M&M Smith: JULY 2022 : FIJI

Friday 1 July 2022

JULY 2022 : FIJI

Day 1

Travel day

A family holiday with Ash and her four children - Dakota (10), Koby (8), Archer (4) and Indi (20 months)

4.30am maxi taxi pickup, 6am flight to Sydney, 11am flight to Nadi (3 hours) and then a 2 hour bus ride to our resort on the Coral Coast.

As we passed through a village the local Hindu community were celebrating the annual Krishna chariot festival.

Day 2

The Warwick Resort

Ideal pool with beach activities a few steps away.

Sunset

Card games at night

Day 3

Swimming and snorkelling

Some interesting cultural offerings :

a local church choir and a twilight ceremony with a large conch shell and lighting of the lamps along the foreshore.

Day 4

Day trip to Sigatoka

Breakfast

A shopping expedition to Sigatoka, an hour from the Warwick.

Fabric stores

Local markets

with fresh local produce

Jackfruit

Cut and sliced finely, excellent for curry with chapattis

Impressive Hindu temple overlooking the town

Ash and I enjoyed our complimentary massage after a swim this afternoon

Seafood treat at the Wicked Walu restaurant under the stars

Day 4

Day trip to Biausevu community and waterfall walk

We left the resort at 10.30

A 15 minute drive up a bumpy dirt road to the village

A short kava ceremony and browse of local handicrafts in the community hall

Cilla, a local guide, walked us up the path to the waterfall - about an hour, across 8 shallow river crossings

Some of the rainforest plants

A relaxing time at the waterfall with a sandwich lunch

Traditional fire dancing display after dinner

Day 4

A native iguana on display

A trip to the Naviti Resort, 15 minutes away by courtesy bus, for a glass bottom boat trip.
Unfortunately the coral reef was as dead and colourless as the reef in our resort coast and not a lot of tropical fish to see. The kids were more impressed with the hotel pond which was full of colourful koi fish.