Welcome to Paradise - No kidding

Editor's Pick Award

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Its hard to put into words how truly beautiful this place we have arrived in is.  We are on Vomo Island, and it is probably as close to paradise as you will ever find on this planet.  There is no tv, no clocks, time seems to stand still.  Normally when you take a photo of something you have to move the camera to not take a picture of the eyesore next to it.  Or you spend time looking for that perfect shot.  Here every shot is a perfect shot, every view is a perfect view.  There seems to be no rubbish, no roads, no wires, there is nothing but beach, sea, palms, and peace.  And I am not exaggerating.

The people have been incredibly friendly, and not just the staff.  There are only 22 beachfront bures (as they call them here), and about 8 hillside ones.  We are in bure 1, right next to the activities centre.  I suspect they put us here in case we made lots of noise!  The bure is like a little bungalow, the nearest we have had to a house since we left home.  It is perfect. The main living/sleeping area is air conditioned, but the bathroom only has mosquito nets up at the window, making it warm when you enter for a shower or jacuzzi.  We have a "front garden" where Matthew can kick his ball, run up and down, and generally cause havoc.  There is a deck area which has turned into our drying spot!  And in front of us is a beautiful reef. What more could you ask for in life than this? 

The reef is wonderful, you can swim at the edge of it, then if you want to go over and look at the coral you can either take out a kayak or snorkel.  So far we have only be kayaking - Steve took Matthew who thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  Today (Tuesday), Matthew and Steve were standing in the water and maybe 30 or 40 fish were around their legs.  They come up looking for bread which the locals feed them.

The island itself consists of just this resort and the staff quarters (which are completely invisible).  It is full of coconut palms and lovely fijian trees bearing beautiful coloured flowers.  It is very secluded, so you cant tell that anyone else is on the resort unless you look for them, and obviously at dinner and the like.  Today the beach was practically empty.  Most of the people here are on honeymoon or of the "senior" generation.  There are a few families though, so it obviously appeals to all tastes.

This morning Matthew woke at just before 6am, so I took him down to the beach and sat in a hammock with him, watching the sun rise. It was spectacular.  If you sit and watch you see all types of life on the beach and in the sea.  Schools of fish jumping together, larger fish chasing them.  Black heron type birds walking along the shore waiting to catch that prize fish.  Crabs, birds, need I go on.  Even at lunch I was waiting for Matthew's food and on the swimming pool outside I saw birds flying in swooping for the flies, and all types of insects making their way through the day.  Oh, and to top it all off the weather is superb, blue skies, heat (maybe slightly too much), its great.

The kids are having a good time.  Lloyd likes the comfort of the bure, we keep him inside most of the time, to keep him away from the mosquitos and heat.  Matthew loves the people, the place, everything.  He is so excited he doesnt want to eat at breakfast, and is so tired he is already in bed (at 5pm!).  The staff love him, today he had a palm hat woven for him, and a rocking basket for Harry the teddy!  Yesterday he was singing songs with the staff.  And the staff also love Lloyd, at breakfast and lunch they dash to hold him for me, insisting they want to.  I was told they love the little babies that come to visit (probably as they are easier!). 

Steve has been fishing, he is out now in fact.  He is doing it the traditional fijian way, with just a line and hook off the side of a boat.  He caught quite a few yesterday (must have been good if I dont know the number!), including a snapper.  The captain of the boat (as they call him) kept the fish, the staff ate them last night.  At least they dont go to waste, it seems to me more acceptable than the greedy New Zealanders.  In fact today all the staff were talking to Steve about his fishing, they ate the fish last night.  So he has gone again today.  I dont mind, its good for him, and its much easier for me to look after the kids in a place like this than in the motorhome.  Matthew has a cot, which he gladly climbed into tonight, and LLoyd is currently sleeping on one of the beds, I'll move him later.

This place cannot be compared against the Sofitel on Denarau Island.  They are meeting different goals, aimed at giving 2 different Fijian experiences.  But they both manage to be superb.

TOnight we are off to dinner, alone.  Yesterday was our first dinner alone since Lloyd was born, and even a long time before that (Im not even sure we have been to dinner alone since we had Matthew!!).  It was lovely to escape them for a couple of hours, and a relief to find them asleep on our return.