Heading back to Fiji, Baby...

This Christmas, I am heading back to the golden sands and tropical waters of Fiji.

I love Fiji.  Suva is such a vibrant and real city, which is so refreshing as a tourist.  Often finding "the real" something, requires either finding a tourist destination that re-creates the way life used to be, or ther opposite, a city that is not set up for people to travel to or around in.  Suva has such a great mix of rich and poor, locals and migrants, travelers and workers.  Basically, it is a vibrant real city with a major heart.  It also has all the requirements to make a stay workable, like public toilets and plenty of public transport.

Last time we went, it was the rainy season.  100% humidity, 30 degrees Celsius, soooooo hot!  Then it rained, and it was wonderful.  We wandered the streets looking for remnants of my husbands family in the city.  Finding people who remembered his grandfather was fantastic, and meant we had a real chance to see and meet people who we never would have before.

It is also a land of stark contrasts.  Finding second hand clothing stores and beggars on the street next to a luxury car dealership is all part of it.  However, all the people had such joy in being able to say, "Bula" and welcoming others in.  The fruit market was the best time ever, wandering the stalls with a local woman who was intent on helping us to find the best pawpaws to eat right away, and heading to a local ice cream store where the waiter cut the fruit showing us how to eat it.

I am so excited to return to Fiji, and this time, it will be in her most beautiful part of the year.

Making the Most of Suva, Fiji

The local fruit market

The buses are fast, and "air conditioned"...

There are so many wonderful places to contemplate in Suva

The waterfront

The Port of Suva

I just love the penthouse apartment here

Locals turning on a little show for the tourists

The Cathedral

Cruising for your Vacation

Last year we made the decision to cruise- and HATED it.  The boat was old, the ship was full, and engine was blown, the cruise was delayed, re-routed and then eventually late back to port.  We had to cancel and re-book our flights home 3 times!   We spent most of the trip feeling stuck at sea for 14 nights!

However, we were given the chance to cruise a second time, and we managed to score BIG-TIME.  We were on a shorter cruise, newer boat, larger ship, but most importantly, we were prepared for what to expect.

Following the first cruise, I had to figure out what the hell I had done wrong to need a vacation after the stress of my holiday!  So, ended up writing a whole swag of Cruise Advice Articles.  The tips definitely helped me to prepare for the second one.... and for some reason, we are now booked in for a third.... and we are bringing my parents, my sister and her 2 young children along....

Here are my cruising advice articles offered in link form.


Advice for Cruising - Choose the right Cruise

This article is all about considering why cruising is a good idea and weighing up whether it is a vacation style suited for you.

Advice for Cruising - Preparing for the Cruise and being onboard

This article is about having booked a cruise already, and making the most of the opportunities on board.  It also has valuable advice about what to pack.

Packing when traveling with a toddler

This article is specifically geared towards first time cruising with young children, what to take along, from clothing to incidental items.

Cruising with the whole family

Fairly self explanatory.

Tips for Cruising in the South Pacific

This article is particularly useful if you are cruising the South Pacific Islands (Fiji, Tonga, New Caledonia, Norfolk, Vanuatu etc).  While I wrote it about P&O ships, all the cruise operators in the area work the same way.

I am unlikely to write and publish too much more about cruising, because it has all been covered really.  But, the links shall remain active and the advice valid.  I will update the articles with new information as I get it.