Vanua Levu, Fiji Do you dream of a tropical paradise where you can fall asleep to the soothing sounds of ocean waves lapping at the shore? Where you can walk along an empty beach with palm trees arching over your head? Come with me to Fiji.

Vanua Levu is the second largest of the 300+ islands of Fiji. We discovered our little bit of paradise at Tropic Splendor, a beachfront cottage on the shore of Savusavu Bay.

The sound of waves lapping the shore will be the background music of your stay, accompanied by the songs of birds in the morning and toads in the evening. Lush landscaping surrounds the cottage with tropical flowers and fruit, palm trees and lily ponds. Fresh-cut flowers are displayed inside and out, and a bowl of fruit picked the day of your arrival is set in the kitchen.

Looking toward the beach from the cottage...	... and looking at the cottage from the beach	One of several ponds around the property
Water lilies decorate the ponds	Exotic and beautiful flowers and plants are in abundance	Fresh flowers are arranged around the deck of the cottage

You may even get an opportunity to harvest your own bananas. Harvesting is simple, just one swipe with a handy machete is all it takes.

The beach outside the cottage is stunning. The dark sand is soft, the water is warm (water temperature was in the low 80s during our visit), and the waves are gentle. Perfect!

You will have this gorgeous beach almost entirely to yourself. When you see others, it will most likely be local Fijians who come to fish.

A man stands in the water fishing with a hand line	Women fish in pairs or groups using nets	Some Fijians go fishing on bamboo rafts called bilibili

The owners of the cottage, Susan Stone and Jeff Mather (originally from New Mexico) offer a warm island welcome and generous hospitality to their guests. Susan greeted us at the airport with beautiful garlands handmade from fresh flowers picked from their yard. (Read more about Susan and Jeff in this article from Islands magazine.)

Susan's and Jeff's detailed knowledge of the island is invaluable. They can offer many suggestions about what to do, and are willing to be as involved (or not) in helping their guests plan activities. Read on.

Coconut demonstration

Susan and Jeff asked two local Fijians, Frances and Penaia, to demonstrate how useful and versatile coconut palms are.

Frances started by showing us how to open a coconut, and then made coconut milk from the meat inside. We enjoyed adding Frances' fresh coconut milk to our coffee every morning.

Try opening a coconut - it's not as easy as it looks	Frances scrapes the meat from inside the coconut	Adding water then straining the mixture produces coconut milk

Penaia showed how to weave a palm frond into a strong basket which can be used to carry coconuts, fish, etc. Vinaka vaka niu says Penaia (meaning, it's all good).

Visit the market in Savusavu

A vibrant fruit and vegetable market is open in Savusavu daily, but it really bustles on Saturday mornings. We went by boat with Jeff and Susan across the bay to Savusavu to do some shopping.

Local vendors display their fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers and seafood for sale.

At the back of the building is a small handcrafts market where you can find jewelry, woodcarvings and woven items, all handmade on the island.

Attend a children's meke
A meke (pronounced meh-kay) is a performance of traditional dance. Visitors to Tropic Splendor are invited to the village of Vunivesi to attend a meke performed by the village's talented children.

Guests are asked to wear a sulu (an ankle-length skirt). Frances helps us wrap and tie a basic sulu.

The meke begins with guests presenting a gift of kava root to the village elder in attendance.

A kava ceremony follows. The kava drink is prepared by mixing kava root with water in a ceremonial kava bowl. The kava root is strained from the liquid, and the drink is poured into a coconut bilo (cup).

The bilo is offered to each guest, one at a time. To drink kava properly, you clap once, take the bilo, drink the kava in a single draft, return the bilo, and clap three times.

Then the performance begins. The group starts by singing a Welcome song together. Then the boys and girls take turns performing.

Welcome song	The girls perform	The boys take a turn
A song about a flower called mokosoi	The boys perform a spear dance	A song about suitors offering gifts to win a girl

When the performance ends, guests offer a gift (on this day, candy) to the performers in appreciation. It was a terrific show!

Cruise the Nasekawa River

Jeff and Susan suggest a river cruise, and we are all for it. The Nasekawa River empties into Savusavu Bay and we join Jeff and Susan on their boat for a morning cruise down the river.

As we get underway on the river, Jeff sets a couple of fishing lines in the water. We see flying fish jumping in the water around the boat.

A leisurely pace lends an opportunity to take in the lush, verdant, tropical scenery.

Snorkeling and fishing
If you enjoy snorkeling, you are in for a treat. There are several reefs in the bay within easy boating distance. The beautiful coral formations and variety of colorful fish make them all worth visiting.

One of my favorite spots for snorkeling is Split Rock. Under a sunny sky, the coral practically glows. One of the best snorkeling experiences here is feeding the sergeant majors. These fish will eat bread out of your hand. As soon as they sense food, they will all be heading your way. Be prepared for a feeding frenzy that will make you laugh out loud in your snorkel!

For good deep-sea fishing, Jeff heads outside of the bay. After one morning of fishing, the men returned with four mahimahi. Dinner!

Black pearl shopping
Savusavu is home to J. Hunter Pearls. Justin Hunter farms pearls locally in Savusavu Bay and you can shop for these colorful beauties in his Savusavu shop.

At the shop you can select from finished pieces of jewelry or choose your own pearl and have it made into jewelry of your choice, for a special and unique souvenir from Fiji.

Walk the beach
The deserted beach is always beckoning guests to go for a walk. Susan's and Jeff's dog, Marau (meaning 'happy' in Fijian), is a willing beach-walking companion, stopping to dig for crabs along the way.

Explore at low tide

At low tide, take a left from the cottage and head down the beach to explore a seaworld seen only at lowtide. Get up close to mangroves. Find groups of starfish and the stunning blue starfish.

Roadtrip to the eastern edge

Jeff and Susan suggest a drive to the eastern end of the island. It is a long drive on rutted, unpaved roads but we are rewarded at the end. We arrive at Lomalagi Resort and meet the owner, a friend of Jeff's and Susan's. The resort looks over Natewa Bay which is crossed by the international date line. When looking across the bay, you are literally looking at the past.

Build a fire on the beach

Collect driftwood and palm tree kindling from the beach and build a fire at sunset. Watch the colors in the sky and on the water change during your own personal light show, compliments of nature.

Do nothing

The hammock on the porch awaits your nap...

The kitchen in Tropic Splendor is well-stocked with dishes and utensils. If you like to cook, all you'll need is groceries. Start by shopping at the Savusavu market for fresh ingredients.

Pick up the rest of your grocery needs at the MH supermarket. You can also get a case of stubbies (short bottles of the local brew, Fiji Bitter) here.

Next to the MH is Savusavu Wines & Spirits which offers a nice selection of Australian and New Zealand wines. Stop in at the Hot Bread Kitchen down the road for fresh bread, buns and pastries. We highly recommend the coconut buns. Yum! Their pizza slices make for a quick and tasty snack.

If you don't feel like cooking dinner and don't feel like going out either, Susan can arrange for an Indo-Fijian meal to be freshly-prepared in the Tropic Splendor kitchen. You supply the ingredients and Saras does the cooking. We enjoyed her dal (lentil) soup, lamb curry, spicy green beans and roti. Saras' cooking is not to be missed.

The Copra Shed Marina

The Copra Shed is part business offices and part social scene. At one end of the building is the Yacht Club (membership is automatic for visitors). The Yacht Club is a hopping place in the evenings with people spilling onto the dock in back and it's a great place to catch a sunset.

At the opposite end is Captain's Cafe which serves food all day long. Their pizzas are good and can be delivered to Tropic Splendor (ask Susan and Jeff about taxi pickup). In between is the Surf n Turf restaurant, a popular place for dinner. Check the chalkboards outside the door for daily specials. The shrimp curry is outstanding!

Café Bula Re

On Wednesday nights, Café Bula Re serves a traditional Fijian lovo, in which food is covered in banana leaves and cooked slowly in an earth oven.

Hot Springs Hotel

Stop at the Hot Springs Hotel for a cocktail or meal and a knockout view of Savusavu Bay. The hotel is situated next to Savusavu's bubbling, steaming geothermal hot springs which Fijians use for cooking.

Addtional Fiji links:

Frommer's Travel Talk Read other travelers' comments about Tropic Splendor
Fiji weather Daily weather forecast for Fiji
Evening Sky Map With little light pollution, stars are abundant in the Fiji night sky

Bula!