Raja Ampat

We spent two wonderful weeks exploring Vanua Levu and Taveuni with Jim and Pam. We stayed in two beautiful villas, rented cars, ate inexpensive and delicious food, and enjoyed driving around the islands on our own. There were a few mishaps-late luggage, colds, rain, a boat that ran out of gas and another that broke down-but those were all part of the adventure. We revisited the former Kontiki Resort, where Marg and I had Peace Corps training nearly 50 years ago, explored Savusavu and Labasa, went birdwatching in the rainy cloud forest, visited the blowholes and International Dateline, and hiked and swam at the waterfalls along the Lavena Coastal Walk.

The snorkeling was the real highlight. Split Rock was beautiful, while Natewa Bay, Rainbow Reef and Honeymoon Island were among the best snorkeling experiences we have had anywhere. The coral was healthy, colorful and sometimes almost unreal, with thousands of fish and many species we had never seen before. Namena Marine Reserve and Grand Central Station were also very good, although I would choose Natewa Bay if I could repeat only one. We loved Fiji's friendly people, beautiful scenery and relaxed pace, and we would definitely return. There are still many islands left to explore, and next time we would like to visit Kadavu and the Mamanucas-and I may do more diving as well as snorkeling.