Fiji!!!

In Canada the typical tropical getaway is to head south to Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic or Hawaii. These places are so far from Australia that it is rare to find Australians who have vacationed there. Here, the tropical destinations of choice are north, to places like the Cook Islands and Fiji. So that's where we decided to head to have a little "R n' R".

Flying into Fiji was amazing - lush islands everywhere in crystal clear water, aka: paradise. Right away you feel like you are so far from the everyday "hustle and bustle", and the moment you meet Fijian people you realize you are about as far as you can be from any hustling and bustling! They are cool, calm and relaxed, taking it as it comes. You can't help but feel relaxed too just being around them.

We were greeted both at the airport and at the hotel by musicians playing welcome music on their little guitars, and by, "Bula!". "Bula" has many meanings, one of which is "welcome." The traditional clothing is bright and colourful and many people, both men and women, wear flowers behind their ears. It is common to see Fijian men still wearing traditional "skirts" as daily wear. And for women, big afro's are all the rage!

The Sheraton was fabulous. We had an ocean view room with a balcony from which we watched brilliant sunsets each night. About a 10 minute walk away was a port with a variety of hotels and shops where we ate most nights. The resort had some beautiful restaurants, but they were a bit pricey to eat at every night. The last night there we had a fabulous Italian dinner at one of the ocean-view restaurants, with live music in the background, which was the perfect end to our stay there.

Staying at the Sheraton meant that we had access to a number of resorts, like the Westin, although for our poolside days we stayed at the pool by our room for the most part. We were able to go ocean kayaking and catamaran-ing (though I don't think that's a word) from our hotel, but for diving and snorkeling we went island hopping!

Boating, diving, snorkeling and visiting the islands were amazing experiences. We also headed inland on the main island to have a more cultural experience. But more about that to come...