Fiji – Islands to Glens

Thursday July 18th – Monday July 22nd, 2019

This past week was an extraodinary treat from my hosts, Isikeli and Litia. We did a full circle drive around the island, traversing Queens Road along the southern half and then returning via Kings Road along the northern shores. Fiji is a collection of many, many islands and islets — roughly 300 islands of which over 100 are populated, so there is quite the selection to see.

The largest are Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, with the Yasawa and Mamanuca Groups just to the northwest of Viti Levu. I mention the Yasawa and Mamanuca Groups, because you can spend all or part of a day touring these islands from the many boats leaving out of Port Denarau – truly lovely to see. We spent an entire afternoon on South Sea Island, part of the Mamanuca Island Group. And I would be remiss in not also mentioning Taveuni Island, known not only for its spectacular waterfalls and scenery but also because the dateline passes through it…and, due to climate change effects and rising water levels, it is ‘sinking’.

On one hand, the verdant lands and plentiful fish, fruits, and flowers make Fiji seem like it is offering a nature that is everlasting; on the other, it provides the most stark reminder of our need to take better care of her.

Scenes of Fiji

We had many adventures in just these few days on Viti Levu island in Fiji, including a driving tour to see the Sleeping Giant and the Sabeto healing mudbaths, shopping and dining at Port Denarau, a day at South Sea island, dinner and music at the Warwick hotel, a walking tour of downtown Suva, and most special was a day with family and friends on the Bau Island. The craft and skill of the people here is such that a most beautiful dress was handmade for me (without having met me, no fittings at all!), which I wore on the occasion of visiting Bau Island, the home of Ratu Seru Cakobau, First Chief of Fiji.