Week 56 - Yasawa Islands and Nadi

Next, we headed to Drawaqa Island. Here, we stayed for four more nights at the Barefoot Manta Resort. Of the three accommodations we had in the Yasawas, this was the most expensive, mainly due to the high-priced meal plan. Our budget only stretched to the 8-bed dorm. However, it was quite decent and more like a tent than a building. In the dorm, there were alternating couples or groups of girls, so we didn't really get to know anyone in our room better.

Overall, we also noticed that the resort was significantly larger than the last two, which created absolutely no family atmosphere.

The Barefoot Manta also had a dive center, and we managed to do a total of three dives. We spotted several turtles and a whitetip reef shark. Julian also discovered a blue-dragon nudibranch on one of the dives. (Unfortunately, no picture taken - just Google it - worth it!!!)

The main reason we chose this resort was the opportunity to see manta rays right off the island. We asked other guests and of course at the dive center and found out that the mantas were not yet numerous. During our stay, one manta was seen on each of two snorkeling trips, and thus we decided to join one.

What can we say - we unfortunately had no luck, and none of the large animals showed up.

Another special feature of the resort is that marine biologists are always on site to count, identify, and research the mantas. They also actively work for the conservation and restoration of the reefs around the island.

We noticed this clearly while snorkeling at the house reef. There were really many beautiful corals and fish to admire, and we spent a lot of time in the water.

Despite the high prices for food, we were not always completely satisfied, and our high expectations were only partially met. Nevertheless, we had very nice days that really felt like a vacation. To bid farewell, the staff put on a small show, and then we took the ferry back to the mainland.

Back in Nadi, we spent our time mainly preparing for Canada. In addition to searching for cars, researching, and planning the most important tasks on site, we also found time to enjoy the pool at our B&B.

A small trip to the largest Hindu temple in the southern hemisphere was also a must. Overall, not very impressive, which is why we only observed it from the outside.

In the next few days, we will let the time in Fiji wind down before heading to Vancouver early next week. The next blog entry will be from Canada!