Most who visit Fiji want little more than a white-sand
beach, a cloudless sky and the opportunity to fall into a sun-induced coma
under a palm tree. On this score, Fiji doesn't disappoint. Not one to do things by halves, we spent a week at the Sheraton
on Denarau Island. We, as everyone else who comes to Fiji, arrived with notions
of cocktails on alabaster beaches, lazy days and plenty of sun. Naturally, we got exactly that.
The best thing about being on Denarau Island is that you don't really need to leave it to experience the best of Fiji. It has the port, which links the mainland of Viti Levu to all of the stunning islands close by, it has a range of all the top 5 star resorts (including Hilton, Sheraton, the Westin and Sofitel to name but a few) and of course an adequate collection of little tourist shops and restaurants.
As we were quick to discover, one of the most famous expressions in Fiji is "Bula" (pronounced boolah). 'Bula' is as significant in Fiji as "aloha" is to Hawaii, and as a visitor to Fiji you will quickly catch on to this ubiquitous greeting, which is often pronounced by the Fijians with great gusto ... BULA !!!!
At many resorts like ours you will be greeted on arrival with the Fijian song 'Bula Malaya' - an energetic welcome song which ends with an emphatic "BULA!" at the end.
Bula represents more than just 'hello' - it also means happiness and health. If you sneeze, do not be surprised to hear Fijians close by say "bula" as it also is used in the sense of 'bless you'. Tom and I got a couples massage and to signify its closure we responded to the beat of 3 hollow claps followed by... you guessed it - "BULA!" During the million and one kava ceremonies we attended, Bula was again a key phrase in that as well.. Speaking of which, have you ever tried kava?? Its pretty awesome. If ever your in the Islands, don't be shy to try it. In fact, turning down an offer of a kava ceremony is considered insulting in Fijian society so just take it and enjoy the up-buzz haha.
All in all Fiji was great. Sadly we weren't there long enough to do all the touristy things I would've liked to have done like deep-sea diving, island hopping, jet skiing etc. However, we did make the most of our last day by venturing out of the safety of Denarau and into the local township, and what an experience that was. Being the only white faces in a bustling Fijian town we were suffocated with hustlers and dodgy salesmen doing whatever it took to get us into their dodgy shops to buy their dodgy 'treated wood' souvenirs. Foolishly we took the bait from one dude who lured us into a kava ceremony inside his shop and left us obliged to purchase some overpriced cannibal fork from the shelf. Needless to say I learnt a lesson
...don't be afraid to say NO!
