Where are the Yasawa Islands?

Awesome Adventures

The Yasawa Islands are located some 100kms off the main island of Fiji, Viti Levu. This descriptive guest post is by Richard Carrick. Richard has visited Fiji many times over the years but still finds excuses to go back to this amazing place. He is now working for South Sea Cruises who operates Island Resort Transfers to the Mamanuca Island resorts plus a range of award winning Day Cruises, and Awesome Adventures Fiji who provides a range of island hopping packages in the Yasawas.

Many visitors to Fiji opt to stay on the mainland and laze around the hotel pool and unfortunately miss out on a lot of what this beautiful Pacific nation has to offer. On our first day in Fiji we headed straight for Denarau Marina and boarded the Yasawa Flyer. As the name suggests, the vessel services the Yasawa group of islands consisting of 20 ancient volcanic islands. It is jaw-dropping to sit back and take in the view as we pass these gigantic islands surrounded by stunning white beaches and lagoons of coral that make you want to jump overboard and start exploring.

Upon arriving at our destination for the night at Tavewa Island, one of the northern most islands, and were greeted on shore by every member of the resort with a genuine Fijian smile, a cool drink and the welcoming Bula song. After exploring the island we are served a traditional Fijian meal and spend the evening dancing, laughing and making new friends. By the time it comes for bed, the weather is still warm enough to make the many hammocks lining the beach almost tempting. This really is a five star location.

Yasawa Islands

The next morning we were all looking forward to our adventure out to the Sawailau caves. Just a short speed-boat ride further out into the remote islands and we are faced with great lime stone walls that leave us in awe. On goes the swimming gear and in we go. It was amazing to see how deep the water is inside these caves. For a little more excitement there is an underwater swim through tunnel where you surface on the other side in complete darkness and are shown around by the guide with his torch.

Our journey then took us back down the chain of islands to Naviti Island and our next resort where all their produce is grown locally in what they call “Iteni” meaning “The Garden of Eden”. We were lucky enough to be invited by the staff to be included in their Kava ceremony and enjoyed the evening by the beach under the stars talking and drinking Kava. After a good nights sleep it was time to meet the local sea life. Just a short walk from the shore into the sea you are greeted by some of the most amazing coral and fish you will ever see when snorkelling. The visibility is crystal clear and there is no shortage of new life to experience.

It was time to board the Yasawa Flyer again and head down to Waya LaiLai Island where we were again greeted by the locals singing the Bula song (which never gets old) and soon heading out on the water again to feed the sharks. The local guide seems to have no fear as he dives off the speeding boat with his spear and disappears, not to be seen again until he lets us know he has found the sharks. Sitting on the bottom of the ocean floor with no scuba gear on, he holds onto the small reef shark like it’s a pet while he hand feeds it with the fish he’d caught with his spear. During the evening, the local villagers preformed their traditional dance and we turned in for the night knowing we had an early start.

Snorkelling

We woke the next morning about an hour before sunrise to commence our hike up the great peak of Waya LaiLai in time to watch the sun rise from the east starting the new day. The views from up here were unlike anything else, looking out over the vast Yasawa Islands. We had now finished our time in the Yasawas, but had one last stop before finishing our trip.

The Mamanuca Islands tend to be a little smaller in size then the Yasawas but still offer plenty to see and picturesque beaches to match anything else on the planet. Lying to the west of Nadi they are a lot closer to the mainland and are a more popular destination for tourists with some of the larger resorts located here.

The highlight of the Mamanucas was the day sailing trip on board “Seaspray”. Leaving from Mana, Seaspray sets sail and we soon arrive at one of the islands where we were treated with the opportunity to visit a typical island village and see what life is like living on a tropical island. We then soon set sail again and made it across to Modriki Island which is one of the few remaining uninhabited islands and location of Tom Hanks’ film Castaway. As the sun was starting to come down, it was soon time to bring a close to our Fiji adventure.

As we cruise back to Denarau with a cool drink in our hand, watching the islands behind us, we chat about the fun times we’ve had over the last few days and know we won’t soon forget our adventure into the real Fiji.

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TravelTipsPlus Google Map of the Yasawa Islands

One Great Reason to Visit the Yasawa Islands

One great reason to visit the Yasawa Islands is for the remoteness, warm sun and pristine waters. A terrific recipe for relaxation.

Awesome Adventures in Fiji

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Where is Cairns?

Palm Cove

Cairns is located on the north, east coast of tropical Queensland, Australia and is a popular travel destination for many. Peace Mitchell is a local to Cairns and very passionate about her town. Peace is Director of Cairns Family Holidays, a website specializing in providing family-friendly information, tips and reviews on Cairns and the surrounding region. Peace loves spending time with her family, travelling, reading, sailing and photography. Peace has authored the following post about Cairns.

Cairns is a fantastic destination for anyone wishing to experience the best of Australia’s natural experiences. Here you’ll find the amazing Great Barrier Reef, home to thousands of species of unique corals, tropical fish, sea turtles, dolphins and other animals. Reef trips go daily and you can have the option of diving, snorkeling or not getting well at all and exploring by glass bottom boat or semi submersible.

The coral islands off the coast of Cairns are gorgeous too, Green, Fitzroy, Double, Dunk and Bedarra are just a few of these beautiful islands where you can explore the rainforest, swim in the ocean and snorkel around the reef just metres from the beach.

Although most people visit Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef the tropical rainforest here is an attraction in its own right. The rainforest found in the North Queensland region is thought to be among the very oldest continuously existing rainforest in the world.

Atherton

Just to the east of Cairns you’ll find the rolling green hills of the Cairns Highlands, locally known as the Atherton Tablelands, here the climate is a little cooler and you’ll find beautiful lakes, quaint villages and farming townships.

From the Tablelands it’s just a short drive to the outback where you can explore limestone caves, volcanic lava tubes, hot springs and experience aboriginal culture and life on a cattle station.

Cairns Esplanade Lagoon

The Cairns region has something for everyone! If you’re looking for adventure, then there’s bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, jungle surfing and a host of exciting water sports to choose from. If shopping’s your thing the region offers everything from boutique and duty-free shopping to locally made art and craft at the numerous markets held throughout the region. For families with young children there are numerous wildlife parks where the kids can hold a koala, feed the kangaroos or pose with a python. For nature enthusiasts you’ll find plenty of opportunities for bird-watching and exploring the rainforest both by day and by night.

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TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Cairns

One Great Reason to Visit Cairns

One great reason to visit this travel destination is to see the Great Barrier Reef. This is something everyone should experience! I loved taking my kids to see it for the first time, it really is spectacular and something people of all ages can enjoy and appreciate, a true natural treasure.

Cairns and The Great Barrier Reef

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Where is Canterbury?

Canterbury Plains

Canterbury is a region situated on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is largely made up of the Canterbury Plains and surrounding Southern Alps. The area is well known for not only its spectacular scenery but for its local wines, especially the whites.

Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island and located in the region of Canterbury, making it a great base to explore the vineyards and Hanmer Springs to the north, Canterbury Plains and Methven to the west, the Southern Alps and Mt Cook area to the west and south, and the Pacific Ocean to the east. What an amazing array of environmental features and all within 2.5hr drive from Christchurch.

The spectacular scenery of Canterbury provided the settings for Edoras, the fortress city of the Rohan people in ‘Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers’ filmed in 2002 and directed by Peter Jackson. There are a number of local tour operators that organise tours out to the film set.

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One Great Reason to Visit Canterbury

One great reason to visit Canterbury is for the diverse landscapes on offer – coastal, alps, plains, rivers, springs – what a wonder land!

Images of Canterbury

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Where is Zihuatanejo?

Zihuatenejo

Zihuatanejo is located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico approximately 240km northwest of Acapulco. Its name means “place of women” because it was a matriarchal society. The main attraction of Zihuatanejo is the sheltered Bahía Zihuatanejo with safe swimming for families. Several beaches surround the bay which have made this an attractive tourist destination. Zihuatanejo has a very informal, relaxed atmosphere which drawns back-packers to the area, however its sister town ‘Ixtapa’ and only only 5km away, is a modern tourist resort.

Zihuatanejo gained a lot of exposure in the movie ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ during 1994. When the character Andy Dufresne dreams about one day being able to own a small hotel on the beach in Zihuatanejo. If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s a must – now we’re doing movie reviews!

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One Great Reason to Visit Zihuatanejo

One great reason to visit Zihuatanejo is for the relaxed beachside atmosphere that drew Andy Dufresne from ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ there!

Zihuatanejo

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