VIWA ISLAND, FIJI - Sivan
01.07.17

VIWA ISLAND, FIJI

BEACH RIOT x FIJI

Maybe it’s just me, but lately everywhere I have been traveling has been above and beyond special to me. As you all know by now, Greece and Italy have a special place in my heart. The people on the island of Naxos (where I got married) felt like family by the time I left, and in Capri Paul and I were ready to pack up our life and move. Then came Fiji. Viwa Island, to be more specific. Looking for a remote destination for us to enjoy quality time and the natural beauty of Fiji, we settled on the island of Viwa. We expected it to be abnormally gorgeous, but what we didn’t expect was the warm welcome from everyone on the island.

Viwa Island is a very tiny island in Fiji (there are 100’s of islands) with an even tinier population. The only development on the island is the resort, which employs many of the islanders. Upon arrival, you are greeted with a live performance–a song sang in Fijian–shell necklaces, and of course, their signature tropical drinks. We were greeted as “Paul & Sivan” the second we arrived and we were on a first-name basis with the entire resort by the time we left. Every detail about our stay at Viwa Island Resort was catered to our needs, making it the most personal, special, and warm experience.

Each day on the island Paul and I would plant ourselves under our personal hut on the beach and read our books for hours. We chose to participate in most of the daily activities, which are complimentary, and they included snorkeling trips, coconut milk making, basket weaving, a cooking class, a Kava ceremony, a bonfire, volleyball, a village tour, hikes, and many more. Since I’m not big on organized activities I was a little hesitant to join, but they kept them short and sweet, which is exactly how I like it. Nothing felt drawn out or formal, everything was casual and to the point.

One of the nights on Viwa, the hotel arranged the most beautiful and romantic dinner for us on the beach during the sunset. If you couldn’t tell from my IG stories, Paul has a major obsession with sunsets, so this was a perfect setting for him. We enjoyed cocktails, live music, and the natural beauty of the island. Despite all the fancy details, it felt like home. Sitting barefoot (in fact, we were barefoot the entire time…I never wore shoes ONCE) on the sand, sipping something tropical, eating the freshly caught fish with my husband will always be something that stands out in my memory.

To be perfectly honest, I was in tears by the time I left. The night before we left the island, the entire resort crew sang us a farewell song during dinner and I could barely hold it together. I had grown to love and care for these people I had just spent 9 days with as if they were my own family. Their genuine kindness did not go unnoticed by Paul and I, and we look forward to the next time we visit this amazing place.

To see our Fiji vlog, head over to my YouTube channel!