Swan BradshawDay 1
All day at sea!
Dinner was delicious!
Day 2
Lautoka is the third largest city in Fiji located in the west coast of the island of Viti, Levu, in Ba Province. It is also known as “Sugar City” due to its history of sugar plantations.
There are several tourist attractions on the island including the sugar cane mill, Garden of the Sleeping Giants which was started by the late actor Raymond Burr, Sabeto Mud Baths which apparently leaves your skin as soft as a babies bottom. Also heard that they recycle mud from previous users … ewww!!!
Taxis are available in Lautoko but make sure the meter is on and license plate starts with LT. no Uber or Lyft on the island. If taking the bus, we were told to purchase an e-transfer card with cash.
Kevan and I decided to skip all the outdoor activities in Lautoka. Instead, we just went for a short walk, heading out to the downtown shopping area, including a nice clothing place called Jack’s and the mall right across from it with a supermarket and other smaller shops including a hair salon and a massage parlor. Kevan had a nice shoulder and back massage while I had a nice head spa. The cruise ship provided bus transportation from the port which leaves every 10-15 minutes to and from from downtown so that was very convenient. The weather was hot so staying indoors while enjoying the spa was a great idea!
We visited with 2 couples from Utah at dinner tonight! We had a great conversation, they are about 20 years older than us and have been traveling together as friends for a long time so they had a lot of travel experiences and suggestions to share. It’s confirmed that they are members from our church for sure.
Sunset was extremely beautiful tonight! It was ethereal!
Day 3
We stayed on the ship today, all day! There wasn’t much more we wanted to do in town and the weather was a bit hot so staying in was great!
Left Lautoka port at 4:30pm today.
Dining Room
We had chilled sweet melon soup, savory sweet creamed corn soup and vegetarian samosa. Yappari, our favorite appetizer was the sweet creamed corn soup!
And we finished off dinner with pavlova we brought from Sydney with berries and yogurt from room service!
Day 4
Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji
Today’s port of call was in Suva, Fiji, where we docked at Kings Wharf. Suva, on Viti Levu, is Fiji’s capital and largest city, housing over a third of the 1 million Fijians. Founded as the colonial capital in 1877 by the British (previous capital was in Levuka but moved here due to better harbor and terrain), Suva is the political and economic center of Fiji with a diverse demographic: ~60% indigenous Fijians, ~30% Indo-Fijians, and smaller Chinese and European communities.
Stepping off the ship, we were greeted with a warm “Bula!”—Fijian for “Hello,” meaning life and good health—by a local man in native dress, holding a traditional Fijian wooden club called a gata, a cultural symbol of welcome historically used in ceremonies and warfare. Suva Harbour is beautiful, surrounded by lush mangroves and the tropical forest of the hilly Rewa Province peninsula, with cargo ships anchored throughout the bay. From the wharf, the Suva Municipal Market was a short walk, bustling with stalls selling fresh mangoes, kava, and crafts like tapa cloth. Great stop today at Suva, tomorrow it’s on to Fiji’s Dravuni island!
Even though Suva is the largest city in Fiji, its infrastructure and method of transportation remain fairly basic. Similar to other islands in the South Pacific Coast, Fiji also has beautiful beaches and floral and fauna. The weather is hot and humid so we just went to town to get a feel of local living and shopped for some souvenirs.
The Fijian Museum has an archeological collection dated over 3700 years old, which is adjacent to Thurston Garden and a place I’d like to visit but unfortunately did not get there. So I just had to surf the internet to learn about the history and cultural of Fiji.
Day 5
Dravuni
Our port stop today at Dravuni Island provides exactly what you imagine in a South Pacific experience, the beauty of the surrounding coral reefs, the charm of a small Fijian village, a rewarding jungle hill hike and stunning beaches. Dravuni is a tiny volcanic island with a population of around 125-200 residents, a great place to stop for sure.
We anchored offshore in a sheltered lagoon formed by the Great Astrolabe Reef, and tendered to the island where we were greeted by the island residents.
The reef surrounding Dravuni is the star attraction—the Great Astrolabe Reef, the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef, stretching over 100 kilometers. The crystal-clear turquoise waters are amazing, great swimming and snorkeling, although the most marine life is a bit further offshore toward the reef’s outer edges where there are sharks, rays, and denser coral formations.
The path up to Dravuni’s highest peak starts near the village and winds through lush jungle palms. the path is steep and it’s very humid so we were drenched with sweat pretty quickly but the view was worth it. You can see all of Dravuni’s coastline against the shimmering lagoon.
Also great views of our ship the Westerdam, anchored offshore. The village is simple, just a group of basic huts and a nice little school house – no cars, no Wi-Fi, no electricity. A great day of natural good splendor and local Fiji charm!
Hiking Trail…
People …
Buildings…
Day 6
Savusavu, Fiji
Today we stopped at Savusavu, Fiji, tendering the Copra Shed Marina, which is a great little marina dotted with yachts in Savusavu Bay’s turquoise waters. Today was hot – only 85°F but the 85% humidity gets you dripping in no time.
We strolled west along the waterfront toward Nakama Hot Springs, which provided great views and a nice breeze off the water.
Along the way we passed a school and the kids were outside playing, beautiful kids with bright smiles, welcoming when they saw us with shouts of “bula bula!”.
We walked through an open air produce market (wish they had this selection back home in Montana!) and then stopped at a vendor selling a sulu jaba dress – a floral, flowing frock – I got a nice turquoise one and it fits perfect without even trying it on!
When I was growing up, I had a glass of Milo every day, so I was naturally interested in this sign. While a glass of Milo a day probably hasn’t helped my health at all, the Fijian suggestion on this sign is to mix that with 30 minutes of exercise a day, which is probably a much better suggestion.
Savusavu is amazing!
Dining Room
Dinner was amazing!
After dinner, we went on a walk on the deck enjoying the stunning Fijian sunset!
