October 9, 2013

Bula!

Bula everyone! (Which means hello in Fijian). I’m so thrilled to share with you a glimpse of our vacation to Fiji. I will probably do 2 or 3 posts because I have so much to share! Joey and I try to plan a trip around our anniversary each year to celebrate. I’m a bit of a “wonder luster” and it has been a dream of mine ever since I can remember to go to an exotic island like Fiji. This year we made it happen. We talked Adam and Ali, another couple we know, into going along and I think we all agree that this trip was one for the books!

Resort: We stayed at the resort Namale Resort & Spa located on the island of Savusavu. I did a lot of research on Fiji prior to booking our trip and I must admit, I am rather picky when it comes to choosing where I sleep. I found this resort on one of Oprah’s top picks list so I decided to look into it more because it’s on Oprah’s list! It HAS to be amazing. Namale did not disappoint. The minute we arrived, we were happily greeted with some fruit punch and a song while the concierge went over all the details of the resort and what we needed to know. The service was above and beyond our expectations. The rooms they offer are called bures or you can stay in the Tatadra-which means Dream home, where we stayed. We were literally in awe the entire time. The house was pristine and comfortable with the best views! I felt like I was staying in the Swiss Family Robinson house because the house was so strategically placed within the natural trees and land of Fiji. From the outdoor showers to the sound of the waves singing us to sleep, we felt right at home.

Culture: When we travel, we always try to dive into the culture of wherever we go. You know what they always say..”When in Rome..do as the Romans do.” It’s so interesting to see a blend of 3 cultures combined in Fiji: the native Fijians, the Indo-Fijians, and the Polynesian Fijians, which as you can assume, makes for some amazing food, but I’ll get to that later. The atmosphere is very laid back and the Fijians are so welcoming to their home. Everyone we spoke to was more than happy to share their insights and way of life. One of my favorite things (among many) was learning about the “Tree of Life.” The resort provided a demonstration/history on the “Tree of Life”- the coconut tree. Did you know you can live simply off of a coconut?? You sure can! Coconuts provide different products during the various stages of their lives. For example, when they are green you can drink the water, which is very nutritious. When they are dark brown, the coconut firms on the inside and has almost a spongy texture that you can eat as a snack. Also, you can make coconut milk and coconut oil. We were able to try coconuts at all of their various stages and I certainly have a new appreciation for the coconut.

The Village: We also were taken on a tour of the local village of Naidi. A Fijian tradition when you enter a village is to bring a gift for the chief. Our group brought some Kava (I will talk more about Kava later on). The Fijians don’t spent much time watching TV, but there were a few in the village so the town can watch some futbol (soccer). In Fijian culture, they work together as a village. If a family is having troubles or someone’s house gets damaged in a storm, the village comes together to help each other out. It was very heartwarming to see that everyone cared for one another just like family.

Thank you for stopping by today! Check back again because I still have so much more to tell you about Fiji!