Leaving Australia after five weeks was bittersweet, but the chance to explore another country, even if only for five days, was too enticing. Our stay on Kuata Island in Fiji was a highlight when planning this trip. That made moving on a little easier.
Nadi, Fiji is a five-hour flight from Sydney and though the smoke from the bushfires had already reached as far as South America, the air was noticably clearer – though quite a bit stickier.
Nadi (pronounced Nandi)
Our first and last nights in Fiji were kind of like stopovers on the way to and from Kuata Island. The first night we stayed between the airport and the marina in Denarau where we would catch the ferry the next morning. We went directly from the airport to the hotel so didn’t get to explore much around the area.
On our final night in Fiji, we stayed at the other end of Wailoaloa Beach, in a more built-up area. We had to wait around for a full day to catch our flight and we could wander a little more here.
So many islands!
Fiji is made up of about 330 islands though only about one third of them are inhabited. The Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands are easily accessible for day trips, overnights and island hopping adventures. Our trip out to Kuata Island took about 2 hours. We stopped along the way at several other islands to let people off or pick others up.
Our island home
Kuata Island is considered the gateway to the Yasawa Islands. All who enter the area should pay their respects to the warrior who dances atop the rock.
We arrived at the beach to a warm welcome and very big, very genuine smiles.
The pace immediately slowed. For the next three days, we sat on our private, beachside porch watching the waves lap at the shore, the wildlife dart about and the staff wind down after work.
Summit Walk
We did manage to get out wandering the island several times, including a walk to the summit. It was hot and long, but the views from the top were worth it.
Beaches and caves
Both sides of the island have beaches and there are a couple of caves to explore as well.
On one cave expedition, we missed the path to the ‘official’ cave and ended up at one with pigs living inside it!
Barefoot Kuata markets itself as ‘deliberately uncomplicated, unfussy and unpretentious’. I believe that describes the atmosphere perfectly.
As an introduction to Fiji and its people, I don’t think we could have chosen a better spot. Beautiful landscapes and friendly, happy people made it a memorable stay.
As we were leaving the island, we were offered a marker to write our names on the posts of the gazebo. I was looking around at all the different signatures when one in particular caught my attention.
If you’ve been following my adventures, you know I have a fondness for street art. This was an exciting find. I cannot speak to the authenticity of this signature and (not surprising) my request for confirmation was met with silence. In any event, I was intrigued.
This marks the end of another great adventure. I do not know where or when the next big one will be but I have no doubt I can find some interesting things to point my camera at in the meantime.
Great pics looks like a very calming place to go not an ordinary tourist destination
Oh wow Jen, what a lovely way to end a trip that was pretty stressful at times. How great to know that places like this exist and are accessible. Your photos as usual are stunning. Hope all is well in Sointula these days. Love AT
Amazing! I love your travels. Thank you for sharing! I’m proud to say I’ve been to 5 of the places on that sign post. =)
Thank you. You’ve got me beat there. I can only claim 4 from that particular sign.
Great pics as usual. An intriguing spot to visit. Just looking at the images was relaxing.