Octopus Resort, Waya Island

Due to our 5 hour flight delay in Hong Kong, we missed our boat departure to Waya Island and therefore lost out on an entire day at Octopus Resort, which we were very unhappy about as were really looking forward to this part of our trip. As compensation Air Pacific checked us into a hotel located adjacent to the airport for the night. The less said about that, the better.

The next morning we got up extra early and were driven to the harbour, where we boarded a boat to our island. We finally arrived at Waya Island's Octopus Resort at about 12pm. What an amazing place! The people were extremely friendly and the surroundings absolutely gorgeous! Waya Island is one of a chain of islands belonging to the Yasawa group, located west of the mainland of Fiji. The island is still owned by the local Fijian villagers who live there and one can see the pride that they have in their island.

We checked into our bure (chalet), which was made in true Fijian style - entirely from woven palm leaves and wood. As a result, it wasn't very sound proof, but so much the better, as you can easily hear the waves and birds (and your amorous neighbours). The view from our open air bathroom was also amazing.

We spent our days lazing on sun loungers, tanning, snorkelling, swimming & diving in the warm Pacific Ocean. Being on an island with a tropical forest, there was such an abundance of plant and animal life that we ended up taking hundreds of photos - real tourists….

The sunsets were out of this world. After dinners (the food was fantastic), there were always fun activities to take part in, including limbo and balloon dancing, beach volleyball etc.

Lunches and dinners were announced by the barman via a huge conch shell, so I even discarded my watch on day one and we did the proper holiday thing - eat until you're sleepy and sleep until you're hungry. The rest was Fiji time.

Treasure Island

We were extremely sad to leave Octopus Resort, as we could have easily stayed on there for much longer. Unfortunately when we booked this part of our trip 3 months ago, we decided to split our time in Fiji, so that we could experience 2 islands/resorts.

From Octopus Resort, we moved on to Treasure Island. Treasure Island is a beautiful coral atoll surrounded by an established marine reserve and covered with tropical gardens. They actually breed endangered Hawksbill turtles and crested iguanas in captivity.

With less to do on this atoll than at Waya Island, we relaxed even more - just chilling in the hammocks, loungers and deck chairs.

We spent two evenings lying on the beach star gazing, as the number of stars that you can see out here in the middle of the Pacific is astronomical (excuse the pun)!

We couldn't believe how quickly the 11 days in Fiji flew by. It's truly a place where you can spend a lot of time without getting tired of easily.

Finances permitting - if we ever get the opportunity again, we will definitely return to Octopus Resort and Waya Island, as that place was one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommended!

Off to New Zealand next. Watch this space…