At play in the Fijian sunshine

This week I achieved the
“employee’s dream” - a week
with two Saturdays!
However, I'm not enjoying
the extra day since it came
by virtue of crossing the
International Date Line on
CP Air flight 80 from Fiji. As
you Can guess, it’s been a
while since I woke up this

morning - or was it yesterday

travel-
wise

by Barba ra
McCreadie

morniig? Sadly, editors
don't have soft hearts and
columns have to be written,
even if the columnist is a
basket case.

For sheer luxury, it’s hard
to beat the Regent of Fiji
Hotel. From the window of
my palatial room I got a view
of sand, lagoon and palm
trees. Unfortunately, two
scrappy birds had set up
housekeeping on my balcony
and if the last two days of
fighting is any indication,
divorce is inevitable. They
square-off at five a.m.

Fiji might be called “The
Flower Islands”. All those
heavily perfumed tropical
blossoms grow 1n profusion
and Fijians wear them over
their ears - left ear means
“Tm unattached” and the
nght ear means “Sorry, ['m
taken”.

Bouquets, too
beautiful to be real, are
scattered about the hotels

and maids have a charming
habit of picking a fragrant-
pani and placing it on your
pillow

At night. small hopping
toads cluster under the lights
and gobble up anv. insect
that comes too close They
have cold. scratchy httle
bodies and allow themselves
to be picked up and
examined

Unlike

many other

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10507 K. Geo. Hwy. Surrey
689-7117

Reg Travel Agent No 157 3

tropical countries, Fiji is
nearly free of dangerous
pests. There are no

poisonous spiders and the
only ugly snakes are on some
of the northern islands.
Speaking of islands, Fiji has
323 of them!

The only pest that gave me
any trouble was some sort of
biting fly which only came
out at night and only at-
tacked lower legs. NEVER
go to Fiji without a tin of
insect repellant to use after
sunset on your ankles.

I spent five days in Fiji,
where five weeks would be
more appropriate. The
major island - Viti Levu - has
all Fiji's major cities. Nadi
(pronounced Nandi) is the
site of the International
Airport. Around it = are
clustered many hotels of all
standards... It ts possible to

" get a room with a bath for as

little as $10 (Fijian). Nearly
every hotel has a swimming
pool for, alas, this area
doesn’t abound in beaches.
The only hotel in the Nadi
area with a beach is the
Regent of Fiji.

Suva, the capital, is on the
other side of the island. The
short road, along the
southern coast (Queen's
Road) is currently “out” so
your only ways of getting to
Suva are an eight-hour drive
via “Kings Road” around the
north coast (lousy) or a $25
flight. For obvious reasons, I
bypassed Suva.

As one Fijian said, “You
didn't miss a thing. It’s
crowded, dirty, full of
crooks and no place to enjoy
yourself.” Maybe next visit
I'll take my chances.

Lautoka is the second
largest city in Fiji. It’s a drab
place with few hotels and
certainly not meant for a
tourist resort. However, it is
the “jumping off spot” for
the Blue Lagoon Cruises and
cruises to two marvellous
islands - “Beachcomber” and
“Treasure Island”.

Everyone who has taken
the Blue Lagoon Cruises
through the maze of islands
is Singing songs of praise.
First, the price is right. For
about $300 per person, you
get a comfortable cabin, all
meats and your transport by
ship for six days. You will be

taken to deserted islands
where the swimming and
diving are superb. At tea-

time. the crew sets up shop

PENNY SLEEPER INN
ANNAHEIM HY ATT
HOWARD JOHNSONS

“Subject to fuel surcharges

on the beach. Luxury picnics
and barbeques are often
arranged for your con-
venience. One American
couple complained to me,
“The cook is a genius. We
gained six pounds in six
days!”

Three-day cruises are also
available for those who only
want to gain three pounds.
Bring you own snorkel gear.

“Beachcomber’ and
“Treasure Island” are two
island resorts, side by side,
and owned by Fijians who
live in a village near
Lautoka. The village also
owns the boats that ferry you
back and forth to the islands
and provides the staff. Buses
call at other hotels to take
visitors to the dock.

“For $18 (F) you can be
collected at your hotel,
driven to Lautoka, ferried to
Beachcomber for the day
and brought back in the
evening. This includes a
huge buffet lunch and all the

swimming and_= snorkeling
you want (equipment
provided). A_ glass-bottom

boat will take you for a look
at the sea-life on the reef.
The beaches are
magnificent.

If you want to spend a
night or a month, ac-
commodation starts at $17

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(F) per person in dorms. This
includes three huge buffet
meals, nightly entertainment
and all sorts of games such as
ping-pong and miniature golf
and volleyball plus water-
skiing & snorkeling.

If you want something a
little more private, there are
lodges for two (a few dollars
more) and big lodges that
will sleep five or six. The
plumbing is shared in the
small bures and the water is
cold only (not icy, just
tepid).

The crowd is mostly in the
18-30 age group but older
people and families can fit in
if they accept the sometimes
wicked antics that the rest of
the patrons are prone to.
Water fights, sign switching
and general ‘‘horsing
around” is expected. Parties
start any old time and last
until the music stops or war
is declared.

I spent the day on
Beachcomber. The lunch
was excellent, the people
friendly and the ac-
commodation adequate.
This ain't the Ritz. The
prices “ain't the Ritz” either!

“Don't you dare tell

anyone about this place!”,
exclaimed one regular
visitor. “You'll wreck it with

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yl Wehr gers

too many people.”

“Please tell everyone that
there aren't any spiders. The
RATS ate them all!”

“There aren't any
crocodiles, either. Sharks
got em!”

That many happy visitors,
trying to hide the place can't
be wrong. Fiji doesn’t have
sharks, either. For reser-
vations write:

Max MacDonald
P.O. Box 364
Lautoka, Fiji

CALL
for a free

986-4291

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Where the girls wear flowers in their hair

Say “Hi” for me.

If you can afford the
“Regent of Fiji” if only for a
day, write:

Michael Burchett
P.O. Box 411
Nadi, Fiji

Passport

photos

while you wait
North Shore Darkroom
1527 Lonsdale 988-9813

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~ Ww
-