A sun-soaked collection of some 322 islands (approximately 106 of which are inhabited) located between New Zealand and Hawaii, Fiji is a true tropical paradise. The two main islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, but the small group of islands known as the Yasawa Islands is also extremely popular for island hopping. Like most other countries of the South Pacific Fiji has its fair share of gorgeous weather, pristine beaches, and clear, blue waters. What really sets Fiji apart from other tropical destinations like Bali or French Polynesia, and what makes it a uniquely appealing place to take that dream vacation you’ve been thinking about, however, is its atmosphere.
Less developed than many other tourist-frequented locales, Fiji straddles the line between developed and developing nation. This means not only can you experience many of the environmental pleasantries of other South Pacific destinations, you can experience them in a nearly untouched setting. Sometimes when visiting an exotic destination, nothing can be more annoying than arriving only to find that what you’re presented with is an artificially constructed, idealized version of a place made especially for tourists. Not so in Fiji. You’ll get nothing but the real thing here.
RealTravelers Kyle & Dan recently visited Fiji as part of their extensive around the world trip this past year, and had this to say about a snorkeling trip they took in the crystal-clear waters of Naviti:
“On the morning of our full day on the island, we were taken, by our boat driver Moses… on a trip to the southern tip of Naviti where an expansive and beautiful coral garden was located; nearby was the channel used by manta rays when they were in the area from July-October, giving birth…
At our first stop, we saw many unique and brightly coloured coral formations. A lot of the fish we observed were different to those we had seen on the other islands we had recently visited, so the experience was excellent. During our second or third stop - we can’t remember which one - we saw a baby manta ray swimming underneath us in the channel where we were supposed to see them. The baby was quite large, around 4-5 feet wide, and we wished that we had seen the parents because they would have been around 12 feet wide!
In addition to the amazing coral garden and manta ray, we saw a few bigger fish a couple of feet in length, and a long white-tip reef shark, a new species of shark that we had not yet spotted this year. Overall, the trip was perfect, with Moses having let us snorkel at four different areas.” (more…)
Best of all, a dream vacation to Fiji may cost less than you think. In response to a reduction in tourism after a bout of political upheaval several years ago, much of the tourist industry has lowered prices, and increased its emphasis on main resort areas outside the capital. So start planning your trip now. Fiji just may end up being the dream destination you never knew you wanted to visit.
Useful Resources:
Sigatoka Hotels
Nadi Hotels
Suva Hotels
