The hostel website had included directions and price guidelines, which became very useful in our first few moments of Fiji. The way the taxi drivers swooped on us tourists was funny, and anyone who wasn't getting on a hotel bus was a target, but when offered the choice between a taxi ride for $80 - a blatant rip-off if ever there was one - or the local express bus for $12... hmmm. One driver tried to convince us that the Beachouse was an hour's walk from the main road, which might have swayed us had the hostel's info not also mentioned it was only 100m from the road - and less to the beach.

By the beach in Fiji

I saw similar in Kenya a few years ago, but on first sight Rob didn't think much of the local bus. There was a fair sized bunch of people from our plane aboard, and the driver gave due care to the precious guitar, so on we hopped. The journey was a little on the bouncy side, but the scenery was great - especially when we turned a corner and were able to see the blue ocean and reefs. The bus stopped in several towns and villages along the way, which was not only interesting from a visitor's viewpoint, but because it showed us that despite the New Zealand-like exchange rate, this is a developing country. The sight of kava roots left, right and centre was funny though: we weren't likely to escape that local delicacy while on these shores.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...
As promised, the bus dropped us off right outside the Beachouse entrance - marked by a colourful and cheery notice that seemed quite different to the luxurious but staid resorts we'd passed along the way. In we walked through lush green lawns and red flowering trees, which gave way to palm trees before too long. The beach came into view, and it was beautiful - we were going to enjoy this.

There are several buildings on site: the Coconut Café (which also serves as reception, backpackers' kitchen and luggage storage), a couple of dorm buildings (2, 4, 6 and 10-bed options available), and a series of newly-built 'Garden Rooms'. Rob and I had decided to splash out and rent ourselves a Garden Room ($46 per night, for 2-4 people), which turned out to be a very spacious and generally gorgeous choice. There's also a small camping area for anyone with a tent.

This place, as we discovered, is great. The beach is lovely and peaceful, the reef is close enough to create a small lagoon area - not to mention large enough for crazy Americans to go surfing on its waves - and there's even a deck and some hammocks if you choose some other means to relax. On top of that, the food is great (though dinners can be expensive) and every afternoon at 4-ish there's free tea and scones - if you run fast enough to grab some. Every so often the staff bring out a brimming kava bowl too, and believe me this stuff will seriously play about with your head!

Activities are organised most days, ranging from the local - boules on the lawn or catching octopus out on the reef - or farther afield, for instance a jungle trek, plus 3 sea kayaks for guests to take out as and when they feel like it. One night we even went on a cruise: take one tin can boat, add 16 nutters and a slab of beer, get out past the reef and watch the sun go down... very nice. A local minibus owner offers trips to Suva every few days too - about the same cost as catching the bus - which is an interesting place to visit, though I wouldn't bank on finding much more than souvenir shops out there.

The booze cruise

Cutting losses
My great regret of our stopover in Fiji is that we underestimated the cost of getting to the Mamalucas, or any other island chain for that matter, and soon realised that Beachcomber was out of the question on our budget. It's a shame, but we'd only be doing the same things, we convinced ourselves - swimming, sunning, snorkelling - so what difference did it really make? I'm glad we saved the money, but I'll have to go back some day with more!

After a week at the Beachouse we did decide that, island or no, it was time to move. We went along the coast to Tubakula Beach Bungalows - a Hostelling International affiliate, as it turned out, where you can stay in a small dorm room for $15 per night. This was more like a resort, with plenty of family-sized bungalows and a swimming pool, but the beach wasn't half as good and there was hardly anyone else there. The most excitement we had was a short trip round the corner to watch a rugby match at the Outrigger resort, so soon decided to cut our losses more severely and change our flight.

Two days early, we turned up at the Nadi Bay Hotel, not too far from the airport. $15 a night once more, but this time was shared the room with 20 or so others. It was a decent place, but while some seemed happy enough to have spent several days by the cramped pool or using the hotel as a base, I think the planes would have done my head in after a while. Watching a Fiji v Samoa rugby match over dinner was fun though, and their hakas were pretty terrifying.

Early next morning, off we set to the airport and onto the plane... with a small anecdote: we accidentally left Rob's camcorder in the boot of the taxi, and instead of driving off with his prize the wonderful man brought it back and found us. On top of that we'd lost a minidisc player on the flight to Fiji too, which was also returned to us before flying out. Nice people, these Fijians! Highly thankful and feeling relaxed and happy, we got on the plane and settled down for the shortest flight yet.

Questions?
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