Beachcomber Island and it's Beaches

The beaches on Beachcomber Island are AMAZING. Crystal clear, white sand and gorgeous colourful reef. Everyday sadly, the beaches are raked and combed through for broken glass, cigarette butts and other objects because many visitors don't respect the place enough. But this is for your own safety. Fortunatly, many do keep the area clean and you're free to walk around the island. The beach on the main side of the island is flat, usually never any waves, unless a storm is coming. Around the back there is movement, nothing big, but waves from time to time. The island is a simple 15min walk around, or straight through the centre takes about 5 mins. A lot would stay up late enough to watch the sun rise, everyone gathered on the beach for the rising of the sun, a little drunk, but still stunned by the beauty. The beaches are filled with sunbaking men and women, sometimes looking a little sick from the night before, but pushing on through during their day. A lot of tanned...and incredibly sunburnt bodies out for more sun during the day. There's a spot for everyone, the beach in never crowded. Late night swims are in order most evenings too. There are no rules about swimming, you're welcome to go out to the beach anytime you want. Although, probably not best for some due to intoxication. Still, it is amazing, worth a visit for the beaches alone.

Arrivals and Departures

Fiji really has one of the coolest arrivals you'll get. When i I first arrived at Fiji, i was greeted in the airport by men and women singing and dancing their tribal tunes. A lay of shells was placed over my head and the Fijians greeted us with a big smile and a loud BULA! It's quite an experience. Afterwards we were all placed on a bus to take us to the port. Mind you, they could've taken us anywhere, it was dark and we had no idea where we were going. But typically, we took a shot. We ended up at the port where we were then all piled onto a boat. It was late at night, really warm. It was amazing standing on the giant boat with the warm wind blowing and the sea air. As we approached Beachcomber island, we stopped...and then all boarded tiny little boats which would take us from deep sea too the island itself. That was interesting. We got wet, but the water was warm. Many were worried about their belongings going overboard, but the big strong Fijian men are always there to help. Once there, we were greeted again with a song and dance from the Fijians and a nice cooling down drink. The best part was, once we had all settled in, we literally got right into partying. That was one of the coolest arrivals I've had. We really got straight into it. Unfortunately, it did take nearly 45 mins from the airport to Beachcomber island. The journey back was much the same, an early 3am breakfast (most still drunk and awake from the night before), a goodbye song and hugs from the women who'd looked after us all on our trip (and by looked after us, i mean those drunken evenings). The boat ride back was spectacular. The sun was rising, i was lucky enough to be standing right at the front of the boat, gliding through the morning air. The airport was chaos, hardly movable. I arrived at the airport 2 hrs before my flight and made it on the plane JUST in time. This also means i had to sit alone without my friends, as no together seats were available. Of course, i suffer from anxiety when i fly, wasn't the best. Fijian's definitely make the trip memorable, the arrivals and departures are lovely.

Beachcomber Island for Schoolies

Top left: Waiting at the bar

Bottom Left: Bula dance, everyone on the dance floor

Schoolies- many travel to QLD for the big parties and thousands of people (to the point in which you cannot move), many go to Bali, which can also be chaotic...but what about Fiji?http://www.unleashedtravel.com.au/travel/beachcomber/. The schoolies you will NEVER forget. Australians, Kiwi's, English, French, Italian...you name it, they're there. Its one massive party with a bunch of young people (and young at heart of course) on the island of Beachcomber. When i went (schoolies time of course) there were 200 people, all on Beachcomber island, ready for a good time. I made friends with people from all over the world. My friends and i had conversations with people from England, New Zealand, France (we even got to test out our french) and many other places. Buying each other a drink, having a chat and a dance is what it is all about. I have never had so much fun in my life. Unleashed is a company which organises those who want to go to Beachcomber island for schoolies. Don't worry...it's not an excursion, no rules (if there were any, no one obided...and no one said no when we did anything we weren't supposed too!), no expectations. From dancing on table tops, to wet t-shirt competitions to endless amounts of alcohol its a schoolies trip i'm glad i went on. There is a rule on Beachcomber island that no drinking is allowed in the dorms (unless the alcohol is bought from the bar), fortunately, those rules no longer existed for schoolies. Sitting in the boys dorm, making friends and drinking was a really fun evening. The price of the schoolies trip may seem a lot, but when compared to a trip to QLD...which is in your own country, its worth every cent. The experience, the great times, the place and the people are those never forgotten.

Fiji- Westernised.

The main problem with Fiji is it's main island, it's VERY westernised. Fiji to many is a getaway from the real world. If you plan a trip to Fiji, i suggest you don't plan it on the main island, that is why Beachcomber is such a great place to be. Nadi- Where Fiji's main airport is, is very much like Australia and New Zealand. They rely a lot on other countries lifestyle and standards and tend to live by it in the major cities. They have everything from Mcdonalds, to Pizza Hut and even a Hard Rock Cafe. People go to Fiji for their Islands and gorgeous beaches, we could stay home and experience the same thing! When I visited Latoka I found a lot of things were very similar to here. Although a bit more down and out than Australia, they had "rip offs" of common places in other countries. It was an experience in itself, something i felt i had to do when going to Fiji, visiting the main island. But i am very glad now i stuck with Beachcomber. The photos I have attached to this post photo's which i believe show the westernisation of Fiji. Fiji's public transport is one thing that is certainly behind on the times. The buses have no windows (which is probably a good thing, its hot!) and certainly have no safety rules. They don't rely on much else in the way of public transport. The shops are much like Australia, advertising cadbury, or coke. If it weren't for the people, at times, you'd think you were still in Australia. Maybe for those who come from other countries such as America or Europe, it would be an experience, but for those from Australia or New Zealand...it seems very much the same. Moral of it all, is that the main island is not the place to go, if you're planning a trip overseas. Beachcomber island resort is amazing. Check out their website http://beachcomberfiji.com/

Things to do on JUST Beachcomber Island

Massage Bure


If you're not feeling up to travel, then there are plenty of things to do on Beachcomber Island. Beachcomber offers a range of things to do, from water sports, to relaxation. If you're one for water sports or being tugged behind a boat at high speeds then there's lots to choose from. Tube riding, banana boat rides, para sailing or a calm snorkel there's much to do throughout your day. I decided it'd be fun if i went on a nice, easy banana boat ride, unfortunately i ended up with some form of a concussion (after smashing my head against another persons), but it was fun for the first few moments. Half an hour afterwards, i thought I'd go ahead and give the tube riding a go. Probably not the best for someone with a concussion, the man told me he would take it smoothly and I'd be fine. I should've realised by the big smirk on his face he meant otherwise, but for anyone else who decides to choose this, they'll have an awesome time. I know my friends did. A friend of mine went para sailing around Beachcomber island, he said the views were amazing and the adrenaline rush was awesome. I think for this who seek the thrill, these 3 are ideal for you. For a fun, but calmer experience, you can borrow snorkels (for free) from the water bure, which is a little hut. You can experience a lot of marine life around Beachcomber island, its amazing. Sharks, starfish, stingrays and the most outstanding colourful tropical fish you'll ever see. The best part is, they come right up and swim with you. Although i admit i was scared, the sharks seemed to be looking at me funny, they're all very harmless. A Fijian woman informed me that none were poisonous...although i beg to differ. Nothing brightly coloured red or yellow seems safe to me. Regardless, it is incredibly entertaining. This man from Sydney explores his Fijian snorkelling experience through his blog also: www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Fiji/Yasawa-Islands/blog-437730.html . For those who wish to relax and experience less of a thrill, there is the beauty bure. That means you can get a nice massage, a facial or a hair braid. Many of the boys i went to Fiji with thought it'd be fun, and came back with awesome hairdo's.

Fijian People

Everybody told me that the Fijian's were some of the kindest people in the world. Since visiting Fiji, i couldn't agree more. If site seeing doesn't do it for you, than the people of Fiji will. I heard rumours that i may run into some natives who didn't particularly like us when we went to their village...nonsense. Not one Fijian native was rude. On the other-hand, there were other races on the mainland which didn't seem to appreciate our willingness to understand their lifestyle and culture and chose to ignore. We weren't there to judge, we were there to learn and experience. Regardless, walking down Latoka's main street and hearing BULA! (Hello in Fijian) from strangers was something I won't forget. Many would come up and ask where we were from, often followed by a talk about rugby union. They seemed to love the fact we were Australian and how Australia was the place they'd love to be most. One man in particular who talked to us for a while on the mainland mentioned his love of Australia and how he wished he lived there. Not that he didn't love his village, but that they were poor and heard many good stories of those who moved to Australia and loved it. It's amusing walking down the streets of the Fijian mainland and seeing natives wearing Wallabies and All Blacks jerseys. You'd think otherwise. In Fiji, the people go out of their way to make your stay as memorable as possible. Everyday your room is made perfectly, fresh linen and if you're asleep, they don't even wake you. Beneana- That was the name of the young woman who cleaned my dorm everyday. By far the most amazing woman i met in Fiji, she was only about 20 and worked nearly 20 hours a day, I don't think I ever saw her stop. Every morning she would come in and make up my room, stop for a chat too. She would call up her friends on her mobile phone and hide from the main staff, she knew I wouldn't tell. I felt that some of the staff on Beachcomber island really made a connection with me. I have been to New Zealand, America, UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Italy, China, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Austria...but the Fijian's were BY FAR the most friendly natives I have ever met.

Trips

Whilst staying on Beachcomber island, there are a range of options and trips you can go on. They cost around $60 Fijian dollars, which is really not a lot. The trips range from a island hop (aka. pub crawl) where the boat goes from island to island. It includes lunch on the famous castaway island and drinks from every bar you visit. The shopping trip takes you to the main island where you can shop for 3 hours in the streets of Lautoka- Fiji's second biggest city. Or there is the Seafari trip, which takes you to the main island to experience a traditonal Fijian gathering. Men are required to wear sarongs (or a towel wrapped around as a sarongs) and everyone is required to wear shirts which cover their arms as well as all sunglasses taken off. Cava is offered and must be drunk or it is considered very rude. My favourite trip was by far the shopping trip, i felt as though i got the best of both- not only did i get to go shopping, but i got to experience the life of the Fijians on the mainland. It is very different, we were also warned of the dangers of the mainland before getting off our boat. Although that deemed not a problem for me, many did experience difficulty on the mainland. Instead i got a rather frightening experience of a different kind (although i laugh when i look back on it now). It was the scary mini-bus ride we had from the port to Lautoka. While a speed limit sign in Fiji says 60km/h, most tend to drive 110-140km/h. How their cars get to such speeds still baffles me. Our bus was over taking semi trailers towing cuts of wood whilst speeding into on-coming traffic. When i watch the video i took while it was happening (for proof of course!) i still get frightened and i feel for the girl next to me who decided crying might help the situation. As my friend sat next to me on the bus as we were speeding at 120km/h with a soon to be head on collision, he stated "you win some, you lose some, you just have to take a chance in life". Although his words at the time were not so wise, i think back and know that we were simply the unlucky ones and that not all would experience what we did that day. Not to mention when our boat caught on fire and we were all told to evacuate aka. jump into the freezing, incredibly deep ocean where the Sharks were out to get us (all in the same day). But regardless we made it back safe and sound, just a little traumatized and probably scarred for life.Regardless, the trip itself was very fun, many things bought such as little piece of Fijian wood, shells, clothes and towels and loads more options. For more information on Lauktoa go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lautoka