Frolicking in Fiji
By Tony Adams
The native chief invites me to sit
before him, claps his giant hands three times slowly and passes me a bowl of
what looks like muddy water.
Unfortunately, the concoction also
tastes like muddy water, but refusal is seen as an insult, and I swallow the
mixture as quickly as possible.
 Within minutes, my tongue and lips are
numb, before a feeling of relaxation and well-being takes over my entire being.
Such are the effects of kava, traditional drink of the people of the Fiji
islands for over a thousand years.
We are in a remote village in the Yasawa
Island group, a couple of hours sailing from the city of Nadi in the Fiji
Islands. The arrival of our small cruise ship, the Reef Escape, creates great
interest in the village.
These free-spirited people have been
untouched by modern civilisation, with the weekly visits by the ship their only
contact with the 21st century.
There are no televisions, no plumbing or
electricity, with most of the natives sleeping on the bare floor of open huts.
This is the real Fiji, with the natives
living the same simple, yet happy lives of their grandfathers and great
grandfathers.
While most Western tourists only see
Fiji’s majestic resorts and picture-postcard beaches, the Reef Escape cruise
enables visitors to see a fascinating other side of this native paradise.
A small, well-appointed ship that holds
only 120 guests, the Reef Escape offers three, four or seven night voyages
through some of the most spectacular waters on the planet.
Meeting the natives and sharing a meal
and a dance by the sunset is a highlight. The occasion is not ‘put on’ for the
tourists as is often the case with tribal cultures – you see how the people
really live – and have for thousands of years, warts and all.
For the stressed-out Westerner looking
for a break in a warm climate, it doesn’t get any better than Fiji.
A nine-hour flight from Los Angeles,
this group of hundreds of islands dotted throughout the Pacific is like another
world.
 The Reef Escape, run by Australian-bases
Captain Cook Cruises, gives visitors a tantalising variety of activities
throughout the islands.
Tourists can snorkel or scuba dive among
spectacularly colourful coral and fish in beautifully clear, warm waters.
A highlight is exploring the famed Blue
Lagoon, site of the 1980 movie of the same name starring Brook Shields.
As a lasting memorial to the movie, the
hut in which the then 16-year-old Shields did her make-up and wardrobe has been
preserved on the shore of the pristine beach.
Tourists also visit a local school and
church, gaining further insights into the unique Fijian culture.
“We believe we offer the best taste of
the real Fiji,” a Captain Cook spokesman says.
 “This is one of the last places on earth
where people live untouched by the modern world and it’s something that
fascinates the tourists.”
The Reef Escape is a charmingly small
cruise ship with comfortable rooms that open straight onto the decks. Floor to
ceiling windows enable travellers to wake up each morning to the spectacular
Fijian sunrise.
Fiji is a mixture of native and Indian
cultures and this is reflected in the ship’s cuisine, which is varied, plentiful
and high quality.
The Fijian crew put on shows most nights
and give tourists a further insight into this idyllic culture.
As with most of this relaxed culture,
the boat operates on ‘Fiji time’ – nothing is ever done in a hurry.
 Far removed from the stresses and
strains of the modern world, Fiji operates on its own schedule – run by the
whims and feelings of the locals rather than the clock.
A few days on the mainland are also
highly recommended, with the Denarau Hotels, only a short 20 minute drive from
Nadi’s international airport, the pick of the bunch.
The group, which includes the Westin,
Sofitel and Sheraton Hotels, are all top class and feature superb tennis, golf
and swimming facilities.
Captain Cook Cruises:
www.captaincook.com.au
Westin Hotel Fiji
www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=202
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