ONE LAST SUNSET
The choice was easy. It was either get off the Fiji Princess that morning after sailing through the beautiful Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands of Fiji and then get on a plane later that evening, or linger in paradise for a few more precious days of serenity.
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| one last sunset |
The choice was easy. It was either get off the Fiji Princess that morning after sailing through the beautiful Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands of Fiji and then get on a plane later that evening, or linger in paradise for a few more precious days of serenity.
After all the plane
ride is forever; at least 16 hours in the air, with an interminable layover in
Los Angeles; and still, it’s the same day when we land in Philadelphia because
of the International Date Line. Then for the final leg of our return, we would
have to fight traffic on the Blue Route! All vestiges (good vibrations) of our
glorious trip would dissipate quickly.
We decided to delay the
inevitable and opted to linger for a few days at the Aquarius at the Beach
hotel in Wailoaloa. Located on the Wailoaloa Bay north of Port Denarau and just twenty
minutes by cab to the airport, the Aquarius was small, neat and served the
purpose of easing our transition from the warm weather, white sandy beaches and
crystalline waters of Fiji to the cold reality of home.
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| Aquarius |
The reviews were good
as a great stopover before flying out from Nadi and over the three full days
that we stayed there we saw a lot of people coming and going.
We splurged on the best
room, the Ocean View Double! On the second floor with balcony overlooking the
ocean the room cost FJD$221.56 per night, which is about $100.00 USD. We got
complimentary breakfast and had all our meals at a table near the pool. Their
beach bar was a repurposed boat, and we caught a few brilliant sunsets sipping
tropical drinks and Fiji Bitter beer.
LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION
Despite all its
functionality though neither the Aquarius or Wailoaloa Bay were charming.
After two weeks of
swimming in some lovely pristine water throughout the islands the bay was not
inviting. There were no waves and because the sand, though very fine, was
darker it made the water seem murkier. We never went for a swim. The beach
itself wasn’t clean and really needed to be groomed, especially considering the
amount of new construction going on in the immediate area.
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| Wailoaloa Bay |
The Aquarius was adequate and the staff was lovely and attentive, but the hotel was crammed between
similar boutique resorts and with all the construction the serenity was in
short supply!
Still, the Aquarius was
convenient as it was near to the airport, and rather than linger at the hotel,
we made the best of our time there and took a couple of day trips in the area.
NADI
The town was a short
cab ride away and though there are several tours that will take you to nearby
tourist points, we instead opted for some souvenir shopping, and shopping in
the main part of this town is a tumult of activity. Bula (Aloha) shirts and
sarongs are offered everywhere. Also, Fijian artifacts and art were offered in
shop after shop, but the increasingly pushy clerks vying for your FJD got to be
overwhelming.
We escaped with just a
sarong, Fiji Sevens rugby kits for the grandsons; the Sevens had just recently
won the world championship in South Africa; and some art of flowers and turtles.
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| Janet loves to shop |
There were very few
white people walking the streets of Nadi (pronounced Nan-di) and at
times we were a curiosity with people coming up to us and asking us where we
were from or simply offering us a hearty ‘Bula’ and a wide smile as we passed
them on the sidewalk. There was a small park that had several artisan sheds
where we purchased our art and a trio of teenagers smiled at us from their
shady spot beneath a banyan tree and wanted only to say hello. They never
stood, they only seemed very pleased that we had traveled all the way from the
east coast of the United States to walk the streets of their little town. They
smiled and said Bula and we continued our stroll knowing coming to Fiji was so
different and so non-threatening than a similar situation would be back at
home.
Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple
A quick bit of history
of Fiji. In the 1800’s the British brought over lots of indentured servants
from India to work the sugar cane fields, and today Indio Fijians make up a
third of the population of Fiji and representative of this influx of different
people there were churches and mosques and Hindi temples.
On our way to the coral
coast two weeks previously we passed the Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple, the largest Hindu temple in the south Pacific.
Looking ominous because of its unfamiliarity the massive, colorful temple is just a short walk from the shopping in Nadi.
We paid our FJD$5.00 entrance fee, donned sarongs provided by the temple staff, removed our shoes and walked briskly through the grounds. We did not take a promised tour and we did not linger for long at this temple dedicated to the deity, Murugan, the god of nature. Despite the colorful deities on the outside and the statue of Murugan inside, we felt out of place. We nodded appropriately though as we watched devotees present gifts and then got out of there rather quickly.
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| Murugan |
Photos are not allowed inside the temple.
GARDEN OF THE SLEEPING
GIANT
For our second day of
exploring the Nadi area we chose serenity and nature over adventure. We could
have gone to a ziplining course or taken a “dip” at the Tifajek Mud Pool and Hot
Spring. I’m not one for ziplines and a mud bath just didn’t seem that appealing,
although there were plenty of day trips offering either or both options.
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| the sleeping giant |
Instead, the orchid
garden that is nestled beneath the Sambeto Range in the foothills of Nausori Highlands
was a much better choice. The garden is just a 20-minute cab ride from the
Aquarius and the outcropping along the ridge on the approach really does look
like a sleeping giant, who as legend has it ate too many local Fijians and has
fallen into a deep slumber. Serene did I say? Uh-oh!
The garden was first
begun by the television actor Raymond Burr (Perry Mason and Ironsides) in 1977 to
house his own orchids, and now features nearly 2000 different varieties of
tropical orchids spread over 20 hectares. There are plenty of paths to explore
and ponds to ponder, but the orchids are the stunningly beautiful main
attraction and worth the trip. The entry fee cost FJD$24.00 each, cash only.
We had arranged for the
cab to the garden with our driver to Nadi the day before. The price was FJD$80.00
and he waited for us as we meandered through the grounds and lingered over the refreshing
juice the garden staff provides after the visit. We arranged for him to drive
us to the airport the next evening.
Everything was easy and
calm, the way a trip to paradise should end.
Last quick notes:
Despite the great distance, Fiji was a comfortable trip. The people are friendly and gracious and seemed genuinely happy that we were visiting their country. When tourism drives an economy there can be a jaded approach to visitors, but we never felt like we were singled out for the dollar value. From the hotel staff to cab drivers to people on the street and even construction workers there was always a smile and a hello. Tipping, though appreciated, is never expected and usually tips to staff were put in a communal "Christmas fund" box. 
Most of the cars on the road were hybrids, like Prius from Toyota. Cabs were cheap.
Although vast portions of Viti Levu were rural there was an infrastructure that never seemed out of place. Fiji once may have been called the Cannibal Islands, but there were restaurants and dive shops and resorts everywhere. The roads were well maintained. Store shelves were stocked. There were wine shops and liquor stores.
Fiji Bitter and Fiji Gold and Vonu were the main beers. We were told by our river guide that Fiji Bitter is a man's beer, although he preferred the Gold. We also found a craft microbrewery called Reef and was able to purchase a small jug to sip while lingering on the patio at the Aquarius watching the sun set on this beautiful place.
Thanks for reading
Love Janet and greg
© 2022 by Gregory Dunaj
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| Bula Vinaka / The Good Life |
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