Fiji Islands ~ Beqa Lagoon

The most striking feature of Beqa Lagoon Resort is its seclusion. Only fifteen square kilometers, Beqa Island has no roads, no towns and only a few isolated villages scattered around the perimeter. The island is skirted by stretches of sandy beach laced with mysterious tide pools. We often spent hours before sunset picking up shells and broken coral along the beach and watching strange little starfish that move quickly using their legs like an octopus.

Although the resort grounds are neatly groomed, colorful island critters still have free range. At dinner one night, a little green gecko no bigger than a dragonfly scurried up our neighbor's leg, sat and stared a bit, then scuttled away. At night crabs march across the lawn to the beach.

Just behind the resort the land slopes gently upward into a tropical forest. Further into the forest one comes across a fresh water stream descending from a waterfall just about a mile from the resort . Here the thick jungle vegetation occasionally gives way to patches of sweet potatoes, pineapples and taro root, but all in all, the land remains pristine. Tropical flowers bloom everywhere, and the tables at the resort are always filled with fresh cuttings.

If you hike a short way up the hillside, you will find yourself at the base of an impressive waterfall. After cooling off a bit in the pool you can hike further up the path. And right at sunset you hit the top of the trail where you can look out over the entire lagoon. With a little more ambition and time you could hike to the top of the mountain where you can see the entire island from one place.