NANUYA LAILAI, YASAWA ISLANDS, FIJI
Today Chris and I finally left the "mainland" of Viti Levu for two weeks in the Yasawas, a chain of islands to the northwest of Nadi, just north of the Mamanucas. We took the Yasawa Flyer, a yellow catamaran that serves as the main shuttle between the islands, on a 4 1/2 hour cruise past low limestone islands and high volcanic peaks. The scenery along the way was really spectacular, and the sea is incredibly blue. On the way we saw schools of flying fish, purple moon jellies, and large coral heads in the shallow waters near the islands. Toward the end of our journey, the sea got a bit choppy, several people got sick, and one girl even fainted. I just got a headache.
We got off at the Flyer's last stop: Nanuya Lailai, where we had booked a night at the Sunrise Lagoon resort. Actually, they call these "resorts," but the accomodations here are pretty basic: no A/C, limited electricity, no hot water, just some thatched bures on the beach and an open-air dining room. Three meals a day are included--but drinks cost extra, so we brought some bottles of water, and later filled them from the rainwater tank the locals use.
After lunch, Chris and I walked along the beach to the west side of the island, site of the famous Blue Lagoon. And yes, this is actually where they filmed a good part of the Brooke Shields movie--but it's also a pretty accurate description, as the water here is a brilliant shade of swimming-pool blue. To get back to our resort, we took a path that cuts across the island over some high grassy hills, which provided some amazing panoramic views of the surrounding coast and nearby islands.
People met today:
Today Chris and I finally left the "mainland" of Viti Levu for two weeks in the Yasawas, a chain of islands to the northwest of Nadi, just north of the Mamanucas. We took the Yasawa Flyer, a yellow catamaran that serves as the main shuttle between the islands, on a 4 1/2 hour cruise past low limestone islands and high volcanic peaks. The scenery along the way was really spectacular, and the sea is incredibly blue. On the way we saw schools of flying fish, purple moon jellies, and large coral heads in the shallow waters near the islands. Toward the end of our journey, the sea got a bit choppy, several people got sick, and one girl even fainted. I just got a headache.
We got off at the Flyer's last stop: Nanuya Lailai, where we had booked a night at the Sunrise Lagoon resort. Actually, they call these "resorts," but the accomodations here are pretty basic: no A/C, limited electricity, no hot water, just some thatched bures on the beach and an open-air dining room. Three meals a day are included--but drinks cost extra, so we brought some bottles of water, and later filled them from the rainwater tank the locals use.
After lunch, Chris and I walked along the beach to the west side of the island, site of the famous Blue Lagoon. And yes, this is actually where they filmed a good part of the Brooke Shields movie--but it's also a pretty accurate description, as the water here is a brilliant shade of swimming-pool blue. To get back to our resort, we took a path that cuts across the island over some high grassy hills, which provided some amazing panoramic views of the surrounding coast and nearby islands.
People met today:
- Jack, an American boat captain based in the Bahamas, and his wife (forgot her name).
- Gareth and Irene, a really nice and friendly couple on their honeymoon. He's a physical education instructor from New Zealand, and she's a teacher living in Austria. He told us a pretty amusing story about how he got a concussion at his stag party and spent the two weeks before his wedding in the hospital.
NP: Laurie Anderson, "Blue Lagoon"
posted by John Kuge at 9:00 PM
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