Botaira Resort, Yasawas Islands, Fiji

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After two weeks of bushcamping in Australia we were looking forward to having a nice relaxing beach break in Fiji before heading homewards. We did our research beforehand and booked a week's break at the Botaira Resort in the Yasawas Island Chain. The idea was to do some snorkelling, read a couple of books and to generally relax, so that our batteries were fully recharged when we returned to the UK.

We spent our first night in Fiji on the mainland at the Tanoa International Hotel and then the following morning we boarded the Yasawas Flyer for our transit to the resort. The boat was large and comfortable and to my relief the sea was nice and calm. Along the way the ferry stopped regularly to pick up and drop off passengers and we saw some pretty desert islands. South Sea Island in particular was tiny - it would take all of 2 minutes to walk around it.

Pure escapism

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After three hours we finally reached Naviti Island, the home of the Botaira Resort. A little boat came out to take us back to the resort and it drew up right on the beach. The band started to play a lovely Fijian welcome song and garlands of flowers were put around our necks.

The resort was absolutely fantastic. It stood in the middle of a horseshoe shaped bay with golden sands and swaying coconut palms. The beach was great for snorkelling and swimming at any time of day. At high tide we were able to snorkel straight off the beach but at low tide you could walk out along a concrete path until you reached deeper water. We put our snorkels on and explored the whole bay. There were masses of fish and some squid and the coral was really colourful.

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The accommodation consisted of traditional Fijian bures covered in thatch but with a few mod-cons such as hot water and flushing toilets. As soon as we arrived we took off our watches as we didn't really need them. Whenever it was meal time one of the staff beat the drum and we would then wander over to the bar area to eat with the rest of the guests. In the evening, we sipped cocktails on the beach and watched the sun go down.

In the afternoons the friendly staff would organise some form of activity. We played touch-rugby, volleyball, we threw spears and we watched a demonstration of how the Fijians weave coconut leaves into various useful items. Also, on Wednesday and Sunday, we had a traditional Fijian feast called a 'meke' when the food is cooked in a pit under the ground. Afterwards, the staff and some of the villagers performed traditional dances and sang traditional songs.

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One of the principal reasons for choosing Botaira was the chance to swim with manta rays. A ten minute boat ride from the resort took us to Manta Ray Passage, a narrow channel which separated two islands. There was a strong current down the channel and the manta rays often fed there as the they can swim against the current with their mouths open and gorge themselves on plankton. These things are huge. The larger ones measure 3 metres across and can weigh up to one tonne.

On our first sighting of a ray was a bit of a farce. There were at least twenty five people in the water looking for this one ray and all I could see was fins and lots of bubbles. As soon as I started to see the shadow of a ray someone swam right across me and almost took my head off with their fins. Luckily we fared much better on the second sighting. We jumped off the boat and looked down and the monster was right underneath us. This time we were ahead of the pack and swam with it for some time before the current took us back to the boat. The ray was so big that there was no way of fitting it into the viewfinder of our underwater cameras.

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The staff at the resort were so friendly and on the last night we were invited to join them to drink some kava. It is made from the ground-up roots of the kava plant and is then mixed with cold water. After a few swigs of the kava we started to feel its 'medicinal' qualities. We felt pretty laid back and relaxed. After five swigs, we called it a day and headed back to our bure.

After six of the most relaxing days ever, we had to head back to civilisation. The boat arrived and the staff played the traditional farewell song. As the resort slipped away into the distance we both thought "we're coming back someday".