell songs were sung to people leaving at their last meal, and if it was your birthday you could also get the choir around your table offering you a lovely well meaning melody, and whilst tempting but noting they are quite lengthy, I spared Jo's blushes by not mentioning it was her birthday(I knew better!!).

On our last full day we headed back up the island by minibus and joined another tour, this time we would be doing the "Highlights of Nadi".

Our first stop was at the Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple, a very colourful Hindu place of worship. Our guide Anan was very informative and very enthusiastic of his native Fiji, explaining that the islands are made up of 48% native Fijians, 46% Indian decent, the remaining 6% all other incomers and that the temple was a huge part of Fijian culture.

Many Indians (mostly from Madras and the Punjab regions) were brought in to work on developing the sugar plantations, the islands were a British colony from 1874 to 1970, and you can still see much of the narrow gauge rail line that was put in place, running hundreds of miles around the island to move the sugar cane, some going through the hotel we were staying at.

Once the Indians were allowed to leave after the work had been mostly done, the first boat taking people back home to India sank off a local reef with the loss of 500 people on board, this was referred to as "the 500". This was seen as a sign that may have persuaded others not to leave, Anan told us his great grandparents were part of the 500.

We then headed off to a local shop (a tappoo) and were ushered into taking part in a Kava ceremony, participation was the only option!

Kava (pounded from the yaqona root) and mixed with water is a mild sedative - the drink is kept in a large serving bowl (Dulux colour : dirty puddle), and offered to you sitting crossed legged on floor in a circle.

Traditional aspects are that you say "bula" then clap your hand once - reach out to accept a coconut shell half full of Kava... drink it in one.. hand the bowl back for the next person..... and clap your hands 3 more times. The taste is just as it looks of muddy water.

Despite it likely being a mild tourist mix, shortly after getting up from the floor, there was definitely a heaviness to our limbs for about half an hour afterwards!!

Kava powder is available to buy in all sizes and strength, an incredibly popular purchase for many, available everywhere and was also prominently on sale in the airport duty free shop as noted on our departure. The nutritional value on the packs state zero for everything except it is holds 5 calories... too many calories for us so we chose not to purchase.

Our next stop on the tour was a local produce market, the range of fruit and vegetables plentiful, and not the usual Tesco or Sainsbury's offering. The root of cassava (tapioca) plant being very popular, as was the Kava root (known as Waka), and the intriguing large purple dalo.

A stop by the village of Vakananumi gave us some insight into the history of the islands as this was the first landing point of the original settlers from Tanzania, who were until the British turned up, big into their cannibalism!!  A purchase of a small cannibal fork was made - for use for pickles and the like when we get home (probably!)

A Lali (the big drum) was very prominent in the centre of this small village (about 30 low rise wooden houses) and we were told it can only be used by certain village people to convey the messages to the villagers, all different beats depending on what was being conveyed. We were firmly told it was sacred and no one was allowed to touch it.

We then went off to a tropical garden hosting over 1200 different orchids. The mountain hillside profile above Nadi is reported to be in the shape of a sleeping giant, and nestled below is the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, a tropical orchid garden originated and cultivated by 60's American actor (Raymond Burr of Ironside fame), a chap who is still quite revered for his benevolence towards the Fijian people and more closely to the island of Viti Levu. 

Apart from the distinct temperature fluctuation, Scotland and Fiji seem to have similarities, a traditional tribal skirt attire mostly worn by mostly men, their version known as a "sula", the friendliness and patriotic nature of its people, the love of a local beverage, the dramatic coastline and islands, the lush green hills, and just off the west coast of Scotland lies the Isle of Arran and a "Sleeping Warrior", the profile of a warrior at rest, seen best from the Ayrshire mainland, kindred spirits!

Our afternoon concluded with a trip to the Tifajek Mud Pool and Hot Spring, where we covered ourselves in warm sloppy mud from head to toe, waited until suitably hard baked (15 mins at sun mark 40 degrees), and then attempted washed it all off in varying thermal hot pools. 

The first pool was "oh this is really hot".... ... and then gingerly entering the second pool.... "oh my this is so frickin hot", there was a 3rd option which we both declined, probably as our heart rates were becoming quite elevated. Weirdly after getting changed, the hot and humid weather seemed much cooler!

Our next day was back to the airport to fly back to Auckland... where we start to explore Aeoteroa.

In closing this chapter.... Fiji - you were beyond memorable, the culture, the people, the landscape and the sea ... a truly magical tropical paradise, and a place to visit if you can as there is so much to see and do and we only scraped the surface in our 4 day trip.