Fiji was first settled 3,500 years ago by voyagers who also went on to populate Samoa and Tonga. It’s an archipelago of 332 islands, some large and populated, others tiny and deserted – the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks was filmed here. There are so many islands in fact that you can find yourself on a beach with turquoise water, coconut palms and a few thatched huts; that is, you can experience the kind of tropical paradise that makes Fiji the best kept secret destination on the planet.
World class diving
The world’s most famous underwater exploring family lends its name to one of the top diving destinations in Fiji. The Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort takes advantage of the fact that Fiji is the soft coral diving capital of the world. There are fully equipped diving vessels and training courses to get you into the water. Professional dive masters and instructors will guide you in your underwater adventures. On the north side of the island of Vanua Levu you can see manta rays from June to December, while the island of Taveuni’s Great White Wall is considered by some to be the best diving experience in the world.
Yasawa Flyer
This is a great way to get around what is basically a series of unconnected islands. The Yasawa Flyer is a high speed catamaran that departs daily for the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands (Castaway was filmed on one of the Mamanuca islands). You can schedule your day’s journey to take the flyer out in the morning and back in the afternoon. The first service is at 8.30am and the last returns at 5.45pm.
Viti Levu
While Fiji’s desert islands are a major attraction, the capital Suva on the island of Viti Levu is an example of the cultural melting pot that is Fiji. Of significance politically and culturally are the Indo-Fijians, descendants of Indian labourers brought in by the British to work in the sugar cane industry. Fiji was a British colony until 1970, and it retains some of its colonial past as well as the influence of Hinduism. The indigenous Fijian population offers the warm welcome and easy charm of Melanesian culture with a strong Polynesian influence. English is the common language, but Fijian and Hindi are also taught in schools.
It’s affordable
Everyone has a different idea of what ‘holiday accommodation’ means. There are those who wouldn’t be caught dead in a backpacker’s hostel, while others would consider this a fantastic base to catch the local flavour. Fiji has accommodation ranging from five-star to backpacker: a look at a popular travel site shows prices ranging from AUD$38 a night for a backpacker’s hostel, to $1,800 per night for a five-star resort. Given that kind of range, you’re sure to find somewhere to suit you.
Lovo feast
A lovo is a traditional way of preparing food, known as a mumu in other parts of Melanesia. The taste has to be tasted to be believed: a moist, slightly smoky flavour that’s imparted by the hot stones that form the oven’s heat source. A pit is dug in the ground into which is placed firewood and large stones (non-exploding type). The fire is lit and when the stones are hot, extinguished. Wrapped parcels of taro, sweet potato, pork, chicken and fish are placed in the pit and covered with banana leaves and/or dampened sacks. The whole is covered with soil and left for a couple of hours. Delicious!
This has just scratched the surface of why Fiji is the best kept secret on earth. In fact, it’s not just one secret at all – it’s an archipelago of secrets adrift in the vast blue of the Pacific Ocean waiting for you to discover them.
(Featured image: Adam Selwood)
