A small nearby river, a local waterfall, cats, dogs and only a handful of other guests. It felt like I had the entire mountain to myself. Of course once you are on top of the mountain, you are stuck there without a car. At this point in my Samoa trip, it started raining and did not stop. It was raining when I left Samoa too. I did not mind at all. Sitting at the top of the mountain, overlooking the city and the distant ocean made me feel such a sense of peace…
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Upolu Island, Samoa
Upolu Island is the main island of Samoa. The country used to be called Western Samoa. Apia is the capital and the airport is about an hour drive away. The island's coast has some of the most beautiful virgin beaches in the world. Away from the coast, you will find swimming holes, waterfalls, jungle, mountains and lots of small villages…
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Nadi, Fiji Homestay
My final, final day in Nadi, this time for real (as a transfer on my way from Apia, Samoa to Port Vila, Vanuatu), I decided that I was totally over these Wailoaloa shitty hostels (although seeing the Polynesian dance show one more time wouldn’t hurt). I also didn’t want to spend big money on a resort as my Fiji budget was exhausted in the Yasawas. I looked up Airbnbs and I found a homestay with an Indo-Fijian family who had excellent reviews and who cooks up a famously good dinner meal. This sounded like exactly what I needed after 2 weeks in Samoa…
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Looking better already.
Beachouse, Coral Coast, Fiji
Anna and Ralphie were stuck in the Yasawas during Cyclone Josie. The catamaran service was shut down and everyone was forced for spend another night on their respective island (and pay for it). Anna and Ralphie would meet me at The Beachouse in the Coral Coast a bit later than we had planned. They would come directly from the Denarau Marina in Nadi where we had all originally planned on spending a night in Nadi together beforehand. This gave me an extra day in the mountains but it meant a lot of travel for my friends…
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View of the mountains upon arrival. I'm in heaven.
Stoney Creek Mountain Resort, Fiji
After 9 days of island hopping, 5 hours of rocky catamaran, and a fishing boat stuck journey in the middle of the ocean, nothing seemed more appealing to me than some time in the mountains. There is only one place to stay in the mountains near Nadi and that is Stoney Creek Mountain Lodge. The reviews online mentioned the welcoming hosts who also owned the property. It also mentioned the many cats and dogs. Getting there was pretty easy, just a bus from Nadi Town to the junction. Then a quick taxi ride up the hill. When I arrived, there was no power…
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