The World Is A Book...: A Weekend Out West at Natadola Beach...

Natadola Beach- only 3 hours away from Suva, but somehow a whole world away. Deciding that a weekend by the beach was in order- surprisingly, we haven't seen a whole lot of sun so far over here on the Eastern side- I started looking up the best beaches on Viti Levu, the main island that we're living on. It seemed that most people thought the beaches on the smaller islands were much better- except a beach on the West coast of Viti Levu called Natadola. After finding reasonable rates at Natadola Beach Resort, we decided to head over there to check out this 'exception' for ourselves.

I didn't find much information on the net about how to get to Natadola Beach from Suva, so booked the expensive, touristy Coral Sun Express. In hindsight, I would have definitely gone for the local Sunbeam or Pacific buses- more regular (every half an hour) just as comfortable, much cheaper. For anybody that might stumble across this blog hoping to go to Natadola for the weekend from Suva, just pop on a Sunbeam/Pacific bus from the main bus station, get off at Natadola Junction (clearly signposted and literally a junction), and wait there for a taxi ride to the beach (FJ$10 at most). Don't worry if there aren't any taxis straight away; one should be along shortly. Alternatively, you can contact the cheerful Biren at (+679)9263869; he lives locally and knows the area, and resort managers, very well.

Anyway, onto the beach itself! We were lucky to arrive on a beautiful day...the sea and sky were both an almost too-perfect turquoise blue. Within minutes of stepping onto the beach, we were approached by a man offering us horse-back rides along the beach. At $10 for a ride, it's not a bad deal. However, we were too tempted by that sea, with the constant waves rolling into shore. For all my surfer pals (Emma, I'm talking to you!), it's a great place to surf if you're ever down this way; Patrick's got his surfing itch back after watching all the surfers there! So, we spent most of the afternoon playing in the waves, and the majority of the evening watching the Fiji vs. South Africa rugby game. Poor Fiji got annihilated, 49 to 3; I was SO hoping that Fiji would win! Everybody in the Intercontinental bar seemed to be on their side too. Even after only three weeks here, I'm hugely attached to their rugby team, and really rooting for them to go into the next round. It's clear how proud the whole country is here of the team; let's hope they can go a little bit further in this competition. I still have faith in Canada too (and England, obviously!!).

Quick note on our resort, the Natadola Beach Resort- it really did live up to all the positive reviews. Fantastic value for money- a sizeable villa with veranda and bath robes (I'm pleased by the strangest things!) for FJ$175- CA$90, GBP 60- and the staff were all very friendly. With only 11 villas available, it seemed incredibly peaceful, especially compared to the Intercontinental, which had 10-year-old kids everywhere. I might sound miserable when I say this- I love kids, I really do, I want to be a children's writer after all- but having 8 kids in a pillow-fight next to you at the bar is never ideal. On a lighter note, the lunches at NBR were also great, especially the fish and chips! Free breakfast, too- always a bonus (especially for a breakfast-obsessed person like me!)

I'd also recommend the resort next door, Yatule Beach Resort. FJ$150 for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom villa with kitchenette and free breakfast- baaaaaaargain! Sorry, I'll try to stop sounding like a Lonely Planet. We'd wanted to watch the game in their beachfront bar- it was just us and the Fijian staff- but their screen turned a weird colour the moment the game started!! A real shame, because it was probably the best bar out of the three resorts; they gave us flowers to put in our hair to keep with the Fijian spirit!

All in all, a beautiful beach that we'd love to go back to. You know a beach is good when the locals head there as well; we saw a few groups having picnics and setting up open fires by the beach. Despite it's popularity with locals and tourists alike, it never seemed too crowded- incredible, really! As lovely as the resort was, I'm looking into possible homestays to stay in next time in the nearby village of Samasama; it would be great to experience real Fijian life.

So it's another manic Monday, na na na, I wish it were Sunday, na na na, 'cos that's my fun day etc etc...special thanks to the Bangles for summing up how I feel. Am currently looking up a few things: a) where Patrick can buy a surfboard in Suva, b) nearby surfspots for Patrick, c) fun activities around the island. Maybe we'll head North- or to the Yasawas, a group of islands off Nadi? We'll just have to see...