I love the sea and islands: sailing around the South Pacific has always been on my list. I have been looking at a few cruises in the area including a 37-day Silversea expedition from Fiji to Chile in September 2026. In June, I discovered Odyssey – Ville Vie Residences from a friend who is a resident on the ship, which has been sailing round the world since end September 2024. Its South Pacific segment runs from 10 November 2025 (Cairns) to 19 February 2026 (Sydney). As I have already been to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, I decide to join the ship in Suva, Fiji on 29 November 2025 and disembark in Noumea, New Caledonia on 3 February 2026. During these 65 days, I shall visit Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, and New Caledonia.
Fiji 25 – 28 November 2025
Fiji is an island country consisting of an archipelago of more than 330 islands and 500 islets with a total land area of about 18,300 sq km. It has a small population of about a million with the majority (87%) of the population living on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Fiji’s history began with Lapita people settling around 3,500 years ago evolving into distinct Melanesian-Polynesian cultures known for warrior traditions. Europeans began to arrive in the 17th century. In 1874, Fiji was annexed as a British colony and Levuka remained the capital till 1877 when the British moved the capital to Suva. Fiji claimed independence as a Dominion in 1970 and was declared a republic in 1987. Fiji has suffered instability with several coups d’etat since 1987 with the military often involved in politics. Ethnic tension has been an issue: Fijians make up about 57% and Indo-Fijians around 43.6% of the population.
I was in Fiji twice. First, I took a 3-day cruise to the Blue Lagoon in 1980s. On my second visit, I had a short diving trip somewhere I have forgotten. Hence, this voyage has given me a chance to see Fiji.
November 25-28 Viti Levu
November 24-25. I departed Hong Kong on Qantas in the evening for Melbourne for a connecting flight to Nadi, Fiji after 1 pm on November 25. As I had a 5-hour transit, I was able to meet up with Caciano, a friend from HKU at the airport. Eventually I arrived in Nadi around 8 pm. I took a taxi (7FJD) for a very short ride to a hotel close to the airport. The taxi driver proposed to take me to my hotel in Suva the following day including two stops (at the sand dune park and Tavuni Hill Fort) for 350FJD.
26 November. I received a message from the taxi driver who said he had problem with his car and would send his cousin instead. I was not comfortable with the arrangement and told him I would find another driver. The receptionist in the hotel called a driver known to the hotel who would charge 300FJD. The driver seemed honest and friendly. But once I was in the car, he said he was not aware of the two sightseeing stops. It started to rain heavily. When we reached the sand dune park, I did not want to go as the ground would be slippery. He was reluctant to go to the hill fort as he was not sure about the road condition. Anyway, as it was raining cats and dogs, I had no alternative but went straight to the Rainforest Eco Lodge located about 10 km from downtown Suva, the capital of Fiji where I stayed for three nights.
I arrived at the lodge next to the Colo-I-Suva Forest Park around 1:30pm. I had a simple but comfortable room on the first floor with a balcony overlooking a pond. The only problem was that the toilet and shower were located on the ground floor. I spent the rest of the day listening to the falling rain and resting. At 11 pm (HK time 7 pm), I joined a zoom session organised by the Centre for Spiritual Progress to Great Awakening (SPGA) chanting for those who died, were injured or helped in a disastrous fire in Hong Kong.
27 November. Suva, the political, economic and cultural centre of Fiji, is home for a third of its population. It is also the economic and cultural capital of the South Pacific with the presence of major international corporations, international agencies and diplomatic missions. I took a local bus (2FJD) and spent the morning exploring the downtown. The traffic around the bus terminal was chaotic. I like the market which has lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. But once I went beyond this messy area, I found broad avenues, lush parks and grand British colonial buildings. I visited the City Carnegie Library before arriving at the Fiji Museum which set within the Victorian-era Thurston Gardens. It houses a collection of Fijian artifacts. I was disappointed as the print were too small and the place was poorly illuminated.
I went to the iconic Grand Pacific Hotel and my curry lunch and beer only cost me 45 FJD. I enjoy the view from the veranda and the charm and architecture of this heritage hotel built in 1914. Then I took a pleasant bus ride along the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Drive all the way to the University of the South Pacific before heading back to the bus terminal. I took a minibus (3FJD) back to the lodge. As soon as I got back to my room, rain poured down again. I had a wonderful day and joined the chanting on zoom at 11 pm again.
28 November. Odyssey arrived in the Port of Suva in the morning. I met up with Harvie and Yayoi around 1 pm at the car rental office where Harvie picked up a car for two days. Harvie is interested in election systems and we went to the election office where Harvie had written to the office for setting up a meeting. The officer was on sick leave and Harvie would contact him a few days later. Then Yayoi found a nice Indian restaurant and we had a great meal for FJD 75 for three persons. It was almost 3 pm when we set off. Harvie is interested in the off-beaten track and village life of the locals. We followed the Princess Road and then turned left ending up in a village at Lomai. We met a retired police officer who invited us to his home. He was very friendly and told us about life in his village where every family has someone working aboard. Life is good and peaceful. He treated us with kava before we left around 6pm. It was not safe to drive at night especially part of the road was not in good condition. They dropped me off at the lodge. I was on zoom with SPGA chanting till 1:30 am.
29 November 2025 – 3 February 2026 Onboard Odyssey
12 Days in Fiji
D1(29 Nov). I checked out the lodge at 11 am and took a taxi to the port of Suva. I got onboard Odyssey before noon. I was pleased when stepping into cabin 4038 – my home for the next 65 days. The self-contained cabin with an area of about 130 sq ft, has everything I need. As usual, I had to attend a safety briefing at 5pm. I was happy to have my first dinner onboard with Harvie and Yayoi. I spent my first day in my floating home peacefully and had a good sleep.
D2 & 3 Lautoka, Viti Levu
Nov 30. Lautoka is the “Sugar City” and Fiji’s second largest urban area on Viti Levu. The ship docked at the terminal early in the morning. I planned to visit the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, a 20-hectare botanical garden originally curated by Hollywood actor Raymond Burr. It showcases over a thousand varieties of orchids. I asked whether someone on the boat would be interested in sharing a taxi. I got a prompt response from Dianne and we set off before 12 noon sharing a taxi (FJD25 pp). The entrance fee is 30FJD. We spent some two hours appreciating the orchids. I even walked up to a lookout point for a panoramic view of the expansive sea and lust green hinterland. After the garden, Dianne took the taxi back to the terminal while I went to a mud pool nearby. I paid an entrance fee of 40FJD and spent over an hour enjoying a mud bath and soaking in a thermal pool. Wonderful and relaxing!
Instead of paying FJD50 for a taxi back to the ship, I took a short ride (10FJD) to the main road where I jumped onto a local bus to Lautoka (2.5FJD). I always prefer to travel like and with the locals. I was back on the boat before 5pm.
Dec 1. Today, I joined a snorkelling group (85USD). We were told to meet at 8 am. But we were not picked up till 9am: they said it was Fijian time. I found this annoying as I was tired of standing and wasting time. I would rather spend my time reading or chanting sutra. It was even more frustrating when we spent an hour travelling beyond Nadi to get on a boat. It was around 11 am when we arrived at a sandbar. After snorkelling for half an hour, we moved to a submerged rock nearby with lots of fish. Then the tour operator planned to take us to Treasure Island for lunch and more snorkelling. The island said it was full. The guide then went over to Beachcomber Island which again turned us away. Finally we went to Serenity Island. I did not bother to snorkel as there were currents. The snorkelling experience was so-so and not value-for-money. The arrangements were poor. We got back to the boat before 5 pm and the boat set sail at 6 pm.
D4 & 5 Port Denarau,Viti Levu
Dec 2. Today, I joined Nancy’s group to visit two main attractions in Sigatoka. We paid 41USD pp for transportation and our first stop was the Sand Dune National Park which I missed on 26 November due to heavy rainfall. We spent an hour and a half hiking in the park which was the first national park in Fiji. Then we had lunch in Sigatoka before driving uphill to visit the Tavuni Hill Fort on an off-beat track. The fort overlooks the Sigatoka River. We had a good Fijian guide who explained the history of this ancient fort constructed by a clan of Tongans who arrived in early 1800s under its chief Maile Latumai. She showed us the onsite archaeological features including the foundation of the chief’s bure, limestone walls, lovo pits, nearly 60 house mounds and sacrifice stone. The hill fort was stormed and destroyed by the British colonial government in 1876 and has never been resettled. The fort has been restored since 2000s. I had a really interesting and enjoyable day with fine weather.
Dec 3. I spent the morning in Club Wyndham listening to a presentation on its time-share scheme. Out of the blue, I ended up joining the club which would entitle me to have 7000 credits a year till 2080 for spending on the club’s accommodation! Then I spent two hours trying to get a prescribed mask for snorkelling. I failed to get one and eventually bought soft contact lens for use when snorkelling.
D6 – 8 Savusavu, Vanua Levu
Dec 4. The boat did not dock arrive at Savusavu till 2 pm. Savusavu, with lust rain forests, pristine bays, hot springs and world-class diving has been known as “Hidden Paradise”. I shared a taxi with Nancy and two other passengers (10FJD pp) to visit the Flora Tropica Botanical Gardens which is famous for its extensive collection of palm trees. We spent an hour and a half in this paradise and learnt a lot about endangered palm trees.
Dec 5. I joined Nancy’s party of six to share a taxi (8FJD pp) to go to snorkel at Split Rock. The new mask I bought in Denaru did not fit properly. I dared not go too far from the shore and didn’t see much. Luckily it was a freebie!
In the afternoon, Nancy organised a visit to the Muanivatu Waterfall (60FJD). The drive to the waterfall was nice. The waterfall is pretty with refreshingly cool water. Most of us had a cool dip!
Dec 6. Nancy arranged a snorkelling trip in Natewa Bay. We snorkeled three times. I was thrilled to find a variety of soft and hard coral in healthy and pristine conditions. Even without a prescribed mask, I could see the coral and colorful fish (big and small) clearly as the coral was close to the surface and the water was crystal clear. Some saw a large eel, clams, yellow puffer fish etc. I was back on the boat by 3 pm after a most wonderful snorkel.
D9 At Sea
Odyssey’s original itinerary would take us to Futura and Wallis after Savusavu, Unfortunately owing to lack of landing facilities, the Captain had to change course. We would instead spent four more days in Fiji. Today, we spent a day at sea which was very rough. I took the opportunity to relax and rest.
D10 Leleuvia Island Resort
Dec 8. We arrived at Leleuvia, a coral cay in Lomaiviti Archipelago in the morning. But I did not get off till 1 pm as I had a training session with Lu: I want to build up muscles and improve mobility through exercise. This picturesque island resort is popular among beachcombers and kite surfers. The water is pristine and we could snorkel close to the beach. I walked around the island before snorkelling close to the beach. I took a tender back to the ship around 5:30pm. Alas, though the sea appeared calm, the swell was horrific. When the tender was approaching the ship, it was suddenly thrown onto it. A lady was thrown off her seat and hurt her head and back. I was almost thrown off my seat too! She cried out in pain. I prayed she was not badly injured and would recover as soon as possible.
D11 & 12 Levuka, Ovalau Island
Dec 9. Located in Lomaiviti Archipelago, Ovalau is Fiji’s sixth largest island with a total area of 106.4 sq km and an estimated population of 10,000. Levuka, Fiji’s former capital and a World Heritage Site, is the largest place on the island. A 50-km long road circles the island. Odyssey anchored off the island and we took a 20-minute tender ride to the port at Levuka.
I landed on the island after 10 am. Founded in 1820 by European settlers and traders as the first modern town in Fiji islands, Levuka is a port town displaying exceptional testimony to the late colonial port towns in the Pacific. Marist priests established a mission in Levuka in 1858 and built the Sacred Heart Church on the Beach Street which is lined with historical buildings. Much of its unique heritage is in its wooden architecture. The economic activity is related to fishing. In 1964, the Pacific Fishing Company (PAFCO) was founded by a Japanese firm in 1964 and specialized in freezing and shipping canned tuna mostly to markets in Europe and Canada. A cannery, a joint PAFCO-government venture was opened in 1976 is the largest private employer on the island. Owing to its isolated location, tourism plays only a minor role in local economy.
As I had a whole day on the island, I intended to take local transportation to go round the island. But there was no round-island bus. Instead, I took the first truck I found and went to Lovoni that is nestled in an inland crater in the centre of the Ovalau Island. During the most bumpy and uncomfortable hour-long ride to Lovoni, I was lucky to meet Seru, a retired dentist who invited me to visit her home.
The Lovoni valley surrounded by mountains with six villages, is a paradise. Seru treated with me lemongrass tea, cracker and roti. She is a few years younger and her husband who was a teacher died four years ago. Her three sons and eight grandchildren now live in Nadi, Suva and Nausori on Viti Levu. She is a devoted Christian and now works as a part-time counsellor at a middle-school while keeping a handicraft stall in the market in Levuka. She gave me a fan made from banana leaf as a souvenir.
The heat and humidity made me drowsy. I dozed off on the sofa for almost an hour. She invited me to spend a night in her house. As I was dirty and sweaty, I preferred to return to the ship. Seru showed me around and pointed to me the real centre of Fiji which is located in her village in Lovoni. As there was no transportation back to Lovini, she found me a driver in another village to take me back to Levuka for 50FJD. The ride back in a car was much more comfortable. I was lucky to visit the crater valley and had a truly Fijian experience. As I had an unused cash coupon of 50FJD from Jack’s of Fiji, I gave it to Seru as a Christmas present. My driver dropped me at the top of the 199 Steps Mission Hill for a panoramic view of Levuka. I took a 6pm tender back to the ship.
Dec 10. I was back ashore shortly after 9am. Today, I took a taxi (FJD50) to travel along the coast all the way to Arovudi with stops at an Anglican church, the Bishop’s Tomb, St John the Baptist Church and College, and European War Memorial. I enjoyed the 2-hour ride with Inoke, my driver. At the Bishop’s Tomb, I met Ana, a young girl from a nearby village. I invited her to take a ride to Arovudi: she became my sheperd. I was delighted to meet two lovely Fijians.
Around 11:30am, I got off at the market trying to look for Seru. She was not at her stall. Then I walked to Royal Hotel, Fiji’s oldest operating hotel built in 1852. Unfortunately the Australian owner is away, the hotel might be reopen next year. I visited the Sacred Heart Church which interior is simple but serenely decorated. I must have local food before leaving Fiji: the locals recommended Bula Vinaka on Beach Street to me. The place is simple but clean and I went to the kitchen to choose the fish I liked! I paid 12 FJD for a fish tail cooked in coconut milk and cassava. An interesting experience though the fish was tough and fairly tasteless.
As I had more than 220FJD left, I went to Westpac hoping to change the money to USD. The officer in change was off for lunch and I had to wait for his return. Alas, the procedure was unbelievably cumbersome and inefficient. Possibly owing to different culture and miscommunication, I spent over 30 minutes at the counter. He first told me I could get USD96. Then he said he had no dollars and could only give me USD43. For the remaining sum, he would give me Australian dollars (about AUD110 + 10 FJD). As a matter of fact, he only had US 100 bills. Had he explained the situation clearly, I would have simply got all in AUD saving time and efforts for both of us! By the time I got to the port, the 2 pm tender had just departed. I had to sit for an hour for the next tender. That is life on slow lane at sea! I was back on the boat after 3 pm and the boat set sail at 6pm. I watched a gorgeous sunset with pink, gold and orange hues over Ovalau Island before dinner.
Remarks (to add)