Floating in the South Pacific Ocean, almost touching the International Dateline is the island nation of Fiji. Made popular by the Tom Hanks movie, Castaway, this tropical destination was always on my wish list of must-visit places. I imagined it would be an exotic, faraway land, the perfect combination of island vegetation, turquoise sea and white sands. A generous wedding gift took my husband and me to Tokoriki Island in Fiji.
We flew in to Nadi and then caught a sea plane to the island, where we were to spend the next few days. The sea plane leaves a few times a day, so if you miss one, the next one will take off only after 4-5 hours. The ride itself is amazing, because you’re flying over the open ocean and can see it in its full glory, and also get an aerial view of the islands. The staff at the Tokoriki Island Resort gave us a warm welcome by singing a song and placing beaded necklaces around our necks. We spent the next few days exploring the islands as well as its ocean beds.
Tokoriki Island Resort
We selected this hotel after reading numerous reviews and recommendations, and it turned out to be a great choice. The staff was friendly and tried their best to accommodate every request. Within a day, all the waiters, singers and reception staff knew us by our first names and were chatting with us like long lost friends. The property has a boutique feel and the beachside bures come with thatched roofs and Fijian décor. I loved the outdoor showers! Their exquisite spa has open waterfalls and is plush with greenery. They had lots of activities to keep us entertained throughout; one morning, we kayaked around the island and in the afternoon, went on a free snorkeling trip around the island’s reef. Tokoriki Island Resort is ideal for couples; they offer its visitors the option of dining in privacy on the beach, and musicians who take requests at dinner every night.
Castaway Island and snorkeling
One of the options arranged by the dive shop is a trip to Castaway Island, where you can spend half a day at the island where the namesake movie was filmed. We took a boat to the island and then a guy from the dive shop gave us a tour of the place. He showed us scenes from the film, and introduced us to some of the indigenous trees exclusive to the island. The best part of this trip was snorkeling! The island has a beautiful reef right off the beach, where my husband and I spent two hours snorkeling and gazing at striped, spotted and oddly shaped fish and pretty corals. A fish befriended us and kept swimming around us in circles. We then soaked up the beach with some beers. The wind blew my hubby’s hat into the sea and the driver was sweet enough to turn around and get it back for him.
Scuba diving
The highlight of my trip to Fiji was my first scuba dive. First, we had a training session in the pool where the instructor, Will, took us through the gear and breathing techniques. As we were waiting for our gear on the beach, someone pointed towards a baby shark! We got into the boat and reached the reef of the island and then tumbled into the water. There was a rope to guide me to the sea bed and also help balance my ear pressure. Will was an encouraging and patient instructor and checked on me every few minutes to ensure I was doing okay. Once I steadied myself, we started swimming along the reef. I saw fish in rainbow colours floating above the seabed. It was a whole new world down there with fish, coral, crustaceans, manta rays and things I had never seen before. I went down to fourteen meters for about forty minutes and it was an experience of a lifetime. Just swimming together, silently watching the universe that was living under the sea was a unique experience. Living in Bombay, I have always related with the sea, but scuba diving just made this relationship stronger, and has also made me concerned about how we treat the ocean.
Sharks
When I first heard about sharks in the Fijian waters, I was anxious. My image of sharks was from the movie Jaws, and consequently the notion that they were man-eating monsters out to hunt innocent swimmers. However, watching the divers and staff talk excitedly about sharks changed my perception. I learned that sharks do not usually attack human beings. I also learnt that among all water activities, surfing was the most prone to shark attacks, as they scout the surface of the water for food like dead fish and turtles. Scuba diving, in particular, is quite safe from shark attacks. The shark I saw from the shore before scuba diving was a black tip reef shark. Fijian waters are full of harmless reef sharks and some dive shops organize shark diving packages where you can swim with these misunderstood creatures.
