156 MAY 2017
»closed-in shoes was now abhorrent.
He’s since claimed he plans to live in
the Yasawas when he leaves home – a
plan I’m happy with as long as there is
plenty of room for me to visit. Often.
Our trip to the Yasawas begins on
a high-speed catamaran from Port
Denarau, which connects us to the
deluxe mini cruise ship run by Blue
Lagoon Cruises. The ship sleeps a
maximum of 68 guests, with a choice
of three, four or seven-night cruises.
Passengers on a week-long cruise
board the Fiji Princess at Denarau,
while those like us, who are doing
shorter stints, catch a ferry to meet the
cruise at one of its many incredible
moorings in the Yasawa Islands.
Watching the mainland disappear
behind us is a great way to transition
to Fiji time, as the catamaran ventures
through miles of deep blue sea to meet
the Princess – and what a Princess she
is! With three decks, a rooftop bar, an
open-air restaurant and a splash pool,
it has everything needed for a luxury
tropical escape – but the beauty of the
ship lies in its small size, which allows
it to anchor so close to the islands.
Actually, the true beauty of the Fiji
Princess is its staff. The ship has a 2:1
passenger/staff ratio and it shows.
Given its intimate size, it’s easy to
make friends with other passengers
but it’s even easier to make friends
with the lovely crew. Joseph was
befriended, on boarding, by his
namesake Josefo and promptly
renamed ‘Little Sefo’ – which he
remained for the duration of the trip.
On our first of three days on the Fiji
Princess, we are moored out at Yalobi
Bay in the Sacred Islands. Here we
take breaks from snorkelling and
swimming only to get food and drinks
from the portable beach bar. Back on
board, cocktail hour follows,
accompanied by a flaming sunset and
a beautifully presented Captain’s
dinner. When I head back to the cabin,
Joseph happily joins the crew to bond
over guitar playing while I sleep.
The next day we wake to find the
boat has moved to Nanuya Lailai,
Blue Lagoon Cruise’s own private
beach. We spend two days here with
the Princess’ small boats ferrying us
back and forth from the island as
much as we wish, for snorkelling,
paddle boarding, swimming, fish
feeding or just relaxing on sun
loungers. The water is so warm I take
to lying in the shallows with my book
for as long as I can before Joseph
wants me to do a more exciting
activity (the lying in the water option
isexciting to me!). A hearty lunch and
a lovely afternoon tea are both served
on the beach. Everything is low-key,
the focus on nature and chilling.
We wander over to watch the lovo
(very similar to a hangi) being laid for
dinner, drink the water of coconuts
just picked from the tree and watch
basket weaving. The staff are engaged
in these tasks and joining in is
optional, adding to the relaxed nature
of the experience.
After heading back to the boat to
freshen up, it is time for cocktail houron the beach, a kava ceremony (more
medicine for the nerves) and then a
feast of the beautiful lovo-cooked
meats and root vegetables. After
dinner, locals from the next village
perform a meke for us, singing and
dancing up a storm. One dancer in
particular is so expressive that if I
were a theatre director I would sign
him up immediately. A shell market
follows, where Joseph collects some
beautiful wooden carvings and masks
and I buy a pretty pair of pearl
earrings. We finish off the night with
a dip in the lap pool on board
(swimming is not allowed in the sea
at night – which is probably best
post-kava ceremony).
We are collected the next day by
the Yasawa Flyer water taxi and
farewelled with an emotional song
from our new-found friends. We pass
Turtle Island, whereThe Blue Lagoon
movie was filmed, watch the turquoise
seas with wonder and soon arrive at
Blue Lagoon Beach Resort, a deluxe,
intimate sanctuary on Nacula Island.
We are given the jungle bure, which is
sheltered in a tropical garden and
provides a relaxing, cool escape from
the beating sun – perfect after three
days at sea. The food at Blue Lagoon
is the cuisine highlight of our trip –
delicious buffet breakfasts and tasty
à la carte lunches and dinners made
from fresh, local ingredients.ABOVE: Blue Lagoon Cruises’ small ship is
able to anchor close in to the islands.
Joseph enjoys a bit of guitar playing with a
crew member from the Fiji Princess.