I chose to do my summative destination to FIJI! Fiji is off the Australian coast. The population of Fiji is 836,000. They are spread throughout all the different islands. My trip to Fiji will be 24 days long. I will be departing July 6, 2011 and arriving back in Toronto on July 29, 2011. If you would like to join me on my trip, take a look at my blog! Enjoy!
Although distance may be a barrier, it may also be a motivator for some. The thought of being so far away from home can be exciting and thrilling. Personally, one of my main motivators to go to Fiji was that I did not know anything about this country. All I knew was the rough location on the map, and that they were a group of different islands. Other than that, I was clueless about Fiji. This made me want to go because I could explore everything while I am there, and everything would be new to me. Also, Fiji is a country known for its' adventure. I very much enjoy seeking new challenges, and Fiji is a place where that will happen. The beautiful scenery and the warm climate are two other reasons why someone may choose to go to Fiji. The islands there are like nothing we can find here. Reefs, clear-blue waters, volcanic islands are all not seen in North America.
Some may not want to go all the way to Fiji because it is so far away from home. The distance can be a major barrier if you have close family that you are leaving behind. The flight costs can also be an issue. Even as a budget traveller there is no way to get around the costs of flying to Fiji. The best you can do is go during while there are cheap deals, but the cost is still very high. Another barrier including flight, would be the amount of time spent travelling. There is a lot of time spent on the plane, and the total travel time takes approximately two days. Another barrier would be the language spoken. They speak Fijian in Fiji, which is not even really heard of here in North America. Although they speak English, Hindu and Fijian are their first official languages.
Don't leave Fiji without visiting the most picturesque village in the South Pacific - Navala Village is located about 50 minutes drive into the highlands and is one of the few remaining villages where all houses are built from traditional materials. The houses, locally referred to as bures, have bamboo woven walls and thatch roofs and are single room buildings. Kitchens and toilets are separate buildings out he back. A visit to Navala includes a welcoming yaqona ceremony where guests are introduced and bonded by drinking the traditional Fijian drink mixed from roots of the Yaqona tree. The drive to Navala is a little bumpy travelling along dirt roads but takes in some breathtaking rural scenery along the way.
Bouma National Park: The gorgeous tropical rain forest of Bouma National Park Fiji is one of the unexpected highlights of a trip to Fiji. The park has volcanic peaks, razor edge mountain ridges and cliffs that fall into the sea. There are trails throughout the park, but an experienced guide is required to show the way. For people wanting to explore by themselves, the park offers two maintained trails, the Bouma Falls Trail and Lavena Coastal Walk. There are three waterfalls between 10 minutes and an hour walk from the main road that are a gorgeous. At the end of the coastal road on the west coast of Taveuni is the village of Lavena. This is the departure point for the 3 mile Lavena Coastal Walk along the forest edge, passing cove beaches and waterfalls. This coast can also be explored by kayak.
The ritual involves select tribal members walking barefoot across red-hot stones in a specially prepared pit. Amazingly, the firewalkers do not get burnt and it is definitely a Fiji attraction worth seeing. There is also a way that tourists can get involved. There is a seperate pit for the use of inexperienced firewalkers. The pit is filled with clear and black stones that carry red and orange lights inside of them. These stones are put at a temperature that cannot burn anyone but is still warmer than the human skin. Fijians get tourists to volunteer to walk across this pit. Of course at first, there are no volunteers willing to do this stunt, but really it's a trick. This act is in place to discover the courage and bravery of the foreigners. This stunt ends up washing away the fear of the tourists after they take this first step. This Sawau tribe is located in on the island of Beqa.
In going to Fiji, you should learn a few Fijian words. English is one of their second languages along with Hindu, but you should not assume that everyone can speak it. There is a higher humidity level in Fiji which should be taken into consideration before you leave to ensure that you will remember to stay hydrated while you are there. Fijians are descended from the Lapita peoples, a seafaring group from eastern Indonesia or the Philippines who probably arrived in the Fiji Islands during the second millennium B.C.E.. Fiji is a multicultural island nation that has culture traditions of European, South Asian, East Asian and Oceanic origins. This means that each island you visit, or each city you stay in may have a very different cultural tradition. The people of Fiji are said to be energetic, full of life, and seem to enjoy life all together. 
