Visit a Village
The magic of Fiji is not only in the beauty of its lush landscapes and amazing waters, but also in the beauty of its people. While enjoying your stay on Taveuni, you must make time to take a guided visit to a village. Duivosavosa Village hosts a wonderful cultural experience where the villagers welcome you to learn about their Fijian lifestyle. During your visit they will demonstrate to you the Fijian crafts of basket making, mat-weaving, coconut husking and all the uses of coconut, fire-making, how to cook in an earth oven (know as a lovo), and of course, preparation of the traditional drink, Yaqona, more widely known as kava. They will teach you how this drink is made, all the way from the live yaqona plant through the many preparatory phases before it is ready to be mixed into their ceremonial drink. Enjoy an afternoon tea session (cakes and tea) and a Fijian Meke (songs & dance) with your gracious hosts.
Please remember to wear appropriate village attire; no hats and no sunglasses to be worn in the Village and women should cover their shoulders. Bring your cameras and get some fantastic and memorable pictures. The children love to be photographed and enjoy receiving your letters and photos by mail!
Stand at the International Date Line
Taveuni is the island "where a new day begins...and where every day ends". Well, technically that is no longer true, but once upon a time Fiji's third largest island had the confusing distinction of being a "dual day" island thanks to the International Date Line, an imaginary line of longitude located at 180 degrees east (or west) of the Greenwich Meridian. The eastern half of the island was enjoying Sunday, while the western half was passing time on Monday. Later on the powers that be decided they should adjust the line so that no island, or island nation, was divided into two.
That's ok, you can still have fun with jumping back and forth between yesterday and today if you make time to visit the unassuming monument up on a hill in the middle of a field. Depending on where you are staying on Taveuni, you can arrange for transport to the date line, or if you are close enough to walk, just ask a local for directions. It is really quite easy to find. And the fun part about walking is you might make some new friends along the way, as I did back in 2009. During my visit, the sign marking the line was a little tattered from a typhoon the year before, but surfing the web, I see the islanders have built a new sign to proudly mark this infamous location.
And for all you single men out there with a lovely lady in your life, if you are thinking it is time to pop the question, book a wonderful vacation to Taveuni to make your proposal extra special. My now husband did an excellent job of proposing to me at the dateline..."I think of myself as your boyfriend yesterday, hopefully your fiance today, and your husband forever in the future." Great job baby!! Of course I said yes!
Visit a Pearl Farm
The natural environment of the Fijian islands is a veritable treasure trove of colors. In the fertile waters of Fiji, its oysters produce some of the most rare and unusual pearls in the world. Fijian pearls set themselves apart from the traditional shapes and colors commonly seen in pearls with their expansive color palette of rare hues including gold, champagne, green, cranberry, chocolate, peacock, lilac, turquoise, dusty rose and deep sapphire. These are totally natural colors derived from - and unique to - the Fijian environment; they are not dyed or enhanced in any way. The distinctive traits of Fijian pearls are due to the specific qualities of the natural environment and the oysters chosen, as well as innovative farming techniques.
Make sure to take time out to visit a pearl farm during your surface interval on Taveuni. Conditions allowing, you will be able to take a boat ride out to where the oysters are growing and snorkel around the farm. Here you will learn the techniques to produce such beautiful and unusual pearls. These farms pride themselves on keeping their production small - quality over quantity - and adhere to local traditional fishing rights guidelines which promote sustainable farm operations and a reinvestment in the community. Buying pearls from their establishments benefits the community through scholarship funds, village development projects and empowerment village workshops.
Get Wet at a Waterfall
A visit to the island of Taveuni would not be complete without venturing to Bouma National Heritage Park. On the windward side of the island, this park was created to protect the lush landscape of the "garden island", as well as creating a means of income through park entrance fees for the 4 villages who are bounded by the park. You can choose to make this a half-day or full-day adventure, depending on how rigorous a hike you are looking to do. Above all else, remember to wear water shoes and a swimsuit under your clothes so you can cool off with a quick dip in the inviting pools beneath the refreshing falls.
The "Bouma" falls actually consist of 3 waterfalls along the Tavoro river with the path leading to each becoming more challenging than the last. The trail starts out with a 10 minute walk to the first and most famous waterfall of Fiji, where you can then decide if you desire to continue onward up a series of switchbacks, past gorgeous panoramic views to the second and third falls. Don't forget to soak in the beauty of your environs along the way. Be on the lookout for crabs, geckos, and unusual birds like Taveuni's orange dove.
So there you go. My list of 4 things you must do while visiting the amazing "garden island" of Taveuni. Have you been to Taveuni before? Won't you share your "must-dos" with me in the comment section down below ? I'd love to hear all about them.
Want to learn more about taking your own scuba diving vacation, or traveling with Delightful Departures with Scuba Travel Ventures on an upcoming adventure, become part of the Delightful Departures community. Sign up today for our biweekly newsletter and you'll receive our FREE "Know Before You Go" guide just for joining.
No comments:
Post a Comment