Yasawa Islands

​Living on Fiji Time
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(Hover over each photo for details)
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The Yasawa Islands are located north of mainland Nadi. They can be accessed by a water taxi or float plane ride.

The water can be crystal clear and blue on bright sunny days, which makes for pristine snorkeling over the coral reefs.

The Yasawas are a chain of volcanic islands, ans some are very mountainous. An afternoon hike up the mountain makes for a spectacular panoramic view.

The Blue Lagoon Resort is located on Navola Bay, Nacula Island. You'll catch plenty of beautiful views like this over the reef.

Fiji is famous worldwide for it's friendly, smiling people. Villagers in Nacula welcome guests with open arms, a hearty "bula!" and beautiful songs in the village church.

The famous "Blue Lagoon Beach" from the movie filmed here in 1980 starring Brooke Shields. It has a beautiful sandy beach that's great for snorkeling.

The ancient Sawa-i-lau limestone caves are filled with clear blue-green waters perfect for swimming. Some extra courage and an underwater dive will lead you to another pitch black cave that can be explored by flashlight.

People in the village of Nacula live in traditional "bures". Some are made of grass, while others are constructed of wood.

Kava is the quintessential Fijian drink. A powder made from the root of a pepper plant is mixed with water. People sitting around the kava bowl take turns drinking kava from a coconut bowl. A large bowl of kava will leave you sleeping well!

A Catholic church altar in the village of Nacula.

Fiji is home to many beautiful sunsets. While the country is located in the southern hemisphere, it is close to the equator so days are close to 12 hours of light and dark most of the year.

Another church in Fiji. Visitors are welcome to attend on Sunday mornings, a day of rest and worship for Fijians.

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Getting there...

Fiji is a remote group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean in the southern hemisphere. It's proximity to Australia makes it a popular vacation destination for Aussies. A direct flight from Los Angeles International Airport will take you to the mainland of Nadi in about 11 hours- a distance of about 5,000 miles.

The Yasawa Islands are only accessible by float plane or boat. A boat ride to the far northern end of the chain takes about 6 hours, and a float plane ride takes 30-40 minutes. The Yasawas are "off the grid", meaning that the power grid does not extend to them. Power is more sparse than the mainland and is supplied mostly by solar power or generator power. Most resorts do not have air conditioning and some cut off the power supply during the overnight- which makes for excellent star gazing.