The Yasawas

Written on Day 10, Saturday September 25^th, at Nadi airport, Fiji – by Austin

So we’re now 10 days into our trip.  It sure goes fast.  Unfortunately, we have to leave Fiji tonight, but we’re quite excited about our next stop in Samoa.  Fiji has been great!  We’ve really enjoyed ourselves and have had some great experiences in the short time we have been here.  This entry will be the first of 2 entries about Fiji, simply because there is so much to say, and Kim and I can also split up the writing this way.  I will be writing about our four nights in the Yasawa Islands, a small group of islands off the west coast of Fiji’s main Island, Viti Levu.

The Yasawa Islands first of all are remote, and are serviced only by one daily high speed ferry, The Yasawa Flyer.  I in fact had no idea that these islands even existed until we hit Fiji.  Kim however had done some research and had heard about the Yasawas, so she knew what to look for when we booked the trip at the airport.  We set out on Sunday morning from Port Denarau, which is a very nice upscale looking port right rear Nadi.  It was like entering a different world going through the gates of the port.  We went from almost third-world looking streets of Nadi right into a gated community presumably for Fiji’s ultra-rich.  I was especially impressed by some of the boats docked there; I am guessing values well into the multi-millions.  The boat we travelled on was not too shabby either, with three decks and a lounge etc, and best of all its speed of I believe about 30 knots.  Only trouble was a bit of motion sickness on the way, but nothing to spoil the experience.   The journey to our first stop was a total of about 2 and ¼ hours, with stops along the way to drop other travellers at their island resorts.  

The fancy Port Denarau, complete with a Hard Rock Cafe.... 

 


Kim enjoying the sunshine on the ferry...

The Yasawa Flyer.....

The dropoff/pickup process at the side of the ferry, being met by smaller boats for transport to the islands....

We were reminded before boarding the boat that the islands had no ATMs, and to make sure that we had enough cash to take care of our bills and any incidental expenses.  Luckily Kim and I had booked a package that included our accommodations and our meals on the islands, so we just needed a bit of spending money.  Our biggest expense turned out not to be alcoholic beverages as we expected, but bottled water, as our second resort had no fresh running water.   We have been pretty lucky with drinking water thus far though, as only on the one island did we need to buy water.  Some of you may be interested to learn about our water treatment solution for when fresh water is available, as it is still quite magical to us---seeming like science fiction.  It is called the SteriPen, and it uses UV light to neutralize parasites and bacteria in the water.  Essentially we understand that it renders them incapable of reproducing, so they pass through your system without problems.  So far it has worked, and we’ve been drinking our treated water in Fiji without any ill effects.  We are told the water is safe to drink without treatment though, so the true test will be when we run into water that locals won’t drink.  The product claims to be more effective than chemical solution such as tablets, so we are really hoping it is all it is advertised as.  With the amount of water we have been drinking, it could pay for itself in just a few days with savings on not buying bottled water.   Its major downfall is that it takes about 2-3 minutes to treat 1 litre of water, and the water must be clear to start, so we will be limited to using it when we have an already decent water source, like clear tap water.   Anyhow, some photos to illustrate our water process:

The SteriPen as modelled by my lovely wife....

And in action.....

But back to our travels in the Yasawas.  Our first stop was a nice little place called Waya LaiLai Eco-Resort, on Waya Island.  Our arrival was pretty neat.  We were met at the ferry boat by a smaller boat powered by outboard motor, who then took us and our bags to near shore.   Due to a rough sea and unfavourable tides, we still had some walking to do in the ocean before hitting the shore.  That was okay, it was bloody hot so we welcomed the cool down.  We hit the beach and were guided through a village that borders the resort—I think due to the tides that day that was the best way to get to shore.   It was pretty cool though, instantly feeling we were in a very different place.  These islands are small and pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and inhabited by only a small number of people, presumably who have now recently started to serve in the tourism industry.  Waya LaiLai I believe was built in 2003, so still fairly new.  After a little walk through the village, we were taken to our Bure, which is the Fijian word for beachfront hut.  We were quite impressed with the place, as we had very low expectations in terms of amenities.  However, our little hut had plenty of space, had running water (cold only), and had electricity for the evening hours (approx. 7pm-10pm) powered by a generator.  It was more than we expected and certainly all we needed, and best of all, it looked right out onto a fantastic beach.   The Yasawas are pretty much known for great beaches, lots of sun, clear waters and great snorkelling and diving, and at most resorts it is a younger backpacker crowd, so there is a few party hotspots as well.  Each Island and resort had its own character and catered to different kinds of tourists.  Waya LaiLai had a mixed crowd, with plenty of interesting fellow travellers to talk to.  We met a nice English couple (Matt & Sinead), and a Canadian (Heidi) living in Australia, so we may end up meeting with either of them again along our travels.  

Enjoying island life at Waya Lai Lai....

The boat ride to Waya Lai Lai..

 Walking through the village on Waya island upon arrival...

We were also worried about the quality of the food on the islands, but that turned out to be a needless worry, as the food was plentiful and very decent.  In the evening at Waya Lai we were treated to some traditional Fijian dancing, which was really fun.  As to activities during the day, Kim and I took advantage of a few of them, with the highlight for me definitely being the sunrise summit walk that we did to a place called Bald Rock at the top of the island.  It was an early morning start (5am), and we walked the first 20 minutes in the dark with flashlights, and it was also quite strenuous, but it was well worth the views when we reached the top.   Our guide, an older man named Nepote, was incredibly fit, and definitely in his element on this hike and he did the whole thing in flip-flop sandals-very impressive!  Kim and I were huffing and puffing trying to keep up and stay hydrated, as we were sweating profusely from the heat and the exertion.  Hiking in plus 30 is much more difficult we learned than hiking at the temperatures we grew accustomed to in Nunavut.   Anyhow, it was great hike and we were able to grab some great photos.  

Climbing in the dark....

We made it.....beautiful light at the top...

Photo op...

 And our guide, Nepote, defeinetely in his element...

We also took the opportunity to go snorkelling at a nearby reef, where we saw lots of nice colourful fish, and the highlight of the snorkelling---getting up close and personal with reef sharks.  Kim and I even got to touch sharks, so that was pretty neat.  Unfortunately we did not have a camera to document the experience, but we were able to steal these photos from some English friends we made, Matt and Sinead, who as it happens, are also on a 7 month tour.   They were travelling on a 14 day Bula pass and had 14 days in the islands, and could move around to different resorts as they pleased, which sounded pretty cool.  We had a quicker experience, with only 4 nights in the islands, but that was still enough I think to get a feel for them.  

The shark experience....

The sharks were not willing participants in the action at all times, but still harmless, despite a brief attempt at one of the Fijian's noses...

The Fijian dancing.....

Kim hangning out in our Beachfront Bure at Waya Lai Lai, doing some repair work to one of our little bags...

Our next resort was Korovou Eco-Haven, with a very nice long beach and fantastic western exposure for great sunsets.  We had a beachfront Bure again, which was OK, but a bit of a letdown compared to our digs at Waya Lai Lai.  At Korovou we took the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine, and we also did some really nice snorkelling right off the beach.  We had a bit of a struggle getting out for the snorkelling, as the beach is full of coral tidal flats, so they had only a narrow concrete underwater walkway to access the swimmable area further out.  The first time we tried to go snorkelling, we were scared out of the water by a pack of very aggressive and hungry fish, who we were told were due for a feeding at that time, as the resort takes out food for them every day in the same place, and as they missed their feeing that day, they were very hungry and thought we may be their food.  So that was slightly off-putting and a bit embarrassing as well, as none of the fish were big or scary in themselves, but hundreds of them biting at your ankles was definitely a bit intimidating.  Later on however we took an alternate route when the tide was up a bit, and we were able to get out into the water problem free.  It was well worth it when we did, as the waters were very clear and there was a great variety of colourful fish and coral.   Other activities at Korovou included a bonfire on the beach, where we got to chat with many other travellers who recommended things to do and see in New Zealand and Australia, so we know we have lots to look forward to in those places.  

Our bure at Korovou.....

Some hermit crabs we found at the beach at Korovou...

On our final day in the Yasawas we took in the last of the sunshine that we could, and we boarded the ferry back to Denarau where we would wait for our ride down to the coral coast, where we would do a village homestay---but I will save that experience for Kim to write about. 

Best wishes to everyone.

The Knotty Travellers