Tag: coral reefs

Diary of a Wanderer: Fiji

Utopia in Fiji

BULA …which translates into ‘Welcome’ in Fiji is the first phrase that I picked up two minutes after landing in the Fijian island – simply because it is the most commonly used phrase which is accompanied by a warm smile.

Whilst I sit down to ponder and pen my thoughts about the picturesque island with its jewel tone sea line and clear blue sky, I wanted to  move away from the ‘travel books’ Fiji –  which, believe me is a Herculean task – because  it’s one of the places on our planet – where you can check into an amazing resort and everything’s right there – bright sun, white sandy beaches,  great food and big smiles. Well, what more would you want on a holiday?

Captured on my lens: The Tribal Fijian
On my agenda was unearthing the ‘Wanderers’ Fiji – which I knew awaited me beyond the gate, when I ventured out to explore the island.

Some would say, I  had found Utopia’ in the water bungalows that I was staying in.

And some would probably raise their brows…

The water bunglows – a must stay!

Herculean, but I discovered the must do’s…

Head out for a full day rafting and kayaking trip. For the thrill seekers – white water rafting is a must do – but please check the availability due to a limited number of spots available.

The coral reefs

Whether you are an experience diver or a beginner, the coral reefs is the place where a whole new world awaits you. Snorkeling is fantastic all over Fiji and is free at most resorts.

The deep channels and rich reefs are spots for wahu, marlin, yellow fin tuna and dolphin fish. For a new twist try the local hand line fishing.

Hot Air Balloon Breakfasts, Tandem Skydiving, Mountain Biking, Trekking, Bamboo Rafting — the list goes on and on and on….. it’s fun and adventure galore in Fiji.

The scenic flight : A must do!
Coral reefs: The view from my flight

Scenic Flights: Land on giant  mountains and cliff tops, steaming active volcanoes, private tropical beaches or simply enjoy a romantic champagne luncheon in some remote mountains. (The untouched breathtaking scenery, which is not accessible by road create a lasting impression when seen from up above the sky.)
The people: One of the warmest and most welcoming in the world. Guests are greeted with a hearty “bula!” wherever they go and villagers light up when asked if it’s okay to take their picture.

Must experience: The Kava ceremony

Kava ceremony @ Fiji

Kava is a drink made from the kava root that has a slight numbing effect on the lips and tongue. It is an important aspect of visiting any village and it is customary to present a gift of Yaqona (Kava root) to present to the executive head of the village.

The ceremony takes place with everyone sitting cross-legged on the floor. When the bowl is presented to you, clap once, take the bowl and say “bula”, then drink it down in one gulp.

As for the taste, I’m simply going to leave it by saying it is an ‘acquired taste’.

After the Kava ceremony, the visitors are free and welcome to enter and explore the village as they please.

Gourmand’s delight: Lovo

Simply put, a lovo is an underground barbecue in which an entire feast is cooked over hot rocks while buried in earth.

1. The first step in preparing a lovo is heating the rocks which will serve as the base for the lovo.  Specially selected stones are placed in a hot fire and left to absorb the heat.

2. When the rocks are sufficiently heated, they are pulled from the flames and placed in the bottom of a shallow pit.

3. Next, chicken, fish and sometimes pork are tightly wrapped in a weave of palm fronds or banana leaves before being place in the bottom of the lovo pit lined with hot rocks. On top goes various root crops including dalo (the potato like root of the taro plant), cassava (the root of the tapioca plant) and Uvi (wild yam).

4. Once the steaming pit is filled with food, the entire hole is filled with earth and left to ‘cook’ for anywhere from two to three hours depending on the amount of food.

5. Unearthing the lava is done with great celebration and the succulent morsels which emerge are unwrapped and placed on large banana leaves to cool before the feasting begins. And what a feast it is. Indulge and enjoy!

The morning after …

By Ashis Das

About the author, Ashis Das

Chucked the rigors of the nine to five job for his first love – the mountains, Ashis dived headlong into forming The Wanderers. Today, he is our ‘figures’ guy and operations take him to some incredible places in search of wilderness lodges, quality ‘chhang,’ the flowers at Yumthang Valley, desert hamlets in Rajasthan, off beat locales, exotic flavors and culture.

Beach bumming at Culebra, Puerto Rico

By Joe Varghese

Much as we had heard of Puerto Rico, not much was known about the island of Culebra. The only thing we knew was that, till the recent past, it was used as a target by the U.S. Navy. For years, we have driven by the U.S Naval Academy in Annapolis and the Destroyers and Submarines in Baltimore Harbor. I could imagine the big guns booming and the projectiles flying towards that tiny landmass in the Caribbean. How would it be to stand on the very same beach that had endured the mighty firepower of the Naval fleet for years, we asked ourselves ! The answer was three hours away. It was an early morning flight to Puerto Rico, landing at San Juan International Airport. Puerto Rico is one of the better countries in the region, with financial and political support from Uncle Sam. This is especially true for San Juan, where the infrastructure and lifestyle is almost like that of the US. Getting out of the airport, renting a car, and driving toward Fajardo on the East coast, was a cinch. We waited at a tiny little airport to catch a plane to Culebra. I don’t know if one can call it an airport.

Another way of describing it would be a single building with a huge parking lot, on which teensy-weensy airplanes landed and took off. When the time comes, you walk up to the plane, climb in through the back door (just like you would climb into a car) and dump your bags in the back. The plane can seat about 10 people, including the pilot. Is it too hot in the plane? Just crack open the window a wee bit! On-board refreshments ? Sure I just reach into your backpack and pull out the munchies you had bought at the airport. If you are lucky, you could call shotgun and sit next to the pilot. Culebra was half an hour away, and our eyes were riveted to the window as we passed the beautiful beaches of mainland Puerto Rico, flew over the sea with its little islands and boats, till we saw the mountains of Culebra looming in the distance. It is kinda noisy in the plane, so conversations may be limited. Every once in a while the plane may hit an air-pocket, so you have to be careful with your drink, if any.

The plane has to maneuver between two mountain peaks during its descent, which can make some people nervous. We landed at the airport, pulled our backpacks from the trunk and simply walked up to the terminal, making sure the rotating propellers were a safe distance away. Once there, you have a choice of renting two wheelers or 4-wheel drives. There are also some vans that ply across different parts of the island. We took one of the vans to a local eatery, which was the house of one of the local people. As expected, most dishes consisted of sea-food, the most intriguing of which was conch. We had the local drink: Scotch with coconut milk. The coconut milk has to be fresh or it ferments, thus ruining the taste of the drink. We tried one glass and decided the Medalla, the local beer was better. We camped at Flamenco beach, reputed to be one of the top three beaches in the world. The beach has a very well maintained camp site, which was almost deserted when we went there. It is not uncommon to see wild horses on the island. There is nothing more refreshing than to wake up in the morning to the sound of the ocean, unzip your tent and walk into a breathtakingly beautiful sun rise. We walked on the white sands of the beach, appreciating the green water and eyeing the corals that were within swimming distance. Soon we came across a couple of rusty battle-tanks on the beach. Apparently, these were the targets that were to be destroyed when the Navy conducted its exercises. Certain parts of the island are still cordoned off with fences.

We shared the whole beach with less than 5 other people. A quick breakfast later, we were swimming toward the corals. A few hours later, we were trekking to a beach on the other side of the island. It is like searching for Easter eggs: you walk through the dense vegetation and suddenly there is a beach. You walk some more, and look, one more beautiful beach, this time with corals a few meters away. Every once in a while you will find some other backpacker discovering the island the same way. The Navy has stopped using the island for target practice, and most parts of Culebra, along with its beaches and archipelagos, are protected wild life refuges. The main income source of the island is tourism, mostly domestic. It is very common for mainland Puerto Ricans to jump on a boat and come down to Culebra, enjoy the beach, have a barbeque and simply head on back home. The happening spot of Culebra is the township of Dewey, named after Admiral Dewey of, what else, the US Navy. We went there to have lunch. Dewey is nothing more than a collection of houses with some bars. The docks are a short walking distance away. The place is dead in the afternoons and sees some action at night. We walked around Dewey, talking to some of the local people. A large number of the locals speak English. The population of Culebra is around 1500, and crime is almost unknown. You could leave your bag at any place and simply walk around to enjoy the scenery. On the way back, we waited at the airport for our flight. There was a guy standing next to the ticket counter, cracking jokes and having fun. Turns out, he was our pilot. A Kashmiri gentleman named Babar, who spoke to us in Hindi. What are the chances of meeting a man from the Indian sub-continent on a tiny island of less than 1500 people in the Caribbean? Globalization has truly hit even the remotest part of the world. This trip was a unique experience: the island, its people, its food, and definitely the airplane ride.

Check out our latest package on USA