Heading to the Office, FIJIAN STYLE!!

After leaving our friends and family at the Vancouver Airport on Jan 6th, we arrived safe and sound in Fiji at 5:20am on the 8th just as the sun was beginning to rise. We were greeted at the airport by three singing Fijian men which was a pleasant surprise. After getting our bags and buying some HARD CORE Bounty Fijian Rum from duty free (will explain later), we were ‘attacked’ by numerous taxi and bus drivers and hotel representatives asking us where we were going, where we were staying and how we were planning on getting there. It was a bit overwhelming but we made our way through the mayhem and were able to get into a travel agency where we booked a bus for $6.50 CDN per person to Tubakula Beach Bungalows compared to the $48 we were being offered by taxis and other buses.

Tubakula is on the Coral Coast of Fiji on the main island of Vitu Levu between Nadi (Airport) and Suva (Capital City). We booked a poolside bungalow for $63 CDN per night. The bungalows in Lonely Planet were listed as budget accommodations but we were more than happy with what we received. The bungalows were in great condition, with the minor exception of the fridge which we had to change three times. They were very spacious with a mezzanine level with a fully functional kitchen, enough room to sleep at least 5, and only a few steps away from the beach and ocean.



Our first day consisted of us RELAXING and doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, hard to believe but we managed to do it somehow. We lounged by the pool, took a few naps, watched the sunset on the beach and went to bed at 9:30pm!!! Yes, you read right, 9:30pm…it was heaven and the best sleep we have had in a very long while.

The next day we headed into Sigatoka, a small nearby town to do some souvenir shopping and sightseeing. The town was extremely small with few shops, restaurants and one large produce market where veggies and fruit were extremely cheap compared to back home. We were hoping to taste the Fijian cuisine in town as the restaurant at our hotel did not offer any but as we found in many places in Fiji, it is very hard to find authentic Fijian food unless you visit a village which we intend to do tomorrow evening at a traditional lovo ceremony.

Until then…..