True friends can truly provide the wind beneath your wings, and help you soar higher. The Fijian Government have offered Real Tonga an Airlines Services Permit for the Suva Tongatapu route pending the Foreign Air Operator Certificate which is currently under assessment by the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji. This is very good news for Real Tonga who primarily...
The head of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation says strengthening the participation of local communities and indigenous people in tourism development is the key to offering unique travel experiences. Christopher Cocker says culture is at the centre of what is on offer in the Pacific. He told Jenny Meyer a recent international meeting highlighted the need for...
Six Senses Fiji is built on a philosophy of integrated wellness and sustainability, two things travellers are becoming increasingly conscious about. The resort, which has been open for just over a year and is located in the Mamanuca Islands, has a focus on fresh whole food that is nutritious and delicious, meaning guests can enjoy their holiday without derailing...
Fiji Airways, Fiji’s National Airline, has today revealed in a joint announcement with majority shareholder, the Fijian Government, that it will acquire two new Airbus A350 XWB aircraft as part of its widebody aircraft expansion plans. The new additions to the airline’s widebody fleet will be used to primarily service popular routes between the US and Australia, with...
VOMO Island Fiji’s new infinity pool is now open. The adults only ‘Rocks Pool’ is adjacent to the secluded Rocks Bar & Restaurant in a private setting on the western tip of the island and forms part of a chill-out area for adult guests to relax and soak up the sun. The new adult-only zone is an addition to family friendly VOMO – one of Fiji’s most popular family...
For Fijians, climate change is not some abstract notion. Fiji is on the front lines, both as an island nation and, a leader in placing the reduction of carbon emissions atop the global agenda. And not a moment too soon. Since 1993, Fiji has recorded a 6 millimeter (0.2 inch) increase in its sea level per year. This has resulted in saltwater intrusion and coastal...
Arguably one of the most influential chefs in Fiji, Chef Mo Arun has become well known in recent years as a practitioner of the “Pacific Rim Authenticity Cuisine”. A native of Nadi, he began his culinary career at the Fijian Hotel (now the Shangri-La) and Regent of Fiji (now The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa). He subsequently moved to New...
It is my pleasure to introduce readers to Ronald Wright’s masterpiece, On Fiji Islands. In this work the author weaves his interests in history and ethnology into a visceral depiction of late 20th century Fiji. As the Washington Post proclaimed in a 1986 review: THIS IS A FINE TRAVEL BOOK, PERSONAL WITHOUT BEING PRETENTIOUS, OPEN·EYED WITHOUT BEING NAIVE, AND...
On Fiji Islands–Acknowledgements page Many people helped me during the research and writing of this book. Fiji’s inhabitants extended their remarkable courtesy and hospitality, and Alberta Culture gave generous financial support without which the journey might never have been made. Any list of individuals will be fraught with omissions, but I...
Prologue In the Fiji Museum there is a curious wooden artifact with a carved handle and four sharp prongs. Beneath it is the short but eloquent inscription: The display also contains dishes used for serving the Wesleyan’s cooked flesh, and informs the reader that Mr. Baker was the only missionary eaten in Fiji, and that he passed away (if that’s the right...
Chapter 1.1 – Nadi After breakfast Derek went out to buy a newspaper; I began writing up my journal. The flight from Vancouver had begun with a stewardess’s memorable phrase: You fly across the world’s emptiest hemisphere, keeping pace with the night. Five hours to Honolulu-nothing but blackness below; then the glare of an overlit American city, an...
Chapter 1.2 – Nadi When the plane touched down the ethnobotanist awoke, cupped his ears in his hands, and began to complain in a fractious voice about the engine noise. The three of us looked, I suppose, like the monkeys on the log-Hear-No..Evil, See-No-Evil, Speak-No-Evil-Gorky, tiny and hunched; Derek, rotund and bald, half hidden behind opaque glasses and the...
