April May 2011, Fiji and Hawaii Part 1b, Fiji

Spinner Dolphins
Mother and baby
Our Captain/Driver
Our bure (cabin) at Daku Resort

Fiji
It took us a day and a half to get to our resort in Fiji from NZ, not because it is a great distance, but air travel in Fiji is infrequent and often unreliable. We checked into the Daku Resort, near Savusavu on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second largest island. We were surprised to find we were the only guests at the resort. Getting a chair poolside was no problem. Our activity level was low initially as we relaxed and got a feel for the place. We did some snorkeling in the bay near the resort, but the coral was disappointing as we expected it to be amazing. We were told a cyclone had recently done a lot of damage to the coral. Still, it was better than most places. The water temperature was perfect and you rarely saw another group snorkeling. We rented a car one day and explored the best parts of the island. We hired a guide who led us to a hidden waterfall.
During our week at the resort, it started to fill up. Several small groups came in and for two nights there were 20 college age kids there as part of a GAPFORCE Project (UK’s version of the Peace Corps). Before we left the island we wanted to find the best snorkeling in our vicinity. After a 45 minute bumpy taxi ride, we took a boat out into Natewa Bay and found a pod of 50 or more Spinner dolphins. Smaller groups would approach the boat and play in the bow wave or just guide us around the bay. After we had given the dolphins a good run, we went snorkeling in the crystal clear water of the reef. Apparently this area had been protected from the cyclone as the coral was much better than in the other bay. It was an excellent snorkeling/wildlife trip and a great way to end our week in Fiji.
The best thing about Fiji is their people - they are the friendliest we have ever met! On most tropical islands, the people in the tourism business are very friendly to tourists but the locals blame the tourists for everything that is wrong with their island. In Fiji, the locals greet you with “Bula” (Welcome, Hi), and even wave to you as you drive by.
If you travel to Fiji’s outer islands, allow an extra day on both ends of your trip for layovers and missed, cancelled or delayed flights. After our flight back to Fiji’s International Airport in Nadi, we endured an eight hour layover before our flight to Hawaii.