Ratu Kini's Backpackers and Dive Resort Mana Island

We've arrived at Mana Island. I’ve been told the boat trip out to the island was about an hour and a half in duration. I wouldn’t know, I slept almost all the way.

Mana island (to the best of my knowledge) has a very large resort the sits in the middle of the island with access to both the Northern and Southern beaches. The island also has some honeymoon accommodation which is separate to the main resort, and only 8 private houses. We are staying in one of the 8 houses.

... und in den Laden zu locken. Auch ist es sehr dreckig, staubig und tierisch laut wegen der ganzen alten, knatternden, ratternden Fahrzeuge, die ueber die schlechten 'Strassen' rappeln. Und des Gehupes, dass die Taxifahrer veranstalten um den vanille-farbenen Touristen eine teure Rundfahrt anzubieten. Wir sind manchmal freiwillig gelaufen oder haben den Bus genommen, der 50-70 cents gekostet hat. Ein Taxi mindestens 15 Dollar...

Nach den 3 strandfreien Tagen sind ...

... We were told to go out to the road and flag a bus down when it passes (not really any bus stops!). We were stood there for around 30seconds and cars are flashing, asking if we want lifts. Also they have small minivans that run around the villages and charge a dollar, its really great, and everyone shouts Bula! when you get in. They seem to have a very relaxed lifestyle and no need for the modern things we have in our lives, quite humbling.

One ...

... catered to larger parties perhaps.  It look like there are many wedding there and they have an actual beach without the sea wall.  The pools are all forever pool or negative edge pools with water flowing over the edges and continuing to flow through the pools.  It is pretty. I think the volleyball wore me out.  My eyes are drooping and it is only 10 or so.  We call it a night.  I think that my body is slowly started to adapt to Fiji time as they say.

 

... good. We drank lots of water during the ceremony because it was really hot and the fans were not on because it is not summer there! On the islands, when you leave the staff sing a farewell song to wish you well. It's a song that you hear a lot as there are two boats leaving a day so by the time we left the resort we knew most of it.

We left Octopus Island for Mantaray Island. It was a bit of a shock to go from a really really nice resort, one of the few that has hot water for ...

... beach myself collecting bits to make some pieces. There is soon a large group of us all determined to get something decent made, including bangles and rings made from cocnut and pendants too. I have found a large seed on the beach and have made it into a necklace for kim and everybody then decides that they want one too, so i head back to the beach to pick more up and make them for a bunch of others. This carries on all morning and by the time lunchtime rolls around we have had a ...

... two guys have. Steven sat in the shade under a tree all day and Craig was found lying on the floor of our Bure. Sam was happy to get some sun bathing in and turned into a sun goddess, who refused to believe she could burn. I loved the island and didn't want to leave. The snorkelling was great...tons of fish and even some seahorses...nemo was no-where to be found! Great island, great company!

... and survived" t-shirts and decided to give it a lash. Our buddy Rob had won a free dive in a sexual position musical staues competition and decided to accompany us. The day itself was a little overcast which effected the visability a little but the water was still pretty clear as we hopped of the boat and into the deep depths below. We dived along the reef at a depth of around 70 feet and lo and behold we were not to be dissapointed as some reef sharks appeared of in ...

... getting a visa meant they were able to take a scan of our fingerprints and irises. Ironic that Emmet is reading 1984 at the moment.) But I digress. The guidebook helped a bit but there were still so many islands to chose from. (Ah poor us! We have a *************'t we?) Our predicament worsened when we realized that I'd gotten the exchange rate wrong, meaning all the places we had selected on the plane over were out of our price range. Woops. Cue long ...