Today, we had a relaxing 8.30am start for our travels around Viti Levu with Feejee Experience.
After picking up fellow passengers from their respective accommodation, our very first stop was at Nadi town.
We were given a quick orientation around town and also got a glimpse of the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere, Sri Siva Subramaniya temple.
As it was a public holiday, most shops were closed. But interestingly, we found a fake Secret Recipe outlet within a supermarket in Nadi.
They had the exact same wording and the only difference was, they swapped the colours of the foreground and background. See the differences?
From Nadi town, we headed towards Natadola Beach.
Relatively isolated and remote, Natadola is considered the finest beach in Viti Levu and has also been named as one of the 25 sexiest beach in the world by Forbes Traveler. Curved with a stretch of pristine white sandy beach bounded by palm trees and crystal clear azure waters, the atmosphere made it an ideal escape from Nadi.
While one could choose to horse ride, snorkel, swim or sunbathe, we decided to walk the whole stretch of the beach to check out the new Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa.
As we spend time enjoying the beach, our guide and driver cooked up a BBQ lunch, where we then picnicked by the beach.
Moving on from Natadola Beach, we visited Malomalo, a coastal Fijian village.
After a quick tour of the village, …
… we sat on a foundation of corals inside the village chief’s bure to further understand the traditional methods and local materials used to construct the bure.
Amazingly, without using a single nail for its construction, the bure has survived a total of 8 cyclones.
Joining the main road once again, we stopped at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park.
Covering a total of 650 hectares of dunes formed through erosion over millennia, this was also where Fiji’s earliest prehistoric archaeological relics were uncovered.
Putting the historical and educational information aside, this was also where the fun began. Boogie boarding down the gigantic dunes!!
After sand-boarding, we continued west on the Coral Coast, passing by Sigatoka town with some interesting sights along the way.
A further cruise down the winding coastal road …
… finally lead us to our first overnight destination, Mango Bay Resort.
Being one of Fiji’s newest and freshest flashpacker, Mango Bay is set within a lush tropical valley with absolute beachfront.
Here, we checked into a beachfront bure, equipped with our own private outdoor shower in a tropical atrium.
Disappointingly, although the place has won an award for the best backpacker accommodation in Fiji, it wasn’t very well maintained. Anyway, being guests at the resort, we were happy that we have access to a whole range of activities on offered for free.
And one of the highlights for the day was the welcome kava ceremony, also known as the sevusevu, where we got our first taste of kava.
An important ritual in the Fijian culture, the sevusevu is a ceremonial offering of kava when a relative or stranger enters a village. And here are the five simple steps to preparing the kava.
Step 1: Place a filter.
Step 2: Pour the kava powder onto the filter.
Step 3: Add water.
Step 4: Rinse.
Step 5: Drink!!
After the ceremony, while enjoying the sunset on the Coral Coast, we had our first group dinner at the Moody Marlin Restaurant.
Our dinner kicked off with some cocktails, such as the favourite Vodka Sunrise …
… and Mango Bay Breeze, …
… before we were served our order of Calamari and Chips …
… and Fish and Chips.
In addition, typical of any Fijian resort, dinner is usually accompanied by some performances.
Thus, Julia from our group decided to join in the performance. Thanks to Julia for the after dinner entertainment!!
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