Tag: "Fiji"

Travel Photo of the Week – Sunset at Sunset Strip, Fiji

| November 11, 2010 | Comments (0)
5142879324 3bee2bb02f m Travel Photo of the Week   Sunset at Sunset Strip, Fiji


Sunset at Sunset Strip, Fiji

Originally uploaded by kelvinlls

Sunsets – one of nature’s best display of lights! It’s my favourite time of the day to take photos, and everywhere I go, I always try and find a great spot to take a sunset photo.

I took this photo on April 2009 on my last trip to Fiji. This is from the Coral Coast, by the Sunset Strip, as the locals called it. This place was the best spot on the main island of Viti Levu to view a sunset. Though the sun hid behind the clouds, I still love this photo. I love the hues of the sky and the water.

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Places to Watch Sunsets

| July 16, 2009 | Comments (1)

One of the things I look for when I go travelling is to find a spot (if at all possible) to watch a magnificent sunset. Sunsets are one of nature’s great wonders, and the light and shades that it produces can be very dramatic and awe-inspiring. If you get to catch a glimpse of a fantastic sunset, you can say that it is one of the best light shows on earth! I recently wrote an article on the best spots to watch sunset in Australasia, which was published in the BootsnAll travel network.

Love The Sunsets

I was inspired by the outcome of my work that I decided to write more about it here on my blog. From my other travels, I’ve found a couple of other great places where you can watch a beautiful sunset. There is definitely more to be found around the world, and I’m looking forward to witnessing them as I travel the rest of the world bit by bit!

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

siemreapsunset Places to Watch Sunsets

The majestic temples of Angkor Wat are a sight to behold. Most people recommend seeing Angkor Wat for sunrise, as the sun rises behind the temples and gives it a unique glow. However, you can go into Angkor Wat itself, and watch the sunset from the top of the temple, it can be a great sight to see. You will see it set into the Tonle Sap Lake. Alternatively, if you want a more unobstructed view (apart from the many tourists that flock to see) of the sunset, you can head to nearby Phnom Bakheng (Bakheng Hill) where you can see it better. As mentioned, the only setback is that there are so many tourists who would want to get a piece of the action and watch the sunset from there.

Along the way from one of the temples in the archaeological complex, I went past numerous empty farmland, and at one point, saw the sun glowing brightly as it was about to set. It was possibly the best sunset I’ve seen while I was in Siem Reap, and one that I really remembered.


 Places to Watch Sunsets

Manta Ray Island Resort, Fiji

fijisunset Places to Watch Sunsets

Manta Ray Island Resort is on one of the islands in the Yasawas. It’s a 3 hour journey on the boat from the port of Denarau on the main island of Viti Levu. The resort has a couple of beaches, one is the main beach where everyone goes for a swim and snorkel and is the bigger of the 2 beaches. The other one is called Sunset beach, and the name says it all. The guests from the resort only go there to watch the sunset happen, and it’s absolutely gorgeous! You can get yourself a can of Fiji Bitter and sit on the sand and watch the sun slowly go down into the Pacific Ocean.

I hope you have enjoyed viewing these couple of sunset photos. And, please do check out that article in Bootsnall for more inspiration on the best places to watch sunsets!

Til the next Fabulous Journey!

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 Places to Watch Sunsets


 Places to Watch Sunsets

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My Fiji Memories

| April 21, 2009 | Comments (0)

Fiji Memories

I thought I’d do a brief post on a video I took while I was in Fiji a couple of years ago. This is the farewell song that the staff of the Manta Ray Island Resort sang to us guests before we boarded our boat back to Port Denarau. It’s such a nice touch, and that is one of the beautiful things about Fiji. The people always welcome you and entertain you, and even say goodbye in a very heart-warming manner. They sang the song “Isa Lei”, and here’s a snippet of it:

The Indian Side of Fiji

And while I was at a pre-wedding party for my friend in Lautoka, the family prepared a great Indian feast with lively music and much dancing (my friend is Fijian Indian). One of the family members was into her dancing with the Bollywood beats, and she was such a delight to watch that I took a video of it. It was a great night with lots of fun! Here’s a brief clip of it:

As you can see, there are 2 sides to Fiji, both of them truly welcoming and a delight to experience. I can’t stress enough how great this island paradise is, not just of its natural beauty, but of its ethnic diversity. I hope you enjoy watching the 2 videos.

Til the next Fabulous Journeys!

P.S. Trips, flights and accommodations were booked through Expedia, which offers the best deals to Fiji and the Pacific islands.

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Fiji’s Warm Islands

| April 21, 2009 | Comments (3)

Bula! I did my first post here on Fabulous Journeys about Fiji to showcase the main island of Viti Levu, which a lot of travellers seem to bypass and neglect when they visit this South Pacific island paradise. This post will cover the other islands of Fiji which offers great beaches and snorkelling and diving opportunities.

My First Video

Before I continue talking about the other islands of Fiji, I’d like to show you my first attempt at creating a video to attest about my previous post on Viti Levu. I was in the pool at The Seashells @ Momi Bay resort when my friend Pete took this video of me chilling out and giving you some words on my recent trip. I hope you enjoy it:

The Mamanuca Islands

beachcomberisland Fijis Warm Islands

Fiji's Beachcomber Island

Fiji is an archipelago of some 300+ islands, and on the Western side of Viti Levu, just off the coast from Nadi you will find the Mamanuca Islands. There are around 20 islands on this chain, and is an easy day trip from Nadi (cruise to the islands starts at Port Denarau). The islands have nice white sand beaches. Some of the most popular ones are Beachcomber, Bounty Island, Treasure Island, South Sea Island, and Mana Island. Beachcomber is known as a party island, and a lot of younger travellers tend to visit this island to party and enjoy the beach. A good number of day trippers go to the island just to swim in the nice white sand beach and chill out for the day. The same goes for South Sea, Bounty and Treasure Islands. Majority of these islands have accommodations, and they can be booked as part of a cruise package with Awesome Adventures (primarily for the backpacker ones and the mid-range resorts), or with other cruise companies like Captain Cook Cruises or Blue Lagoon Cruises. I cruised by these islands on my way to the Yasawa group of islands, and I must say that I was tempted to just get off the boat and chill on the nice white sand beaches!

Yasawa Islands

wayaisland Fijis Warm IslandsFurther north to the Mamanuca Islands is the Yasawa group of islands. When I was reading up on my Lonely Planet guidebook before the trip, I was attracted more to these group of islands, as they have mentioned that there is better snorkelling and diving in this area, plus the beaches are better and not as packed as those in the Mamanucas. I instantly went ahead and booked my cruise to stop at a resort on one of these islands, where I stayed for 3 days and 2 nights. The Yasawa Islands is comprised of around 20 islands, and has been one of the least developed areas in terms of tourism and infrastructure. The bigger islands are Waya Island and Kuata Island. There are a number of resorts on these 2 islands.

Manta Ray Island Resort

mantarayisland Fijis Warm Islands

Main beach on Manta Ray Island Resort, Fiji

I stayed at the Manta Ray Island Resort, which was on Nanuya Balavu island, one of the smaller islands just next to Waya and Kuata Islands. It took roughly 3 hours to get to the island on the catamaran from Port Denarau, but the trip was well worth it, as you see all the other nice islands and resorts along the way. Manta Ray Island resort is more of a backpacker to midrange resort. It doesn’t have all the 5-star amenities that you’d find in hotels, but the rustic and authentic local feel to the place makes it very inviting to stay and chill out. I stayed in one of the tree bures (or huts) facing the beach. The stretch of beach in front of Manta Ray resort is white sand, and you can snorkel just off the shores. There are manta rays that usually linger around the island (hence the name of the resort), primarily on the narrow channel between the resort and the next island. The resort offers a tour to swim with the manta rays, though I found that it was more of chasing the manta rays than swimming with them, as they tend to be shy creatures and don’t go close to humans. The resort also caters for some other activities like a village tour, where a guide will take you to another island to visit a traditional Fijian village, snorkelling tour, and diving. You can also hire a kayak to paddle to the next island across the channel.

sunset Fijis Warm Islands

Gorgeous sunset on Sunset Beach, Manta Ray Island Resort

On the other side of the resort is a small village where the workers of the resort live, and there is also another beach they call Sunset Beach. As the name suggests, it’s the perfect place to watch sunset. I simply sat on the beach and watched some of the locals and guests play rugby on the beach, and the sun slowly going down.. It’s probably one of the best sunsets I’ve seen thus far! At night, the staff at Manta Ray Island Resort offers some activities to keep their guests entertained, and the locals also join in! All in all, I’ve enjoyed my stay on this island, and I would highly recommend this to those wanting to experience the Yasawas.

All these were part of my first Fiji experience. I’m still wanting to explore more of the other islands, and it would be interesting to also hear from other travellers what their experiences are. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post for Fabulous Journeys.

Til the next Fabulous Journeys!

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Bula, Viti, Fiji

| April 17, 2009 | Comments (3)

Bula! A warm island welcome to this week’s post for Fabulous Journeys!

I’ve just returned from a holiday/friend’s wedding in the warm South Pacific nation of Fiji. I’d like to share with you some stories of my recent trip and discoveries that I made while going around the island of Viti Levu. This post will show you the Fiji that you don’t find in the tourist brochures of your local travel agent.

The Bula Smile

Everywhere you go in Fiji, you’re always greeted with a warm “Bula!” by the people around. Bula has become a term synonymous to Fiji. The way you are greeted can vary from a gentle one from the ladies, to a vibrant and earth-shaking one by some of the men on the streets. It’s just so nice how these people greet strangers on the streets and in the villages, wherever it may be. It’s definitely something not a lot of places in the world do anymore (unfortunately).. The warm calm but vibrant smiles of the people makes you feel welcome, relaxed and at home on this South Pacific nation.

This is actually my second trip to Fiji. I’ve had the opportunity to visit the islands a couple of years ago, and I toured around the outer islands of Fiji. It’s definitely a great place to go for those white-sand beaches and fantastic snorkelling. This time however, I decided to explore the main island of Viti Levu and see the countryside, the villages, the beaches and the capital city of Suva.

Nadi and Denarau Island

denarauview Bula, Viti, FijiWhen you land into Fiji from overseas, you will most likely land into Nadi International Airport (pronounced as “Nandi”). This is the biggest airport in the country and is located on the western side of the island of Viti Levu. The airport is near the town of Nadi, the third biggest city in Fiji. This is where you’ll find a lot of shops catered primarily to tourists, and where you’ll find this very colourful Hindu temple at the end of the Main Street. There are a number of hotels and resorts around Nadi town and many tourists would opt for one of these resorts upon arrival. If you’re after some shopping, the most popular shops/department stores you will find in Nadi (and the rest of the major towns in Fiji) are Jack’s, Tappoo, and Prouds. It is also one of the few places in Fiji that has fastfood chains like McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut.

hammock Bula, Viti, Fiji

View from Denarau

For a more upmarket selection of resorts, the island of Denarau has been specifically developed to hold all the 5-star resorts into one island complex. Hotels like Sheraton, Sofitel, Hilton, Radisson, Westin, to name a few, are conveniently located beside each other. A Bula Bus service is available on the island. It’s basically a truck converted into some sort of a bus with a thatched roof to make it look Fijian. The last time I was there, it was offered as a free service, but this time around, you need to pay $4 for a day ticket, which gives you unlimited rides and access to the Bula Bus. Alternatively, if you’re a guest of the Sheraton or the Westin, they offer a free pink bus service that will take you to and from the Westin and Sheraton.  I stayed at the Westin, which I booked through the website Expedia. At one end of the island is Port Denarau, where cruise ships to the isalnds depart from. just right by the terminal is a newly built shopping complex that has a Hard Rock Cafe, and shops like Jack’s, New Zealand Natural, and a few great restaurants to choose from. It’s a great alternative if you’re tired of the same hotel food. Denarau Island is definitely a great place to go to experience some luxury and comfort, and to relax and enjoy the pools. The beach is okay, but I wouldn’t all it fantastic. Nevertheless, it’s still a great area to chill out and relax.

Sigatoka and Sigatoka Sand Dunes

sanddunes Bula, Viti, FijiMy friend Pete and I drove down the island from Denarau along Queen’s Road (the only fully-sealed road going around Viti Levu) to the Sigatoka area (pronounced Sing-a-toka). This area is where you will find the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, which has a few walking tracks to the sand dunes leading to the beach. It’s quite a sight to see, and it’s worth a visit. We took a walk that takes 1 hour return and goes by the sand dunes and along the beach, and then through the mahogany forest back into the car park. In the mahogany forest, we found some ingenious artwork done by the caretaker of the park. It’s called Treehuggers, and basically it is made of branches that got swept away from the nearby Sigatoka river onto the shores of the sand dunes area, and they have collected them as part of the cleanup program of the coastline. They then turned it into an artwork! Another piece they did is called The Tree of Lost Soles, and basically it is a collection of worn-out soles and flip-flops/slippers that got washed into the sand dunes and are hung onto this huge banyan tree. Well worth checking out!

We then proceeded to the town of Sigatoka, which is situated along the banks of the Sigatoka River, Fiji’s longest river. It’s a quiet laid-back town, and has a market on one end, and a few shops. We drove further along the main road and got to some dirt road which led to some villages and this wind farm. I never expected to see a wind farm in Fiji, but they actually have some on top of a hill! Very fascinating!

Coral Coast and Pacific Harbour

coralcoast Bula, Viti, FijiFurther from Sigatoka, roughly 20kms from the town is an area called the Coral Coast. It has a few resorts scattered along this strip of beach. The beach isn’t great for swimming, but is good for snorkelling. My friend Pete and I stayed at The Crow’s Nest resort, which is along this area called the Sunset Strip. It’s a small road that offshoots from the main Queen’s Road, and has a few small resorts lined up. It’s a great small resort with self-contained units and balconies overlooking the sea. It’s a much reasonably priced one among all the resorts in the area, with the Outrigger on the Lagoon being the most expensive. We had some other friends staying at the Outrigger, so we managed to check out their facilities. I must say that they have 5-star facilities, and they even organise activities for kids and adults alike to keep them entertained. There are no towns or places to go nearby, hence they want to entertain some of their guests through organising activities. The snorkelling was ok. I saw some colourful fish, but the corals were not as beautiful as in the other parts of Fiji.

pacificharbour Bula, Viti, FijiDespite the slightly patchy weather, I managed to see a nice sunset on the Sunset strip. It’s worth waiting for it and hanging out on the beach while it sets.. After the Coral Coast, the next place we visited along Queen’s Road is Pacific Harbour. It’s a nice area with a lot of private residence and some nearby resorts. There is an Arts Village, which has shops selling indigenous Fijian craft and has cafes, supermarket, and a bank. It also has a golf course, for those golfing enthusiasts. Right across the road is a camp site run by the Seventh Day Adventists. It’s a nice campsite with A-frame units to hire, and the beach looks great to hang out on. It has a view of the other islands off the main island of Viti Levu.

Suva

suva Bula, Viti, FijiThe frenetic capital and biggest city of Fiji was our next destination. This is where the Queen’s Road ends and the King’s Road starts going up to the northern part of the island. Unfortunately, since we didn’t have a 4WD vehicle, we were not able to travel this piece of road. The people at the car rental company told us that because of the massive rains they’ve had, the roads have become too rough to drive on, and not the entire stretch of it is sealed as well. So, on our way to Suva, we were welcomed by this torrential rain that just poured like a huge waterfall! We could hardly see a thing on the road, and our windscreen wipers were going full blast! I had heard that it often rains in Suva, so I wasn’t surprised of the weather. When we got to the city itself, Pete and I asked a local if there was a storm or cyclone coming through. He then said, “Nah, this is normal rain here”. So, having said that, we made sure to take our umbrellas to get around. There are heaps of Indian shops around, selling anything from clothing to food to general merchandise. Near the harbour itself, we found the new shopping mall of Suva called MHCC. The waterfront by the harbour was so tempting to us, but we were warned that it’s a dangerous area, as a lot of people get mugged. If you have seen how big the Fijians are, you would be cautious about these dangerous pockets. Having said that, I went around the government buildings and near the Fiji Museum, and it was a pleasant place to get around, with Albert Park between Fiji Museum and the government buildings. I took care on which ones I photograph because the military presence is quite obvious in the area. Suva looks like another buzzing city. Something I’m glad to have seen, but not too sure if I’ll go back. Fiji’s biggest city is not really a place to lounge in the sun and chill. If you’re after the beach and sun, head back to the western side of the island, or better yet, to the other outer islands!

Momi Bay

momibay Bula, Viti, FijiFrom Suva, we head back along Queen’s Road to head to Lautoka, the second biggest city in Fiji, which is a 30-minute drive from Nadi. Our friend was getting married in Lautoka, as that was his hometown. However, we still had a day before any of the activities started, so we decided to stay the night at Momi Bay, which is also 30 minutes away from Nadi, but on the other direction from Lautoka. It took us a good 4 hours to drive that way.

On the way, we saw on the map on our guidebook that there is a road that diverts a bit and goes along near the coast. We took that road that goes via the village of Lomawai, and Tau. The road was not sealed, but it was manageable. The villages along the way were picturesque, especially Lomawai. It’s along the river, and there is a wooden rail bridge where cars can go through as well. Later on, we learned that the salt that most of Fiji uses comes from this village. Along the way, we saw some children on horses, waving at us and the people seems so friendly and waving us.

After a hour on the dirt road from Lomawai, we finally got to Momi Bay. The Seashells @ Momi was what we had in mind to stay at, and it was just perfect. The Seashells had a range of accommodation from the backpackers to the bures, to self-contained units with aircon. We were wanting a bit more luxury in this case and chose the unit with aircon on it. The resort has no beach, but it has 2 swimming pools, one is near the sea, and a bar beside it. The area is close to mangroves, hence there is no sandy beach. However, the resort offers scuba diving trips, which is a bonus if you’re into scuba diving. This place is slightly off the beaten track, and not a lot of tourists were around when we checked in. Perhaps this caters more for backpackers and families who live locally. A great place to chill though.

Lautoka

lautokasunset Bula, Viti, FijiFrom Momi Bay, our final stop was Lautoka for our friend’s wedding. Lautoka is a pleasant town that is not packed with tourists. Lautoka is a great reprieve from the constant pulling by the locals in Nadi and Suva into their shops for people to buy their wares. There is a market at one end of town, and the shops run along the main street and the next block from it. We stayed at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel. It’s perhaps Lautoka’s best hotel, and the location by the waterfront is nice! One of the best sunsets I’ve seen on my trip was from this place, so well worth checking out the sunset from the walkway in front of this hotel. If you are looking for a good place to have breakfast, check out the Chilli Tree Cafe. It has a good selection of breakfast menu items and good coffee as well.

Abaca and Koroyanitu National Park

abacafalls Bula, Viti, FijiAfter the great wedding celebrations, we had a day left to ourselves. Pete and I decided to go up to a national park just behind Lautoka called the Koroyanitu National Park. To get there, we had to get to the village of Abaca (pronounced Am-ba-tha). We had to find a 4WD pickup to take us there, as the road was quite rough, and the vehicle had to do 2 river crossings, which was quite exciting. It’s a 10km journey but took 30 minutes to get to the village of Abaca because of the rough roads. When we got there, we had to pay F$10 for entry to the national park. There are a few walks around the area, and the one we managed to get to was to the Savuione Falls, which is a 2-hour walk return through the rainforest. It is considered an easy walk, but it is nowhere as easy as the Sigatoka Sand Dunes walk. Nevertheless, if you want to explore the different side of Fiji, this is definitely worth checking out. Just be careful of the spiders and caterpillars around, but otherwise, there are no predators in the jungle. The odd cow or horse may sound out, but nothing that you should be worried about.

That’s the end of my trip to Fiji! I will be posting another one about the outer islands of Fiji, based on my first experience of this island paradise. I hope you’ve enjoyed it!

Til then, have a fabulous journey!

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