Day 1: Embark in Lautoka
It doesn’t get much sweeter than arriving on the sun-soaked shores of the Sugar City. Fiji’s second-biggest settlement opens up a world of blissful beaches and turquoise seascapes, while its dense jungle lures the adventurous deep into its embrace. Step ashore where the first Fijians landed, and you'll understand instantly why they chose to make this island paradise their heavenly home. Experience rich Fijian life, and see dramatic displays like warrior dances, and remarkable local practices like firewalks, which kick up burning embers into the night's sky. Legend says the city took its name after two chiefs faced each other in a duel. A spear pierced one of the chiefs, leading to the shout of 'lau-toka!' or 'spear hit!' Sugar is Lautoka’s main trade, but its botanical gardens are a sweet insight into the tropical plant life that thrives here - from pearl white lilies to tall, fragrant orchids.
Explore temples, charming cafes and mills - or barter for some of the juiciest mangoes you’ll ever taste at the city’s lively market. You'll only be able to resist the beaches for so long, and it doesn’t get much more stunning than the Blue Lagoon - a heavenly blend of woven together turquoise shades. Remote, wild and unspoiled, these are some of the best tropical beaches in the world. There's more rejuvenating relaxation at the mineral-rich mud pools and spas, fuelled by the volcanic activity below. Savala Island is a teardrop of sand offshore, and another beautiful place to wander with the soft powder between your toes - along sandy spits that peter out into the water. Or swim and snorkel among its envied reefs, thronging with fish life.
Day 2: Levuka Ovalau and Leleuvia Island
Levuka highlights both the historical and natural aspects of Fiji. The small island of Ovalau is located off the east coast of Viti Levu. The quaint town of Levuka has the honour of having been Fiji’s very first capital where King Cakobau reigned and where the deed of cession to Queen Victoria was signed in 1874. Many of the old buildings in the town have remained nearly unchanged since the late 1800s. Here one can find Fiji’s first government school, the popular Ovalau Club, and the “Cession Stone” commemorating the signing of the Deed of Cession. Just outside the city, it is possible to hike through pristine rainforest and take in the magnificent natural beauty of the surrounding area.
Leleuvia is a small low-lying island southeast of Ovalau with a length of barely 500 meters. Situated between the chiefly island of Bau, Moturiki and Ovalau, almost equidistant from Ovalau and the Central Eastern coast of Viti Levu, this lush, green island hosts a small resort. An easily accessible reef with many colorful reef fish 10 meters off of Leleuvia’s western beach invites to be explored. Resident sea kraits are often seen resting ashore north of the small pier. Despite its small size and the resort on its southern side, the island still has quite an extensive forest of tamanu (Alexandrian laurel), lantern trees, fish-poison trees and beach gardenia. There are also local clusters of beach hibiscus, beach heliotrope and Pacific rosewood where Sacred Kingfishers, Orange-breasted Honeyeaters, and Pacific Swallows have been recorded.
Day 3: Vanua Balavu, Lau Islands
East of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, Vanua Balavu, the third largest of the Lau Islands, is part of Fiji’s Eastern Division. The island is protected by a barrier reef of some 130 kilometres in length. The enclosed lagoon area promises excellent snorkelling while the reef keeps larger ships at bay. Vanua Balavu has a special geological set-up: it has a volcanic part in the south and uplifted coral in the north, even hot springs and limestone caves exist. 17 villages with a total of roughly 1200 inhabitants are found along the shore of the island. Lomaloma is the island’s main village with schools, a post office, police station and a small hospital. As the Lau Group was once under Tongan rule, with the Tongan chief Ma’afu residing in the village of Lomaloma, folkloric presentations feature Fijian and Tongan music and dance and have formed a special union. There still are some 400 Tongans living in the village of Sawana, the southern part of Lomaloma.
Day 4: Fulanga
As part of the Southern Lau Group, Fulanga is one of Fiji’s easternmost islands. Fulanga has a large central lagoon with a 50-meter wide pass to the ocean on its northeastern side. The crescent-shaped raised limestone island is famous for its numerous islands, mushroom-shaped islets and many sandy beaches in the calm lagoon. Some 400 residents live in three small villages. The two villages of Muana-i-rai and Muana-i-cake are quite close together on the southern exterior side with a very narrow passage allowing access to the ocean, while Naividamu, the third village, is on the interior, i.e. lagoon side. Muana-i-cake is the main village and hosts the kindergarten and primary school, a post office and first aid station. Old-style houses made of corrugated iron are predominant with limited solar power for the odd refrigerator and television set.
Although many islanders have left Fulanga to look for work in Suva, traditional crafts are still practiced by men and women. The weavers and carvers producing pandanus mats and wooden bowls for kava ceremonies are not only valued on Fulanga. Their products can leave on the monthly supply vessel and is highly sought after in Suva.
Day 5: Neiafu Vava'u Group & Alofi (Cross the Date Line and Gain a Day)
With a population of 6,000, Neiafu is the capital of the Vava’u Group and the second largest municipality in the Polynesian nation of Tonga (a 169-island archipelago in the South Pacific). The city is situated next to a deep- water harbor (Port of Refuge) on the south coast of Vava’u, the main island of the Vava’u archipelago in northern Tonga. The waters of this region are known for their clarity and beauty, and the area attracts many humpback whales between June and November. A popular destination in Neiafu is the ‘Ene’io Botanical Garden, a bird sanctuary that promotes the survival of exotic and native bird species as well as supports and conserves a diverse array of plant life.
Crossing the date line (theoretically the 180-degree line of longitude) from the Eastern to the Western Hemisphere seafaring guests will find themselves in the unusual situation of actually gaining a day and prolonging their holiday – at no extra cost! By crossing the (fictitious) line that dissects the planet exactly in half from Greenwich, you travel over time zones and find yourself with an extra day on board. The phenomenon was used by Jules Verne in his novel Around the World in 80 Days when his hero Phileas Fogg finds out he had returned home a full day earlier than calculated having always travelled towards the east. As some countries have decided to change to different time zones than allotted based on longitude, this phenomenon is not strictly linked to the 180-degree line of longitude any longer.
Niue, or “The Rock” as it is known to its inhabitants, is one of the largest raised coral atolls in the Pacific, an island type named “Makatea” after an island in French Polynesia. Niue’s coast lends itself to exploration with stops at points of historical and scenic interest including opportunities for snorkelling, exploring limestone caves, and swimming in Niue’s crystal clear water.
Day 6: Day At Sea
Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.
Day 7: Palmerston Island
The low-lying atoll of Palmerston is inhabited by three families, all descendants of William Marsters (1831-1899). Members of the community are known to greet visitors and guide small boats and Zodiacs into the lagoon through a maze of coral reef to reach the only inhabited islet –commonly called “Home”. Once ashore, the whole community generally turns out to meet visitors as it is a rare occurrence. The island’s highlights include a church, the oldest house, the cemetery, the school, the underground gardens and “Duke’s Pool,” inviting for a swim or snorkel. In the lagoon’s waters it is possible to find colourful reef-fish, sea cucumbers, rays, and sea turtles. Overhead there is birdlife including tropicbirds, boobies, noddies, frigatebirds and terns.
Day 8: Rarotonga Island
Life is laid back on Rarotonga, the most populous of the Cook Islands, but the residents are still an active bunch. Though there are plenty of white sandy beaches on which to laze—and people do, with plenty of napping— locals love to get out and move. Join them in snorkelling, diving, riding—bikes, horses, scooters—fishing, bush walking, and playing squash and tennis. Another popular, if odd, and favourite activity is lining up along the sea wall adjacent to the airport's runway to be jet-blasted.
Day 9: Aitutaki
Even high praise like the 'world's most beautiful island' from Lonely Planet's co-founder, Tony Wheeler, won't prepare you for the intoxicating intensity of the coal blue ocean, the glow of the pure white sand, and the soothing ripple of the palm-tree forests at incredible Aitutaki. It wasn't until 1789 that Europeans discovered this island haven, with the HMS Bounty's crew arriving, just a few weeks before a mutiny tore them apart. The Europeans were beaten to the islands, however, by the streamlined wooden canoes of the Polynesian settlers, who arrived around 900AD. While Western missionaries would eventually visit to spread Christianity to the island - evidenced by the white, coral-encrusted walls of the many churches - their efforts to repress the people’s deep love of communal singing and dancing ultimately failed, and music forms a key component of the islanders' culture to this day. Aitutaki’s lagoon is a huge aquamarine pool of water, alive with a kaleidoscopic swirl of tropical fish, which lurk just below the surface. The snorkelling opportunities here and on One Foot Island are sublime.
Day 10: Day At Sea
Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.
Day 11: Bora Bora
Simply saying the name Bora Bora is usually enough to induce gasps of jealousy, as images of milky blue water, sparkling white beaches and casually leaning palm trees immediately spring to mind. The imagination doesn't lie, either, and if you visit, you’ll soon realise this island is every bit as gorgeous as you ever imagined. Thatched wooden huts stand out over shallow, sparkling seawater, with vivid fish swirling just below. Soak up the sun and relax on Matira Beach. If blissful inactivity doesn't appeal, then get active, and hike the greenery of the sharp Mount Pahia, circle the island by “Le Truck” or go snorkelling with rays and sharks.
Day 12: Papeete
Papeete is the centre of the tropical paradise of French Polynesia, where islands fringed with gorgeous beaches and turquoise ocean await to soothe the soul. This spirited city is the capital of French Polynesia, and serves as a superb base for onward exploration of Tahiti – an island of breathtaking landscapes and oceanic vistas. A wonderful lagoon of crisp, clear water begs to be snorkelled, stunning black beaches and blowholes pay tribute to the island's volcanic heritage, and lush green mountains beckon you inland on adventures, as you explore extraordinary Tahiti. Visit to relax and settle into the intoxicating rhythm of life in this Polynesian paradise.
