Vinaka, Fiji

3 Helpful Fijian Terms:
Bula – Hello
Ni Sa Moce (spoken – nee sa mothe) – See you again (respectfully)
Vinaka – Thank you

FIJI TIME

‘Fiji Time’ is definitely something we would love to incorporate into our daily routine.  Translated simply (in my own words), it means to be present, intentional, and to go slow.  Busyness and bustle do not exist within Fiji Time.  This is such a foreign concept for our tribe – we thrive on busy and full schedules.  Yet, it is something we have desired, no longed for, since I returned to a full-time work schedule five years ago.  Despite our time in Fiji being short, we wanted to fully dive into this way of life – to fully immerse ourselves in the slow and intentional!  There is no space for worry (*read – people pleasing) or rushing.  Come when you are ready, leave when you have had enough.  Fiji Time – Grace is offered in such abundant ways through this one simple statement.  There is no judgment, no need to get frustrated, but instead TIME.  Time to sit back and enjoy the present moment.  Yes!  THIS.  Exactly what A Traveling Tribe needed in the midst of all the chaos of moving overseas for a year.

ACCOMMODATION

[eafl id=”374″ name=”The Beachouse” text=”The Beachouse”], a budget hostel resort, is nestled in the heart of the Coral Coast in the region of Komave on the main island of Viti Levu.  You will find it tucked away from the road along the coast on a quiet lagoon as you drive along the Queen’s Highway between Nadi and Suva, the capital.  Komave is southeast from Sigatoka (a larger village with conveniences like a grocery store, gas station, and other shops) and just west of Namatakula, a small village.  Navola Village is the closest village to The Beachouse in the Komave region.  One of the things we quickly discovered is that each resort along the coast is based within a particular village and the staff at the resort are typically from that village.  The Beachouse is almost solely run by villagers from Navola (or at least from Komave), although we were told it is owned by an Australian.  This actually made me a tad sad – I had hoped the “…family owned resort…” statement on the website meant a Fijian family.  Unfortunately, this is not the case for this resort.  NOTE:  There are some [eafl id=”1081″ name=”Indigenous Owned Fijian Resorts” text=”indigenous owned resorts”] on some of the islands and there are some homestay options available for a full immersion experience (something we will definitely try on another visit).    Discussions with several of the staff led us to understand that there is a chief in every village and that chief dictates and decides how money is earned and spent (for the most part).  Most of the extra activities offered at the resort are led/run by local villagers.  Our question was how much of the profit from somewhere like The Beachouse actually benefits the village – this, we may never fully know, but we did pay the staff directly for their services, which encouraged us to do a few more things than we had originally planned in our short time there (see ACTIVITIES).  Our hope is that our tourism and consumerism benefited the beautiful people who graciously welcomed us into their community.  This was probably one of the largest reasons we did not want to stay at a large, posh island resort (not that we could have afforded to anyway).  We are learning there is an importance of being aware of the local, indigenous, and native people and cultures when traveling.  Our hope is to support them as best we can without intentionally exploiting or oppressing their way of life.  This is not necessarily an easy thing to do.  Awareness is a great first step!

Alan and I both meant to take more photos of the actual Beachouse facilities and of our quaint little [eafl id=”1083″ name=”Garden Hut” text=”Garden Hut”] (click the link and check out the photos) with a private outdoor garden bathroom, but with Fiji Time in full swing, we simply couldn’t be bothered!  The six of us were upgraded from the dorm-style bunkhouse, The Lodge, that I had booked online directly through The Beachouse to a one-room suite with outdoor ensuite.  Words cannot describe how lush and spa-like this bathroom was – showering with the open sky and stars glimmering above, with bamboo and other tropical plants and flowers growing within the carefully designed space was probably one of our favorite aspects of this accommodation.  Granted, we did triple check the walls and garden area for creatures each time the facilities were used!  You never know what may be lurking in an outdoor bath – this was until we learned that there is NOTHING predatory in Fiji, at least on land!  More on that to come!

GRUB

The Beachouse Cafe offered a variety of options for every meal, including a continental breakfast each morning and a coffee hour with scones every day at 3 pm.  There was a fully staffed kitchen where hot breakfast could be ordered until 10 am for an extra cost, lunch-sized portions of the dinner menu were offered until 2 pm, and special meals were organized each evening – all using as many local and fresh ingredients as possible.  Fresh fruit smoothies, freshly baked bread with peanut butter and jams, and Wheatbix with milk and honey was our breakfast of choice!  All but the smoothies were included in our stay, so we opted to not order from the menu for a hot breakfast to keep our food budget low.  You can opt-in to an all-inclusive meal plan for $39 FJD a day per person if you like, which offers you hot meals twice a day!  We did not do this, but others did and their meals looked delish!  Both lunches, for us, consisted of fish-n-chips and burgers.  Dinners were roasted chicken, roast beef, Dahl soup, and fish-n-chips.  Portions were generous, every meal flavorful and appetizing.  We were not disappointed with The Beachouse Cafe.

ACTIVITIES

Upon arrival and check-in, our four kiddos quickly began exploring the grounds of this new paradise.  Our room wasn’t quite ready, so the kids ran to the beach.  It was the low tide so they could see an endless playground of exposed coral and sea life to explore and investigate.   Together they created “Coral City” using shells found along the coastline.  I couldn’t bear to tell them this newly founded city may be consumed by the waters of high tide – they would figure it out on their own!  While exploring, they found starfish, crabs, and other tiny sea creatures!  Alan and I sat back and paused to share our gratitude for this haven, this ‘home’ for the next two days – we also kicked ourselves for not spending the extra $$ to stay longer!  Next time we will stay at least 10 days.  We both agreed.

Niyah was the first to notice the horses – a couple was just setting off on a beach ride over the rocky coral shore.  A lovely Fijian man was standing nearby with a third horse, so we made our way over to give it a pat and have a chat.  Within minutes Alan and I had somehow agreed to a family beach ride when the couple returned!  The kids were ecstatic!!!   I was too, as this was not a bad way to start our time on the Coral Coast.  Horse + beach + ride = AWESOME!  We ended up paying about $60 USD for five of us to ride for almost an hour on the beach – an affordable activity for a family of 6 that created memories for years to come!  The man and his son (I should have written their names on my phone) decided to stay with us as we took our little journey since we had “so many” young children.  This was GREAT as we were able to ask questions and begin to acclimate to the accent and language.  We would have ridden the horses daily, but we never saw them again.  Right place, right time.  Niyah continues to talk about the “Horse!  Ride! NyNy!” so I am pretty sure it was a memorable experience!

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Between sitting and swinging in the hammocks/hammock chairs, playing on the beach, enjoying games of pool and foosball with a local boy named John, swimming in the pool, and watching our first Fijian sunset- oh, and hour-long massages (read below) – we filled the rest of our day with resting, relaxing and attempting to battle jet lag.

There is a traditional Fijian masseuse, Suzanna, on site who offers massages in an open-air hut for $40 FJD (that’s about $20 USD for an hour!!!!).  Yes, please!  Alan booked us back-to-back massages.  We would have booked a couple’s massage, but the kids needed some tending to and they were not thrilled with the idea of a strange woman looking after them for an hour, despite the countless offers from several staff members!  During my massage, Suzanna shared that she has the ‘gift’ of massage and this gift is passed from one generation to the next.  Not all members of a family will receive the gift, but only certain families have the gift in their lineage.  She DEFINITELY had the gift!  Between the salty ocean breeze, her intentional and methodical kneading of my tense, traveled muscles (seriously, we just flew in that morning at 5 am after crossing the Pacific with 4 kids in tow), and the quiet solo time this hour provided, I think I would have booked every hour Suzanna had open for the next two days if possible – simply incredible!  Alan felt the same way, however, he did have a few interruptions from Niyah – “HI DADDY!  DADDY MASSAGE?!”  as she ran from the pool deck to watch Alan’s massage!  That may be the only downfall to this activity – it is not private in any way.  As residents at The Beachouse come and go from their rooms/huts, they walk beside the massage hut which also happens to be next to the pool.  A small price to pay for a perfectly priced and performed massage!

Knowing we only had one full day to immerse ourselves into Fiji Time, we opted to take the next morning slow and choose one activity from the list – boat trip to nearby islands, village visit, kayaking, sunset cruise, fishing, snorkeling, surfing, shopping in the city, morning yoga, SUPing (stand up paddle boarding), and a bush trek to a nearby waterfall.  After a long discussion over breakfast (and a great recommendation by Suzanna, our personal masseuse) we unanimously chose the bush trek to Navola Falls.  We tend to seek out adventure as a family.  We like to prove to ourselves that nothing is too difficult when we are adventuring together – our bush trek choice definitely fell into this way of thinking!  Sakirra (known as either Saki or Kirra), our local guide and Suzanna’s nephew, a mere 21-year-old Fijian man, met us and several others at The Beachouse for the trek.  Alan had already asked several staff members if it was wise for us to take our four young children on this hike, and was told that it was an easy walk – were they wrong!

The trek to Navola Falls began with the rugged terrain of the rocky, coral beach.  We were led to a point that, during high tide, would be impassable.  From that point, we walked a little longer to a wide grassy path.  This path led us to the Queen’s Highway, where we walked along the side of the road, over the river (really, see the photo above) toward Navola Village for 5 minutes or so.  At this point, Alan and I knew we were in for quite the adventure – Quinn had already come close to being hit by a car passing by and I had realized my [eafl id=”1086″ name=”Merrell Tennis Shoes” text=”Merrell tennis shoes”] were probably the wrong footwear for this hike!  Oh, and we all realized we forgot to pack snacks!  Seriously?!  Who planned this adventure?!

Note to future self:  Pack FOOD when heading out on a four-hour hike with children!  Geez!

Saki explained that this Navola Falls trek had only recently (within the last few years) been opened to the public – his village chief decided it would be wise to allow the tourists to enjoy the path as a boost for their village.  After walking through the gates of Nasikawa Vision College where the real trek began (a co-ed school for ages 15-19 sponsored by the Korean Methodists), and passing by young boys and girls who were eagerly learning in their classrooms, we found ourselves on a narrowing path leading up into the hills of a rainforest canopy.  The incline was noticeable, but not impossible – not until we came upon the MUD!  Oh, the glorious Fijian mud!  Saki, barefoot, was leading us on quite a hike!  The kids were giggling and making it a game to see how close they could come to the mud without falling in.  I dare say, they were rock stars at their game!   Seriously, Quinn (5), Eliana (7) and Kirra (9) just moved effortlessly over the rugged terrain!  Me, however?  NOT a rock star!  Now, I did have a 30+ pound baby on my back, so I was digging deep into my yogi-self (ha!), hoping that there was some muscle memory I could tap into from the few times I had actually done yoga in the past few years to help me NOT fall face first into the mud!

While the rest of the crew moved ahead, Saki stayed with our family, seeing we may need a little extra TLC (understatement), assisting the kids across the more difficult terrain and lending a helping hand to me along the way (for balance of course).  He continued to offer Quinn a free ride on his back, to carry Niyah in the [eafl id=”1087″ name=”Ergo Carrier” text=”Ergo”], or to carry Alan’s backpack.  The way Saki maneuvered through the path, over the streams, rocks, and roots was inspiring, to say the least!  Being a native Fijian, he was a gift to our family sharing with us great knowledge of the flora and fauna of Fiji.  It was Saki who relieved our fears of being stung/bitten/killed by some ferocious Fijian animal/insect/spider/plant.  I think we have watched one too many [eafl id=”1089″ name=”72 Most Dangerous Animals of Australia” text=”’72 Most Dangerous Animals of Australia'”] on [eafl id=”1088″ name=”Netflix” text=”Netflix”]!  There are NO predatory animals, hence his walking barefoot in the Fijian rainforest!  This new-found knowledge was all I needed to remove my mud-caked, soggy shoes and “do as the Fijians” – walk barefoot the rest of the way to the falls.  This may not have been the greatest of choices as the path was very rocky, muddy, full of vines and roots from the lush tropical trees and plant life, but it was better than slipping and sliding and finding myself (and Niyah) swallowing mud.

The trek itself took four hours roundtrip.  Four hours is a VERY long time for four young children to be hiking (without food, remember) in the Fijian rainforest!  There were a few times Alan and I almost told the kids we were going to turn around, but something deep within stopped us.  What were we afraid of?  The kids had not complained ONCE.  They were laughing, challenging themselves, and encouraging each other to push on.  What more could we ask for?  Our little adventurers were exploring a new land with joy and excitement while covered in mud – so we stopped worrying and joined them!  By the time we reached the falls, we were tired, mud-stained, and ready for a rest!  The falls were breathtaking.  Now, if you have been to Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula or to the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, the Navola Falls may not be anything to write home about.  However, when you have just climbed over boulders, leaped over streams, and sloshed through a muddy path all at a constant incline, barefoot and with a baby on your back, any flowing water falling down over rocks into a small glistening pool of fresh water will take your breath away!  Our tribe paused with gratitude for the strength we all found within to make it the entire way.  Then we eagerly jumped into the COLD water to cool off from the trek!

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The return journey seemed to be more difficult, especially for my bare, tired, muddy  American feet!  It seemed as though every step I took was on small, sharp objects that caused shooting pains to rise into my calves.  We all had to dig deep, forget our hunger, and focus on the end – the haven of The Beachouse!  At one point, Quinn could go no further, so Saki picked him up like a baby and carried him as if he were his own.  Vinaka, Saki!  The mud on the way down seemed more sticky (it wasn’t, we were just less eager and lacked the gumption to remove our feet as forcefully as we had on the way up).  Quinn, once he began walking on his own again, found himself fully stuck in the mud.  We all found this to be absolutely hilarious, especially when Saki began lifting him up by his armpits with no success!  I thought we were going to have to leave his new [eafl id=”1093″ name=”Keens” text=”Keens”] behind!  We didn’t, but we sure did have to scrub them clean.

Once back down from the trek, we found ourselves at the College gate again.  This gate welcomed us back to the village, where a local Fijian met us with coconuts (to purchase) for a refreshing drink!  The tribe gave this a good ‘ol heave-ho, but it was Quinn who absolutely LOVED drinking from a real coconut!  We bought two!  There was also a local woman selling fresh produce grown in her garden across from the school – cucumbers, papayas, and bananas.  We bought a bunch of bananas and began stuffing our faces with the sweetness of this yellow fruit!  The kids were eager to get back to The Beachouse, so we quickly hiked the rest of the way back on the beach – the tide was slowly coming in.

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Would we venture on a hike like this in the future?  ABSOLUTELY!  At the end of the day, our last day in Fiji, when we sat down for dinner as a family, we asked the kids to each share their favorite part of the day – each said, “The hike to the waterfall!” without hesitation.  There was quite a sense of accomplishment among our tribe that night!  There may have also been some wishing that Suzanna’s massage schedule hadn’t been booked AND that our time in this paradise had not come to an end!

Fiji, you had us at our first warm ‘Bula’.   Your genuine ‘Ni Sa Moce’ is imprinted in our hearts forever – we will be back.  The kindness of your people touched our tribe in a way that we will never forget our short time spent on your land while indulging in your beauty.  Vinaka, Fiji, for teaching us to pause, to breathe, to slow down, and to immerse ourselves in the present.  We needed you on our journey.  Vinaka.