Now this is Fiji! Coralview Resort
Early Morning Start
I am still chuckling about the loungers situated under another coconut tree bearing the sign of “Beware of Falling Coconuts” when the shuttle picks us up at 6:30am to take us to our Tavewa Seabus ferry at the Laukota Port. Laukota is 30 minutes north of Nadi. John promises that this is the last early morning of the trip.Ferry
Ride to Coral View Resort
Fiji is an archipelago consisting of over 330 Islands. Over 66% of the islands are uninhabited.
Our ferry is quite small, it’s more of a big motorboat. It turns out John and I and a number of packages (plus the captain and assistant) are the only passengers.
I watch them transfer the luggage to the boat via a 45° or possibly steeper ramp. I don’t see any other way into the boat. Am I supposed to slide down that ramp??? That might be problematic.
The taxi takes us to another part of the jetty where the boat meets us and we can board the boat from steps.
Before boarding, John and I take this wonderful non-drowsy, anti-nausea drug called Hyoscine hydrobromide (300 micrograms). The trip will take three hours and I have a tendency to get sea sick. I also wear my sea bands for double protection.
The boat is very loud so I put on my headphones and crank up my favourite tunes. I even sing along at the top of my lungs cause the motor drowns out everything. Now this is freedom!
In everyday life, it’s so easy to become numb to all the wonderful things around and I sometimes end up just going through the motions. Travel causes me to rediscover and appreciate everyday life. It gives a different perspective and opens my world. It’s all about experiences.
Right here and now I see nothing but the faded outline of mountains behind us, distant islands ahead and only blue ocean in between.
The boat rises on choppy waves only to drop. At one point I’m slightly airborne. Riding the wave of life just doesn’t get any better. Bring it on!
We’re in the middle of nowhere, I have tunes in my headphones, bouncing on waves and watching the turbulence of the wake behind the boat. My lips taste of salty water. With every fibre of my being I feel alive. Life is good.
We are heading to a small resort called Coralview on the northern end of a chain of islands called the Yasawa Islands.
As we get closer to the islands, the water changes from dark blue to a brilliant aqua. Flocks of birds are diving for fish nearby.
Delivery to Dr. Phil
The boat goes into a sheltered cove and an even smaller boat named “Dr. Phil Forever”, approaches. Packages are passed to Dr Phil’s captain who, in return passes an envelope to our captain. And we’re off again.
Coral View Resort
Soon we land at a small resort of ocean front huts. Friendly staff are waiting for us. We are greeted with a chorus of welcoming “Bulas’” and glasses of fresh watermelon juice.
We are not quite off the grid but we’re getting there. I feel a million miles away but am pleased to see a cell tower on the mountain behind us.
We are shown to our cabin which is delightful. Loads of hibiscus flowers decorate the beds along with messages written in grass of “Bula” and “Welcome Home”. Even the sink and toilet are decorated with flowers.
There is no air-conditioning in our cabin but it is not needed because Fiji has trade winds which cool the place nicely.
There are two dogs at the resort, outgoing Skipper and reserved Lady. There is also a cat.
We are told to bring our shoes into the cottage at night because Skippy likes to collect them.
We have purchased the mandatory meal plan because there are no other eating options on this island. After moving into our space, we head to the main area for lunch.
John spends time reading before afternoon tea and I write.
After tea , I splurge and have a one hour massage. Two ladies work on me at the same time. They seem quite enamoured with my bright coral coloured toe nail polish (which is holding up surprisingly well). They use this fragrant oil which is made locally. They say it is lime fragrance but it smells more like plumeria to me. No matter the fragrance, I’m smelling good.
At 5:30pm we head to the central area for happy hour and get a chance to meet the only other guests staying at the resort; two long time girlfriends from Germany and Scotland. Everything is pretty quiet, I’m sure it is off season since Australian kids are still in school.
John and I order a local beer called Fiji Gold. It is Saturday night. We notice the staff have changed into dressy clothing and about twenty of them gather at a long table next to us. Polynesian church music starts to play and a pastor gives a sermon mostly in Fijian with a little English thrown in. I am feeling a bit guilty drinking beer during the service but we stay till the end.
Supper consists of a vegetable shooter, seafood (John local fish, me prawns) in a sauce with a potato like vegetable called taro.
We have an early night.
Morning at Blue Lagoon
We sleep well and in the morning we head to breakfast. Skipper the dog sits beside me as I eat, tapping my thigh gently with his paw at regular intervals to remind me of his presence. Despite being tempted, I hold strong and don’t feed him table scraps.
We get dressed for our morning at the Blue Lagoon. Skipper jumps into the motorboat with us and we are off. Click here for a short video.
It takes under ten minutes to get there. We feed the fish from the boat and then our driver drops us off on the beach. Skipper joins us.
We have this glorious beach mostly to ourselves. Skipper guards our stuff as we going in snorkeling. The water is so very clear.
I notice a lot of new coral growth and there is a huge variety of fish including damsel fish, angelfish, parrot fish, needle fish and humuhumunukunukuapuahas (Hawaiian name for the Picasso triggerfish). There are tons of other kinds as well. It’s a magical kingdom under the water.
Too soon (2.5 hours later), the boat comes to pick us up and we head back to the resort for lunch.
Coconut Beach Sunset
We spend the afternoon lying on the hammock, reading, writing and listening to the seventh game of the World Series. Score now 4-2 for the Jays.
Nooooo. The Jays lost! So close. They still did amazing. Maybe next year.
Shortly after five, we decide to hike to the other side of the island to watch the sunset. It takes about twenty minutes and we only share the beach with a dog an it’s owner. Ghost crabs seem to fly across the sand in the breeze.
We head back to Coral View for supper. There are two new guests at the resort which brings our numbers up to six. We all sit together for awhile. After supper John and I have an early night.
Final Day at Coralview
Today is our final day at Coralview Resort. John is still not feeling perfect. He has a slight fever, a runny nose and goopey eye.
After breakfast we head back to the Blue Lagoon. Skipper joins us again. We feed the fish from the boat which interests Skipper greatly.
We are staying longer today at the lagoon and once again we have it all to ourselves. The resort sends a boat over at noon with our lunch and a fresh coconut for me to drink.
The snorkeling is great. We see lots of trigger fish, moorish idols, butterfly fish, chromos and damsels. I even see a couple snake eels.
Upon return we relax at our cabin. A tropical storm blows through but it’s done by supper.
Kava Ceremony
We end the evening with a traditional Fijian Kava ceremony. Kava is a root plant and the root is ground up into a powder somewhat like the consistency of sand. The kava powder is then placed into a bag where it is hand strained in a bowl of water for a period of time to release the properties of the kava into the water. The kava water is then handed out in coconut shell bowls accompanied by a specific ceremony of hand clapping and bulas. At this point the water is referred to as ‘chocolate mud” although the term chocolate refers only to colour and not taste.
The first drink of the kava is rather unpleasant but is more bearable as you drink more. Drinking a lot of kava can bring on symptoms similar to being drunk but more moderate quantities create a feeling of relaxation and brings on a good sleep. I have four bowls and John has five. One of our fellow guests tried some last night and said he only began to feel intoxicated after drinking eight bowls.
We have a nice time chatting and enjoying the kava ceremony before heading to bed. Neither of us is feeling drunk but hopefully we will have a good sleep.
All feels v relaxing.
It truly is