Fiji - BULA BULA

This time a resort report
End of February 2025

Fiji and the South Seas have always been a dream, and our flight route made it possible for us to fly over Fiji.

Fiji consists of 332 islands, 110 of which are inhabited. We landed in Nadi on the main island of Viti Levu and are staying on Denarau Island, an island developed specifically for tourists about 10 kilometers from Nadi.

Our arrival at the Hilton Resort is amusing: the door of the airport shuttle opens, our glasses fog up completely due to the high humidity, and then a loud BULA BULA echoes. We step out entirely confused, remove our glasses, and look into the friendly face of a large, stocky Fijian who grins at us and calls out BULA again with full enthusiasm.
BULA (pronounced boo-lah!) means Good day and happiness and health.

The first three days are sunny and almost rain-free, right in the middle of the rainy season - which is very rare. The BULA greeting follows us everywhere, and we have fun with it. Here in Fiji, it’s Fiji time; punctuality is only required for important matters, everything else takes a relaxed course. It’s a pity that the tours we wanted to undertake are either offered only starting Monday or were canceled due to rain or simply too touristy for us.

Flip-flops are the new rubber boots

Starting Monday, it has been raining almost continuously, with wind and waves raging at night. Our flip-flops are in full use.

And we’re doing resort vacation at the Hilton Fiji until Saturday, contrary to what we thought. With this weather, it’s a true stroke of luck!

Our apartment 4107 is right next to the KORO restaurant, allowing us a short walk for breakfast and dinner. The gym is also quickly accessible, another activity that makes the continuous rain bearable. Or swimming in the pool in the rain. Or reading. Or yoga. Or playing cards. Or eating ice cream.

If the weather takes a break from the rain, we take the BULA bus to Port Denarau. There are some shops for strolling and good restaurants for lunch. A Fiji Gold is also consumed at noon. Or we buy freshly baked toast bread at the hot bakery and have lunch in the apartment.

Let’s see what else we can think of to make our rainy season as pleasant as possible. It’s still an experience on our world trip.

In our apartment, everything is slightly damp by now: the walls, the clothes, the toilet paper. The air conditioning is running at full speed and simply reaches its limits at 99% humidity outside. The service staff is incredibly friendly, ready for fun, and helps wherever they can.

This time the photos are more modest - no real excursions with land and people. And I usually post the travel report at the end of a stage, but now right in the middle. Perhaps more photos will come, we will see…

BULA BULA