When six employees from Nabua Lodge came out to welcome us with songs and a readily prepared meal, the five hour boat ride in rough sea was soon forgotten. We had landed on Nacula Island, which was as far out on the Yasawas Islands that scheduled boat transport could possibly take us. The island is known for its tranquility and laid back life, but the first day there was quite stormy where we spent most of the time indoor getting to know each other, learning Fiji dances and playing Fijian games.
Luckily the wind calmed down for our remaining days so that we could relax and read at the lodge and then head out to the Blue Lagoon for snorkelling, go to the nearby tea house for some delicious cake and visit the village on the island.
Although we saw a lot of fish and most people said they absolutely loved it I was not too impressed with it all. Fijis main income is from tourism and it seemed to be reflected in the way things are run here. Fiji is a country blessed with beautiful nature and culture, but by receiving that many tourists the destination looses a bit of its purity and genuinety. So far the Fijian Island hopping has felt more like a package holiday than a backpacking trip but I guess a comfortable break from more hardcore travels has never hurt anyone and I am curious to what the other islands here have to offer.
The guys making our daily 3 o’clock tea house cake