Fiji

My first trip to Fiji, I loved it so much, I stayed an extra two weeks. These are the islands I was searching for. Yes, it boasts popsicle-blue waters of the Pacific, serrated mountain ridges, and relatively cheap accommodations. But the terrain in French Polynesia is far more volcanic and lush, the countries of Tonga and Vanuatu even more budget-oriented. Travelers come to Fiji for the people.

Come to the Caribbean and you’re treated like a rich American or European, preyed on by the locals who look at you as a dollar sign. Come to Fiji and you’re treated like a local having a drink at the pub. “Bula” is more than a trite platitude uttered by Fijians as they walk past you. Stroll down a sidewalk and this pleasant sounding greeting becomes a mesmerizing chant spoken by Fijian after Fijian as they look you in the eye with a glint of pride. Surprisingly, the people are just as curious about your life as you are about them. I’ve had Fijians invite me into their house to drink some of that nasty mouth-numbing kava, Fijian chiefs cook me up a feast for nothing but conversation in return. It’s kind of funny when you think that these are the same descendents of people who chased Captain Bligh and almost had him for dinner, while Fletcher Christian jumped ship to be with the lovely ladies of Tahiti. Now the tables are turned. The Fijians are much friendlier than the often aloof Polynesians.

Like French Polynesia, you have to get off the main island of Viti Levu to see the genuine Fiji. Make this a rule of thumb for any country that has more than one island: DO NOT STAY ON THE ISLAND WHERE YOUR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT ARRIVES! Each time I visit Fiji, I encounter groups of travelers who have only stayed in around Nadi on Viti Levu and are inevitably disappointed. Knowing that intimate Fijian villages and remote islands are less than an hour away, it pains me to meet these people.  Staying in Nadi is like visiting Manhattan and only circling the one block radius around the Port Authority Bus Station. A seemingly endless array of mass-produced duty-free shops and hotels line the congested streets. The jarring sound of planes coming and going from the international airport are heard even in the early hours of the morning. Nadi should strictly be looked upon as a starting point, a place to catch up on your sleep before departing the next morning.     

A short flight from Nadi is Fiji’s first capital, Levuka, Ovalau, a unique microcosm of a nineteenth-century South Pacific village. Of the original fifty stores and hotels built in the 1840s, only one establishment retains its original name, but the town looks exactly as it did over a century ago. The only difference being the row of weather-beaten shops and clapboard houses are now inhabited by a small community of extremely gracious Fijians rather than the European immigrants who first built these structures. Levuka is also home to The Royal Hotel, the oldest operating hotel in the South Pacific, built in 1852.  Entering from the front porch and encountering the rattan chairs, ceiling fans, potted plants, and a large stained oak bar, it’s easy to imagine former guests Rudyard Kipling and Robert Louis Stevenson relaxing with a glass of bitters or playing a game of snookers. To this day, a single room is $15 US a night including complimentary tea and toast.

Another one of my favorite Fijian getaways is Taveuni, “The Garden Isle” of Fiji. Taveuni’s verdant terrain abounds with indigenous flora like the Tangimauthia, a rare type of climbing vine adorned with a colorful array of flowers. The Tangimauthia can only be found at Lake Tangimauthia, a volcanic lake hidden inside the island’s mountainous interior.  Many guides will offer their services to take you to this lake.  Resist the temptation!  It was the most arduous hike I have ever attempted. See the story I wrote about the experience in The Boston Globe. Taveuni is also renowned for its rainbow-colored reefs and exceptional scuba diving. The white and reddish-pink coral provides a dramatic backdrop for the dazzling array of sealife—turtles, barracudas, moray eels, grey sharks, colorful butterfly and clown fish.
   
Northwest of Taveuni, Matangi is one of the many small offshore islands with a limited amount of bures (thatched huts), perfect for romance, not so great for writers traveling solo. I was hired by Bride’s Magazine to write a story on the resort and ended up on Matangi with four other couples, all celebrating their honeymoon! At dinner, I remember trying to act comfortable while everyone around me was kissing, wrapped arm-in-arm, feeding each other. I begged them to please get me off the island within 24 hours or I’d be dangling from a noose from that Treehouse Suite.