The Green Land of Fiji

Tired but excited after a long flight to Fiji

I made it to Fiji very early this morning, arriving at the Nadi International Airport on an Air Pacific flight from Los Angeles.

The trip took a little over 10 hours, but was mostly uneventful – if not somewhat restful.  Several of the other bloggers that are also here in Fiji for the FijiMe tour and I sat near each other on the plane, which was enjoyable after our dinner out last night.

The plane touched down around 5:00 a.m. local time – Saturday morning.  We crossed the International Date Line, so we’ll be nearly 24 hours ahead of friends and family on the West Coast of the U.S.

Each of us snapped photographs of our arrival (yes, I do look like I’ve been up about 24 hours!)  We proceeded through the terminal towards Customs and Immigration.  Right away, we were greeted by a performing group of Fijians, serenading us to welcome us to the islands!

After collecting our luggage and exchanging some US dollars for Fiji dollars, we were off to our variety of adventures.  For me, that meant spending the morning at a hotel right near the airport since I am taking off at 1:00 today to fly from Nadi International Airport to Vunisea Airport, Kadavu.

Swimming pool at Trans International Hotel in Nadi, Fiji

The FijiMe Tour kindly allowed me day use at the Trans International Hotel. I took a shower, changed, had some breakfast – including the much needed coffee – and even took a quick nap.

While the hotel was a typical close-to-the-airport property, the people were extremely nice and the facilities were clean.  In fact, there were even some green features at the hotel, including water-saving flush modes on the toilet.

I was especially interested in this unique energy-saving measure used in the hotel rooms.  Your room card key must be inserted into the wall to turn on the lights.  That way, when you leave, all lights will automatically be shut off.  It helps you remember your card key, too!

Fiji is a land of beautiful natural resources – from white sand beaches, crystal blue waters, delicate coral reefs and amazing wildlife.  No wonder green travel is a priority here.

I cannot wait to experience it all!

I will be boarding the plane in about 20 minutes, so will post more over the next three days about my stay on Kadavu.  In the meantime, enjoy a few of my photographs so far:

Greeting travelers to Fiji

Lush green vegetation in Fiji

Ahhhh - coffee in Fiji