Waya Lailai
Trip Start
Aug 24, 2010
1
55
116
Trip End
Aug 23, 2011
Waya Lailai, Yasawa Islands, Fiji
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The island in general is very idyllic; white sand, crystal clear water, palm trees, etc... and at only £25 per night for accommodation and food, we couldn't have any complaints!
We spent our days relaxing in paradise without a care in the world. The only dilemma being, "Should I go for a hammock in the sun or in the shade?"
Although the majority of our time has been spent doing absolutely nothing, we have still been keeping active with a healthy dose of recreational activities. We spent at least an hour everyday on the beach volleyball court, and have become a formidable force on the Fijian volleyball circuit. One morning we set the alarm for 4:45 to walk up to the island's summit in time for sunrise. One of the guys who works at the resort organised the walk, which involved navigating our way in pitch black with only a headtorch to help us to the top. We arrived at the summit just before the sun breached the horizon and had spectacular views of Waya Lailai, as well as the other nearby islands.
Most people only seemed to spend a couple of nights at the resort before moving on to another island, so an advantage for us was that we got to know the staff pretty well. One of whom took an instant liking to us and gave us preferential treatment for just about everything. Mary, who would best be described as 'Big Momma' ran around after us so much so that other guests asked how we managed to get in her good books. Her favouritism reached new heights when after two nights of staying in the dorm, she told us we could move into one of the ocean view bungalows - at no extra cost! It would normally have been way out of our price range, but as we told the other guests, it's all about who you know. We spent the next 3 nights in our private room, waking up each morning with a view of the sea. Cheers Mary!
There was no real entertainment at the resort except for on one occasion when they put on a Fijian cultural night. There was a Kava welcome ceremony (Kava is a drink which looks like muddy water and doesn't taste much better) and a traditional Fijian song and dance performance from a local entertainment group. A side issue here is that for some reason, there didn't seem to be many groups of lads travelling about Fiji. Groups of girls: yes, but the male population on the island was made up of guys with their girlfriends, and then of course... us. So back to the Fijian night... after the group had finished performing, it was time for everybody to join in with the dancing. We were told to pair up with a girl but due to the lack of males at the resort, this created a bit of a problem. We had spent the evening with a group of four Swedish girls so Slater & I took one each whilst James 'Hugh Hefner' Hopkinson paraded around with the other two - a blonde on one arm, a brunette on the other and a massive grin on his face.
Like all good things, our time on Waya Lailai had to come to an end. It was great to get to know some of the people and experience the Fijian way of life. They are so laid back it's a surprise that anything actually gets done. There were some old women who used to sit in the shade all day a little further up the beach. I stumbled upon them one afternoon and they asked if I wanted to play some cards with them. Glad to be out of the scorching sun, I sat down on the ground next to them and they showed me how to play a new game. I went back a few times during the week to chill out and just enjoy the laid back lifestyle they have. None of them had watches, they have no deadlines, nowhere to be. I have no idea how they make a living but as they say in Fiji... sega na leqa - no worries!
