Must-See: a Fiji Photo Tour
In today's jet set era it is hard to capture that far-flung, isolated, other side of the world feeling. Cue the Gigantean Pacific, the largest ocean in our water-filled world that has generously left us a few outposts of land in her Southern regions. There are several island nations to choose from, but the archipelago of Fiji is an excellent choice. With this Fiji photo tour I hope to convince you it is a must-see.
Island Views
When we picture said Tropical Island paradises, we always assume a birds eye position somewhere off the coast out at sea, a view that is lost once we're on the island. Fear not, an archipelago is a grouping of islands, and therefore the views offered from the high summits of some Fijian islands to the more low slung, rolling hills of others; there is always a nearby island to view from your very own.
Sunsets
The locals will happily guide you to the best paths that lead up to hills offering stunning sunset views, which are complemented by the shadows of the surrounding islands. No more office buildings or vehicle exhausts screening your view of nature's fine salute to the end of the day.
Jungle
It's not all beaches and turquoise seas, many of the islands are covered in palm trees and thick jungle. Trekking through these is easy if you follow the main paths used by the islanders which offers welcomed shady shortcuts to isolated empty bays.
Beaches
Despite the many other attractions to the south Pacific, the beaches are obviously the most desirable feature, and rightly so as they offer secluded golden bays lapped at by turquoise clear blue waters. The ability to stroll around the headland and find a deserted, picture-perfect beach is unparalleled around the world.
Villages
Villages are scattered across the archipelago and it's hard to resist coveting their lifestyle. There is the availability to go on tours of the local villages to get an understanding of island life, and seeing the boat journey to the school located in an insulated bay trumps any school journey worldwide.
Wild Life
Nature on the island is mainly dominated by the Villagers dogs, pigs and cows. However large spiders do have a habit of spanning their webs across paths so watch out, and on the beaches there are a number of crab species that jump to life as you pass. These range from little speedy crabs that scuttle over the surface to slow, shelled crabs hauling their homes gently around the sand.
The Fijian climate is enviable worldwide, and temperatures hover consistently around the 30°C mark. This makes it a great destination year round, but there is a brief wet season from January to mid-March that you may wish to avoid.
This was a guest post by Matthew D, a very keen travel blogger following his first RTW trip in 2011. While this post was based on his personal RTW travels, he now writes about his experiences for the travel company Sovereign, specialists in Greece holidays.
Photo credit:
'Fiji Sunset' by IanL via Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilumb/832788/)