Very rarely does a day so fully exceed my expectations! Where to start?! Fiji is a country of great contrast and great beauty. The tourist resort of Nadi in the north is chocked full of 5 star resorts and honeymooning couples, whereas the captial Suva in the south is a working city on the edge of poverty. Both are about 5 hours apart by road making them both hard to visit in a day. We arrived in Suva at dawn on a Wednesday, bags packed and ready to start the 36 hour journey back to London… but first we were afforded 20 hours in Fiji! All immigrated and full of excitement at 9am we headed to the hotel to drop our bags. Where should we go? We had only 1 day to explore one of the most beautiful places on earth and options close to the southern city of Suva were limited according to all we asked. Just as we were losing hope, a young bellboy appeared in my hotel room doorway.

“Do you want to go to heaven?” he asked

“Absolutely!” I replied.

He spoke to our driver, we had no idea where we were going except that there were allegedly wild dolphins and it was 3 hours away! Our driver had never been before and seemed as eager as us to have an adventure!

Essentials packed and full of beans… we headed into the unknown!

The best thing about travelling to places for just one day is you have to be brave. You can’t just ‘wait until tomorrow’ to do something because tomorrow, you’ll be somewhere else, or on a plane home! If an opportunity to see or so something presents itself, you HAVE to go for it. And so, as we bounced along dirt roads (with our driver asking every villager we passed if we were going the right direction) my excitement was beginning to bubble over!

Finally, we arrived at an old wooden sign that read ‘Takalana’… we had arrived!

I can only describe this place as a hidden bit of paradise. So far off the beaten track that only one tourist had ventured there in the previous month, we got out of the taxi to utter silence, broken only by the crash of distant waves.

Sophia, a bustling woman with a a baby on her hip, appeared on the verandah grinning ear to ear. Welcoming us to her home, she instantly gave us a fabulous bungalow, complete with kitchen and ocean view balcony as our home for the day, and informed us she would make us lunch after we returned from her brothers boat as he was just about to go out to see the wild dolphins! Blind sided and fascinated we just nodded and went with it!

Sat in a boat that seemed older than myself, we set off to moon reef. Moon reef is found 2 miles off the east coast of Fiji and is home to a family of spinner dolphins as well as a cornucopia of fish and ocean wildlife. The shades of blue were countless as we approached and the silence somewhat overpowering.

The dolphins stayed hidden, but we didn’t mind as we headed straight into the pacific for some time on the reef. Heated water, as warm as a bath, bubbled through the coral as colourful fish darted around my hands.

Hungry and thirsty we headed back to land!

Oh my… how could we know that a feast would be waiting for us?! The whole family, including baby and dog sat with us, as we saw a table covered in fresh coconuts, barbecued chicken and sticky rice! The next hour passed with laughter, chasing a toddler, playing with Snoopy the dog and chatting with Sophia and her family as we planned to venture up the mountain to a waterfall where you could swim!

What a trek! Without a path, the journey up the mountain through the jungle was an adventure in itself! Forcing our way through the undergrowth and mud we reached a clearing where a waterfall cut a deep dark pool through the rock.

Swimming in the pool! How refreshing!

Dinnertime was approaching and we had no idea of the delights that awaited us back at the beach! Hot, wet and covered in mud, we made our way back down the mountain to Takalana beach.

The whole family had invited the community to join us for dinner! Musicians started to arrive from the village, more and more people started to arrive. The men built fires on the sand as the women stoked huge barbecues covered in fresh catch from the reef! Music filled the air and conversation was plentiful. As darkness fell we were inducted into the community with the local drink ‘cava’. Now ‘cava’ is a mild narcotic brewed from roots of local Fijian plants!! Served in coconut shells, just a sip is enough to accept the hospitality of your hosts. So one sip later I was very glad to become part of the most friendly village I have ever visited!

As the night progressed, our poor taxi drivers wife kept calling asking why he was now 13 hours later than he planned! We said our goodbyes and headed back south towards Suva. The smell of smoke filled my hair as a reminder on the journey home of the magic that we experienced that day. If you ever go to Fiji I’d say, skip the tourist hotspots, and make your way to Takalana! It has the best hospitality and best accommodation you’ll find. ( http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g294334-d1019402-Reviews-Takalana_Bay_Resort-Viti_Levu.html )

The amazing reef!

Takalana…It’s real, it’s heaven, and it’s waiting for you!

After a 7am immigration, I entered incredible India intent on another adventure. Kochi is nestled on the coast of the Arabian sea in the state of Kerala. A vibrant, noisy city filled with colour and music, Kochi was a wonderland I couldn’t wait to explore.

As I have said before in my posts, traveling alone in India as a woman is possible but not advisable. Yes, I am a female solo traveller and have no qualms venturing into any place that seems interesting, however, wisdom is accepting that not all places are equally safe. This friendly vibrant place is still a way behind in accepting single women as a voice to be reckoned with, so knowing this, I always find it wise to travel with a friend. The great thing about my work is there is (nearly) always another act traveling solo and in need of company too! And so, at 6:30 am I knocked on the door of a fellow act… the two of us were about to have an adventure!

The first thing that hit me were the smells. As we made our way to the line of Tuk Tuks waiting for the first fare of the day, the aroma of spices, hot dirt and salty water filled my senses. We agreed a daily price ($40/£26 for all day) and our driver whisked us away out of the heavily policed gates and into India!

Traffic weaved perilously close to our open sided rickshaw churning hot exotic fumes in our already dusty faces… I could already tell it would be a great day!

Firstly we made our way to what I can only describe as a cottage industry mill making saris from scratch. Sitting crossed legged by a spinning wheel surrounded by a haze of incense, a partially blind woman span yarn into thread. She then took the thread to one of the three looms in the room to weave into stunning silks which, when completed, are taken across the alley where a group of talented seamstresses create beautiful Saris.

Venturing across the alley we were presented with an array of Saris to chose from! One caught my eye… a sky blue and gold silk affair… I was sold. Amazingly, I was measured for a blouse and told to return later that afternoon to pick up my very own custom Sari! What a great start to the day!

With 4 more hours to explore we headed to a ginger refinery. Boxes that looked like props from Indiana Jones were piled high in a sun-bleached warehouse, stocked full of dried spices. The overwhelming smell of ginger lingered in the air, catching in the throat and the eyes, burning and sweet. In the heat of the sun, root ginger lay piled on the courtyard floor drying slowly before being ground and shipped worldwide. Through a shady door into an old stone barn, two elderly ladies sorted the dried roots as though they were panning for gold. Venturing into the shade, we watched for a while as they rhythmically sieved the powder into the air where it whirled and flurried like spicy snow. Turning to us, the women offered us the chance to try it ourselves. Coughing and spluttering, but having a great time, we sieved and sorted until our lungs forced us back into the hot outdoors!

                  

Now, every time I venture abroad, I have a secret hope. A secret plan to achieve something or see something special. That week, I secretly really wanted to see an elephant. Today was my only chance! But we were in a city… wherever would I find an elephant? Dropping it into conversation with our driver I sat back and waited… we’d see what he could do!

As you’ll know if you’ve read any of my other posts, I love to see temples. I feel they are windows into the true culture of a people. They are the places where births, deaths and marriages are celebrated. The places where people bring their worries their triumphs and their fears. As such, they harbour a truth to them that I find incredibly attractive and are the top of my list when it comes to sight seeing.

There are quite a few Hindu temples in Kochi, but only one that welcomes in non-Hindu guests to view the inside for one hour a day. 12 noon on the dot we arrived as they opened the temple gates. Taking off our shoes at the door, we tiptoed over burning hot tiled floors into a myriad of buildings and rooms. Burning herbs fragranced the air as miniature carved elephants danced in welcome at every doorway. In the cool interior, fresh flowers lay cut by each deity, all secluded in their own alcove protected from the entropy of the outdoors. A commotion in the courtyard took us back outside into the fierce midday sun. An old man, surrounded by tourists, was beginning a ritual.

He chanted and threw bird feed on the main temple courtyard floor… suddenly thousands of pigeons descended on the temple. The chanting became more frenzied, the crowd became more excited, I looked at my friend… what was happening?!… I have to admit, neither of us had ANY IDEA what was going on. I asked an old man stood next to me what was happening, he looked at me, shook his head and said… “well… see that man. He’s doing something with the pigeons.” … To this day I still have no idea what was going on! Wonderful India!

As we travelled on, our Tuk Tuk driver turned to us… “Do you still want to see an elephant?” ,

I practically jumped up and down in the back seat! “Yes!!”

For a small bribe, the local Hindu monks would let us into the holy elephant enclosure and let us see them resting with their trainers! I couldn’t believe it! I was going to see an elephant!

I have to admit, I am not a fan of the chains that were shackling these magnificent creatures. Just looking in their eyes you can see their gentle nature. However, they did seem relaxed and calm in their wide enclosure whilst they and their trainers ate lunch under the cypress trees.

A quick swing round the fishing district on the way back to the ship and a pit stop to pick up my Sari, (ready for the following nights Raj Ball), took us back to where we began. With aching muscles and filthy feet we staggered back to our cabins… what a lovely day!