Stopover That Almost Didn’t, Nadi Fiji

Lighting the torches

“I travel because seeing photos in books and brochures wasn’t good enough for me. To be there, that was everything.” – Wiremu Ratcliffe

Since I was traveling Fiji Airways it seemed intuitive to take advantage and spend a few days exploring Fiji while on my epic journey through the Southern Hemisphere.

As it turned out the original four days I had planned shrunk to 2 due to flights and the international date line. I was flying Papeete, Auckland, Nadi and as I might have mentioned earlier the rain decided to shower us with a lot of blessings on Papeete. As I sat at the airport and watched the flight delays, I saw my connection time in Auckland shrinking to negative. The Air New Zealand representative in Papeete told me that I’d have to take up connections etc. in Auckland even as they worked with other passengers.

I had almost given up any hope of spending any time in Fiji when the captain requested passengers on our flight to remain seated and let the people with the connection to Nadi, please exit the aircraft first since the aircraft was waiting. As luck would have it there were 40 plus people on this flight connecting to the Nadi flight, but the gate was almost a 20-minute walk with a stop at security to boot.

Since I am writing about my short but sweet stopover thankfully, I made it but only because Air New Zealand delayed the Nadi flight departure by over an hour.

The Crowne Plaza resort was a fabulous respite amongst the rigors of travel, their breakfast buffet was impressive, one of the best I’ve seen in a while and the room rate was so very affordable. I thought my grandchildren would really enjoy it but my son of course is leery of the 11-hour flight to get here with two small children.

The resort had a daily schedule of activities to keep visitors busy, but I enjoyed the evenings on the beach, soaking in the sunset and watching the local fire dancing and other cultural activities.

The Sleeping Giant. The true gem to visit is the garden that is nestled at the foot of the mountain. Beautifully landscaped with orchids, lily ponds, it’s a delight to walk through to get to the viewpoint. If you ask, the lady at the front desk will also give you mosquito repellent to make your walk more enjoyable.

The Hindu temple in Fiji is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. This is just a smaller structure that is on the massive complex. They were painting the facade and most of it was covered by a black drop cloth plus it was extremely hot and I was not prepared to walk on the hot concrete in search of a visit and some additional photos.

Part of my tour included the local markets but due to it being Sunday most of the markets and shops were closed so instead we went out to a farmers’ market out in the suburbs that sat snoozing in the heat. I got to see Cassava, Taro and Kava roots that the locals use for locally fermented alcohol.

This lady was so happy when I stopped by her stall and so disappointed that I did not buy anything but still gave me a smile as I took her picture.

The whole island is lush and green. My driver was very obliging and stopped where I wanted to stop and even took me to Denarau island to show me the golf course and the large resort properties.

The Sabeto Mud pools. According to the crew on the Fiji Airways flight if I did only one thing it would be this and a massage. There are 4 pools here. You start with the mud pool and slather your body with this volcanic mud which is supposed to be excellent for your skin and then there are 3 other clear pools.

It was 98 degrees Fahrenheit on the day that I went. The thought of getting into hotter weather was not at all enticing though there was a couple all slathered in mud and people in the other pools who said that it was very very hot.

I passed on the thermal pools but decided to go with the massage. When I got to the Massage Room, it was one large room with massage tables laid out one next to the other and communal massages. It truly was an experience and after some internal debate I stripped off and lay down on the table for one of the best and cheapest massages ever.

Traveling certainly broadens your perspective; I thought nothing could surprise me after the Hamam in Morocco but ….

While I did not do the official tour of a native village this village was along the way to the garden of the sleeping giant and the Sabeto mud pools. Not too many people live in these traditional huts anymore, but it is interesting to see how the construction keeps them cool and comfortable in the hot weather.

Oh! Glorious Sunset. Reminds me of the quote by Kristen Butler - “Sunsets are proof that no matter what happens, every day can end beautifully.”