FijiTime September/October 2019 Edition - Exploration and Discovery

FIJITIME

2018 Australasia's Leading Inflight Magazine

ISSUE 35 2019

Exploration and Discovery

Image Credit: Tourism Fiji

REMOTE EXPLORATION Discovering the far-flung Lau Islands

OUT OF THIS WORLD The best places to stargaze

GALAXY’S EDGE Exploring Disney’s new Star Wars land

CULINARY REVOLUTION In search of Japan’s gastronomic evolution

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Discover the South Pacific's secret for beautiful skin and hair

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FIJITIME

FijiTime is the complimentary, award winning inflight magazine of Fiji Airways.

It is published six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November by Fiji Airways.

PUBLICATION Publisher: Jessan Doton Editorial Consultants: Shane Hussein | Designer: Bruce Rounds Contributors: Tom Vierus, Benjamin Mack Content: Includes content from The New York Times Licensing Group.

ADVERTISING SALES Bal Naidu CORRESPONDENCE TO THE AIRLINE Editorial: media@fijiairways.com | Advertising: onboardads@fijiairways.com For flight reservations or more information on Fiji Airways and Fiji Link, please visit fijiairways.com We are available 24 hours a day on the following numbers: Fiji: 331 2061 or 672 0888 | Australia: 1 800 230 150 | New Zealand: 0 800 800 178 | USA and Canada: 1 800 227 4446 Mainland and China: 4001206268 | Hong Kong: 3192 7568

Š All rights reserved. Copyrighted by Fiji Airways Ltd. Opinions expressed in FijiTime are solely those of the writers and are not necessarily endorsed by Fiji Airways Ltd and their related companies. Fiji Airways is not responsible or liable in any way for the contents of any of the advertisements, articles, photographs or illustrations contained in this publication. Unsolicited material will not be returned. All information was correct at time of publication.

This magazine is proudly produced using environmentally friendly and sustainably sourced materials.

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CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

ISSUE 35 | 2019

Exploration and Discovery

FEATURES

The majestic Sawa-i-Lau Caves in Yasawa are a must do in Fiji.

Photo: Tourisim Fiji

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DISCOVER

Japan’s hidden culinary revolution

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EXPLORE

Free diving with Manta rays

REGULARS 11 SNAPSHOTS Catch up on the latest updates from Fiji Airways

77 ENJOY

Your inflight movies, TV and music highlights plus we chat with the screenwriters of Avengers: Endgame

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90 FLY WELL Inflight exercise to make your body feel restored

EXPERIENCE

and rejuvenated

Disney’s new Star Wars theme park

@FijiAirways

74 VISIT

A city guide of the Fijian captial Suva

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@Fly_FijiAirways @FijiAirways Read our digital magazine www.issuu.com/fly_fijiairways

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bUla

Andre

Shaenaz

Managing Director and CEO Fiji Airways fjceo@fijiairways.com @fijiairways

Executive General Manager Fiji Link gm@fijilink.com @fijiairways

VILJOEN

Bula to all friends of Fiji Airways. Thank you for choosing to fly with Fiji Airways today.

It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the all-new FijiTime. From this issue onwards, the publication of our award-winning inflight magazine will be done by our talented in-house team, a special milestone being the first time in our airline’s history that we’ve produced the onboard magazine independently.

I would like to thank Naziah and the Cover Story team for the tremendous job over the years and I wish her and Roy all the very best in India.

By bringing in the publication, we had an opportunity to refresh and reinvigorate what was already a good product. The team sought out ways to enhance and widen the variety of content we presented to our guests. So we’re especially proud to share our content partnership with one of the world’s largest media companies, the venerable New York Times.

VOSS

Bula vinaka to all our guests, from all of us here at Fiji Link, the domestic subsidiary of Fiji Airways. Thank you for choosing to travel to this special piece of paradise we call home, Fiji. To our local travellers flying with us today, ni sa bula vinaka and welcome onboard.

In this all-new FijiTime, we chose the theme of Exploration and Discovery to honour the spirit of our industry.

Since the beginning of civilisation, humans have always had the urge to see what was beyond the horizon. They built ocean vessels and voyaged thousands of miles across the open seas to find new lands.

Unsatisfied and yearning to find, see, do more, the age of flying was born. The world got even smaller.

Now, we live in a time where we can fly from Fiji on a Friday, spend the weekend in Los Angeles, and be back at work in Fiji on Monday morning. It is what the great explorers and inventors of the past have gifted us.

While a large focus of FijiTime will remain travel, we also now have access to a repository of compelling content from global perspectives that will appeal to a wider passenger base. Travellers flying for a holiday, a business person heading to a conference, a teenager looking forward to schoolies week in Fiji – each passenger will have something that will interest them in the new FijiTime.

We will be able to harness the NYT’s first-rate journalism and content curation to elevate experiences and engage our readers; editorial pieces from culture and travel, business and technology, entertainment and human interest which aim to inspire, connect and entertain. These are exciting times.

I hope you enjoy this first edition as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together for you.

In this edition, we share with you some recommendations on where to eat, stay and play in our capital city, Suva. One of our regular contributors, Ben Mack takes us to explore the former estate-turnedmuseum of famed Treasure Island author, Robert Louis Stevenson in Samoa.

Read these great stories and more inside!

We have a number of public holidays coming up in Fiji, Constitution Day on the 9th of September, Fiji Day on October 10th, and Diwali – the Hindu Festival of Lights on October 28th. If you’re with us during this time, we hope you enjoy the festivities with us.

Thank you for your business and for choosing to fly Fiji’s National Airline. We look forward to your continued feedback regarding our service. Please write to fjceo@fijiairways.com with anything you’ve noted on this flight.

If there’s anything we can do to make your flight more comfortable, please do not hesitate to let our crew know.

Vinaka Andre

It’s great to share more of our home with you in another edition of FijiTime, and we hope you enjoy what we have in store for you.

Vinaka Shaenaz

About Us: Founded in 1951, Fiji Airways Group comprises of Fiji Airways, Fiji’s National Airline and its subsidiaries: Fiji Link, its domestic and regional carrier, Pacific Call Comm Ltd, and a 38.75% stake in the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa on Denarau Island, Nadi. From its hubs at Nadi and Suva International Airports, Fiji Airways and Fiji Link serve 108 destinations in over 15 countries (including code-share). Destinations include Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, Hong Kong (SAR China), Singapore, India, Japan, China, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. The Fiji Airways Group brings in 64 percent of all visitors who fly to Fiji, employs over 1000 employees, and earns revenues of over FJD$1 billion (USD $460m). Fiji Airways is a Skytrax 4-Star airline.

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Visit fijiairways.com for more information.

bUlatin STAR FLYER

UPDATES

HAPPENNINGS

INFO

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stAr flyer Travel like a local with these handy tips from a Fiji Airways insider

LOYOLA REIKO NAWALU CABIN CREW

As we head towards two years of direct flights connecting Fiji and Japan, we feature in this edition’s Star Flyer Loyola Reiko Nawalu, one of our cabin crew, who has had the opportunity to experience both worlds and call the two countries home. A Fijian girl born and living out her early childhood in Japan, then relocating to her motherland and having to learn her mother-tongue. She tells us a bit about her story and gives us insiders tips for Fiji and Japan.

Tell us a little bit about yourself I am currently a Flight Attendant with Fiji Airways and mum to three handsome boys. I was born in Japan and I have a Japanese Middle name, Reiko. I spent my early childhood in Hino City, Tokyo until my family moved back to Fiji when I was five years old.

On growing up in Japan, and then in Fiji When we came back to Fiji we definitely experienced the language barrier because my siblings and I spoke fluent Japanese, with only a basic understanding of Fijian and English.

Having to relearn my mother-tongue was a bit of a challenge. It was also peculiar to see a Fijian girl who enjoyed her rice more than the regular Fijian staples.

The similarities between the two lifestyles and cultures Japanese, like Fijians, are so rich in culture and tradition. Despite being so advanced in the world Japan also upholds its values and culture.

Loyola in a Kimono as a child

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Top 5 things to do in Japan • Onsen- visit their traditional outdoor hot water bath pools • Nara City- where deers roam free in the parks (literally) • Visit the shrines and temples and enjoy their tradition and customs • Try traditional Japanese cuisine • Visit a nice ramen restaurant • Disney Land and Fuji-Q Highland (amusement parks) Insider tips on Japan Don’t be afraid to experience the Japanese cuisine and culture. You don’t know what real Japanese food tastes like until you try it in Japan.

Highlights of being a cabin crew I get to experience the world as my job.

Meeting new people from all corners of the world is definitely a highlight. Also, giving our passengers a glimpse of our Fijian hospitality. It’s rewarding to hear things like “we’re not staying in Fiji but it will definitely be our next vacation destination.”

Loyola chats to a Japanese guest during the inaugural Narita-Nadi flight.

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3 travel essentials • Pack a pair of jeans. You can wear jeans for all types of weather and season.

• Keep warm onboard. Pack socks and a scarf.

• Download a language translating app to help communication when language is a barrier.

Travel hacks?

• Use shower caps to pack your shoes and place them in your suitcase. You won’t have to worry about clothes getting dirty.

• Roll instead of fold clothes. You’ll have more space for that shopping.

Top things to do in Fiji • Definitely visit the Sigatoka sand dunes for a postcard scenery. Take a drive along the Coral Coast. On the roadside you’ll find people selling fresh fruits, or my personal favourite freshly cooked hot corn.

The Sigatoka Sand Dunes is highly recommended by Loyola for visitors to Fiji

sNapsHots

INDIA CALLING! FIJI AIRWAYS AND AIR INDIA ANNOUNCE CODESHARE AGREEMENT We are pleased to announce a new codeshare agreement with Air India which will provide convenient connections between three Indian cities and Fiji. From 1st of August, guests of both airlines can seamlessly connect from Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai to Fiji via Hong Kong or Singapore. The agreement will allow Fiji Airways to place its “FJ” designator code on flights operated by Air India from the three Indian cities to Hong Kong and Singapore. It also allows Air India to place its “AI” designator code of Fiji Airways flights from Hong Kong and Singapore to Nadi, Fiji.

FLEXIBLE SEAT SELECTION OPTIONS We are excited to introduce more selection opportunities for our customers to request their preferred seat online using the ‘Manage your booking’ option. The five respective options include: 1. Bulkhead Seats –Economy cabin seats in the front of the cabin with more legroom to stretch, and is highly recommended if you are tall and want to be amongst the first to board, disembark or experience our inflight service.

2. Exit Row Seats – with more room to stretch, these seats are situated either next to, adjacent to or immediately behind an Emergency Exit door.

3. Up Front Seats – be amongst the first economy passengers to board and disembark from a flight. This option is affordable and ideal for transiting passengers.

4. Forward Seats – Located just behind the Up Front Seats and highly recommended for transit passengers and for passengers wanting to be amongst the first to disembark.

5. Bassinet Seats – while these seats may be pre-purchased in advance as reassurance for adults travelling with infants, this is only available via our Call Centre or Sales Office.

To find out more about the Seat Selection options and its Terms and Conditions, please visit our Fiji Airways website on www.fijiairways.com

EXPERIENCE NEW UPDATES ON OUR FIJI AIRWAYS TRAVEL APP With the introduction of our Fiji Airways travel App, guests can now manage their flight journey on the go with ease through their mobile devices. As part of the Airline’s ongoing initiative to enhance our customer experience, we are delighted to introduce new enhancements and features, which will add more value to their journey including codeshare, and interline guests. The enhancements and added features includes: • Ability to scan passport and autofill details on forms • Option to scan payment credit card and autofill details on forms • 3rd Party Ancillaries which includes car hire and hotel booking integration • Users can now share their trip details with whomever they want via an entry point on the My Trips screen. Once selected, the user can enter one or many email addresses for the people with whom they would like to share their trip itinerary details • Through Check-In Support which enables Journeys that include partner airlines (i.e. interline and codeshare flight legs) The Fiji Airways App is available for free download from Google Play and App store.

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sNapsHots

JOINING AN ELITE GROUP OF AIRLINES! FIJI AIRWAYS IS AWARDED THE SKYTRAX 4-STAR RATING We are extremely proud to have been awarded the coveted Skytrax 4-Star rating at the 2019 Skytrax World Airline Awards in Paris, joining a select group of elite airlines in this prestigious category.

At the same Skytrax World Airline Awards in Paris, Fiji Airways also leapfrogged from 4th to 1st place to take up “Best Airline Staff in Australia Pacific”, signaling the airline’s continued commitment to world class service and customer experience.

The Skytrax World Airline Awards are one of the most sought after quality accolades for airlines. Skytrax benchmarks traveller opinion and carries out quality evaluations around a number of key 12

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categories and principles for airlines around the world. Skytrax Ratings are recognised as a global benchmark for airlines. A 4-Star Rating is a mark of distinction that recognises excellent standards, showcasing an airline’s unwavering commitment to provide high quality product and service values both onboard and on the ground.

Fiji Airways joins airlines such as Emirates, British Airways, Etihad, Air New Zealand and Qantas as a 4-Star airline.

“Best Airline Staff in Australia Pacific” recognises the combined airline staff service for both onboard and ground staff, in the Australia Pacific region through passenger feedback and Skytrax evaluation.

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arrival BIOSECURITY Fiji laws require everyone arriving from overseas to declare all biosecurity risk goods including food, plant, plant products, used material and animal products to biosecurity officers at its borders. These goods could harbour exotic weeds, pests and diseases that could damage and destroy Fiji’s unique flora and fauna, environment, agriculture, livestock and tourism industries as well as the health of local communities. When arriving in Fiji you will be given a passenger arrival card. This is a legal document and required by law. It is important that you read and fill out this card carefully and truthfully.

CHECK-IN For all international flights, check-in counters open three hours prior, and close one hour before departure. Domestic flights open 90 minutes before departure and close 30 minutes before departure. You can also check-in online between 4-24hrs before your flight.

CLIMATE Fiji enjoys a mild tropical climate averaging 31°C (88°F) during the summer months of November to April and 29°C (84°F) during the winter months of May to October.

COMMUNICATION Mobile outlets are located at Nadi Airport international arrivals. You can purchase a prepaid SIM card for local and international calls and internet data.

CULTURAL There are many cultural activities you can engage in whilst on holiday. Check with your hotel reception or activity desk on what is available in your area and ask about cultural tips on dress code for visiting villages and more. If participating in a kava (yaqona) session, clap once before accepting the bowl, and then three times, after handing back the empty bowl. It is customary to accept the first bowl, but you may respectfully decline the second bowl, if offered

CURRENCY Fiji Dollar (FJD). Banks include ANZ, Bank of Baroda, Bank of South Pacific, HFC, BRED and Westpac.

CASH AND CREDIT CARDS Cash is generally used in the smaller stores around the country. Larger shops, hotels and restaurants will accept most credit cards.

DRESS Dress is casual and informal throughout the islands. The wraparound sulu (sarong) is Fiji’s most distinctive form of dress. Modest dress is advised in towns and villages in respect of the culture.

DUTY FREE ALLOWANCE 2.25 litres of spirits or 4.5 litres of beer or 4.5 litres of wine. 200 cigarettes or 200 grams of tobacco. Please note, for passengers who are transiting through Nadi, your Duty Free will be confiscated as part of liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGS) restrictions in place by the Civil Aviation Authority.

ELECTRICITY The electrical current in Fiji is 240 volts AC/50 cycles. Fiji has three pin power outlets identical to Australia and New Zealand.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS Police: 917, Fire and ambulance: 911 When staying in any rural areas, ask a local person for the number and location for the nearest police station and medical centre.

TRANSPORT Getting around the islands is easy with our subsidiary airline Fiji Link or jump aboard a sea transfer to the islands. On the main island of Viti Levu, taxis, private cars and coach transfers are available.

PASSPORT AND VISA REQUIREMENTS Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the intended period of stay in Fiji and a return or onward travel ticket is required. Entry visas are granted on arrival for visitors from eligible countries.

LANGUAGE English is the official language of Fiji. However, indigenous Fijians also speak iTaukei while Indo-Fijians speak Fiji Hindi.

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ITAUKEI (INDIGENOUS FIJIAN)

FIJI BAAT (HINDI)

Bula – Hello Bula Vinaka – A warm Hello Ni sa moce (ni sa mothey) – Good bye Vinaka – Thank you Kerekere – Please Mai Kana – Let’s eat

Namaste – Polite greeting, polite farewell Goodbye – Bye (English commonly used) Kaise hai (kaise hey) – Informal, how are you?

Dhanyavaad / Shukriya – Formal thank you Thank you – English commonly used Please – English commonly used Kaana kao – Eat

General Info

tHings

to do Dine Fiji is a multicultural nation and dining options in towns and within hotels and resorts reflect this. Dishes from India, Asia and local seafood can be found in most restaurants, along with international favourites to please every palate. Fiji’s best known for distinctive outdoor feast, the lovo, an in-ground oven of heated rocks used for cooking a variety of foods wrapped in banana leaves.

Golf

There’s a wide range of quality golf courses in Fiji, from international championship golf courses to small “pitch and putts”. You can play a round at the Denarau Golf and Racquet Club, Natadola Bay Golf Course (Coral Coast), Fiji Golf Club (Suva), the Ba, Labasa, Lautoka, Suncoast and Nadi Airport Clubs, Novotel Nadi and the Robert Trent Jones (Jnr) designed course at Pacific Harbour.

Shop Some popular Fiji items to bring home for friends and family include Fijian inspired designer T-shirts and Bula shirts, replica war clubs, cannibal forks, Fijian combs and carved tanoa bowls, from which the national drink yaqona is mixed and served. Handicrafts like traditional woven baskets and mats, masi (tapa cloth), wood carving and pottery items are also popular. A bestseller for both men and women is the sulu (Fijian sarong).

Most stores are closed on Sundays.

Adventure

Explore Class ll to lll whitewater rapids aboard inflatable kayaks and whitewater rafts along two of the country’s premier liquid pathways, the Upper Navua Gorge and Wainikoroiluva. River rafting offers a great way to experience some of Fiji’s most spectacular terrain. For those wanting to reach new heights, there are ziplines at the Sleeping Giant mountain range in Nadi, Momi on the Coral Coast and Wainadoi near Suva

Surf

Fiji is one of the world’s premier surf destinations, bringing the best surfers to its waves. The Mamanuca Islands, Beqa, Kadavu and Sigatoka are home to some great surf breaks with islands like Tavarua and Namotu catering specifically for surfers. Stand up paddle boarding is also becoming increasingly popular.

Dive

Known as the ‘Soft Coral Capital of the World’, Fiji is home to a vivid array of reef life and a wide spectrum of underwater creatures including sharks, manta rays and over 1000 species of fishes. Visitors can swim with manta rays in the Yasawas or feed tiger and bull sharks in Beqa Lagoon. Fiji ranks consistently in the top five dive spots in the world with Taveuni, Beqa, Kadavu and Suncoast being areas of note.

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eveNts calendAr

September 20 September- 2 November 5-25 September 7 September 13-18 September 14-21 September 21 September

October 5 October

Rugby World Cup, Japan Eco Challenge Fiji Fiji Airways Fijian Drua v Western Force, 3.00pm, ANZ Stadium, Suva Musket Cove Fiji Regatta Sugar Festival, Churchill Park, Lautoka Fiji Airways Fijian Drua v Sydney, 2.00pm, Churchill Park, Lautoka

Melbourne Rising v Fiji Airways Fijian Drua, 5.30pm, Casey Fields, Melbourne The Denarau Food Wine and Music Festival Fiji Day Fijian Drua v Queensland Country, 3.00pm, Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka Mana Ocean Swims Diwali Festival of Lights

5 October 10 October 12 October 15-20 October 28 October

November 9 November 7–9 November 15-23 November

Uprising Music Festival - Pacific Harbour Oceania 7s - Suva Oceania Rugby Women’s 15s Championship, Churchill Park, Lautoka

December

SATURDAY 9TH NOVEMBER FROM 12PM-1AM

TICKETS ON SALE AT

HEADLINED BY

E A R LY B I R D

TICKETS

$35

Cafe 30 SUVA Ginger Kitchen SUVA Uprising Beach Resort PAC HABOUR Taste Fiji NADI

25 December 26LIFELINE December FIJI PROUDLY SUPPORTING

Christmas Day Boxing Day

Image Credit: Sofitel Resort 16

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advertOrial

CREATING A CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT

As a statutory organization, Investment Fiji operates independently as the facilitation arm of the Fijian Government, providing services and assistance to promote and stimulate investments and exports. Today the Acting General Manager of Investment Fiji, Mr Ritesh Gosai talks about Fiji’s conducive business environment that provides an opportunity for businesses to grow with incentives provided and touch on Investment Fiji’s premier Awards – the Prime Minister’s International Business Awards that recognizes Fijian businesses.

The Fijian Government is harnessing micro, small and medium enterprises development through concerted efforts to improve the business environment, creating the right conditions to increase investments and utilizing available resources.

Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed the Government of Fiji’s local and foreign currency long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings at Ba3.

The Ba3 rating is supported by Moody’s assessment that ongoing reforms, aided by the engagement with development partners, underpin the moderate strength of Fiji’s

export, forestry, mineral water, textiles, clothing and footwear, mineral resources, ICT and business process outsourcing (BPO).

Government and businesses continue to promote Fijian made products and services in the international markets through dedicated trade and investment missions and symposiums. Recently, Investment Fiji for the first time hosted the Mercour-Asean Chamber of Commerce Trade and Technical Mission from Argentina who were keen to explore investment opportunities in Fiji.

The recent launch of the Prime Minister’s International Business Awards by Investment Fiji is one such platform that recognizes businesses that have contributed to the Fijian economy, have a unique business strategy that innovates and supports job creation.

The Fijian Government has focused on

An initiative of the Fijian Government, the awards recognizes businesses for their inventive business methods, fresh pool of ideas; their “think outside the box” attitude and businesses regardless of their sizes go beyond their comfort zones to make Fijian Made products more competitive.

institutions. Ongoing efforts to diversify the tourism sector and attract investment into new sectors may boost Fiji’s economic prospects and resilience beyond Moody’s expectations.

increasing exports and investments in value added products rather than just export of raw materials. The building and construction industry is also a growing sector.

The Awards is open to both exporters and nonexporters recognizing the successful journey of a business which has unique story.

Fiji is transforming into a vibrant, diversified and internationally competitive, export-led and growth-oriented economy through enhancing performance of the manufacturing and services sectors as well as focusing on other priority sectors of growth.

With the recent launch of BizFiji portal by the Fijian Government, local and foreign businesses will have access to streamline processes of setting up their businesses in Fiji or obtaining a construction permit. The portal is key on providing SMEs a platform for startups with ease of business requirements under one platform.

Being the hub of the Pacific, Fiji has an excellent transport and communications links, low cost of doing business and development of broad –based export markets combined with competitive sector to boost non-agricultural

To learn more about the Awards and enter the 12 exciting categories, please log on www.iba.org.fj To learn more about how Investment Fiji can assist your business, please visit our website www.investmentfiji.org.fj or contact us on (679) 3315988 or email info@investmentfiji.org.fj

Every business needs recognition and a competitive edge to push their limits.

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dIscOver HISTORY

FOOD

JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU

JAPAN

The second wave of the evolution of Japanese cuisine is afoot Brought to life by young chefs willing to do things out of the box.

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aNcient exploratiOn

For thousands of years, Pacific Islanders built canoes to make lengthy voyages across the open Pacific Ocean using only the stars, ocean current, and wind patterns to guide their way.

The vessel for these ancient journeys of exploration and survival were predominantly outrigger canoes, and in Fiji these were later perfected to become large double hulled canoes.

Surrounded by ocean, the people of Fiji developed a wide range of canoes to meet their fishing, transportation, trade, defense and communication needs. These include the bavelo (mbavelo), camakau (thamakau) and the largest of these canoes was the drua (ndrua). In the early 1800s Fijian canoes were faster and more seaworthy than the best ships Europe could produce. Fijians were skillful sailors who could navigate long distances across the open ocean and had extensive trade networks with distant islands. The major maritime powers of Bau, Rewa, Cakaudrove and Lau all had large fleets of canoes used to enforce and defend their influence.

The drua is a boat design thought to be a combination of Polynesian and Micronesian techniques. The drua could travel at speeds up to 25 knots in good weather conditions. In Tonga it was known as the kalia, and alia in Samoa.

The construction of drua required a lot of time and resources. Rich chiefs would typically employ a tribe of master boatbuilders (mataisau) to build them, with the construction of larger boats taking over two years and being dependant on the supply of construction materials by the chief. The drua were considered sacred, tabu (tambu) and on their first entry into the water would demand blood, so rollers of human slaves, alternating with banana stems, would be used to move them as part of their ‘initiation’ ceremony. The Fiji Museum, based in Suva, holds a remarkable collection of various canoes and ocean vessels, such as the drua and camakau, for visitors to explore and learn about Fiji and the Pacific’s navigation history.

THE FIJI MUSEUM IS LOCATED IN THURSTON GARDENS (CAKOBAU ROAD) WITH THE BELOW OPENING HOURS: MONDAY – THURSDAY, SATURDAY - 9:30 - 16:00 FRIDAY 9:30 - 15:30 ENTRY – ADULTS FJ$7, CHILD FJ$5

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Creating a Future Where Both People

and Nature Can Thrive;

By Jean-Michel Cousteau and Holly Lohuis

As you fly over Fiji, you can appreciate the vastness of the country’s 330 islands scattered over 1.3 million square kilometers of the South Pacific Ocean. Much of this beautiful country is underwater where one can explore the most diverse marine ecosystem on our planet- the coral reefs. But these islands are also home to many unique plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. 20% of the world’s biodiversity is found on the 100,000 plus islands. But today, island ecosystems are some of the most threatened, vulnerable habitats where over half of the known extinction of species has occurred in the past decades due to islands’ small size, isolation and fragility.

As we learn more about the interdependence of the health of humanity and the important connection to the conservation of biodiversity, can we appreciate the important fact that a less wild world is less able to provide for our needs. Biodiversity equals stability, and stability is what we all need to ensure a sustainable future.

Traversing thousands of miles from their winter breeding grounds in Tonga to their feeding grounds in the Antarctic, I have personally witnessed the comeback of the endangered humpback whales. These animals migrate through and spend some of their wintertime in the waters of Fiji. Protected since 1966, humpback whale populations around the world are on the rise. In just the last three decades of travelling to Fiji, I am always delighted to see these charismatic whales while travelling to some of my favourite local dive sites. If we can bring back the great whales of the world: blues, fins, grays and humpback whales, then for sure we can protect the rich web of biodiversity that supports us all. What we have done to protect the great whales we must do for all of the natural blue world. The natural systems of the oceans and the land work together and support the diversity of life that keeps everything in balance.

Everything is connected.

Image Credit: Markus Roth 22

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Biodiversity Equals

Stability As an Ambassador for Fiji Airways, I appreciate the opportunity to share my personal love for this special country in hopes we all embrace the importance of preserving biodiversity. Here, island communities have demonstrated leadership and commitment to protect, manage and sustainably use their island resources. And it is here in Fiji where we can all feel empowered and inspired to do our individual part to support conservation, environmental education, ecotourism and sustainable development.

We are at a critical turning point, a turning point where we can use science, communication and education to help people create a hopeful vision for the future. We need to be a collective voice, especially as tourists who are privileged to see so much of the world, and remind everyone around us to be proactive and take actions every single day to make this a better world for us and the generations still yet to come.

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fiji tHeatre makes a grand, mystical entrance with

fiji untold Photos by VOU FIJI

Experience the Spirit! Energy! Mana!

Showtime: Wednesday-Sunday 8-10pm For bookings email: bookings@funhubfiji.com phone: +679 741 6592 Visit www.funhubfiji.com 24

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e took a turn onto a dirt road just after dusk, and as the last rays of the day had set, we were soon enveloped by the trees before us. In what felt like a world away, we saw the big top pitched up in the middle of nowhere, and we got a feeling what we were going to witness under its dome will also be…not the usual. The latest mystical fusion theatrical production by Vou Dance Company, performed by a talented and passionate all-local cast, Fiji Untold is gripping and will have you mesmerised from the first drum beat.

w

Set in an age where who you are and who you are meant to be are in conflict, Fiji Untold depicts the story of a secret village of magical dancers whose rhythmic stick dance was known across the lands to wield the power of the gods. Mesmerised but concerned by their premature ability to conjure such power, the gods of the underworld orchestrated a plan to steal the sticks and hide them deep in the darkest corners of the underworld where they have been kept safe for many centuries, never to be returned- not until they are worthy of such power, not until a leader brave enough emerges.

Which brings us to Lagi, a Chiefs daughter celebrating her coming of age. A ceremony to mark the continuation and survival of a bloodline- the survival of a community through dance. But Lagi is as eccentric as she is beautiful, a curious mind with an adventurous spirit. She dances beyond

instruction, in a manner not seen by the village elders, and for this she must be banished, exiled by her own father to the distant loneliness of the bamboo forest.

It is in the bamboo forest that Lagi finds herself in a journey of daring self-discovery and redemption- one that will take her further from home than she has ever been, and closer to herself than she has ever been permitted.

Through her voyage in the bamboo forest, she travels to the mystical underworld where she encounters the Giant women, timid in nature and wise in their agelessness. The Giants, recognising Lagi’s spirit and the Mana of her ancestry, pledge her their allegiance.

Lagi is later entrapped by the Octopus god and shows her tenacity and prowess through an epic battle with his drum wielding army.

Victorious but exhausted, she meets a shapeshifting iguana spirit adorned in the long lost dance sticks of Lagi’s village. After centuries of guardianship over the magical dance sticks, the iguana hands them over to Lagi, the holder of the ancestral bloodline.

And like light that pours through the approaching end of the tunnel, the bamboo stairway reappears as a portal back to her world, now wiser and unafraid.

When she awakens, Lagi finds herself back in the bamboo forest in which she had been exiled. She can’t help but wonder if it was all just a dream, a notion quickly dismissed by the weight of the dance sticks cradled in her arms- the weight of her village cradled in the crook of her elbow- the dreams of her father and the fathers before him, every young girls’ coming of age, every child’s first dance, every voice that echoed through the centuries calling out for a hero, cradled in her arms.

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A world away, the South Pacific is one of the last remaining anchors of natural beauty. Our turquoise lagoons teem with colourful sea life and pristine rainforests luxuriant with tropical

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Home to an ancient culture that lives close to nature, we didn’t have to go far for inspiration.

Fijians have a centuries-old practice of using indigenous plants in healing and beauty rituals.

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pharmacy”. The medicinal and cosmetic properties attributed to Neem Oil are so numerous that they invoke disbelief! The seed inside the Neem fruit is rich in oil and is extracted and cold pressed for healing skin disorders.

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the dependence on irrigation and fertilisation.

Even today, virgin coconut oil is pressed throughout the remote outlying Fijian islands, to which plant and floral essences are added for a variety of uses: as an after-sun tonic, moisturiser and massage oil.

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hair and scalp and contains antifungal and antibacterial properties.

Other ingredients like Tumeric, Rosemary Oil, Lavendar Oil, Honey and Sugar, add beneficial properties resulting in firmer and better skin tone for both oily and dry disposition.

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Naturally Fiji brings you “all the essences of Fiji” sourced from the finest pure coconut oil, orchid extracts and natural ingredients. Created with only one true objective: “Where the body meets the soul”

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japan

In Search of Japan’s hidden

Culinary REVOLUTION

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Discovering Japan’s Second Culinary Wave Story: Eli Gottlieb/New York Times News Service Photo: Andy Haslam/New York Times Company

I was on the Shinkansen bullet train and roaring north toward the Japan Sea at 125 mph where three-quarters of an hour earlier, in the midst of a sunny winter’s day, I’d boarded the train at the loud, insanely complex and many-leveled Tokyo main station, accompanied by my friend Bob Sliwa. We were bound for the coastal town of Kanazawa, sometimes known as the hidden pearl of the Japan Sea and famed for the freshness and variety of its fish-based cuisine.

The trip there was to be the climax of my weeklong attempt to find the hidden culinary truth of Japan, beyond the reach of guidebooks or the well-intentioned efforts of such celebrity investigators as Anthony Bourdain. My secret weapon in this was Bob himself, a man embedded in Japan for 30 years, deeply conversant in the ways and cuisines of the country and, by great good fortune, my college roommate.

It’s no accident that Tokyo has one of the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants of any city in the world. But rather than sampling the wares of these warhorses, I’d arrived to try the second culinary wave, a quiet in-house revolution that is afoot all over the country.

As the country entered a period of soul-searching, these young chefs took the opportunity to begin advancing the cause of native ingredients, prepared with great care and what seems at times almost freakish originality.

Exhibit A: the plate of smoked salted cod roe sprinkled with red chili pepper flakes at a restaurant called N-1155 in the hip, hilly Tokyo neighborhood of Nakameguro. The smoking and salting produced a deliciously bespoke version of fish jerky, whose peppery marine tang married perfectly with a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc.

Exhibits B and C: a flash-cold-smoked sea perch sashimi, and a bagna cauda, both served at the same restaurant. Flash cold smoking, done in the kitchen just before plating, imparts a tangy, cooked woodland savour to the raw flesh of the fish that makes for a delicious cognitive dissonance in the mouth. The bagna cauda was upgraded by having its oil mostly replaced with cream, creating a rich bath into which produce from the restaurant’s own farm in southern Japan — thin-cut yellow carrot, mustard green, lotus root and kohlrabi — was dipped and then removed, leaving its bright, vegetal essences enrobed in unctuous garlic.

The next day, a few blocks away, it was the turn of a place called Harbour Bar. The tiny restaurant has a cheerfully casual DIY atmosphere that channels Bushwick. But there’s nothing casual about the food in the least.

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“The very next day, Japan served me the best seafood meal of my life.

It did so at a small, easily missed, relatively modest-looking restaurant called Yamashita.”

The opener was a plate of super-fresh scallop sashimi, enlivened with a ginger sauce whose citrus notes gave the dish the feel of a mollusk ceviche. This was followed up by a serving of raw botan shrimp — as large as langoustines — which arrived paired with a spicy rémoulade of cured carrots.

Iwagaki

rock

oyster.

Ah, that oyster. It was the largest bivalve I’ve ever seen, with a shell approximately the size and shape of my foot.

“You freeze it while alive and then slow-cook it at low temperatures,” the waiter explained, bowing. “That makes the umami come out.”

I was still finishing it when the owner of the restaurant, Akira Matsuoka, alerted by my exclamations of joy, came over to talk. “My partners and I think of ourselves as a food think tank. We don’t care about Michelin rankings. First we come up with the concept, and then we invent the dishes to fit it, sometimes collectively and sometimes individually.

Rather than a star chef, we make the food the star.” He smiled and circled a finger in the air to indicate the small space crammed with diners. “And it seems to be working.”

Getting there:

Yamashita is on no foreigner’s must-see lists, and there wasn’t an English language word in sight. But the restaurant is a temple of sorts, where the eponymous owner and Chef Mitsuo Yamashita, and staff work as one to pluck the freshest, purest products from the nearby ocean and put them on your plate with minimal interference.

The meal began with a pictorially perfect tray of amuse bouches: thin-cut strips of yellowtail stomach dressed in a vinegar-miso sauce, which tasted smoked though they weren’t, along with a small pile of herrings fermented in the dregs of sake, and a handful of fresh snap peas, each dabbed with tiny blobs of black sesame pesto.

But all this was a mere prelude to that moment when a waitress, smiling, brought in plates heaped high with the prized kanburi sashimi.

Why has this fish been elevated to the very top spot among sashimi lovers? Because kanburi uniquely fuses two qualities that are almost never found in the same animal – a firm but oil-rich fish. Because texture, along with temperature and flavour, are part of the “mouth moment” of Japanese cuisine, the challenge is to find a firm fish that is also rich in oil, and kanburi has both qualities.

Our next destination was the beautiful old wood-fronted part of town called Higasha Chaya-Gai. There, we entered a sleekly minimalist bar called Teriha. I had spent a full week living inside a kind of tone poem of fish and alcohol, enriched by unflagging conversation with a dear old friend.

The lights dimmed and the conversations ceased. Rain started to fall, visible out the windows. Shrouded in darkness at the end of the bar, the owner, an ex-geisha named Yaeko Yoshigawa, began playing a flute.

For several minutes, quietly, the flute music continued, threading the air in the darkness. It wavered, seemed about to stop and then, surprisingly, went on, moving forward without resolution, a little bit like the beautiful, perplexing country of Japan itself, whose mix of ceremonial gravity and hidden culinary wonders had given me a week of the very best eating of my life.

Fiji Airways flies direct to Narita, Tokyo up to 3 times a week.

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experIeNce CRUISING

LOS ANGELES

HAPPY HOUR

CHIANG MAI

SAMOA

Far-flung adventure Experience the remote Lau islands; relax, restore, unplug. More on page 32.

Photo: CAPTAIN COOK CRUISES

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cruising fiji’s remote lau islands Story: Deborah Dickson-Smith

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Day 8 Vuaqava Island

Day 7 Fulaga Lagoon

Day 3 Taveuni Island Hike

s

o, this is what it’s really like to be on a desert island. The ocean gently lapping at my toes as I gaze out over an infinite expanse of ocean meeting a pale blue sky at some distant unbroken horizon.

I can hear waves rippling as they meet the sandy shore, a few sea birds, and far in the distance, some of the ship’s younger passengers, splashing about in the water.

This particular desert island (or rather, uninhabited island) is called Wailagilili, in Fiji’s Lau Group, a chain of islands covering a vast area that arcs from Taveuni in Fiji’s north, down to the east of Kadavu in the far south. I’m here with Captain Cook Cruises Fiji – who visit these islands just twice a year for an 11-day cruise.

There are a dozen or so islands in the archipelago, some completely uninhabited, some home to a single village. While some shore excursions on this cruise are an opportunity to meet the friendly locals living in this remote part of Fiji, this afternoon’s excursion to an uninhabited island is more about enjoying the serenity of this secluded location. An idyllic tropical island surrounded by white sandy beaches and a turquoise lagoon.

Day 11 Kadavu Turtle Calling

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Family Fun on Reef Endeavour

To my left a beach fringed with coconut trees stretches out of sight and to my right, a rocky coastline entices some snorkellers into the cerulean waters. A couple of young kids are playing on the shoreline with their Fijian nannies, and some older kids are trying to see how many of them will fit on a SUP without it tipping over. As they play, a juvenile booby sweeps down a few times and tries to join in the fun. I’m simply enjoying being here.

That’s the beauty of small ship cruising. With fewer than a hundred people on board, your fellow passengers easily melt away on these island visits (even on an island as tiny as this one, so small you can circumnavigate it in under an hour). So everybody can enjoy their space - their ‘me’ time. On village visits too, the guests disappear in ones and twos for a tour of the school, the church, the gardens or even villagers’ homes.

Village visits in this remote location are a real treat. The locals see so few outsiders passing through they’re almost overjoyed to have guests. Though when we first arrive there is a shy awkwardness, it melts away quickly as the kids all go and dance to Fijian music, then chase each other through the surf.

We’re here to see both the people and the places in this remote part of the world, and every day has a shore excursion of one kind or another: a Meke dance (traditional Fijian dance) performance of primary school warriors with spears, a school visit, a church service or a traditional Lovo feast (traditional way of preparing a meal using an earth oven and hot stones). The

church service on the island of Oneata is particularly special these people can sing.

We spend just four hours at one village, a play on the beach followed by a Lovo and Meke performance, yet when we leave it’s like parting from old friends with hugs and even tears.

One excursion takes us through a stunning lagoon dotted with mushroom-shaped limestone islets bedecked with greenery and a few pandanus palms, others to visit hidden beaches and caves on uninhabited islands.

Each day the glass bottom boat heads out for yet another pristine coral reef. They needn’t have bothered with the glass bottom as hardly anyone looks through the glass for long - every last man, woman and child dons a mask and snorkel and enjoys the more immersive experience of being in amongst the marine life in search of Nemo and Dory.

And there’s always something happening back on-board the ship without it seeming busy: a Fijian fashion parade (a lesson in Fijian history), a movie on the top deck under the stars, hermit crab racing and a kava bowl in one corner or another.

But right now, I’m drinking in the vast expanse of tranquillity of this deserted beach, hoping to store a piece of it in a corner of my mind - somewhere to escape to on a rainy day back home.

About the Cruise: Captain Cook Cruises Fiji operates two 11-night trips per year to the remote Lau group of islands.

Shorter itineraries include: • 3-night Southern Yasawa Islands Cruise • 4-night Northern Yasawa Islands Cruise, • 7-night Yasawa and Mamanuca Islands Cruise • 7-night Colonial Fiji Discovery Cruise to Savusavu, Taveuni and Levuka • 7-night Fijian 4 Cultures Discovery Cruise which circumnavigates Vanua Levu.

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welcome to Galaxy’s edge Story: Brooks Barnes/The New York Times Photo: Beth Coller/C.2019 New York Times Company

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In the summer of 2015, when the Walt Disney Co. unveiled plans to build monumental “Star Wars” lands at its California and Florida theme parks, a wave of euphoria washed over the planet. Bob Iger, Disney’s chief executive, made the announcement at a fan convention, revealing that one ride would allow people to pilot the Millennium Falcon. Two men sitting near me started to weep with joy. I felt emotional too. For a different reason.

The “Star Wars” extensions, each 14 acres in size, sounded thrilling.

They would cost a combined $2 billion (plus) to build and resemble trading ports on the edge of wild space. But I am one of those purists who want Disneyland to remain unchanged.

I know it’s ridiculous. Disneyland needs to evolve to stay relevant to new generations of children. I don’t care. So it was with some unease that I visited Disneyland in Anaheim on May 20, the first day that preview crowds were allowed inside what Disney is calling Galaxy’s Edge. The new area is the biggest expansion in the park’s history. Engineers had to reroute the Disneyland Railroad and shorten the meandering Rivers of America, where an original Frontierland attraction, the Mark Twain Riverboat, sails in a quaint loop.

In a first for strait-laced Disneyland, alcohol will be sold inside Oga’s Cantina, where a tequila-based Dabogah Slug Slinger goes for $15 and the space chardonnay is bright blue. Multiple restaurants serve “Star Wars”-themed food, including something called a Ronto Wrap that combines a sausage and a pork gyro into one slaw-topped snack. (Rontos are lumbering pack animals found on Tatooine, the desert planet where Luke Skywalker grew up.) I was able to visit during previews.

Since I don’t have children, I borrowed a family, or at least half of one, to join me: Connor Ennis, an editor at The New York Times, and one of his sons, Sam. It would be their first trip to Disneyland, and Sam just happened to be both a “Star Wars” fan

and the perfect age — 9 years old. (We paid for our one-day park tickets, which cost $321.50 total, and everything else we consumed.

We walked toward Galaxy’s Edge, which is at the back of the park. Sam, who was wearing a Chewbacca T-shirt, could barely contain his excitement. “When do we get to build lightsabers?” he asked. “I want to do everything!”

Just then, all three of our jaws dropped in unison. Rock spires meant to resemble petrified sequoias and speckled with yellow lichen towered before us. Stormtroopers clomped toward a stand selling Blue Milk, a frozen galactic beverage. The Millennium Falcon itself — 100 feet long — was cooling its jets just around the corner.

We had entered Black Spire Outpost, a trading village built on a dry riverbed on the planet of Batuu (or so the story goes) and the centre of Galaxy’s Edge. Sam spun in circles, unable to decide which direction was most exciting. Connor and I just stood there blinking as we tried to take it all in.

In the dried “mud” beneath our feet were droid tracks. (To get them just right, Disney artisans took rubbings of the treads on the original R2-D2.) Black Spire had clearly seen some action; some of the brown walls were pocked with blaster marks I was struck by the way Disney had created an earthy yet otherworldly place that seemed to bridge everything in the “Star Wars” universe — 2019 ISSUE 35 | FIJITIME

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Getting there:

Fiji Airways flies direct to Los Angeles and San Francisco

movies, books, video games, TV shows.

A podracing engine, familiar from “The Phantom Menace,” barbecues that Ronto meat. Hondo Ohnaka, a miscreant from the “Clone Wars” cartoon series, plays a role in the Millennium Falcon ride. Oga’s Cantina, the tavern, is referenced in “Thrawn: Alliances,” a Lucasfilm-sanctioned novel.

Galaxy’s Edge is about role play: You are part of the action. One ride really does let you fly the Falcon. Disney has always called its employees cast members, but the 1,600 people hired to staff Galaxy’s Edge go a step further — all of them, even the store cashiers, are Batuu residents who greet you by saying “bright suns” and stay in character when you ask a question.

“The sense of place they have created is unbelievable” Connor said. “I almost don’t even care if there are rides.”

Galaxy’s Edge takes one major creative risk: The story of Black Spire Outpost is a new one set after the events of “The Last Jedi.”

So there will be no opportunity for visitors to meet Luke Skywalker. Ditto for Han Solo, Darth Vader and Yoda. All dead they are.

“We wanted to create the deepest level of immersion possible, and those stories have already all happened — people know, even if it’s on a subconscious level, that they don’t belong in them,” Margaret Kerrison, managing story editor for Galaxy’s Edge, told me in a phone interview before we visited. She added that Disney wanted to create an entirely new place to level the

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playing field. “Everyone is experiencing this for the first time, no matter the level of fandom,” she said. It worked well for our group. I’m a casual “Star Wars” fan. Connor placed himself higher up the scale, recalling the “Star Wars” action figures he had as a boy. (I preferred the Disney princesses. Go figure.) Sam is a serious aficionado.

As Sam had predicted, the lightsaber workshop was the retail showstopper.

It doesn’t look like much from the outside.

In fact, the workshop is hidden next to the inventive Droid Depot, where guests can construct robot sidekicks by selecting parts off a moving conveyor belt. But inside the workshop something magical happens — a genuine how-did-they-do-that moment. I don’t want to spoil it by being too descriptive.

The experience involves themes like “peace and justice” or “power and control” and the selection of crystals (red, blue, green, violet). Each lightsaber is personalized with hilt adornments allowing for 120,000 possible combinations. Mysterious Batuu residents called Gatherers guide the process. We made three. But seeing the look on Sam’s face when his blue lightsaber came alive for the first time was worth every penny, at least in my estimation. It even crackles and buzzes as you swing it, just like in the movies. Aboard the Millennium Falcon. We saved the Millennium Falcon simulator for last.

Lightsabers strapped to our backs, we walked into the ride building (err, Hondo Ohnaka’s cargo depot) and snaked our way through the detailed queue areas until we encountered old Hondo himself. As it turns out, Chewie lent him the Falcon in return for much-needed replacement

parts and now Hondo needs flight crews — especially crews who won’t ask too many questions about what kind of cargo they are transporting.

Once aboard the starship, you hang out for a few minutes in the main hold, which looks identical to the Falcon from the films, right down to the Dejarik (chess) table. Alerted that it was time for our mission, we strapped ourselves into the pleasantly timeworn Falcon cockpit, which seats six and has dozens of working switches, blinking buttons and controls. Each person is assigned one of three roles — pilot, gunner, flight engineer — and you are supposed to work as a team; if your group doesn’t do a good job, the ship goes off course. It’s like being inside an elaborate video game.

We did not do a good job. We smashed into other ships, which was actually a lot of fun, and crashed into a hole on a planet I didn’t recognize. You definitely feel the bumps.

“Daddy, face it,” Sam said as we stumbled out, pleasantly dazed. “Your steering was garbage.”

They laughed together. It was adorable.

I was touched by the way Sam was making memories with his father, just as I had done with mine in the early ’80s, when we rode the Matterhorn Bobsleds — 12 times in a row — and bonded over the cheesiness of the since-demolished Country Bear Jamboree. Sappy, but true.

And if their memories feature Chewie and Hondo Ohnaka and Porgs instead of banjo-playing bears named Buford, Trixie and Liver Lips McGrowl, well, who am I to judge?

Happy hOur

Drunken Coconut Cocktail

Covered in coconut palms, Malamala Beach Club makes the most of this plentiful crop from their very own island as the vessel for the Drunken Coconut cocktail.

Fiji Coconut vodka, fresh coconut water, lime, watermelon, basil & syrup inside a coconut shell make up this sumptuous cocktail from the island’s curated cocktail collection.

The best place to enjoy this delicious concoction? Surrounded by white sands and crystal-clear water at Malamala Beach Club.

RECIPE Reduce 60mL watermelon juice, 120mL coconut water and 1 tsp basil in a saucepan till reduced and cool to form syrup 30 ml lime juice 30 ml Fiji coconut vodka Ice

Head to malamalabeachclub.com to try it out for yourself.

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journey Over land and sea

to visit tHe stars Story: Elaine Glusac/New York Times Photo: Travel Alberta

The Getaway Like watching the sunset, seeking out the Big Dipper in the night sky is a vacation ritual. But in the past five years, according to experts, the term astrotourism has evolved to describe more intentional travel to places with dark skies and more visible stars.

“Astrotourism is any kind of tourism that involves the night sky or visiting facilities related to astronomy like observatories, and combining that with a broader sense of ecotourism where interaction with nature is what the visitor experience is about,” said John Barentine, director of public policy at the International DarkSky Association, a Tucson, Arizona-based nonprofit organisation devoted to battling light pollution and certifying dark sky preserves where stars and “In every culture there’s a myth about the stars and stories there,” he added. “People have always looked up for answers,” said Samuel Singer, the owner of Wyoming Stargazing.

In December 2017, the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve became the first International Dark Sky Reserve in the United States, covering a 1,400-square-mile swath of central Idaho in the Sawtooth Mountains, from Ketchum in Sun Valley to Stanley. The International Dark-Sky Association calls central Idaho “one of the last large ‘pools’ of

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natural nighttime darkness left in the United States” on its website.

Ketchum and Stanley are both gateways to the reserve. The Sawtooth Botanical Garden in Ketchum and the Stanley Museum both offer periodic astronomy programmes. Idaho Conservation League has held overnight treks in the reserve.

Last summer, National Geographic and Au Diable Vert Mountain Station, a Dark Sky Preserve in Glen Sutton, Quebec, near the U.S. border, opened Observ-Étoiless, the first open-air augmented reality planetarium. The theatre, with 184 heated seats, plans to operate nine months each year, providing visitors AR headsets featuring digital overlays of 17th-century illustrations that align with the stars and planets overhead (programs cost about USD$35.30).

Walkway Over the Hudson, the bridge-turned-linear-park between Poughkeepsie and Lloyd on either side of the Hudson River in New York state, added Starwalks last summer, deploying scientists and teachers along the span to talk about special themes, offer nighttime photography tips and staff the telescopes (free).

The province of Alberta, Canada, is home to six Dark Sky Preserves.

One of the world’s largest, the 4,200-square-mile Jasper Dark Sky Preserve in the Canadian Rockies, offers prime stargazing and Northern Lights watches September to May, including ski season.

Fiji Airways Recommendation In the heart of the South Island of New Zealand, the sky is so clear and vast that millions of stars seem to appear right before your eyes.

Unique to the Mackenzie Region, the clear skies found in this part of the world are like nothing else in New Zealand. Very limited light pollution means the views of the night sky seem to stretch on as far as the eye can see.

In 2012, the 4300 square kilometre area was declared the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, with light pollution strictly controlled in the area. It is the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of only eight in the world. Within this reserve is New Zealand’s premier astronomical research centre, the Mount John Observatory, about three hours drive from Christchurch.

Getting there: Fiji Airways flies direct to Christchurch with transport to the Mackenzie region by bus, road or domestic flight to Queenstown.

Keen stargazers will see amazing constellations that can only be seen in the southern hemisphere, including the Southern Cross, to the Magellanic Clouds and the Milky Way.

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Supper or sleep? How about both?

When it comes to choosing meals over rest on those early morning or late night flights, it’s not always the easiest pick to make. And in fact, a research we recently conducted found almost a third (31%) of Aussie passengers regularly skip in-flight meals in favour of some extra shut-eye. As a result, as much as 38% of food was being discarded.

This brought us to the roll out of a new luxury dining experience for our Business Class passengers called ‘Dine on the Ground’, offering them a pre-flight gourmet meal to maximise rest while travelling.

As part of the new experience, Business Class and Premier guests taking either a morning or late evening flight out of Nadi will now be invited to a mouth-watering breakfast/ dinner at the world-class Fiji Airways Premier Lounge before boarding. Breakfast guests can enjoy barista-made coffee, madeto-order breakfast items, a full bakery and a wide selection of fresh fruit juices. This is in addition to our regular buffet offering.

For dinner, signature dishes designed by Fiji Airways executive in-house and guest chefs are on offer. Meals are complemented by signature cocktails, mocktails, a full service bar and the exclusive ‘Fiji Bean Cart’.

“While the inflight experience has improved dramatically over the years across all airlines, the way in which food is served hasn’t changed too much,” said Fiji Airways’ Managing Director and CEO, Andre Viljoen.

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“As an airline, Fiji Airways is all about delivering the best customer experience, so we started to analyse things like food consumption, sleep patterns, and of course feedback from passengers themselves. By moving the dining experience pre-flight, we’re not only able to offer a premium experience but we’re also able to reduce food waste, while maintaining our excellent in-flight catering,” added Viljoen.

Onboard, guests will still have access to a light brunch or supper, such as fruit bowls, gourmet panini, fresh salads, international style tapas and soups. Passengers who have not had the chance to dine in the lounge can still enjoy a three-course meal offering onboard.

However, by dining pre-flight, onboard meals better reflect the time of day and allow guests more time for rest and relaxation.

Health and Wellness expert Mark Bunn believes the initiative has the potential to knock hours off jet-lag, especially for Aussie passengers traveling long-haul to places such as the US.

off, you’re giving your body enough time to digest the food – meaning you’ll be more comfortable and more likely to sleep.

“For medium-to long haul flights across timezones, sleeping is the best way to reduce jetlag. So any initiative that addresses that, is welcomed,” Bunn added.

Economy Class meal service is unchanged, but Economy Class guests are welcome to enjoy the Premier Lounge which allows casual entry at a rate of F$99 per person.

The luxury Dine on the Ground experience is now being served up across the following flights out of Nadi: Dine on the Ground Breakfast • Nadi – Christchurch • Nadi – Hong Kong • Nadi – Wellington (mid-morning service) • Nadi – Sydney (mid-morning service)

“Most of us find it hard enough to sleep on flights but eating large meals onboard will only make that worse due to bloating and indigestion, said Bunn.

• Nadi – Brisbane (mid-morning service)

“The movement and irregular nature of travel makes it much harder to digest food properly.

Try to eat a decent meal a good 1-2 hours before travelling. Once on the flight, eat very lightly. By dining on the ground before take-

À la carte light dining, followed by a full breakfast.

Dine on the Ground Supper (flights over 6 hours):

• Nadi – Los Angeles • Nadi – San Francisco

a Chiang Mai weekend Story: Seth Sherwood/New York Times Photo: David Rama Terrazas Morales/New York Times Company

Traditionally, tourists have trekked to the star of Thailand’s north in search of MEAT: markets, elephants, artisans and temples. And Chiang Mai, a laid-back old riverside city whose population is a fraction of Bangkok’s (more than 8 million), obliges those fantasies. But these days the 700-year-old city is brimming with far more modern attractions, too, namely the works of artists and designers. Thanks to a blossoming creative scene, a Chiang Mai weekend now offers the chance to soak up contemporary art in world-class exhibition spaces, purchase stylish 21st-century design in new shops and craft villages, and sleep in gallery-like new hotels, from the frivolous to the fancy. The culinary and night life scenes are also thriving, with ambitious upstart restaurants and a buzzing bar district joining the city’s traditional eating rooms and street-food zones .

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bangkok

Friday • 5 p.m. HANDMADE HAVEN Handmade creations abound along Charoenrat Road. Siam meets Soho at Woo, a cafe and concept store that blooms with Thai creativity — literally — starting with plants and exquisite floral arrangements. The upstairs art gallery exhibits painting and sculpture, while the boutique’s wide-ranging collection includes rice extract lip balm, minimalist ceramics, kaleidoscopic hippie-chic dresses and a skull covered with tiny white seashells that would make Damien Hirst jealous. Down the street, the Meeting Room Art Cafe is piled with stacks of prints and canvases by local artists — all for sale — while elegant Sop Moei Arts sells textile creations to decorate your body or home, from scarves to embroidered wall hangings.

• 7 p.m. SUNSET ON THE RIVER For a sunset drink on the Ping River, the most stylish hangout is On the Ping in the Sala Lanna hotel. With its swimming pool, white lanterns, white canopies and white couches, the back lawn channels the spirit of St.-Tropez. The menu, meanwhile, includes house cocktails like the Ping River (vodka, lychee, lemongrass and lime), Thai craft beers and even Thai rosé.

• 9 p.m. QUIRKY AND ROMANTIC It looks as if some eccentric, globe-trotting English lord is behind Ginger & Kafe restaurant. Who else would dare add sliced cucumber and toast points to the chicken satay? Who else would include scones in the dessert menu? And who but an aristocratic British bloke would decorate the space with chandeliers, armchairs, Oriental rugs, lacquered chests, flickering candles and other drawing-room accouterments? English lord or not, Ginger & Kafe is a quirkily romantic place to pop the question, or simply your gut — courtesy of braised beef in lime-coconut reduction, pork ribs in tamarind sauce, or a red curry with duck breast and tropical fruits. (A three-course meal for two costs around 1,800 baht).

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Saturday • 10 a.m. WISDOM OF THE WAT First the bad news: “All things arise, exist and expire.” On the other hand: “Detachment is a great way to relax.” Such are just a few of the maxims on signs that adorn trees in Wat Umong, a forested sprawl of temples, pavilions, statues, fountains and lakes. Founded in the late 13th century and still home to many Buddhist monks, the complex is best known for its bell-shaped, 14th-century stone pagoda — reached by stone stairs lined with scaly beasts — and rock caverns filled with Buddha statues and figurines in the niches and alcoves. Beat the heat by arriving in the morning and taking a meditative stroll amid a soundtrack of birds, roosters, chants and bells.

• Noon. A CRAFTY SCHEME The mood shifts from contemplation to creation in the nearby forest clearing containing Baan Kang Wat artisan village. Meandering paths lead to cafes, teahouses, juice stands, funky shops and craft studios selling everything from handmade paper goods to baby clothes.

• 2 p.m. PIG OUT Your lifelong quest to consume spicy frog soup and stirfried ant eggs ends at Huen Muan Jai restaurant, another village-like sprawl of rustic wooden houses and pavilions.

More mainstream meats and fish also make appearances in local specialties like khao soy — a mix of chicken or beef with boiled and crispy noodles in sweet coconut broth — while desserts combine coconut milk with either bananas or corn and sticky rice to ambrosia-like effect. Two can lunch copiously for 600 baht.

• 4 p.m. CREATIVE CORRIDORS You can hardly hurl a beret without hitting an art or design business on Nimmanhaemin Road’s side streets. Local artists have contributed to almost every space in Art Mai? Gallery Hotel, from the themed rooms to the restaurant’s recipes, but nowhere more so than the ground-floor art gallery (well curated, with artist biographies in English)

APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS: FJD1 = THB14 USD1 = THB30

and boutique (which sells drawings and canvases, along with artist-designed scarves and bags).

• 7 p.m. SEAFOOD SPEAKEASY How do you like your crab fat? If you answered, “As a warm brown gravy for a crispy crab meat wonton with pickled local cabbage, please,” then you will get along swimmingly with Blackitch Artisan Kitchen. Another hidden gem off Nimmanhaemin Road, the cult restaurant is not fancy, not romantic, not large, not easy to reserve, not easy to find, and not abounding with choices - the nightly set menu, at 1,800 baht, is the only option. But the imaginative seafoodrich dishes are exceptional: roasted, basted catfish in a juice made from its own head and tail on a velvety sweet purée of lotus seed boiled in coconut oil; or perhaps a seaweed-wrapped mackerel nugget topped with salmon roe on a cube of smoked yuzu-marinated rice larded with river shrimp and pink petals. Whatever the chef’s whim, it will likely be precise, daring and exquisite.

• 10 p.m. BEER AND BOTANICALS Along nearby Nimmanhaemin Road you can travel the world in 80 beers — more, in fact — at Beer Lab. Or you can soar above the city at the open-air rooftop bar of the Hotel Yayee. Plants hang from the rafters and sometimes end up in your drink, too, thanks to botanically infused cocktails (260 baht) like Ananda’s Flyboy (juniper spirit, aloe vera, thyme and white grape).

Accommodations Somebody likes bikes at Room No. 7 Hotel (9 Nimmanhaemin Soi 7), which opened in 2016 in the Nimmanhaemin Road district. Some of the 21 rooms have a motorcycle theme (others are more minimalist white or gray), and common areas are decorated with vintage Vespas and motorbikes.

Doubles from 1,250 baht.

A luxurious and stylish option along the riverfront, the 19room Hotel des Artists Ping Silhouette (181 Charoenrat Road) is a jigsaw of right angles and dark colors with pool, spa, tearoom, restaurant and large groomed backyard lounge along the water. Doubles from 4,000 baht.

Getting there:

Fiji Airways flies from Nadi to Hong Kong with connections to Bangkok via partner airline Cathay Pacific. Chiang Mai is easily reached from Bangkok by train, bus or domestic flight.

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Mementos of Fiji

Here’s our list of what to take back with you to remember your Fiji holiday by

Image Credit: Jacks Of Fiji

MASI Whether it’s a coaster, a placemat set, or a large wall piece, each masi piece is handcrafted by Fijian artisans who have kept this ancient artform alive, passed down through generations of iTaukei women. Different parts of Fiji have varying masi/tapa styles and techniques and each masi motif has a story, so be sure to ask what the motifs on your piece mean.

POSTCARDS Affordable and economical on space, take one or take a dozen back with you and distribute them to your friends and colleagues…after you put yours on your fridge, that is. Postcards are widely available from souvenir shops, bookstores and the Fiji Museum.

Image Credit: Jacks Of FIji

Image Credit: Jacks Of Fiji

Rum Co. Of Fiji

HANDICRAFT

Get your bartender skills on and mix up a cocktail with one of Rum Co. Of Fiji’s delicious brews when you return home. Whether you prefer aged Ratu Rum in Dark, Spiced or Signature liqueur or their 2 year Bati flavored Rums like Coconut, Coffee, White Chocolate or Banana, the taste of Fiji awaits.

Take a wander through the local souvenir markets for an interesting insight into Fijian culture and society. There are countless mementos you can take back with you, from an embellished tanoa (the vessel used to serve kava from) which you can repurpose to keep your fruit in, shell jewellery, wood carvings, wind chimes, and colourful hand printed home products. Keep an eye on the Fijian Made tags so you know you’re getting a genuine Fijian crafted product and supporting the local industry.

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Image Credit: Bhikha Bhai and Company Ltd

FIJI PEARLS

SWEETS

Nothing says Pacific luxury like pearls, and with J.Hunter Pearls, you’ll not only have beautiful, unique pearls to show off, but also a great story behind them to tell.

J.Hunter Pearls work in close partnership with local communities to preserve the pristine environment while farming some of the world’s most distinctive pearl hues

One of the great things about Fiji is its multiculturalism, and this is no more evident than through the different foods you find. Bean carts, which sell more than just bean, are a unique and iconic Fijian twist on the trend of food trucks and have been around for generations in many Fijian towns and cities. Different sweet shops now flight-package a selection of these sweets and savouries to take back with you.

Image Credit: Tourism Fiji

KAVA

SCENTS OF FIJI

They say you haven’t been to Fiji if you haven’t had kava.

And while it can be an acquired taste, those who do take a liking to the drink, which is known for its calming and soothing properties, can buy ‘instant’ kava packs from many souvenir shops. Fiji Kava also produces kava extract capsules for those looking for a natural alternative to sleep medication.

Remember balmy afternoons by the beach with tropical scents wafting through the air. Pamper yourself and retain that summer glow, even in the winter, with beauty and body products from Fiji. Some of our favourites are Pure Fiji, Reniu, and Naturally Fiji.

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samOa

A mOdern treasure Island Story: Ben Mack Photo: David Kirkland courtesy of Samoa Tourism Authority

“In the immediate nearness of the gold, all else had been forgotten: his promise and the doctor’s warning were both things of the past, and I could not doubt that he hoped to seize upon the treasure.”

So writes Robert Louis Stevenson in his famous novel Treasure Island.

The book may be more than 130 years old, but that particular passage was pounding in my head – and seemingly consuming my entire being, like a great cloud swallowing a lone steel tower or entire city in fog – as we trudged along the jungle path. The lofty palm trees forming a sagging canopy overhead, sunlight filtered through the leafy ceiling in strange, abstract patterns, like something from a Picasso painting.

Aside from our footfall, the drip, drip of water was heard all around – above, below, ahead, behind and to the right and left of us – akin to a 48

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hundred sinks that hadn’t been turned off all the way.

Stevenson’s words were heavy in the warm, moist air – which carried with it the sweet scent that only the tropics can produce – for another, far more obvious reason: we were on our way to his final resting place.

On of the Victorian era’s most famous writers, Stevenson spent the final years of his life in the South Pacific – and the Samoan island of Upolu in particular. In 1890, he bought a 160-hectare (400-acre) plot of land in the village of Vailima. Taking the name “Tusitala” (which means “Teller of tropical paradise, to the grave of possibly the South Pacific’s most famous immigrant?

The higher we went, the higher too our hopes became for what we might see and experience. Dripping with sweat and muscles on fire, but thankful we’d brought plenty of water bottles to stave off heatstroke or terrible headaches caused by dehydration it seemed like we’d been tramping for hours. Or had it only been a few minutes? That’s another great thing about visiting Vailima, and really the entire South Pacific – time doesn’t seem to have the same meaning as it does in the rest of the world.

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Another key moment in Treasure Island is what happens once the buried treasure is discovered: when the pirates reach it, they find that (spoiler) the chest is empty! Somewhat similarly, there’s a chest up near the top of Mount Vaea – that’s Robert Louis Stevenson’s tomb. But unlike those terrible pirates, we were not about to check if there was anything inside.

Like Jim Hawkins must have felt then, we too felt a sense of relief once we’d suddenly reached our goal, even if the journey was a bit more taxing than we could ever have expected. Finding a dry spot to sit down for a moment to rest and take in the scenery before the journey back down the mountain, our expedition wasn’t one that made us materially wealthy (the opposite, in fact, as we took a taxi from Apia to Vailima). But we’d done it: we’d ascended the mountain. Our reward: wealth beyond our wildest dreams – at least a wealth of memories.

That, and our own tale of adventure – involving one of the world’s most famous tellers of adventure tales – to tell.

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Getting there: Fiji Airways flies direct from Nadi to Apia, Samoa up to 4 times a week.

explOre FREE DIVE

VANUATU

52 PLACES

NEW YORK

SYDNEY

Explore, Near and Far. A fiery volcano, freedive encounters, museum for Lady Liberty and Sydney rediscovered.

Photo: Tourism Fiji

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MaNta rays fOr days Story: Nora Walsh/C.2017 New York Times Company

Where to Learn to Free Dive A growing number of travellers want to master free diving, the practice of diving on a single breath, to explore the underwater world.

Resorts around the world are offering guests a chance to get beneath the surface without bulky scuba equipment through on-property certification courses and guided dives yearround. The increase in demand has also prompted the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI, to establish a free-diver instructor certification programme, making free diving (also known as breath-hold or apnea diving) a more accessible recreational activity.

“Free diving is part physical and part mental in that it involves understanding the body’s signals and remaining calm when the urge to breathe develops underwater,” said Eric Albinsson, a programmes specialist with the professional diving instructors’ association.

“The body can still go for quite some time before a breath is required.”

Upon certification, guests can explore Fiji’s clear waters and see coral reefs and colourful angel, nemo and parrot fish, turtles, dolphins and reef sharks. From May through October, guests can also free dive with the island’s famous 2,000-pound manta rays with wingspans stretching up to 20 feet.

For free divers willing to brave colder waters, Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort in Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Canada, takes guests on guided free dives to see box crabs, starfish and edible sea urchins. The resort also offers alpine lake free diving; travelling by helicopter, divers can immerse themselves in pristine glacial lakes to see huge underwater cliffs. Wilderness and wildlife free-diving packages start at $3,645 and include accommodations, meals, floatplane transfers and some excursions. Free-diving certification is an additional $1,000, based on a group of five.

Joseph Donne, a dive instructor, encourages anyone interested in the aquatic realm to learn to free dive because it’s a skill that can be used anytime, anywhere.

“Another good reason,” he added, “is that the breathing and relaxation techniques are also highly beneficial when applied to life outside the water.”

Travellers interested in getting their feet wet can head to Mantaray Island Resort in Fiji (rooms from $130, including meals), where two-day beginner Scuba School International free-diving courses can be arranged upon arrival (from $250).

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Image Copyright: McLennan Photography/Manta Ray Island

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vaNuatu

Adventurous tanna Story and Photos: Tom Vierus

Volcanoes, Trees and Traditions Almost 250 years ago the English explorer James Cook was astonished by the glowing night sky over the Vanuatuan island of Tanna caused by the erupting Yasur volcano.

When he lay anchor in a bay in 1774, which he at the time named after his ship “Resolution Port”, Cook was stunned by the abundant resources on the lushly forested island.

Only a fifty-minute flight from Vanuatu’s capital city of Port Vila, Tanna is conveniently located within the archipelago of 83 islands.

Touching down at Whitegrass Airport, visitors will quickly notice that the 550 square kilometre island is for the adventurous traveller.

If time is limited, it’s best to organise a volcano trip as soon as possible as Mount Yasur is definitely the highlight of every Tanna visit.

Reaching the vicinity of the volcano, the landscape changes dramatically and you’ll reach the black and brown ash planes at the foot of the volcano.

As a photographer, I am immediately astonished by the uniqueness of the landscape; vast black desert-like vistas fringed by lush green forests, and dominating it all is Mount Yasur with its continuously rising smoke clouds.

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Towards the Rim - an experience of a lifetime After a ceremony at the foot of the mountain, pickups take us almost up to the rim of the volcano. We follow incredibly steep roads carved along the slope of the mountain, hot steam rises from the ground reminding us there is magma in the earth, as hot as 1300 degrees Celsius.

From a plateau where we are dropped, only a few hundred metres divide us and the rim of an erupting volcano. The feeling is extraordinary and it is evidently clear that nature’s full force is on display.

Moving along the edge of the mountain, we finally get a good look at the glowing and torrid lava. Every few minutes a loud series of bangs and rumbles announces an eruption with lava pieces being spat high into the air.

The sulphur smells, the moving and shaking earth, the sounds and the pure raw energy of mother earth is striking and leaves everyone in absolute fascination. Having travelled to many captivating destinations around the world, Mount Yasur is really something special and high up in my top five adventures!

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vaNuatu The largest Banyan tree in Vanuatu For visitors who are not so keen to come face to face with a live volcano, there are plenty of other activities to keep you busy. The largest Banyan tree calls this island home and is a sight in itself. No one knows how old it really is, but the sheer size suggests hundreds of years.

This impressive Banyan tree makes an interesting tour with great photo opportunities. While Banyans originally came from India, they integrated perfectly into the native vegetation around the Pacific and are part of several local custom ceremonies. From here, an additional visit to one of the kustom villages is a great idea. Kustom describes the traditional way of living and still holds a very important meaning in Vanuatu.

Tanna’s connection to Hollywood There are several other options for learning more about the culture and local traditions, so best ask your local resort to help you organise a visit. The most impressive kustom village I experienced was the Yakel village in the centre of Tanna.

The Academy Award-nominated movie “Tanna” directed by two Australians was filmed here. All actors in the film were villagers from Yakel and the Romeo and Juliet type love story is told in the local Nauvhal language with English subtitles.

Joining a guided tour through parts of the village is an intense cultural experience, especially for those interested in Pacific culture and traditions. Just before we are picked up, we are fare welled by an impressive kustom dance on the main arena of the village. The dancing and singing performed in this extraordinarily beautiful place is moving, the perfect closing to my great Tanna adventure.

Too much to do, too little time The activity list on Tanna goes on with traditional Blackmagic tours, stunning black sand beaches and, of course, snorkelling and diving. Having just opened its doors to divers about three years ago, Tanna’s reefs are unspoiled and in stunning condition. One of the future challenges will be to manage incoming tourist streams and to keep the island pristine and the tourism sustainable.

Getting there: Fiji Airways flies direct to Port Vila with various transfer options to Tanna

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in fiji A ‘Reluctant Swimmer’

Jumps In

Story: Jada Yuan/C.2018 New York Times Company

Image Credit: Tourism Fiji

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Jada Yuan was the New York Times’ 52 Places columnist in 2018. This dispatch brought her to Fiji, which took the No. 24 spot.

It was the 45th stop on Jada’s itinerary.

Remember to Breathe I tried to remember my Fijian instructor’s directive: “The most important thing is to breathe.” Weighted down with an oxygen tank and a belt of stones around my waist, I sunk below the surface of the South Pacific on my first-ever attempt at scuba diving. My breathing was fine; my mind just couldn’t compute that this was possible. I surfaced and ripped out the mouthpiece. “I can’t do this,” I said.

I grew up in landlocked New Mexico and qualify as a “reluctant swimmer,” according to the YMCA where I took swimming lessons for the first time since childhood last year. Snorkeling comes easy to me — close to the surface, a constant source of air — but going deeper didn’t cross my mind until I got a message from a friend who’d spent his honeymoon on a dive boat in Fiji with his equally scuba-loving wife.

Fiji’s 333 islands and the warm ocean between them have some of the most colourful soft-coral reefs in the world, home to turtles, sharks and a gazillion twirling, neon fish. If my friends John and Heather had travelled across the world to see those underwater treasures, how could I miss out?

Being in an unfamiliar environment is the perfect time to try new things, and I can think of few places on this 52 Places trip that have been as different from where I’d been living (New York City) as Fiji. Back home, I loved my routines. But here on the road, I’ve felt a freedom to push myself, whether it’s been paragliding in Lucerne, Switzerland, eating an ant taco in La Paz, Bolivia, or jumping off a cliff into a freezing river while “canyoning” in Megève, France.

Emboldened, I signed up for a tandem scuba dive with Captain Cook Cruises, which would let me try the experience without going through a certification process. Once my initial freak-outs dissipated, my instructor, Joe Lum-On, helped me descend a

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little at a time, flashing an OK sign with his fingers and asking me to nod and flash one back at each stage. My ears hurt from the pressure as we linked arms, like we were doing a square dance, and moved forward. I had to stop myself from gasping as we came upon schools of tiny blue devil damselfish, or my favourites, parrotfish, in such a riot of neon they could have been crafted in Las Vegas. Joe picked up a sea cucumber and a blue starfish and let me pet them. We didn’t dare touch the sea urchins poking their spines out of coral nooks and giant clams that I’d heard could cut a person’s limbs off.

When Joe pulled out a loaf of bread and the fish began to swarm around us, I was so fascinated I didn’t notice that I’d stopped reminding myself to breathe.

The Real Fiji So much of Fiji felt thrillingly, spectacularly unfamiliar. Unlike many tourist destinations on this 52 Places trip, the real Fiji never seemed far away.

Each day, I’d set out for a drive on the left side of the road, with horses and cows and dogs crossing at will. At Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, I befriended a hotel worker, Inia Nailiko, who’d proven particularly helpful when my rental car broke down. As a thank you, I took him and his wife, Sera, for a ride down the coast. They told me about their courtship process, which involved meeting in church and dating chastely for a year before Inia declared his intentions, in traditional Fijian fashion, by presenting a whale’s tooth and several drums of kerosene to Sera’s family.

On a wonderful jet boat safari along Fiji’s longest river, the Sigatoka, I visited a village of around 70 people, where we ate a home-cooked meal, sang and danced, and drank kava, a ceremonial drink made from a dried root that makes your tongue numb. And I sated my newfound addiction for all things under the sea with half a day on a private boat with a local islander, Nox. For 400 Fijian dollars ($186, a steal), he took me to a sandbar in the middle of the ocean next to a reef so full of shapes in bright greens and purples it could have been drawn

by Disney cartoonists. I jumped in without hesitation.

Image Credit: Frogfish Photography (UK).

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Riding the Waves “Are you ready to catch some waves?” asked the Fiji Surf Co. instructor Koto Vakamoce when he picked me up in the company van, surfboards stacked on top.

I was not ready, I said, half-joking, but I had already paid for an introductory lesson and we were on our way, so it seemed like this was happening.

An hour south of Nadi, Koto turned onto a hilly dirt road, which led to beautiful Natadola Beach, where loose horses moseyed around. Our surfing spot would be in front of the Intercontinental Hotel, where the waves broke far from shore at high tide — gentle enough for a newbie like me.

Koto wasn’t much of a talker, which helped make for simple instructions.

On shore, he ran through his four basic commands. “On your board,” “ready,” “paddle” and “stand up!” I would start out on a super-buoyant, 10-foot board and, if all went well, would graduate to a nine-footer.

And without much ado, we were in the water, Koto leading me through small waves that appeared utterly massive. I was freaking out, until I realised that the water was shallow enough for my feet to touch the bottom.

By the end of three hours with Koto, I had stood up more times than I could count. I loved the feeling of flying across the water, past kayakers and boogie boarders. I loved it when Koto high-fived me after

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a particularly good ride and told me, “That was your best wave. I didn’t push you. You paddled it all by yourself.”

As the sun set, Koto asked me if I wanted to go in. “One more wave,” I told him. “Or two, or three, or four.”

Practical Tips Sun protection: If you are prone to getting sunburned, go snorkeling and surfing in a long-sleeved shirt and leggings. No matter how strong your SPF, sustained sun-exposure can do you in. Let my painful, bright-red upper back and thighs be a lesson.

Eat: The Indian food here is as authentic as it gets, made by the descendants of Indian nationals who were brought over as indentured servants. The real surprise — and what I ate every single day — is fish in coconut. Try kokoda, a ceviche made with coconut milk and lime.

I’ve been craving the coconut fish curry at the beachside, Fijian-owned He-Ni-Uwa restaurant on the Coral Coast ever since I tried it.

Stay: Fiji lodging seems to fall into four categories: isolated outer-island retreats, family- and honeymooner-friendly resorts, beach bungalows and backpacker lodges. I started off at the beautiful Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, but felt most at home down on the Coral Coast at funkier beachside lodges like Tabua Sands, Fiji Hideaway and Yatule Beach, or the gorgeous backpacker complex Beach House, where each private hut has an outdoor bathroom. Wi-Fi was inconsistent or nonexistent everywhere, which makes sense for one of the most remote parts of the world. Consider it an opportunity to truly unplug.

demystifying

Kava

Why not all kava is equal, and how technology and science is shedding more light on this mysterious elixir Used in the South Pacific for over 3,000 years in traditional kava ceremonies, kava has historically been known for its relaxation and therapeutic benefits. Nowadays, the benefits of medicinal kava is widely recognised in western markets as a safer, natural alternative to prescriptive medicines such as Valium and Xanax.

In the case of kava, a range of phytochemicals known as kavalactones are responsible for the soothing and sedative effect experienced by drinkers.

With many plants, leaves are predominantly used for their health-giving or nutritional effects; with kava, the magic happens underground.

The piper methysticum (kava) plant is a member of the pepper family. The kavalactones are concentrated in its rootstock and roots, rather than the leaves or stems. This is why ‘real’ kava is made only from the roots; using any other parts of the plant will damage the quality and may even lead to toxicity.

There has been a lot of discussion recently regarding kava quality. With the lifting of the European ban, Pacific nations are now more committed than ever to maintain a high standard of kava for export.

There is considerable vested interest in this too – for the economies of the Pacific nations as well as the livelihoods of the kava farmers in those nations.

So why the need for kava standards? What actually affects kava quality?

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KAVA VARIATIONS Kava has always varied in quality and farmers have identified the different strains, based on their physical appearance, the brew produced from its roots, and the physical and psychological effects produced through consumption.

The biggest factor in quality is strength and predictability of the kavalactones present in kava root. Kava is not quite so simple; there is not just one type of kavalactone contained in it. Eighteen are found and of these, six are generally measured, as they account for 90 percent of the kavalactones commonly found.

In Vanuatu alone, there is an estimated 80 varieties of kava, and Fiji has many other varieties. These are the two largest producing nations in the Pacific.

Kava varieties can be broken down into three basic types: • Noble kava • Tudei (‘Two-days’) kava • Wild kavas In its most basic definition, Noble Kava is high standard, cultivated kava that can be exported in root or supplement form. It is free from toxins and impurities.

Tudei kava is a particularly potent strain. This strain is prohibited from international export, however, often makes its way onto the market.

Tudei kava can damage the reputation of kava as it may cause nausea and other unpleasant side effects. It is so-called ‘two-day’ as the effects can last up to 48 hours.

Wild kava is another inferior variety grown in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

WHAT FACTORS AFFECT KAVA QUALITY? The overall quality of kava you enjoy in your beverages, shots, capsules, or powder form depends on several factors: • The variety • The age of the plant (Usually harvested after 3-5 years of growth) • The part of the plant used (Roots, stumps, or basal stems) • The cultivation method (Organic vs non-organic, soil fertility, sunlight exposure) • The geographic origin These factors all affect the appearance, consistency and most importantly, the kavalactone content of the kava. The ‘chemotype’ of the kava describes its chemical make-up and will help you understand more about the kavalactones present in the variety you consume.

As you sit back and relax with Fiji Kava’s Noble Kava extract, you are probably not thinking too much about what’s in it. And there’s no need.

Fiji Kava have done the work to produce elite kava of the highest quality – and now you know a little more about the factors that make it so.

Simply feel the calm wash over you – welcome to fijiness.

Visit fijikava.com for more information or to place an order *TGA and FDA compliant and listed as a complementary medicine in Australia, and sold as a dietary supplement in most other international markets.

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illumiNating

lIberty NEW STATUE OF LIBERTY MUSEUM SHEDS LIGHT ON A FORGOTTEN HISTORY Story: Julia Jacobs/C.2019 New York Times News Service Photo: George Etheredge/The New York Times

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ach year about 4.5 million people shuffle off the ferries that service Liberty Island to see up close the famous torch-wielding Roman goddess towering above them.

But security concerns stemming from the September 11 attacks led the National Park Service to restrict the number of people who could go inside the statue’s massive stone pedestal, and up to the crown. The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation wanted to offer something more for visitors who found the outdoor view less than satisfying: a stand-alone museum on the island that would welcome everyone who wanted to hear the story behind Lady Liberty.

In May this year, the Statue of Liberty Museum opened its doors on the island, offering details about how French workers constructed their 150-foot-tall gift to America, as well as how the statue became a symbol of freedom across the world.

Recognising the need to focus on more than just the vague ideal of “liberty,” the museum’s designers highlight the doubts of black Americans and women who saw their personal liberties compromised on a daily basis in the 1880s, when the statue opened. They also spotlight a bit of history that is often forgotten: that the French creators intended the statue as a commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the United States.

Here are four of the museum’s central messages.

A Celebration of Emancipation Museum visitors will learn that the man who originated the idea for the statue, the legal thinker Édouard René Lefèbvre de Laboulaye, was also a staunch abolitionist who was known in the United States for his Civil War-era pamphlets defending the Union cause.

In an early model of the statue by the French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi from 1870, Lady Liberty is depicted holding broken chains in her left hand, a clear reference to emancipation. Bartholdi based the statue on the Roman goddess Libertas, who is usually depicted wearing a Phrygian cap, traditionally worn by freed Roman slaves.

In Bartholdi’s final model, the broken chains in the statue’s hand were replaced with a tablet that represented the rule of law. Bartholdi placed the broken shackle and chains beneath Lady Liberty’s feet, making it nearly impossible for visitors to see at most angles.

“In a way, it’s a hidden secret,” said Edwin Schlossberg, who led the design of the museum. “You can’t see them unless you’re in a helicopter.”

A 10-minute documentary shown in the museum includes an aerial shot of the statue, allowing many visitors to see those broken chains for the first time.

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A Shift to an Emblem of Immigration It is far more common to associate the Statue of Liberty with immigration rather than emancipation. But it wasn’t until years after the statue’s dedication that it became an icon for the waves of immigrants seeking a better life in the United States.

The statue opened with much fanfare on Oct. 28, 1886. That was six years before the government opened Ellis Island, the inspection site that more than 12 million immigrants would pass through in the decades to come.

In an effort to raise money for the statue’s pedestal, Emma Lazarus wrote the 1883 poem “The New Colossus,” describing the statue welcoming the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The poem wasn’t affixed to the pedestal until 1903, after Lazarus’s death.

In the museum, visitors will hear recordings of immigrants remembering the moment they first caught sight of the statue on their way to the United States.

“It’s hard to believe for a while that you’re really going to be in this country, but when you see the Statue of Liberty, you know it’s there,” one voice said. “It’s thrilling.”

missing from the previous experience of visiting the landmark, said Alan M. Kraut, an American University professor who chaired the museum’s history advisory committee. While the museum is intended to celebrate the concept of liberty, Kraut said, it also pokes holes in it.

“It’s an incomplete message in a lot of ways,” he said. “Liberty was denied to many, many people when the statue was first being conceived.”

A Symbol Beyond America Each ferry pulling up to the island could be a floating United Nations. Of the millions of people travelling to see the Statue of Liberty each year, many are visiting the United States from other countries.

As a result, the museum offers audio tours in 12 different languages. It also infuses its imagery with historical social justice movements throughout the world. The documentary at the beginning of the museum positions photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela with throngs of supporters beside photographs depicting Women’s Marches in the United States.

In one photo, protesters at a disability rights rally in Germany displayed a model of Lady Liberty in a wheelchair. Another photo shows a plaster version of the statue at the 1989 pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square.

For Many, the Statue Was a Broken Promise The museum doesn’t shy away from the fact that this symbol of “universal liberty” was far from a reality for people of colour and women during the late 19th century and for decades afterward.

This skepticism toward the statue, which continued into the modern era, was notably

“Half of the people who come here are not Americans,” said Stephen A. Briganti, the president of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, which funds the museum. “We’re telling the American story for the world.”

Access to the museum is free with the purchase of a ferry ticket to Liberty and Ellis Islands, with ferries departing from Battery Park in Manhattan and Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey.

More details: statueoflibertymuseum.org, statuecruises.com

Getting there: Fiji Airways flies direct to Los Angeles and San Francisco with connections to New York’s JFK on partner airline American Airlines.

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Out of tHe suN, sydney

still sHines A New York-based Australian rediscovers a city transformed Story: Tony Perrottet /New York Times News Service Photo: Andrew Quilty/New York Times Company

The late, great Australian art critic Robert Hughes once complained that “Crocodile Dundee” is still regarded by many Americans as a work of social realism. A rhetorical exaggeration, of course, but he had a point. As an Australian living in New York, I’ve long been puzzled at the dominance of charming clichés about the country as a sun-dappled frontier.

I protest to friends in vain that Australia has a lot more to offer than rampant hedonism and cuddly koalas. Its cities are wildly cosmopolitan, I argue, and even, dare I say, sophisticated. Its museums are packed, its cultural life raucous, and endless arts festivals clutter the social calendar.

The gulf between image and reality is most extreme in Sydney, my hometown, which is renowned for its Riolike natural beauty. It’s also known for the Sydney Opera House, an instantly recognisable piece of architecture.

And so, as the polar vortex was enveloping the United States and Australia was basking in the glory of the antipodean summer, I escaped the frozen sidewalks of New York to emerge Down Under, blinking like a startled marsupial in the shimmering light.

Heroically, on this visit, I resisted the siren call of Sydney Harbour and the beaches. Instead, I stalked the creative populace of the city, who exist in a parallel dimension to the classic tourist trail. Over the next 10 days, I was reminded

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just how original and imaginative Sydney’s inner life could be.

First stop, a check-in at the QT, a psychedelic “art hotel” that bills itself as an “urban playground.” It was a long way from the glitzy high-rise lodgings that are the vogue in Sydney. The hotel is installed within a restored menswear store from the 1920s, and its décor evokes a Jean Cocteau dream sequence set in a high-class bordello.

The QT was the ideal base to explore the “inner city,” which comprises a number of bohemian neighbourhoods surrounding the central business district that many firsttime visitors often don’t even notice.

As a sentimental gesture, I hopped a cab straight to Edward Street, where I used to live as a student in a gritty neighborhood called Chippendale. The streets were now quiet and leafy, and my old flophouse-terrace was freshly painted and overflowing with flowers. Even more shocking to me, Chippendale has been established as a nonprofit “Creative Precinct” with its own “Urban Walkabout” art tour. A foldout map directed me to galleries with names like Pompom and Kaleidoscope, as well as White Rabbit, a former factory that now houses a cutting-edge museum of Chinese contemporary art, complete with soothing teahouse. Nearby, a Gothic Revival church had been turned into the NG Art Gallery, where a reception was in full swing.

Getting there: Fiji Airways flies direct to Sydney daily.

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I bounced around the established galleries in Paddington and Woollahra, including Roslyn Oxley9, a light-filled space hidden below a sandstone bluff, and Olsen Irwin, where the calibre of art would be perfectly at home in one of the galleries beside New York’s High Line.

The most evocative art site was tucked away in Surry Hills, back near the busy business center: the studio of Brett Whiteley, whose voluptuous use of light and color redefined modern Australian painting.

Strolling around the promenade of Circular Quay, another popular tourist spot, I averted my eyes from the green-and-yellow harbour ferries departing for white-sand beaches, to read the edifying plaques of the Sydney Writers Walk underfoot. Each bronze disc offers quotes from local wordsmiths, some obscure to outsiders (colonial poet Henry Lawson), others recognised (Patrick White, Nobel Prize laureate of 1973), as well as a couple of American literary visitors, Jack London and Mark Twain, who declared after a visit in 1895 that Australia’s storybook history reads “like the most beautiful lies.” (It even quotes cranky Australian poet A.D. Hope, who disparaged the country as a land “Where second hand Europeans pullulate / Timidly on the edge of alien shores.”)

I was starting to accept that every art experience in Sydney is somehow enhanced by nature. The stroll to the Art Gallery of New South Wales passed eucalyptus groves alive with native birds. “La Bohème” at the Opera House was preceded by cocktails on a balcony in the velvety summer dusk. A play at the Sydney Theatre Company was followed by an oyster supper at the End of the Wharf, where you can casually watch the water craft parading below.

“I think the physical beauty of Sydney is an important element for a sense of possibility in the arts,” director Neil Armfield, who worked with such young unknowns as Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Geoffrey Rush, told me later.

“When you grow up here, you have a sense of being surrounded by something miraculous. It alters the framework inside of you somehow.”

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visit SINGAPORE

SUVA

RUGBY

Singapore Sojourn The lion city is stamping itself as a go-to destination, more than just a connecting hub.

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singapOre sojourN From a British trading port in the 1800s, to becoming one of the world’s most progressive and prolific countries; Singapore continues to develop in leaps and bounds across many areas- and the world continues to watch, fascinated with this island nation that continues to evolve and reinvent itself. Foodies, action-seekers, culture shapers, explorers and collectors have found themselves a destination that ticks all the boxes in fabulous fashion.

Getting there: Fiji Airways flies direct to Singapore up to 3 times a week.

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Here are some of our top picks that make the Lion City

A MUST VISIT! Singapore Flyer Standing at a stunning 165m from the ground, the Singapore Flyer is Asia’s Largest Giant Observation Wheel and offers breathtaking, panoramic views of the Marina Bay and beyond. There’s also a range of shops, restaurants and facilities.

The newest addition to the Singapore Flyer experience is FLYER 360+, a multimedia in-capsule experience that elevates the flight experience with its rich content on Singapore history, culture and iconic landmarks. If you like dining with a view, indulge in a multi-sensory dining experience with the Singapore Flyer Sky Dining or toast to the good things in life with the Premium Champagne Flight.

Opening Hours: 8.30am – 10.30pm (Last admission at 10.15pm)

Gardens by the Bay A sprawling garden and premier horticultural attraction containing more than 1.5 million plants, Gardens by the Bay is a showpiece of horticulture and garden artistry that presents the plant kingdom in a whole new way; entertaining while educating visitors with plants seldom seen in this part of the world. Clink wine glasses atop Supertree Grove, grab that Instagram worthy shot at the new Floral Fantasy exhibit, or do a double take when you spot the 1000 year old olive tree.

Two Conservatories: Adult – SGD 28 Child (3-12 yo) – SGD 12 ATTRACTION BUNDLE Enjoy up to 15% off ticket prices when you purchase the Attraction Bundle, which includes entry to the Conservatories, Floral Fantasy and unlimited rides on the Shuttle Service.

Marina Bay Sands High on the list of many travellers, whether for its architectural and design prowess, or for that famous infinity pool shot, Marina Bay Sands has become the modern day emblem of Singapore. The integrated resort comprises convention and exhibition facilities, 2,561 hotel rooms and suites, and the Sands Theatre that features Broadway and West End musicals. Sitting 57 floors aboveground is the Sands SkyPark with its iconic 150-metrelong infinity pool – the world’s largest rooftop pool. Alongside are highly rated restaurants, hip bars, nightclubs and an observation deck to take in sweeping, 360-degree views of the city. The resort’s luxury mall, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, features an extensive selection of designer boutiques, celebrity chef restaurants and dining options. The integrated resort is also home to the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum, and Spectra, a kaleidoscopic outdoor light and water show that takes place nightly over the waters fronting the Event Plaza.

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Singapore Zoo Set in a rainforest environment, Singapore Zoo’s world-famous “Open Concept” offers the opportunity to experience and be inspired by the wonders of nature. Home to more than 2,400 specimens of over 300 species, 34 per cent of which are threatened, the Zoo has attained a strong reputation internationally for its conservation initiatives and breeding programmes. Clear out an entire day for an immersive, fun excursion with the family.

Admission Ticket Adult – SGD 35 Child (3-12 yo) – SGD 23 MULTI-PARK TICKETS Save when you book Multi-park tickets which provide admission to the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Safari and/or Jurong Bird Park.

Food It’s pretty clear by now that Singapore are the class overachievers that ace everything. But if there was one thing that they KNOW how to do with panache and pizazz, it’s got to be food!

Singaporeans love their food, all kinds of food, from all around the world, across all budgets.

Food is literally a way of life in Singapore, what with an abundance of fine-dining digs, affordable restaurants, hawker centres, and bars packed to the brim all hours of the day, you will never go hungry.

There are many places to go for food but some are concentrated in certain neighbourhoods – all the more appealing when you’re keen for a culinary journey.

Their passion for gastronomy is apparent, in fact, Singapore is the 8th most Michelin Starred city in the world.

While there, do not miss the Rosemary Smoked Organic Egg by Odette, rated 28th in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and 1st in Asia!

Sentosa Island Sentosa is the holiday getaway destination; a sunny island just off Singapore’s southern coast, home to exciting events, themed attractions, award-winning spas, lush rainforests, golden sandy beaches and resort-style hotels.

From free attractions, nature and wildlife explorations, beach bars and beaches, shopping, and a seemingly unending selection of dining options- you could spend a few hours or entire days on Sentosa Island.

Resorts World Sentosa, a zone within the island, is home to some of Singapore’s leading attractions: the S.E.A. Aquarium (one of the world’s largest oceanariums), Universal Studios Singapore, the Maritime Experiential Museum, and Adventure Cove Waterpark. If you still have energy for more, check out the Trick Eye Museum, featuring various optical illusion artworks and installations. A myriad of celebrity chef restaurants and dining experiences, varied retail offerings, a convention centre, and an award-winning spa also await you.

It is worth basing yourself on the island for the convenience of proximity to all the attractions on offer. Resorts World Sentosa itself boasts 6 hotel options, with there being 12 more across the island. On your final night, the best way to end your stay is at the Wings of Time, a show of spectacular laser, fire and water effects, set to a majestic soundtrack, complete with jaw dropping fireworks!

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Mustafa Centre Located in the cultural precinct of Little India, Mustafa Centre is a 24/7 shopping mall where shoppers can get almost anything from over 300,000 items displayed across four levels, covering an area of 400,000 square feet, within the six story building along Syed Alwi Road.

Rarely seen without a bustling crowd of customers, Mustafa Centre is a cult favourite in the Singapore shopping scene.

Copyright © 2019 WBEI

Crazy Rich Asians – BTS Food Tour

by Wok N’ Stroll Inspired by the popular film, “Crazy Rich Asians”, the itinerary will take you through the most beautiful Singapore landmarks featured in the movie and tell you all the secrets from behind the scenes.

Start your journey at CHIJMES, a historic Catholic Convent, that is now home to buzzing eateries, bars and the wedding hall that hosted one of Hollywood’s most iconic wedding scenes. While there, you will feast on Singapore’s scrumptious seafood, at New Ubin Seafood, a Bib Gourmand restaurant. Your journey will continue at Lau Pa Sat, Singapore’s grand dame of hawker centres, built in the 19th century and gazetted as a national monument in 1973. Your adventure will culminate at the world’s highest craft brewery, where you can take in the breathtaking skyline, with a Singapore Sling in hand.

Tour Duration 3-4 hours Price (including all food & drink in the itinerary) SGD 250/Per Person (Min 5 pax) SGD 350/Per Person (Min 2 pax)

Chilli Crab Yes, there’s already a section on food, but you have not been to Singapore if you haven’t tried Singapore chilli crab, so it gets its own mention.

The crab is divine but the sauce is the star – sweet yet savoury, slightly spicy and supremely satisfying. You will get it all over your fingers as you crack open the crab shells, and it is simply impossible not to lick it all up. And you will go back for more, dipping fried or steamed buns, called mantou, to soak up the sauce – a delightful blend of tomatoes and chilli paste, thickened with ribbons of beaten eggs. Chilli crab is among Singapore’s greatest culinary inventions, the king of all crab dishes. It is easily available in most seafood restaurants, which typically serve it with mud crabs that have deliciously sweet and juicy flesh.

Bugis Street Bugis Street, one of Singapore’s most iconic areas, has since shaken off its ‘naughty’ side and become a lively hub of shopping, fine dining, and trendy cafés and bars, which stay open long into the night. Bugis Street Market lies at the epicentre of it all – you can easily find it right next to the malls near Bugis MRT Station.

Housing over 800 shops, Bugis Street is the biggest market in Singapore. Here you can find bargains for souvenirs, accessories, clothes, electronics, houseware, cosmetics and more. At the centre of the shops are a whole range of stalls selling local eats and drinks to provide you with fuel for your shopping spree.

Most of the stalls open early (around 11am), and stay open until the crowds leave, which usually is around 10pm or 11pm on the weekends.

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City Guide Our top picks of where to stay, play and dine in Fiji’s capital city Suva

See • Fiji Museum A treasure trove of Fiji and Pacific antiquity, from natural history, ancient maritime exhibit, and Fiji’s Girmit history. Visitors can explore archaeological material dating back 3,700 years and cultural objects representing both Fiji’s indigenous inhabitants and the other communities that have settled in the island group over the past 200 years.

• Watch a rugby match If timing proves right, make an effort to watch a live rugby game at the ANZ National Stadium. Fijians are crazy about the game and a live experience cheering with them will become something you’ll not easily forget.

Play • Colo-i-Suva Forest Park Just 20 minutes from Suva (without traffic) you will find Colo-i-Suva Forest Park, the perfect place for some much needed reconnection with nature. Spread over 2.5 square kilometres, you can choose from bird watching, hiking the various trails, shinrin-yoku, swimming in one of the many natural pools, and have a go at the rope swing. Fork out the extra FJ$30 to have an experienced guide take you through the park and explain all the exciting flora and fauna found in the park. You might spot a Fiji Boa

• Pure Fiji Quite the local secret, Pure Fiji factory have regular Saturday sales that see those travelling pick up their stock for gifts at great prices.

And after all that retail therapy, take out some pamper time at their day spa

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Stay

• Grand Pacific Hotel • 5 Princes hotel A converted colonial estate, 5 Princes is perched high on a ridge along the road it takes its name from. With only six rooms, each with its own unique style, it’s a real hidden gem with lots of character and personalised service that comes with boutique hotels.

Taste

• Governors Museum Themed Restaurant In a charming cottage surrounded by gardens and trees, Governors Museum Themed Restaurant offers a delicious reprieve from the bustle of the Suva CBD. The restaurant is housed in a heritage building which was the former home of a Fijian Chief and statesman. Apart from the great food and generous serving size, you’ll have a lot to talk about with all the film memorabilia, old photos and carvings displayed around the main dining area, transporting you to a bygone era of romance and adventure.

The Grand Old Lady, as it’s fondly referred to, was renovated to its former, if not grander glory and reopned in 2014 on the 100th anniversary of its original opening. Offering a unique outlook for a city stay where you can sit at the café and observe a game of rugby across the road, then walk across the grand lobby to the colonial style poolside verandah overlooking the ocean.

You can stay at Heritage rooms and suites which blend history and modernism, or splurge on a weekend and sleep like a Queen in the Queen Elizabeth Suite- yes, this is the same room the Queen stayed in 1982. Its most recent royal occupants were the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018.

•Paradiso Ristorante

• Niu Grillz

A laid back casual restaurant nestled into Albert Park in Suva CBD, but away from the chaos of the city traffic. Paradiso offers a relaxed atmosphere, a nice spot to have a great meal, a quick bite, or enjoy a drink or two with some friends or business colleagues. The menu is an eclectic fusion of Italian, Mediterranean and Fijain dishes. Paradiso is also a favourite for their live band nights every Friday and Saturday.

This is one of those things that start off small but quickly get cult food status because of how lip smackin good it is. Niu Grillz specialise in smoked and grilled meats, with added Pacific flavour - a Niu take on food. They’re open Tue-Friday from 11a.m - 2.30pm for lunch at The Fiji Club (1 Selbourne Street)

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beHind

fly like a FijiaN What does it mean?

ugby is more than a game in Fiji. There is great affection and reverence for the sport that it has the power to stop traffic, halt meetings, and close businesses during game time. Back in the day, public holidays were assigned to celebrate tournament wins!

The sport, in addition to being a ubiquitous part of Fijian life, is also intertwined with a sense of patriotism. For a tiny island nation, there is nothing that unites the people than when the national rugby team faces off against an opposing team in the international arena.

It’s a regular sight in the afternoon and weekends to find every ground occupied by groups of kids tossing around a rugby ball, or a makeshift one, regardless of weather. It’s passion on display; an innate athleticism and graceful flair that has earned Fiji global recognition.

Many sports pundits have commented about just how easy Fijians make playing rugby look, earning them the tagline, Fly Like a Fijian.

We sat down with some of our national 15’s players, most of whom play in international clubs, to ask them what Fly Like a Fijian means to them.

“It means to play in the Fijian style of playing,” said Api Ratuniyarawa.

“The Fiji style of rugby with open play. We are not like other teams that focus on a set piece. We go with the flow. Especially with knock ons. They recover slowly, we just go with it,” added Patrick Osbourne.

Josua ‘the bus’ Tuisova offered a short but sweet explanation.

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“It’s about playing with our heart, so we have this smile on our face,” he said.

Frank Lomani expanded on this sentiment.

“When we have the ball in hand...for that second, it’s about our love for the game. It’s not different from the feeling a young Fijian boy has when he has the ball in hand playing rugby with his friends. And we put in the Fijian flair.” he says thoughtfully.

For other players like Niko Matawalu, it was about showcasing the unity that comes from the special blend of faith and family that all Flying Fijians have been brought up with.

“I think it’s about family. The rest of the boys are like family to me.

And we share faith, and that faith leads to a unity. And you can see it on the field. It is what drives us,” he says.

Ben Volavola provided a different perspective.

“To Fly Like a Fijian is about total freedom. Total freedom to express yourself in a way that we cannot express in day to day life.

We come from a shy culture,’ he explained.

“So it is somewhat of a symbol. Especially for the kids. About the possibilities of what they can imagine and achieve.”

“On the field we can really let go. We can get in front of a crowd that we would never speak in front of and on that field we can really show them what we are capable of.”

And just like that, these players who grew up watching their own sporting heroes- the Flying Fijians of years gone by, now stand or sprint- to show another generation what Fijians can achieve on the sporting field.

enjOy Enjoy movies, music and television for your inflight entertainment

Š2019 MARVEL

The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand.

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Avengers: Endgame The Screenwriters Answer

Every Question You Might Have Story: Dave Itzkoff Photo: Elizabeth Weinberg

In a recent interview in their offices in Los Angeles, screenwriters, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely discussed the many choices and possibilities of “Endgame,” the roads not taken and the decisions behind who lived and who died. These are edited excerpts from that conversation.

Deciding the Plot Points Q: How did you decide where the major events of “Infinity War” and “ Endgame” would fall?

Markus: The biggest point was probably the Snap. And we realised fairly early on that if we didn’t do it at the end of the first movie, the first movie wasn’t going to have an end. And if we did it too early in the first movie, it would be a bit of an anticlimax after you’ve killed half the universe to have them stumbling around for half an hour.

McFeely: Another big plot point is when everyone comes back. So the question is, is it early in the second movie? Late in the second movie? You notice the players left on the board are the OG Avengers and let’s give them their due. It meant that we were likely going to bring people back late.

Q: How did you choose which characters would survive for “Endgame”?

Markus: We knew we wanted to see Cap and Tony dealing with the aftermath so that you could really see them suffer, quite frankly. And that’s why Cap and Natasha are relatively minimal in the first movie, because all they’d be doing is punching. We knew that they had a lot of story in the second movie, and there were other people who would have much more story in the first movie, like the Guardians.

Q: “Endgame” sort of tricks you by having the heroes kill Thanos almost immediately, only to discover it doesn’t solve anything. Why was that important?

McFeely: We always had this problem. The guy has the ultimate weapon. He can see it coming. It’s ridiculous. We were just banging our heads for weeks, and at some point, (the executive producer) Trinh Tran went, “Can’t we just kill him?”

And we all went, “What happens if you just kill him? Why would you kill him? Why would he let you kill him?”

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Images - © 2019 Marvel

With “Avengers: Endgame,” the two-movie storyline that started with “Avengers:Infinity War” is finished, along with the 22-film cycle that represents the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. And some of the heroes we have followed on this long adventure are gone, too.

Q: There’s a lot of bleakness and despair for roughly the first hour of the movie. Did that feel like a risk for a big-event picture?

Markus: It felt less risky once I saw the reaction to “Infinity War.” You never know how you’re going to hit people, emotionally. We’ve been sitting with these events for years. We no longer have an emotional reaction. And then you see people crying in the theatre. We’ve got to honour that or it’s going to feel like we’re just jerking them around.

McFeely: It was the part in test screenings where people were most uncomfortable. There doesn’t seem to be any hope. In the end of Act II for most superhero movies, maybe they lose for five minutes. Here it’s for five years. That seemed important.

Journey’s End Q: Why does Natasha Romanoff have to die?

McFeely: Her journey, in our minds, had come to an end if she could get the Avengers back. She comes from such an abusive, terrible, mind-control background, so when she gets to Vormir and she has a chance to get the family back, that’s a thing she would trade for. The toughest thing for us was we were always worried that people weren’t going to have time to be sad enough. The stakes are still out there and they haven’t solved the problem. But we lost a big character — a female character — how do we honor it? We have this male lens and it’s a lot of guys being sad that a woman died.

Q: And Tony Stark has to die as well?

McFeely: Everyone knew this was going to be the end of Tony Stark.

Markus: I don’t think there were any mandates. If we had a good reason to not do it, certainly people would have entertained it. In a way, he has been the mirror of Steve Rogers the entire time. Steve is moving toward some sort of enlightened self-interest and Tony’s moving to selflessness. They both get to their endpoints.

Q: Were there any other outcomes you considered for Tony?

Markus: No. Because we had the opportunity to give him the perfect retirement life, within the movie. That’s the life he’s been striving for. Are he and Pepper going to get together? Yes. They got married, they had a kid, it was great. It’s a good death. It doesn’t feel like a tragedy. It feels like a heroic, finished life.

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MOVIES

©2019 MARVEL

© 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.

AVENGERS END GAME

TOLKIEN

181 MIN | PG13 | Action, Fantasy Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner

111 MIN | PG13 | Drama, Biography Director: Dome Karukoski Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Colm Meany

Language: ENG

‘Tolkien’ explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school.

The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand.

© 2019 WBEI

POKEMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU

104 MIN | PG | Family, Adventure Director: Rob Letterman Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathyrn Newton Language: ENG Ace private eye Harry Goodman goes missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened, aided by Detective Pikachu.

Language: ENG

© 2019 “Fly me to the Saitama” film partners

THUGS OF HINDUSTAN

164 MIN | PG 13| Action Adventure Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya Stars: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif Language: HIN In a prison cell in Los Angeles, six men of Indian origin have been wrongfully detained. They exact revenge by robbing the bank where police officers’ salaries are deposited.

FLY ME TO THE SAITAMA

107 MIN | PG13 | Drama, Comedy Director: Hideki Takeuchi Stars: Fumi Nikaidô, Gackt, Ryô Katô Language: JPN In Japan, people from Saitama Prefecture suffer from discrimination and require a passport to enter Tokyo.

A COOL FISH

109 MIN | PG13 | Comedy Director: Rao Xiaozhi Stars:Chen Jian Bin, Rex Suxi, Pan Binlong Language: MAN A lost gun and a robbery disrupt the peace of a small city and bring unrelated parties together in the face of death.

Enjoy a greater selection of movies, TV and music onboard. Please check your inflight entertainment system for a full list of options. *Selection may vary depending on aircraft type and flight route/duration 80

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TELEVISION

© 2019 ABC Studios

© 2019 WBEI TM & © DC Comics

THE FLASH

GREY’S ANATOMY 45 MIN | PG13 | Drama Stars: Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson

45 MIN | PG13 | Drama, Action Stars: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker

Language: ENG

Language: ENG

New doctors continue to shake up Grey Sloan hospital.

Team Flash must figure out a way to subdue Cicada.

LIFE IN PIECES

© 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc.

GOLFING WORLD

23 MIN | PG13 | Drama Stars: Colin Hanks, Betsy Brandt, Thomas Sadoski Language: ENG After John befriends the janitor at Sophia’s school, Mr. Sissel, John learns that Sophia and her friends believe a childish rumor about him.

26 MIN | PG | Sport Language: ENG Stars: Anna Whiteley In this episode we take a tour of the Ping factory in Arizona.

SHAMELESS

ROCK LEGENDS

SPEECHLESS

BUNNICULA

45 MIN | PG13 | Drama Language: ENG Stars: William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White Political fervor hits the South Side, and the Gallaghers take justice into their own hands.

© 2019 WBEI

© 2018-2019 American Broadcasting Companies. All rights reserved.

23 MIN | PG | Comedy Language: ENG Stars: Minnie Driver, John Ross Bowie, Cedric Yarbrough Maya is the mom who will do anything for her husband, Jimmy, and kids Ray, Dylan, and JJ, her eldest son with cerebral palsy.

23 MIN | PG | Lifestyle, Music Language: ENG Stars: Elton John The ‘Rocket Man’ that made the piano player a rock star, this documentary follows a journey from budding songwriter, to his 70s peak as the one of the most prolific artists of his generation.

23 MIN | G | Comedy Language: ENG Bunnicula the vampire rabbit drains the juice of carrots. © 2019 WBE

STORIES BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE

PRIMAL SURVIVOR

© 2019 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

50 MIN | PG13 | Documentary, Adventure Language: ENG Stars: Hazen Audel Hazen Audel, survival instructor, returns for another series travelling to some of the most extreme places on the planet.

PROGRAMME RATINGS G PG

PG-13

R

General audience: suitable for audiences of all ages Parental guidance suggested: some material may not be suitable for children Parents strongly cautioned: some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 Restricted: viewers under 17 years of age should be accompanied by a parent or an adult

60 MIN | PG | Comedy Language: HIN A trusted servant brings up a young boy, befriends him and becomes a part of the family.

CONTENT RATINGS V S L D A SN H

Violence Sex or nudity Coarse language Drug references Adult/mature themes Supernatural themes Horror themes

LANGUAGES ENG English MAN Mandarin HIN Hindi CAN Cantonese JPN Japanese

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MUSIC

MADAME X (DELUXE)

LATE NIGHT FEELINGS

Madona| Genre: Pop

Mark Ronson | Genre : Alternative

’Madame X is a collection of 15 new songs that celebrate Madonna’s career-long affair with Latin music and culture as well as other global influences.’Lisbon is where my record was born,’ Madonna says. ‘I found my tribe there and a magical world of incredible musicians that reinforced my belief that music across the world is truly all connected and is the soul of the universe’.

’Mark Ronson’s fifth studio album LATE NIGHT FEELINGS features collaborations with a diverse range of artists including Miley Cyrus, Camila Cabello, King Princess, Alicia Keys, YEBBA, Angel Olsen, The Last Artful, Dodgr, Diana Gordon and Ilsey. The album comes after a landmark year for Ronson winning awards for his work with Lady Gaga on ‘Shallow’ from A Star Is Born.

AUDIO ON DEMAND We have over 550 full length of albums from 12 different categories to choose from.

Here are some of our favourites. For a full list see your onscreen menu.

POP Chart-topping hits from today’s biggest music artists .

ROCK From classic rock anthems to new rock hits, this is a selection of music videos that will definitely get you playing your Air Guitar.

ALTERNATIVE Check out some of the freshest new talent and music festival favourites with this indie music video mix.

EASY LISTENING Enjoy some Fiji time and relax with this selection of smooth and cruisy tunes.

CHANNELS POP/ROCK The Vibe Jase Hawkins brings you the latest and greatest pop music and culture from around the globe.

CHILDREN’S Kid’s Corner (120 mins) Hey kids, come on a midair adventure with lots of great, exciting music. It’s guaranteed to be fun.

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CLASSICAL Concerto Let the power and art of classicaal music sweep you away on your journey.

During this 2 hour show we present the latest and the best of the classical genre.

HINDI Hindi Harmonium

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The most exciting and entertaining hits will take you to Bollywood and beyond!

LOUNGE The Lounge Sit back and relax with this carefully chosen selection of music designed to make you feel blissfully chilled out and laid back during your flight.

FIJIAN HITS Vude FM Join us on Vude FM for 2 hours full of iTaukei favorites, from Makare to Kabani.

CROSSWORD 1

ACROSS 1 Mushroom part 4 ___ Xing (road sign) 8 Managed to avoid 14 South America’s Carnaval city, informally 15 Not doing anything 16 Baltimore bird 17 Psychic ability, in brief 18 Yard event to clear out the attic 20 Manage to avoid 22 Big coffee holder 23 Applaud 24 Louisiana’s avian nickname 28 Giant in health insurance 29 Mortal dangers 33 “Phooey!”

35 Commotions 38 Provide with continuing funds 39 Athlete who said “Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer” 40 Strong-smelling cheese made in England 42 Investment for the golden yrs.

43 Cook’s workspace 45 Enroll for another year of duty 46 Work by Wordsworth or Whitman 47 Coughed (up) 49 Ledger entry on the minus side 51 One barely in the water?

56 German carmaker 59 ___ Paulo, Brazil 60 Big name in mattresses 61 Fairy tale question whose answer is spelled out in the starts of 18-, 24-, 40- and 51-Across 65 Fast asleep 66 Mythical beauty who lent her name to a continent 67 Oil producers’ grp.

68 “___ to Joy” 69 Singer/songwriter Crow 70 Shipped 71 Gave a meal to

2

3

4

14

15

17

18

20

5

6

7

8

22 26

35

61

37

44

32

54

55

46 49

52

58

31

42

45 48

57

30 38

41

51 56

36

40

47

13

27 29

39

12

23

28 34

11

19

25

43

10

16

21

24

33

9

50

53

59

60

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71 PUZZLE BY LYNN LEMPEL

DOWN 1 Slimeball 2 Supermarket section 3 China’s is around 1.4 billion 4 Without stopping en route 5 Part of a campus URL 6 “Slippery” tree 7 Co-founder of Rome with Romulus 8 Run off with a boxer, maybe?

9 Gold waiting to be discovered 10 Recognize, as differences 11 Objective for a soccer player 12 Fitzgerald of jazz

13 Profound 19 The “A” of MoMA 21 Conks out 25 Med school subj.

26 Low point 27 Juliet Capulet or Holden Caulfield, agewise 30 Impossible to mess up 31 Set of traditional beliefs 32 Got one’s kicks at the pool?

33 Hoarse voice 34 Voice above tenor 36 Grand ___ Opry 37 Prepare for a hard test 40 Search for 41 Coup for a newspaper freelancer

44 Someone dropping by 46 Something that might spring a leak 48 Dreary 50 Cut in half 52 Vote that cancels out a yea 53 Unacceptable actions 54 Musical practice piece 55 Given a PG-13, say 56 Bowls over 57 Thumbs-down response 58 Show gumption 62 Someone not likely to show off intelligence?

63 “Great” hominid 64 Word under this sign:

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fiji airways

London

destiNatiOns

Frankfurt Osaka

TOKYO Haneda

New Delhi

HONG KONG

Mumbai Chennai

Bangkok

SINGAPORE

HON Darwin

Cairns

PORT

Townsv Rockh

BRISBA Perth Adelaide

SYDNEY

MELBOURNE ROUTE KEY

Codeshare Routes Fiji Link

CODE SHARE PARTNERS

FIJITIME | ISSUE 35 2019

Hobar

CH

Fiji Airways Routes

84

Canb

Anchorage Vancouver Everett Seattle Portland Reno

SAN FRANCISCO

LOS

HONOLULU

Kansas City

Sacramento St. Louise

Denver

Nashville

Boston

New York Albuquerque Philadelphia Charlotte Las Vegas Baltimore Phoenix Raleigh-Durham Atlanta Palm Springs Washington DC Dallas Oklahoma ANGELES Tucson Houston Orlando Austin Tampa Bay San Diego New Orleans Miami

Kahului Kona

TARAWA

T VILA

ville hampton

berra

Chicago Indianapolis

Salt Lake City

San Jose Fresno Monterey Santa Barbara

NIARA

ANE

Toronto

KIRITIMATI

FUNAFUTI APIA NADI

SUVA

VAVA’U NUKU’ALOFA FIJI DESTINATIONS ROTUMA

LABASA

AUCKLAND

SAVUSAVU

rt

WELLINGTON HRISTCHURCH

TAVEUNI KORO

NADI

SUVA

VANUABALAVU CICIA LAKEBA

KADAVU

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BOEING 737-700 (1) BUSINESS 8

ECONOMY

BOEING 737-800 (4) BUSINESS 8

114

ECONOMY

BOEING 737-8 MAX (2) BUSINESS 8

156 - 162

ECONOMY

162

AIRBUS 330-200 (5) BUSINESS 18-24

ECONOMY

236-249

AIRBUS 330-300 (1) BUSINESS 24

ECONOMY

289

DHC6-300

Boeing 737-700 8 - Business class

DHC6-300

DHC6-400 (4) BUSINESS ECONOMY DHC6-300

n/a

n/a 19 19

19

n/a

44

DQ-FIE

112 - Economy class

n/a

19

ATR 42-600 (1) BUSINESS ECONOMY n/a

Boeing 737-700

8 - Business class

ATR 42-500

ATR 72-600 (2) BUSINESS ECONOMY BUSINESS SEATS DQ -PSA

n/a 48

DQ-FIE

ATR 42-500

n/a

44

ATR 72-600

8

8 60

60

112 - Economy class

DQ-FIE

DQ -PSA

86

ATR 42-500

n/a

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44

BUSINESS SEATS

ATR 72-600

8

60

FOR MORE DETAILS AND THE LATEST SCHEDULES, SEE YOUR TRAVEL AGENT OR VISIT

FIJI AIRWAYS EXPERIENCE

Check-in times International flights: we welcome check-in three hours prior to flight departure time, with check-in closing one hour prior to departure.

Some airports may offer early check-in prior to three hours.

Domestic Fiji flights: check-in counters for domestic flights open at least 90 minutes prior to your flight departure time, and closes 30 minutes prior to departure.

Security and Baggage -Pack your own bags.

-Do not carry items for another person.

-Carry valuables and approved medication in your carry-on baggage.

-Items such as knives and any sharp object must be placed in your checked-in baggage.

-Carry-on and checked-in baggage allowances and dimensions vary between international and domestic flights, and Business and Economy Class. Please double check your ticket for your baggage allowances.

-For passengers travelling to/from Fiji Airways international flights and connecting to/from Fiji Link domestic flights, the following rule will apply: a) If FJ international & FJ domestic sectors are ticketed on the same ticket (FJ/260 paper), FJ's international baggage allowance will apply. b) If FJ international and FJ domestic are ticketed separately, baggage allowance shown on each ticket will apply.

-If part of journey includes code share flights: a) the marketing carrier (the airline you bought your ticket from) baggage rule will apply throughout the entire journey. b) For all other destinations, the U.S Departments of Transport and MSC (Most significant carrier) baggage rules applies throughout the entire journey. Baggage allowances will be honoured according to ticket.

-Prepaid Excess Baggage rates per 23kg piece (maximum 2 extra pieces) are available at lower than airport excess baggage rates.

These are available up to four hours prior to flight departure and

For more information, please visit www.fijiwairways.com

available for purchase from any Fiji Airways Sales Office, or through our 24/7 Reservations Centre. *Not available for codeshare flights.

-Security and immigration at some airports may require considerable time to clear so once checked-in we kindly request you proceed directly to security and immigration then through to your boarding gate. Failure to check-in prior to flight closure may result in refused boarding and forfeiting of your ticket.

-Security screening is subject to the laws of the country of operation.

Restrictions on powders, liquids, aerosols and gels (PLAGS) On all international flights to and from Fiji -Each container of powder in carry-on must be less than 350ml/g, and each container of LAGs in carry-on bags must less than 100mls and placed in a clear sealable plastic bag.

-You may still carry prescription medicines or baby food/products necessary for the flight.

-PLAGs bought in Airport Departure areas can be carried onboard the aircraft between your port of departure and your first arrival port.

-No PLAGs are permitted through transit points at any airport.

Carriage of Lithium Batteries -Passengers are permitted in their carry-on baggage any portable electronic devices (PED) containing lithium metal or lithium ion cells or batteries for personal use.

-The batteries which are in these portable electronic devices must not exceed 2g for lithium metal batteries and 100wh for lithium ion batteries.

-Passengers are only permitted maximum of 2 spare batteries as part of their personal baggage but it may only be carried in or as cabin baggage.

-Customers wishing to carry portable medical devices, like portable oxygen concentrators (POC), must contact Reservations to determine if the portable medical device is an approved device or not.

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FIJI AIRWAYS EXPERIENCE

Economy Class Our Economy Class offers elegant, yet relaxed cabin dÊcor so guests can sit back and enjoy the hospitality of one of the world’s most welcoming cultures.

Guests can enjoy complimentary inflight entertainment onboard Fiji Airways international services.

From the classics to comedies, customers can enjoy a selection of movies and TV programs alongside a range of audio channels from Top 40 hits to Hindi hits, including a dedicated channel for children. *Inflight entertainment options and devices differ depending on aircraft in use.

Business Class Our Business Class offers discerning travellers a unique and exclusive class of travel. On the ground, customers can enjoy dedicated check-in, increased baggage allowance, express airport lanes and access to lounge facilities at selected airports.

In the air, Business Class customers enjoy three course fine dining, a range of wines, spirits and liqueurs. With individual screens, Business Class customers can select from a full range of in-flight entertainment.

*Inflight entertainment devices differ depending on aircraft in use.

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FIJI AIRWAYS EXPERIENCE

Our Premier Lounge in Nadi Our flagship Fiji Airways Premier Lounge at Nadi International Airport offers our guests a world-class lounge experience complete with unique features, and topped only by our Fijian hospitality.

serving traditional Fijian-Indian sweets and savouries.

A live greenery wall forms the backdrop of the main seating area, while the ceiling above features constellation lighting representing the Fijian summer and winter skies.

Entertainment TV screens are spread out around the various lounge seating zones with various news, sports and entertainment channels available, including a giant screen in the main dining area.

For those who would like to watch a game without restraint, our Media Room is open for guests to use with full sound, and cheering on.

Please note the Media Room is also available for exclusive bookings for groups up to 8. We apologise if the room is booked out. Please see our lounge staff should you wish to reserve this room.

Whether you’re flying solo, as a couple, parents with children in tow, a business person, or travelling in a group, our spacious and dedicated spaces caters for all travellers.

Facilities include comfortable seating, Business Centre, Wi-Fi, shower rooms, media room, buffet station offering international cuisine and signature dishes, bar and café, children’s room with complimentary nanny, and pay-for-use spa.

Entry and Access The Fiji Airways Premier Lounge is available to Fiji Airways’ Business Class guests, Tabua Club and Tabua Club Plus members, premier guests of our partner airlines and pay-for-use customers. Pay-foruse guests can purchase a pass online under Manage Your Booking, or directly at the Lounge reception counter.

Location: Airside, Ground Floor, Nadi International Airport Departures Terminal Opening Hours: 5.00am – 11pm daily *Hours may vary according to flight schedules Entry: Casual entry F$99pp Seating General seating zone for smaller and larger groups, Quiet Zone, secluded nooks, Family Area, Dining Area Food & Beverage Explore culinary delights from chef-inspired menus, salads, healthy options and delicious desserts at the buffet stations. Our lounge attendants also offer special menu items during our tray-rounds. The dining experience is completed by the exclusive “Fiji Bean Cart” –

Our baristas and bartenders will serve up coffee, cocktails and mocktails, from old favourites to custom requests. Tell them what you like and wait to be surprised with your own customised cocktail.

Wi-Fi, Technology and Charging stations -The Business Centre with iMacs, internet access, and a printer is open for complimentary use of guests.

-The Premier Lounge has a generous number of power-points and USB-enabled charging stations.

-The Lounge offers complimentary Wi-Fi. Lailai Land (Children’s Area) Children can spend their time in ‘Lailai Land’, our dedicated children’s room with a fully qualified Fijian nanny to keep them entertained and occupied while parents grab a bite or a spa treatment before the flight.

Spa Rejuvenate with a refreshing massage or revitalise with spa treatment at the pay-for-use Spa@TheGate directly accessible from the Lounge.

Choose from an exclusive spa menu designed with the traveller in mind.

Shower and restrooms -Restrooms and shower facilities with full amenities -Wheelchair accessible restrooms -Baby change room Flight Information Screens -Flight information screen to keep you updated on your flight 2019 ISSUE 35 | FIJITIME

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fly well YOGA FOR AIRPLANES Airplanes and yoga don’t often mix. There’s nothing like a few hours in a restricted space to make your body feel tight and blocked. If you’re on a long haul flight, stretching out and relaxing is even more challenging.

Try this in-flight yoga routine to help your body feel restored and rejuvenated during the flight.

This way you’ll land with a relaxed body and mind.

MEDITATION Assume any comfortable seated position and straighten your spine. If you’re in a regular seat, scoot slightly forward to avoid rounding your back.

Pivot into the hips and engage the pelvic floor. Close your eyes, bring your attention to your breath. Count your breath backward from ten. Repeat a few times. Then let your attention rest on the heart centre. Open your eyes.

SEATED SPINAL TWIST Keeping both sitting bones planted, pivot slightly forward into the hips.

Inhale as you maximize the space between the vertebrae, exhale as you gently twist towards the right. Don’t over do it, just allow your spine to elongate. Use the hands to guide and support the movement. Gaze to the right.

Stay for five breaths and repeat on the other wise.

SEATED LEG LIFTS Pivot slightly forward into your hips. Draw your right knee up into your chest and wrap your arms around your shin. Exhale as you extend your left leg as much as possible. Stay for five breaths. Reach under your thigh and wrap your arms around. Inhale as you suck in the lower abdomen. Exhale as you straighten the leg as much as accessible. Stay for five breaths, then repeat on the other aide. Next try both legs. Lean back on your sacrum and hug both knees into your chest. Tuck the head under and exhale as you round the back. Stay for five breaths. Either wrap the arms around your thighs or hold the feet. Inhale as your straighten the legs as much as accessible. Be aware of overhead space. Stay for five breaths.

TREE POSE From any standing position, Tree Pose is a great way to relieve pressure on your feet and work your balance. Try it while waiting in line or get up at any time and work your legs! Start off with you feet together. Inhale as you externally rotate your right hip joint and draw the right foot as close to your pelvis as possible. If the foot does not rise up above the knee, then keep it below the knee to avoid applying pressure on the knee. Activate your left leg and feel your balance from the pelvic floor. Either place your hands in prayer or place one hand on the wall to assist your balance. Gaze at the 90

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nose. Stay for five breaths and then repeat on the other side.

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