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Why Fiji is so much more than just a honeymoon destination

Fiji has long been known as a loved-up honeymoon destination for two, mainly involving romantic, candlelit dinners and barefoot walks on the beach – but I found out that there’s so much more to the country than that.

I’ll admit that before travelling there myself, I pictured Fiji as a resort holiday location, where sunseekers go to lap up some rays, de-stress by the pool and sip on delicious cocktails.

But after spending four days in the South Pacific paradise last month, I’ve discovered that Fiji, which is made up of 330 islands, is far more than just sun, sea, sand and couples in love.

I was lucky enough to have a personalised itinerary created for me by The Travel Project - an online travel company who specialise in finding unique experiences for intrepid travelers – which showed off everything Fiji has to offer.

While everybody is well aware that Fiji is a tropical paradise, not many know it’s actually also an adventurer’s dream.

Fiji is an adventurer's dream. Photo: Getty Images
Fiji is an adventurer's dream. Photo: Getty Images

From snorkeling in open water to trekking through lush green rainforest in the search of waterfalls, Fiji turns it on when it comes to water sports and outdoor activites.

I found out firsthand when we took a boat over to the breathtaking Bouma Falls, located at the National Heritage Park in Taveuni, where we hiked through stunning rainforest to get to the top.

There’s really no better way to feel like you’ve really switched off from everything than to get deep into nature by swimming right behind a waterfall – and that’s when I truly understood what they meant over there by being on ‘Fiji time’, a.k.a 'total relaxation time'.

Next, we were whisked out by boat to a snorkeling patch not far from Qamea Island in the north, for my first-ever experience with open-water snorkeling.

We trekked through rainforest and swam in waterfalls. Photo: Be
We trekked through rainforest and swam in waterfalls. Photo: Be
Before we got to Bouma Falls. Photo: Be
Before we got to Bouma Falls. Photo: Be

Fiji has over 4000 square miles of reef and is home to some of the most spectacular marine life in the world, so needless to say I was eager to catch a glimpse of some of it.

After a slight wobble at first, I soon settled into snorkeling out amongst the beautiful fish and the next hour was spent gazing as angelfish, luminous coral and swordfish whizzed by me in a flash of colour.

The country is also renowned for providing an incredible experience for surfers due to the isolation and lack of crowds, with the world-famous Cloudbreak, south of Namotu Island, being a main draw.

Divers also travel from all over the world to explore the waters in Fiji, as well as paddleboarders, kayakers and fishing aficionados.

We took a helicopter flight to take in everything from air. Photo: Be
We took a helicopter flight to take in everything from air. Photo: Be
How could you resist taking pictures of every moment on this flight? Photo: Be
How could you resist taking pictures of every moment on this flight? Photo: Be
The 35-minute flight took in the famous ‘love heart island’ island of Tavarua. Photo: Be
The 35-minute flight took in the famous ‘love heart island’ island of Tavarua. Photo: Be

While it’s no secret that Fiji has some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world, we took a ride through the sky with a Pacific Island Air helicopter flight around Nadi for a scenic discovery.

The 35-minute flight took in the famous ‘love heart island’ island of Tavarua - which actually has a hotel on it -Castaway Island. and the world-famous Cloudbreak.

And while all the islands may all look straight out of a Hollywood film, it’s really the people that make Fiji the must-see destination that it is.

From the moment we stepped foot off the plane from Sydney onto Fijian soil, we were greeted by the welcoming ‘Bulla Maleya’ song and presented with a flower lei.

We're still dreaming of the food in Fiji. Photo: Be
We're still dreaming of the food in Fiji. Photo: Be
And the views. Photo: Be
And the views. Photo: Be
Locals drink Kava, which is a plant grown in most villages. Photo: Getty Images
Locals drink Kava, which is a plant grown in most villages. Photo: Getty Images

The rest of our trip was spent sharing moments with endearing locals eager for us to get involved in the true Fijian lifestyle.

We were only too happy to oblige and we're still dreaming of the Fijian ceviche, which they call Kokoda we tried on our trip, while the Kava, a drink we’d heard about which the locals drink nearly every day, is an experience within itself.

And after being farewelled with a heavy heart by locals singing the famous ‘Isa Lei’ goodbye song, it wasn't long before we were looking up flights to see how soon we can return to Fiji again.

This reporter was invited to Fiji as a guest of The Travel Project.

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