Since I started traveling abroad I’ve always wanted to visit the South Pacific Islands, in particular Fiji. This island group is so isolated, it almost seems unrealistic to travel there, especially with a home base in Europe.

Fiji is an archipelago of over 300 islands. About 110 are inhabited, most very scarcely with a few small villages. The main island is Viti Levu, home to the biggest city, Suva, and the main airport, Nadi.

It had been recommended to me not to stay on the main island but to head to one of the smaller outer islands instead. With so many islands to choose from, the choice wasn’t easy. I ended up choosing Waya Island. Waya island is part of the Yasawa Islands, north of the main island. It’s about two hours away from Nadi harbour by boat.

As the island is so isolated, the boat that brought me over was also used as supply boat for the resort I was staying at. Upon arrival, the captain ordered to off-load a number of iron barrels that were used to store the supplies. A dozen Fijian men ran into the water to carry them back to the beach.

I always imagined Fiji to be a paradise with pristine beaches, lush tropical vegetation and crystal clear waters. As I took my first steps on the island my expectations were met. The beach was surrounded by a mountain range which provided stunning views of the island.

I couldn’t wait to get into the water. There is nothing that I enjoy more after a long journey than to float around in warm tropical ocean water. I love the feeling of small waves lifting me up onto the beach before pulling me back into the sea.

As sunset approached I lied down in one of the hammocks and opened a cold can of Fijian beer. I watched the sun drop into the ocean. It was one of the prettiest sunsets I had ever seen.

If you want to visit Waya island or one of the other islands in the Yasawa island group, I recommend you check out Awesome Adventures Fiji. With so many different islands to choose from, it can be a bit of a challenge to figure out where you want to go. This website is a good resource. They have special island hopping passes. Although I personally didn’t get one, a lot of people I met did and they were quite positive about it.