South Pacific & Asia

January - June 2025
Current
A 144-day adventure by Kyran Read more
Currently traveling
  • 126footprints
  • 54days
  • 1.8kphotos
  • 321likes
List of countries
  • Tonga
  • Fiji
  • New Zealand
  • French Polynesia
  • United States
  • Canada
Categories
Backpacking, Couple, Solo travel
  • 22.0kkilometers traveled
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  • Ferry92kilometers
  • Hitchhiking86kilometers
  • Bicycle72kilometers
  • Walking46kilometers
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  • 126footprints
  • 54days
  • 1.8kphotos
  • 321likes
  • 22.0kkilometers
  • 17.6kkilometers
  • 2.1kkilometers
  • 533kilometers
  • 449kilometers
  • 92sea miles
  • 86kilometers
  • 72kilometers
  • 33sea miles
  • 46kilometers
  • 15kilometers
  • 2kilometers
  • 0kilometers
  • Day 53

    Day on Leleuvia - Part 2

    Yesterday in Fiji ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    After lunch, I was so full that I sat down in a chair on the beach and fell asleep for about an hour haha. Very nice to relax but even though it was in the shade i definitely should have put on some sunscreen first oops! Also got a funny burn on my finger, where i usually wear my ring lol

    After my little nap, I took a shower to wake up and cool down, put on my bathing suit and took a paddle board out! The paddle boards and kayaks are free to take out, but you can only do it at higher tide cause it’s so shallow, so I had to wait till later in the day to do it anyway.

    A nice new big paddle board! I took it around the island, seeing lots of coral and fish and tons of sea cucumbers! Around the far tip of the island I went out exploring all the way to the edge of the reef, where it finally got a bit deeper. I didn’t get great photos of it but it was some of the most colourful and huge coral I’ve ever seen! Massive pounds of different types of coral in big mounds coming from the sea floor. And huge brain coral two or three times the size of the paddleboard! I wish I had gotten some photos of that specifically but so cool to see! On the way out I saw two stingrays (could have been the same one twice), a big blue fish the size of a small tuna, some clownfish lookalikes, and lots of blue sea stars. If it had been earlier in the day i definitely would have stayed out longer!! So cool! Dipped my toes in along the way, but didn’t go for a full swim out here

    I got back, and returned the paddleboard, before chilling more in a hammock for a bit. The sun was setting then, and the sunset was beautiful! The bats also came out, and a few of them were flying around the island. I went for a nice refreshing sunset swim before having dinner.

    Chicken stir fry with rice for dinner tonight. After dinner, the staff were having some kava as it was one of their birthdays. I was invited to join so had a cup with them, before going off to call Sophie.

    Got into bed nice and early, and even watched some tv in bed hehe. Although because it wasn’t raining the little winged termites are out and they are able to get through the mosquito net if they try hard enough. They disappeared eventually though, I think because all the geckos came out. The termites are annoying here (and throughout the pacific) cause there’s always termite droppings all over every surface, like little grains of sand, quite annoying on the bed.
    But there’s geckos out everywhere now that it’s dark, and you can hear them in the night. They like to hang around the bathroom building and I got some good photos, so many of them!

    It’s now not so early anymore, but a midnight bedtime still isn’t too bad, and hopefully another good sleep in the comfy bed to get up for breakfast tmr!

    Overall a wonderful relaxing day with perfect weather!
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  • Day 53

    Day on Leleuvia - Part 1

    Yesterday in Fiji ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Got up nice and early for a 9:30am breakfast. No rain today, beautiful weather all day!
    Had a nice big breakfast of about 7 or 8 pancakes with papaya and pineapple, just for me!

    Then took my time getting ready and walked all the way around the island, as it was low tide. So nice to be on no schedule whatsoever and just take my time. Saw lots of hermit crabs and fish in the tide pools— although not as full of life as on the west coast. When I got back around to the main dock, the some of the workers spotted a freshwater eel that had swam over from the heavy rains. They went and spearfished it, and gutted it and cut it up—they said they would maybe eat it tomorrow!

    As I still had about an hour or so till lunch time, I decided to grab my notebook and pen and sit in a hammock by the water sketching. I made a nice little drawing of the dock at low tide, before journaling a bit.

    I then got called that lunch was ready, and so I went to my table with one chair for a nice spaghetti lunch! It felt like breakfast had been not that long ago so it was a lot of food and I stuffed myself but couldn’t finish all of it haha
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  • Day 52–54

    Leleuvia Island Resort

    March 12 in Fiji ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    I got to the island, and they welcomed me, saying I was the only one staying here for the next two days! Private island to myself! For only like $100 a night lolll. They even upgraded me from the dorms to a private little hut

    The workers all live here, and it’s a very chill vibe. Because I’m the only tourist, they keep saying have your meals whenever you want! Feels kinda crazy basically having a private chef haha. They also have stand up paddle boards, kayaks, and snorkeling gear for rent for free

    I’m staying here for two nights, so I have a full day to relax. Pretty overcast and rainy when I got here. Explored the island a bit in the last bit of daylight, and had a nice fish dinner cooked just for me. Even tried a Fiji Gold beer, not too bad! During dinner it started pouring, and didn’t really let up all night. As the roofs are real thatching, some drops of water get in so I had to move to the dry side of the bed lol. Thank goodness I have my vessis and rain jacket, there’s lots of puddles to walk through!

    Huge lighting and loud thunder as I was falling asleep! Comfy bed tho which is so nice
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  • Day 52

    Travel to Leleuvia!

    March 12 in Fiji ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    I decided to book two night at the Leleuvia resort, a resort on its own private island haha. They have dorm rooms for only FJ$60 (like CA$40)! It was recommended to me by Brian and Marla, and Sophie’s dad who stayed here years ago haha.
    As the resort is the whole island, it’s compulsory to also purchase the meal plan, and the boat over costs a bit too. But all in all it comes to about CA$110 a night which isn’t too bad for a private island! And check out on Friday isn’t till 3pm!

    As I’m coming back to Marla and Brian’s on Friday, I just packed a small bag instead of bringing all my things. Left the house at 12:30pm and caught the bus right as I got to the main road! Took the bus into suva, then caught another bus to Nausori, where the airport is about 40mins away. I had time in Nausori to grab some takeaway fish and chips for FJ$6.50 before hopping on the bus to Bau Landing, just before it departed!

    After about a 35min bus to Bau Landing, which went through some very rural Fiji which was cool, I got off, at the end of the road. Bau Landing is where all the boats take off to go to Bau island, where there’s a Fijian village, but it’s very remote and kind of in the middle of nowhere. I waited here for the resort boat to come pick me up, and ate the lunch I bought in Nausori.

    The boat came and dropped off some tourists and I got on, the only passenger going to the island! Quite a rainy day today and I think tomorrow will be too but oh well, still nice to be staying on a small island!

    When you pass Bau island, with the village, you have to take your hat off out of respect
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  • Day 51

    Another Day in Suva

    March 11 in Fiji ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Took the taxi into town today, as I was waiting for a while and no bus came by.
    Explored the city a bit more, saw the Sacred Heart Cathedral, and went in for a bit. Also went to a McDonald’s as I have to try one in every country that has one! Surprisingly the best McDonald’s yet, a very good (but expensive) cheese burger. The bun was sweeter than in Canada, as is a lot of food here. Lots of sugar in everything.
    Walked around the market a bit more, got some starfruit and June plum (not my favourite new fruit but interesting). Also grabbed some snacks from vendors around the bus station including a milk custard pie that was really yummy!
    Also checked out the flea market again, and almost bought a little woven hand fan but it was too expensive and really not something I need haha, even as a souvenir

    Had time to have a nice long FaceTime with dad while walking around town! Was going to go out rowing with one of Brian’s friends from the church, Paulo, but they didn’t have enough people for the boat today. Bussed back and had a nice chill evening again, but made fried rice instead of spaghetti this time!
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  • Day 50

    Colo-i-Suva Forest

    March 10 in Fiji ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Day 50 of the trip!

    Bussed out to the Colo-i-Suva Forest Reserve (pronounced tholo-i-suva) for the day! The bus system here is awesome. Everything works with the bus card, and the busses are never more than like FJ$2.50 even if they’re far. And you just ask around where the bus that takes you to where you want to go is, and people direct you toward it!

    Got a little FJ$2.50 lunch in town, brought it to eat when I got to the park.

    FJ$5 for entrance into the park, and I walked in from the main road down a dirt road to the parking lot. There’s a little 45min loop that goes through the forest and follows a river and some natural pools you can swim in! Took my time admiring the nature and went for a little swim. Beautiful forest, a few spiders in the path tho 😳

    A nice afternoon spent in nature, and caught the bus back no problem! The busses stop kind of wherever here, you just have to flag them down from the side of the road

    Got home and had a nice call with tamsyn and another spaghetti dinner.
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  • Day 49

    Fiji Museum

    March 9 in Fiji ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Talk a nice walk in the rain to the Fiji Musuem, about a 25min walk from Marla and Brian’s place. Nice to walk around the neighbourhood and see things from that pace.

    With a student ticket, the museum was only FJ$10! Dealing with the first stomach problems of the trip though, so had to use the bathroom first lol. But nice museum, just one room but decently sized, with lots of artefacts and information about Fiji history, old and recent. Was a little bit rushed as I only had just over an hour before they closed but still enough time to see everything!

    After, explored the gardens and parks in the area and walked back in the rain! Thank goodness for my vessis and rainjacket!

    Another cheap dinner of spaghetti tonight haha
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  • Day 49

    Another Church Sunday

    March 9 in Fiji ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    I joined Brian and Marla at their church this Sunday, for a nice late morning service starting at 11am. The church service they go to is actually hosted in a lecture hall of the USP (University of the South Pacific), and is nondenominational Christian.
    Nice to see so much community, as thats what really appeals to me when it comes to church. Brian and Marla knew everyone and everyone knew them, and were all very friendly.
    The service itself was interesting to witness, lots of singing at the beginning and end, with lyrics projected to follow along. And the sermon was done by a young missionary from Australia who was visiting and was invited to preach for this service. It was the most accessible I’ve ever found a church service, unpacking a part of the bible in plain words and explaining what to take from it. I definitely have more of an appreciation for Christianity after the service, even if the specific message he was preaching I don’t necessarily align with. I think Christianity is a little one and only concrete god - oriented for me. But I totally understand the sense of purpose and direction that people get from it and I think that’s really valuable, and I understand it more after this service.
    But cool to witness and be there for! We got some ready made lunches that a group from the church was fundraising with, and got a ride home from some of their church friends from Nigeria who are living in Suva.
    We were gonna explore the USP campus a bit, but it was raining too much to walk around.
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  • Day 48

    First Day in Suva

    March 8 in Fiji ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Marla and Brian took me into town to explore a bit! We caught a taxi in, only FJ$6 from their place to downtown!
    First explored the market, where there’s so many vendors selling fresh produce, and upstairs lots of kava root vendors. Then we went to the ‘Suva Flea Market’ which is not really a flea market but a building with textile vendors, lots of weaving and masi mats which are made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree. Sat down to have a nice fresh juice at a cafe, and chatted. A guy came up to us saying he was from Toronto, and looking for things to do in Suva and places to stay, but he had very strange vibes haha.

    Marla and Brian went to go do their grocery shopping and I headed over to the mall to meet up with Lupe’s daughter, Olive (pronounced oh-leev-eh). Olive is going to school here in Suva so I brought some of her stuff over for Lupe.
    Olive and her friend from school had to do some grocery shopping, as did I, so we walked around the market together! I bought some passion fruit and guava and bread, all at very good prices! The bag of small guavas was only FJ$1, like CA60¢! Fiji is definitely the cheapest country I’ve been to so far. We then went to the supermarket where I bought most of my groceries for the week, and taxied back, stopping at the Dunn’s place on the way so I could give Olive the stuff I brought over for her! Nice to meet her, and explore the town together:)

    A nice chill night, with the first of many spaghetti and hotdog dinners lol
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  • Day 47

    Another Rest Day

    March 7 in Fiji ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Took a much needed rest day doing almost nothing today. Slept in till almost noon (needed the catch up on sleep), folded my dry laundry, ate some food, caught up on Find Penguins, and took a little walk down to the water and back.
    Always feels weird doing nothing in the day but so needed for the body to rest.
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