The Fiji Islands immediately conjure up the word exotic. Pictures of people snorkeling across the shallow reefs near the shore or diving under clear, deep tropical waters to see the varieties of flora and aquatic animals come readily to mind. Exotic getaways abound like hiking through tropical rain forests, swimming in cool river pools, rafting through the river rapids on the main island and sailing between each of the unique islands in the Yasawa chain. Travelers can safari back in time to the remote villages high on the islands‚ rugged peaks.
Fiji is composed of over 300 individual islands of which only 100 are inhabited. The others are designated nature reserves to protect the fantastic plant and animal life that is a unique part of this culture. Fiji has fantastic five star resorts with all the luxury they provide, but is also a haven of eco-tourism. Taking ‚Äúthe road less traveled‚ leads guests to the extremely beautiful, tranquil, and unspoiled environments which have escaped the intrusion of modern life by their isolation. Pristine tropical rainforests, virgin grasslands, 100 year old colonial towns, unchanged exotic customs of Fijian, Chinese, Indian and other cultures that migrated to the islands are readily located.
Fijians treasure their unique culture and the landscape and seascape that make their homeland one of the most desired places to visit. As part of active preservation and conservation programs, travelers can stay with a village family and have a personal part impacting an environmental project taking place during their visit.
The Fiji Islands, rated among the top 10 diving destinations in the world, have wall dives, grottos, caves, shipwrecks, both hard and soft coral varieties, and a diversity of rainbow colored tropical fish providing unique, breathtaking dives for each individual and skill level. Professional dive operators caringly assist divers to give a safe and memorable experience. Multilingual instructors assist Japanese, European, Korean, and American divers, teaching them the basics in their native languages. Most diving services provide the tank, weights, snorkeling or scuba gear for rent. Courses and diving gear are not inexpensive, but are worth the cost for a once in a lifetime experience.
High quality gourmet meals prepared from the freshest fish and produce make dining while visiting Fiji an exotic experience as well. Many resorts have internationally renowned chefs supervising their well-trained kitchen staffs. Californian, Thai, Japanese, Austral/Asian, Indian and local cuisine are all available emphasizing seafood, giving each visitor new and unique flavors to experience.
Because there are so many fantastically enjoyable things to do and see while visiting the Fiji Islands, every traveler should have travel insurance cover to keep their dream trip from becoming a nightmare if illness or other unforeseen occurrence keeps them from completing their visit as planned.
