In Fiji, a ‘Reluctant Swimmer’ Jumps In

Jada Yuan sounds exactly like every tourist I don't want to see abroad. If you need to ask the cultural significance of kava in Melanesia, you really don't belong in Melanesia. By the way, going on an uncertified diving trip to save a few dollars on pre-trip planning expenses sounds like a real smart move. Let me make sure to list your travel agent as a Darwinian expert. We normally just tie a rock around our feet and jump off the boat. Fortunately, we own the boat so we can decide exactly how much rope is tied to the rock. The method has worked so far so it must be safe. Sarcasm aside, I don't really appreciate these casual ventures into adventure tourism. Stay where you belong or learn the skills necessary to go where you want to go. I have a legal obligation to save your sorry hide if I encounter your fool self in some seriously desperate situation. I'd really rather not spend my time explaining to Fiji officials why you're dead despite my best efforts. Understood?

A good job here in spelling Fijian personal names, place names, and words correctly. In my experience, most travel writers would have made a mistake with at least one of them.

wonder why they don't bicycle.

May I add our favorite experience on Fiji? It was the "Blue Lagoon Cruise". A small vessel with just 25 guest cabins takes you to several outer islands. After one day you are like a family on that boat and the places they take you on a 7-day cruise are simply breathtaking. We absolutely agree with the author on the Indian cuisine. It is simply out of this world. One way to make local friends on any of the Polynesian Islands may sound a bit risky and it probably is in the rest of the world, but we did it on Samoa, Fidji, the Cook Islands and Vanuatu. You start talking to your waitors and pretty quick you will find a guy who you feel you can trust. At night, when you go to rest, you hand him the keys to your rental car and tell him to have fun. The reward for your trust will be overwhelming. We were invited to visitand stay with the family on outer islands every time, were taken on sightseeing and fishing tours, we got special breakfast food cooked by his Mom after we showed interest in more local food than was offered at the breakfast buffets. Our best experience, which brought tears to our eyes, was on Samoa where on the morning of our departure the waiter and his friends had decorated the car over and over with flowers and shells. About 20 of his friends accompanied us to the airport, sang some goodbye songs and gave us so many shell leis that we were hardly able to walk. Everybody was crying. Unforgettable !!!!!

Always wear reef safe sunscreen.

On the subject of sunburn, please let people know that most sunscreens contain chemicals that are toxic to coral. The suggestion to wear long sleeved clothing and leggings is important both to avoid sunburn AND protect the ocean’s fragile coral life.

I spent 3 months in Fiji in 2010. I had the image of the country before I arrived, which was much as the author describes. But I cam to realize it is the tourist view. Inside the shoreline, where tourists stay, is a a country very much immobilized by serious conflicts between native Fijians who are politically dominant and the large Indian minority which owns most of the private economy. As a result this divided people is unable to pool their incredible talents to produce any serious development. I came away feeling saddened that Fiji's natural beauty could be a shell within which two great civilizations I have long admired were engaged a fruitless social struggle.

This is the best article I will probably read all week, so thank you Jada! So great to hear you tried things you were really afraid of and really enjoyed them! Fiji is on my bucket list. Thanks to your article, it just jumped up several places. Despite being able to do travel writing in such amazing places, as a former traveler, I know how difficult and unexpected the road can be. As you are reaching the final leg of your year-long journey, continue to travel safe and accept the strong polarizing feelings of wanting to come home, and not wanting the journey to end. Namaste.

There is so much wrong with this that I hardly know where to begin. 1) Scuba diving under any circumstances without having first taken at least a minimal qualifying course is strongly to be discouraged. There is, like, you know...a risk of death. 2) Touching, much less manipulating sea life for the "entertainment" of divers is bad for the sea life and a terrible precedent under any circumstances. 3) Feeding fish in close proximity to another diver is a good way for that other diver to accidentally get bitten (I've witnessed it). Then the other, totally inexperienced diver risks panicking, and then.... I could go on, but since we now know what Captain Cook Cruises does, I'd suggest visitors to Fiji avoid it.

Wait so what was the 'real' Fiji? A drive on the coast with a local and some facts about the population's poverty? Beautifully written and a nice read, but sounds just like a standard tourist itinerary of any other poor island. Hoped to hear more about Fiji than its beaches.

If you *really* thought global warming was a problem, would you be going 1,000s of mile by jet to a place like Fiji ? of course you wouldn't

I've been to Fiji for scuba diving three times. It's a magical place and the people are the friendliest on earth. My first visit took place during a coup. Soldiers on opposing sides would put down their (unused) rifles, mix up some kava, and sit around together joking. What a refreshing worldview!

You missed a great place near Tavua, Golden Point Resort. Sunny and Rachel are amazing hosts and great cooks.

So I ate Chinese food, in the china town which is prepared by descendants of Chinese laborers as railroad coolies who fled Canton region of China (underlined) and the food could get as authentic as it could get.... The author seems to live in medieval times.

Spent a month in Fiji in the late 80’s. What a paradise it is.

Well done for overcoming your initial fears on your first dive! It really is different. Just one thing for the future, in case you try it again, or for other readers to know: there is no need for your ears to hurt. This indicates that you weren't shown how to equalize. Most people do this by pinching their nose and gently blowing against the resistance. Try this on the surface: if you aren't congested (in which case don't try, and don't dive), you will feel your eardrums gently "pop". Divers do this each few feet as they descend. It immediately equalizes the pressure and eliminates risk of pain or damage. There are other ways as this doesn't work for everyone. Anyway, I hope you may be enticed to try again! The underwater world is so rewarding.

It's better to take the full scuba certification course than to go on a tandem dive untrained. The course only takes 5 days and will be the best 5 days of your life, as the final 3 days are spent diving. You would not be nervous and your ears would not hurt as you descend if you knew what you were doing. Also, responsible scuba guides do not feed the fish. That trains wildlife to expect food from humans, and can have bad consequences. Shame on the writer for encouraging readers to do these things.