Friendly
Fijians
I
absolutely believe that it is the people that make the place and the Fijians are
a genuinely friendly and lovely bunch. These days it can be easy to feel
cynical when strangers are kind, I suppose it is a bit of a self-defence
mechanism. However, in Fiji I met all sorts of people from villagers in remote
corners of main island, Viti Levu to fruit and vegetable traders in Nadi Market
and people on smaller islands. Every single person was friendly, smiling,
polite and welcoming.
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| Friendly market trader, Nadi, Fiji |
The Tropics
I have
always been a fan of warm weather and I love the tropical, humid climate in
Fiji. Gentle breezes on balmy evenings, and living life in shorts, suit me down
to the ground.
Island Eats
You
can tell a lot about a place when you try local food. It is a showcase for
local traditions, habits and preferences. Being a nation of islands surrounded
by reefs, Fiji offers incredible seafood. Due to the large Indian population
curries are also popular but I resisted them (not a fan I’m afraid). However,
Fiji also enjoys a wide array of tropical fruits and vegetables, from plantain
and cassava (served with almost everything!) to taro, papaya, pineapple, coconut
and banana, I love them all. Yum!
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| Taro on sale at the market, Fiji |
Island
Time
Fijians
operate on ‘island time’. Maybe it is the heat, maybe it runs a bit deeper. I
found that the accepting nature of the locals, that attend whichever school is
closest, even if it is a catholic school and the children are Hindi, created a
calm environment with few tensions. I am the first to admit that I only visited
Fiji briefly and do not have the depth of understanding that someone living in
Fiji would have, but I felt a real lack of tension.
Fantastic
diving
The
spectacular reefs are idyllic playgrounds for scuba divers. Home to sharks,
rays, dolphins, fish, cuttlefish, lobsters, prawns, eels, and a plethora of
fish species, I could spend all day exploring the underwater world and not get
bored. On many islands it is possible to find interesting snorkelling only a
few metres from the beach. How easy and convenient can sub aqua adventures be?
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| Snorkelling just off the beach, Fiji |
Spectacular
scenery
Something
that makes Fiji stand out when compared to other island nations like the
Bahamas, is the landscape. The hills of Viti Levu rise dramatically and
majestically out of the sea. Even the small islands such as the Mamanucas and
Yasawas have interesting topography, albeit slightly less grand. Besides the
hills, Fiji boasts rainforest, rivers and sand dunes. There is such variety in
the landscape there are endless adventures to be had.
 |
| Beautiful Fiji |
Culture
Fiji’s
history and culture is very different to where I grew up in Europe, which to me
makes it fascinating. From the confronting sight of cannibal forks in Fiji
Museum to tales of tribal war, the ritual sharing of kava, and people capable
of walking across burning coals, Fiji has a very colourful cultural heart.
There seems to be a lot of singing too, which was lovely.
These
are the reasons I love Fiji. Have you been? If so, and you fell for Fiji too,
what made you feel that way?
