Nabua Lodge, Nacula Island

We arrived at Nabua and it rapidly transpired that our good luck followed us as yet again we were in another private bure, although this time there were two single beds. Once again it was wonderfully close to the beach and basic but cosy inside. After dumping our bags we headed to the beach to take some pictures of the fabulous view and enjoy the sunshine. I even managed to do a spot of blogging whilst lying around on the sand. 

That evening we had a wonderful buffet dinner which had been cooked in the ground. Very much like a Maori Hangi, a hole was dug in the ground and lined with rocks. A fire was lit and left for around two hours to heat the rocks through before the food was then cooked on these. It was absolutely delicious and we were spoilt for choice with the selection of meats, fish, salads and root vegetables which are local to Fiji. 

After dinner there was 'bula time' which was a chance to play games and socialise with each other getting to know the staff and other guests. We learnt a new bula dance routine which we were just as bad at as the last one. Two games followed, my favourite being sand and water. A rope is laid across the ground and one side is sand and the other is water. You have to jump between the two as instructed by one of the staff members and if you get it wrong you're out. It led to some funny situations with people desperately trying to balance themselves after almost jumping the wrong way. I was terrible at it and out early. After wearing ourselves out it was time for another shower and then bed, listening to the Harry Potter audiobook to ease us to sleep. Amazing. 

Sunday dawned bright and beautiful and we joined the trip going to the village and the church. It happened to be Easter Sunday too and we enjoyed the simple ceremony and looking round the village. 

It was an extremely hot day so after the service we headed back to the sea to cool down, not that the water is exceptionally cold! When the evening rolled around we played more games, one which I miraculously own and was rewarded with a luminous, radioactive green drink. We were also encouraged to sing our national anthems so the other guests could hear them. Thankfully there were 4 other English girls and we wailed away together sounding very much like rowdy football fans rather than graceful singers. We were put to shame by many of the other guests who sung their anthems well and in some cases by themselves. Afterwards our hosts sung the Fijian anthem for us which was beautiful. 

Monday was our last full day on the islands and we chose to make the most of the sea and the beach, relaxing and just soaking up the sun. We moved about twice; for lunch and for afternoon tea and cake at a stall run by the locals. 

We danced, or at least attempted to, the Bula dance one last time that evening before playing a variety of games. We then sat around chatting with other guests and the locals who kept us amused wih tales of Fiji and continuously making us guess how old they were, as they all look a lot younger than they are. It seemed to entertain them as well. 

On Tuesday after a morning spent on the beach and then lunch it was time for us to say farewell to the islands. We had a five hour boat journey back down the Yasawas chain to Port Denaru and then a bus transfer to Nadi. I spent the journey watching enviously as people hopped off to different islands along the way. 

When we arrived at Smuggler's Cove we took full advantage of the half price pizza deal which was a delicious change when compared to the 11 nights of variations of rice, noodles and potatoes. I shouldn't complain though as we didn't have to cook anything! The 34 bed dorm was blissfully empty and we managed to get a decent sleep before our exciting day of laundry ahead. 

Until next time. 

A x

Long Beach Backpackers, Matacawalevu Island

Long Beach Backpackers was our next stop. This was more like Kuata; basic, laid-back and geared towards backpackers unlike Barefoot. We had a dorm room for three people but apart from our second night we did not have anyone else in it with us.

Long Beach, named after the seemingly endless white strip of sand snaking along the coast line, was beautiful. We went for a stroll down the beach right to the last visible point from the hostel, where the emerald green vegetation finishes in the photo below. 

There were many gorgeous sights along the way as usual in picturesque Fiji. The aqua blue water was beautifully clear and extremely shallow as it was low tide. Walking along the beach in the sunshine was extremely hot and sticky so we took a rest in the shade at the other end of the beach with just the dog that had joined us for company. It was lovely just listening to the sound of the sea and letting the breeze cool us down. 

Once we made it back to the hostel we spent the afternoon on the beach only leaving when we were ousted by the tide creeping it's way up the beach to the tree line. 

Our evening was extremely enjoyable. It started with attempting to play volleyball with the locals and other guests as the sun went down and ended, after dinner, drinking kava and talking to everyone. Chris and Rueben, our hosts, were friendly and extremely curious about where we come from and our lives back home. Trying to describe the population of London, over 6million, to people from island villages and a country with a population of 800,000 was difficult and to them it was a mind blowing number of people. Whilst many visitors to Fiji describe it as paradise and a place they never want to leave, myself included, many younger Fijians feel stuck there wanting to experience other parts of the world. Once again it hammered home just how lucky and privileged we are to be in a position to travel. Eventually the kava's numbing effect began working, lulling us closer and closer to sleep and so we called it a night. 

On Thursday after a breakfast of many different types of cake we joined the snorkelling trip bound for the nearby Blue Lagoon. The pristine waters were incredible and there were many different types of beautiful fish in this divine underwater world. We took pieces of bread into the water and swarms of fish gathered round us, eager for a bite to eat right out of our hands. Once we had enough of swimming around, which was quite a while later, we wallowed in the water just off the beautiful white sandy beach. 

The afternoon was spent lazing on the beach and I participated in another weaving lesson, actually weaving my own bracelet this time. We watched another gorgeous sunset before dinner and after retired to our hut to read and have an early night.

I decided to take part in the village trip on Friday morning and it was interesting to see the village life but unfortunately we could not visit the school as it was closed for Good Friday. It was a half hour walk through the muggy forest of palm trees and thick grass. Needless to say it was pretty hot and sweaty work. 

The village is nestled on a green hillside overlooking the sparkling blue sea. We wandered through it smiling and waving at locals who all wanted to invite us in for a drink. We stopped at the church before making our way back. It was on the way back that myself and the other two guests from Switzerland were trying to explain snow to Chris, yet another thing we take for granted.

As usual the rest of the day was spent on the beach sun worshipping before watching the evening show provided by the setting sun and candy floss clouds. We chilled with the locals and other guests after dinner before heading back to our bure and attempting to take photographs of the beautiful full moon and it's reflection on the ocean. Most of the ones on my camera are a squiggly mess as I couldn't stay still for long enough! 

We were up at 5:30 on Saturday morning, pretty much the crack of dawn, to watch what promised to be another spectacular sunrise. After nudging Chris awake we all set off to an island opposite ours which took about 3 minutes to reach by boat. From there we walked up an extremely steep hill through dense vegetation, firstly grass taller then us and secondly a small forest, to reach an outcrop of rock near the summit to watch the day dawn. We did this all barefoot which was definitely an accomplishment and I only fell over on the way down once, being clumsy as usual. 

It was magical watching the sun peek out from behind one of the nearby islands from our high perch amongst the grass and trees. The islands and the ocean looked beautiful in the early morning light. It was crazy being so close to the date line knowing we were ushering in a brand new day whilst elsewhere in the world others hadn't even lived yesterday. When you sit and stop to think about what other people elsewhere are doing at that moment, it reminds you how many people are in the world and that you are such a small piece in this ever changing place. It is remarkably humbling. 

Once the sun had risen we navigated our way down the steep hillside, coming across a dead goat along the way which was a not so nice surprise. Chris allowed me to drive the boat for a bit whilst crossing back to Long Beach. Unsurprisingly, I wasn't very good at it and it was a pretty jerky and bumpy ride back due to my inability to control the speed that well. It was good fun though. We left Long Beach that day and headed onwards to Nabua, our last island stop. 

Until next time.

A x