Travelling around Fiji is always a good idea, and if you want to make your next Fijian holiday the best you’ve ever had, book a trip with Captain Cook Cruises Fiji, writes Sarah Pollok.
Even before opening the unmarked door opposite the bathroom, my friend and I are playing the role of “exceptionally excited girls in a fancy place” flawlessly. Fists clenched, eyes wide, we jump around while emitting a high-pitched “eeeeeeeeeek” which is insanely annoying to observe and deliriously satisfying to do.
To our credit, the deluxe balcony suite aboard Captain Cook Cruises Fiji’s M.S. Caledonia Sky cruise ship is pretty squeal-worthy. Like the rest of the vessel’s interior (which includes two indoor lounges, a library, a fine-dining restaurant and a small gym), the room oozes “old money”, with dark wooden walls, a marble-top desk and petite gold lamps beside two single beds covered in plush purple duvets. The view from our small private balcony, however, is pure Fiji, and will continue to be for the next seven nights as we cruise around the lesser-known northern islands.
As you would expect on a ship (especially one like Caledonian Sky, which has capacity for just 110 passengers), space is a precious commodity, so I’m thrilled to see space has been made for essentials like heated towel racks, large mirrors, vanity tables and a bath, a luxury I don’t even have back home. This is before encountering a truly surprising feature I’ve only ever dreamed of having: a walk-in wardrobe. Hidden behind the front door, it’s a cosy one, but it’s one nonetheless, with room to wander inside and use the chest of drawers, hangers and full-length mirror.
Even better? We’ll be taken to six islands scattered off the northeastern coast of Fiji’s main island (Viti Levu), places separated by vast expanses of ocean, but we’ll only unpack once.
As forms of travel go, a small vessel like the Caledonian Sky is a near-perfect choice for a trip like this; one around Pacific islands that are as beautiful as they are remote. Here, you’ll find pristine beaches and warm aquamarine waters, lively local villages consisting of just 40 people but rarely any hotels, beach clubs or even, in some cases, wharves to disembark from.
Fortunately, we waste no time heading to one of these spots. After boarding at 1pm, we gather on one of the outdoor decks for mimosas and a buffet lunch, which is accompanied by the sweet sounds of Manasa, the on board entertainer who will, by the end of the trip, have us convinced he is a jukebox in human form. As we explore (and giddily dance around) our room, the ship sets sail towards our first stop, Tivua, a private island owned by Captain Cook Cruises Fiji.
Around 270m long and 115m wide, I muse aloud that it’s the perfect size for a private island. I may not be in the market for such a purchase (yet), but regardless, it’s large enough to walk around once and work up a sweat before parking up under a thatched bure, baking on a sun lounger or taking stand-up paddleboards into the ocean. Hot and sleepy, I choose the latter and am delightfully disappointed to find the ocean is only slightly colder than the thick, balmy air.
Two hours later, we zoom back on the zodiacs to shower and catch a 5pm yoga class on the top outdoor deck with A-list yogi Charlotte Dodsen. Sunned, stretched and thoroughly relaxed, real life’s deadlines and to-do lists feel like a world, rather than a three-hour flight, away - something partly helped by the Wi-Fi, which automatically disconnects every three hours and stubbornly refuses to connect to certain apps like Instagram, resulting in a surprisingly delightful digital detox.
Read More: Everything you need to know about booking a cruise.
On deck two, the indoor restaurant is a multiple-sets-of-cutlery kind of affair, with crisp white tablecloths and single-stem red roses on tables set for two, four or eight. Tomorrow there’ll be a buffet, but this night we order three courses from a menu and accordingly receive three hearty dishes bursting with flavour. Fresh, tasty and abundant are consistent adjectives that tie together all meals aboard the Caledonian Sky. Plus, even when meals leaned a little heavily on meat, fish or oil for my taste, the fact they were planned, prepared and tidied away for me for seven days straight was my idea of heaven.
Fortunately, Captain Cook has grander plans, and the next morning we wake up beside our second picture-perfect island, Makogai. After a morning yoga class and breakfast on the back deck, we head on to the island, which was a leprosarium in the early 20th century. Today, it’s owned by Fiji’s Ministry of Fisheries and is home to just 40 fulltime residents, almost all of whom have gathered in a small concrete community hall at 9am for the Sunday church service, which is led by Bill, a slender old man whose kind eyes are ringed by a bouquet of wrinkles. Standing before his pulpit (a rusty office chair), Bill welcomes us to the island he’s lived on for several decades, which explains how he’s able to wear a navy sulu and full suit jacket without breaking a sweat. Today, he preaches from the Gospel of Luke and then calls everyone to stand for several hymns.
If you’re in the mood to be humbled with regard to your musical prowess, try singing with a group of Fijians; people whose voices effortlessly slip into rich, deep alto melodies and sweet, high harmonies. Fortunately, foreign lyrics mean I’m spared from trying to compete and instead can simply stand and feel the sound resound around the little hall.
An hour or so later, we stretch our legs with a brief walking tour led by Bill, who guides us along a dense forest path to a set of concrete ruins; large slabs of flooring and a wall claimed by vines. At first, hearing the area was once an outdoor movie theatre for the island’s previous residents seemed bizarre. To me, leprosy was a sepia-tinted condition, something that came and went far before things as modern as movies. In reality, people affected by leprosy lived here until the 70s and, just like anyone else, probably enjoyed a good film with friends. Walking further along, we pass an old temple and quiet cemetery, with Bill offering snippets of insight or history along the way until we’re called back to the ship for lunch.
Following a full morning, the afternoon is a choose-your-own-adventure episode, with options to snorkel around the glassy, warm water or bake on the sunny top deck with a book ahead of attending another evening yoga class before meeting back for another dinner. Determined to pace myself, I hit the deck and spend a few lazy hours reading and occasionally pinching myself as I gaze out at Makogai perched on the bright blue water.
By day two, a blissful routine has been established around the ever-changing islands and activities. Wake up surrounded by still, blue water and balmy air. Hit a 7am yoga class or savour a novel and coffee on the empty deck. Make multiple trips to the breakfast buffet then head ashore, where we are almost always the only visitors on the island that day, if not that week. Spend hours immersed in the island’s dense, pure, Fijian culture. Some days, this looks like cliff-jumping beside waterfalls with the playful crew or watching kids from the local school proudly perform traditional dances before they pull you up to join in. On other days, it’s learning how to make kokoda (Fiji’s answer to a ceviche) or observing village chiefs participate in a kava ceremony, before sitting around a large wooden bowl (tanoa) and trying some of the sooty, earthy drink ourselves.
From Savusavu to Tivua, Ovalau to Taveuni, we bounce around islands that are as remote as they are rich in Fijian culture. Typically, as a traveller, distance from the mainland and limited accommodation are barriers, but on a small expedition ship, these become benefits that mean empty beaches, secluded waterfalls and communities where you can witness the Fijian way of life in all of its vibrant, bold, loud glory.
FIJI CHECKLIST
Getting there
Fiji Airways and Air New Zealand regularly fly direct from Auckland to Nadi, Fiji.
Captain Cook Cruises Fiji’s seven-night Remote North Discovery cruise is set to sail every one to two months in 2024. Prices start at $8221.49 per person for a two-person standard suite or $12,332.78 for a single standard suite.
For more information, visit captaincookcruisesfiji or fiji.travel.