31Aug – 2Sept 2004

Fa Fa Island Resort, Kingdom of Tonga

Bula and Malo e Lelei -

Now begins the 2004 Fabulous Birthday Adventure of Melissa and Susan. Melissa's 50th, Susan's 49th. For my 50th, I have chosen a unique itinerary of swimming with humpback whales in Vava'u in the Kingdom of Tonga and then soft adventure followed by 3 days of luxuriating in the Fiji Islands.

Susan and I left Hawaii at 12:30am on our 6 hour flight from Honolulu to Fiji for an 8 hour layover before proceeding to Tonga. We arrived in Fiji to a cool very early morning only to be whisked away by a VIP Mercedes car to our Beachfront Day room w/ spa tub (in the bathroom) at First Landing. We had a little breakfast (basic buffet.. Don’t forget they have an omelette station and it even had Cilantro), took a brief nap and then took turns getting a massage. After bathing, we enjoyed a light lunch of Kododa (my favorite, lemon marinated fish in coconut) and then headed back to the airport to catch our Tonga flight. Be sure to buy some Australian wine and Fiji Rum at duty free before leaving Fiji to take with you. Also note they are VERY strict on carry on’s going through into the customs area. I had to check my roll on bag since it was too heavy. Just be aware so you don’t have anything you don’t want to check in an oversized carry on.

We arrived on the island of Tongatapu and customs there was a breeze. Upon our arrival it became very clear, we had stepped back further in time than Fiji, to a simpler South Pacific Island where many “locals” came dressed in the traditional outer woven skirt (over their clothes). Very few tourists disembarked and we knew that we were heading out on an adventure of discovery. I really know very little about Tonga but we are about to find out many things about this delightful little Polynesian country.

Our driver picked us up and took us to the boat to go to Fa Fa Island Resort. The 30 + minute drive took through a few villages and the capital of the country Nukalofa. He shared many things about his island and his people. We saw the many churches of the different religions. We learned about the King and Queen and more about the Monarchy. He pointed out the Crown Princes house which looked like a enormous country manor in England and across the street the Crown Princesses house with 2 huge white panther statues guarding the entrance. She lives in Paris. You have the Royal Family, Nobles and then the common people. You cannot inter-marry. You cannot move up the social ladder. 50% of living Tongans live some place other than Tonga.

We arrived after dark to Fa Fa .. We were pleasantly surprised as this is the cutest place in Tonga (or so they say) and offers a remote experience, with many creature comforts. Our Beachfront “Fale” had super comfortable beds, mosquito netting (needed in Summer to keep the mosquito's out) , floor to ceiling glass louvers windows (no screens), a deck out in front of the main room with a small table and 2 chairs , an open air bathroom and outdoor shower ( they are mostly solar with some electricity and the water pressure is low but the water is HOT), another deck with 2 chaise lounges, 2 more chaise lounges and a hammock in the Palms and yet again 2 more chaise lounges right on the beach. The Fale had a fan (there was not one in the second bedroom where Susan slept) and also had large areas. The floor to ceiling glass louvers allowed wonderful daylight in and offered views of the coconut grove and beach in front from anywhere inside the Fale. The front wall came up only as far as the top of the windows, leaving the top area completely open to fresh air.. And flying critters if there might be any. This would include mosquito's. Fa Fa also boasts very unique wall construction of their Fales. Woven coconut palm fronds are dried and used as walls. Tightly woven and very sturdy, they are not bug proof either. Although this was not an issue for us (it is winter and much cooler now), in summer you have less protection from bugs. In Tonga, it seems, that unscreened windows and open fresh air areas are common. If you don’t like bugs you may consider other South Pacific destinations. If you can handle this usually minor inconvenience (usually minor), discovering the “other” South Pacific may prove rewarding and fun. Some of us are compelled to discover new worlds and for me, this year, it is Tonga.

The food was quite good w/ fresh fish being readily available. Breakfast offered fresh fruit, yogurt, omelette (don’t be shy about asking for it your way) and fresh white bread. Their bread basket also includes croissants which are tasty. Preparations are simple but full of flavor. I had a lobster dish one night (with pumpkin squash and coconut cream) and a very delicious fresh fish the second night. We also requested that their marinated fish dish, Ota ika, be prepared as appetizers for us (you need a few hours in advance on this) and this was no problem. Raw fish is marinated in lime or lemon (which cooks it) and it is mixed with coconut milk, onions and tomato. This happens to be one of my favorite types of dishes.. Having different names in the Pacific and Mexico. Poison cru in Tahiti. Ceviche in Mexico. Kokoda in Fiji. All variations of the same thing and my favorite appetizer in all countries.

Coffee, our biggest disappointment, was only offered as instant both in our rooms and in the restaurant. Fa Fa caters mostly to Europeans or has in the past. They have a very nice service of delivering a thermos of hot water to your room BEFORE you wake up to make your instant coffee or tea. We are suggesting to them that they begin to offer plunger coffee when requested.

Wine, one of our favorite subjects on vacation. Susan and I are known more for our champagne consumption more than anything (after all, it is always our birthdays when we travel). On this trip I was given a bottle of Dom Perignon when we arrived in Fiji as a birthday gift. So, at Fa Fa, we did not order any champagne. One day I ordered a glass of “house” white. 3 of us looked at the glass and exclaimed “Is that wine?”! It tasted as weak as it looked and I had to give it back to them. So, please don’t order the house white. I don’t know how the red is. If you want to enjoy a glass of white, order a bottle and have them keep what is left for you to enjoy another day. Susan and I sampled 2 bottles of Red wine while at Fa Fa. All the red wine was from Australia. We sampled a basic Shiraz for $44T which was okay. The Coonawara 1999 Shiraz at $75T was excellent. The exchange rate is about 50/50 at this time.

The service is friendly and very very good. The management are a pleasure. Okay... I have to run. Not only because the sun is setting into the Tongan sea.. But my laptop is running out of battery. Stay tuned.. For more Fa Fa Resort and Mounu Island in Vava’u

Bye for now
Melissa

Sept 1 at Fa Fa Island Resort, Kingdom of Tonga

Sleeping at Fa Fa is wonderful. The bed is so comfortable that having south pacific dreams came easy last night. I did wake up in the middle of the night as I was a bit jet lagged. I was drawn outside by dancing moon beams on the shimmering palm fronds. It was a full moon and the light that filtered to the sandy earth below were like light beams from heaven. I meandered out to the beach which was huge with a very low tide and sat watching the moon on the ocean. Stars were twinkling like diamonds on velvet and the little waves lapping at my feet soothed me and started to melt away the stress of life. I returned to my Fale to enjoy more slumber and the awoke to a cacophony of birds singing as the morning light settled in. Honeyeaters, kingfishers, the Koki parrot punctuate the morning air with melodies and exclamations.

Today was a lazy day. We enjoyed breakfast on the deck only a few feet from the water in a little private nook. Our cheerful waiter was fun and accommodating. After breakfast we took a walk around the island (30 minutes) and then took turns getting a massage by a Chinese therapist who inflicted reflexology “pain” to our feet as part of the treatment. I know that all those sore spots mean something and that is what scares me! We napped, we read, we had lunch and at sunset, we popped open my bottle of Dom Perignon to begin the official celebration of our birthdays. Today is Sept 1 and both of our birthdays are this month. So, champagne flukes in hand, we toasted to the joys of getting older, having more fun and our friendship. The evening was mellow. We enjoyed a wonderful fresh fish meal and chatting with a new friend, Bruce from Chicago, who would be going on a live aboard dive/whale watch cruise in the Ha’apai group in a couple days ( the Nai’a out of Fiji).

Sept 2-5 at Mounu Island, Kingdom of Tonga, Vava’u Archipelago

The flight on Air Niu was only 45 minutes, on time and well run. The views of hundreds of islands was spectacular as we flew over the Ha’apai Group and then the Vava’u Group. We arrived at the tiny airport and were taken to the town of Nieafu about 20 minutes from the airport. We were met there by Allan, with his long gray beard, who is the owner of Mounu Island Resort of Whale Watch Vava’u. Allan and his wife Lynne moved to Tonga about 11 years ago from New Zealand. Allan got our luggage together and off we went in his boat for our 30 minute boat ride through a littering of green islands. Mounu is a sweet little island surrounded by an incredible turquoise lagoon. As we approached it was clear that we were on one of the prettiest islands out here. Perfect white sand beach on almost all sides and all tide sandy swimming beaches (you can swim at high and low tide). This is not always the case in many south pacific destinations and resorts. Fa Fa resort has swimming at high tide only. The waters here are as pretty as the infamous Bora Bora and island of French Polynesia.

There are only 4 Fales on Mounu Island. Each Fale is on the beach. One of the 3 is the larger Honeymoon Fale (the newest one) with a large deck, a hammock on the deck, 2 large cushioned chaise lounges and.. Inside you find a REAL bed (the other 3 Fales have low lying futtons). Mounu is an eco resort with some special features. Composting toilettes, hot water on demand, filtered rainwater for drinking and rainwater for showering (we don’t take long showers). There is lighting 24 hours provided by solar panels so we don’t leave the lights on unnecessarily either. The windows are each a solid shudder that closes from the top. You prop up the shudder with a stick. I have 6 windows on each side of the oval Tongan Fale. No screens and yes, a mosquito net over my bed. I are sleeping on futon beds on a low platform. My deck.. Is a a stones throw away from the water. The utterly gorgeous turquoise aqua water is steps from my deck. I have 2 beach lounge chairs almost at waters edge. It is honestly one of the best locations I have ever enjoyed a cup of coffee in the AM or wine in the evening. You look out over the lagoon to small islands topped with palms.

The food is very good. Home made pasta, home bread, fresh fruits, omelettes with cheese/herbs and fresh fish. And.. Coffee is fresh and made in a plunger. They will even deliver the coffee to your Fale at the time you request, setting it outside on your deck table. They have a good selection of bottled white wine. If you are a red lover you might consider bringing some of your own (we did). Ditto on the house wine. Here it is out of the box. So try to avoid it (although the white wine is not as bad as Fa Fa).

Why are we here? To swim with whales and that is just what happened yesterday. However, the day before was an experience that will be seared in my mind for the rest of my life.

Our day began, on Sept 3, as our small boat picked us up at the beach in front of Mounu. There were only 10 total guests on the boat. A family from New Zealand (Mum, Dad and 2 boys about 8 and 10), 2 couples from a Mooring yacht charter (an incredible 50 ft catamaran they kept anchored in a pristine bay), and a couple we picked up at the Blue Lagoon accommodations (I hesitate to say Resort as it is quite simple). The Blue Lagoon is famous for it’s owner/chef, Friedel. Friedel, they say, serves the best food in Tonga. Unfortunately we will not be able to dine with him. We tried to arrange lunch but his boat is not working to pick us up and both boats at Mounu are working all days we are here.

Back to whales. The southern hemisphere humpback whales come to Tonga (most the island groups of Vava’u and Ha’apai) between June and November with Aug-October being the best months. Last year they sighted about 90 individuals here in the Vava’u Archipelago (for those that are into whales). One of the main differences between the So. And No. hemisphere humpies (as they call them here) is that these gentle giants have very white undersides. The whales come here to mate and give birth. In Hawaii, which is were we live, the Northern Hemisphere humpbacks come to Hawaii for the same purpose.

The beginning part of our whale watch with hopes of swimming was spent positioning ourselves to find an accommodating group. In the process we spotted many whales in different areas with breaching and pectoral slapping and some heavy male aggressive behavior. I had never been so close to male humpbacks in pursuit of a female. They snort and blow and lunge and grow, pectoral slap and make the water boil. These frisky guys are not where you want to jump in the water with whales. Watching from the upper platform of the whale boat was rewarding. Mid day we sighted a mom and baby relaxing in the shallows. We approached slowly and began putting the first 5 people in the water. Only 5 people (including the guide) are allowed in the water at once. If there is more than 1 boat they have to wait for the first boat on the scene to finish their swim. I was part of the 3rd (last) group. When you watch from above you can get a sense of what is going on below but you REALLY have no idea. I watched as the baby whale turned sideways and playfully giggled it’s pectoral and tail fins in the air. It all looked exciting from the boat. Then it was our turn to get into the water.

Just as Susan and I jumped into the water, the mom and baby circled around and came slowly right next to the boat. They were just THERE. I fumbled for my camera and looked up and OH MY GOD. The mom whale was right there, 20 feet from me. Her huge pectoral fins floated docilely at her side as I gazed into her deep other worldly eye. I swam right next to her, searching her magnificent face, eyes, body language for a sense of what was happening. She was so close that the pictures I was able to take seemed like I would get a line or an eye (I hope it will be better than that).

© Susan Beall/Melissa McCoy

(click here for Swimming With Whales Photo Gallery)

I fell back to her tale to go around the other side to be next to the baby which is where everyone else was. As I came behind her, of course I kept my eye on her tail. It also was barely moving. She was almost floating through the water allowing us to partake of her grandeur. I came up on the side with the baby (who was maybe 2 weeks old) and watched mom and baby gracefully move through the water in unison. Again, keep in mind, they were moving slow enough to allow us to swim next to them.

Then, to my inner delight, they turned around by swimming down and then came right in front of us doing a backward flip showing their full while undersides. This was about 25 feet away. They moved away and then turned again and dove deep under us giving us a perfect view of mom and baby swimming together in unison. They obviously had had enough and decided to move on. We were all have internal leaps of joy as our total beings had just been exposed to one of the most wonderful experiences you could expect in life.

After we got out, the New Zealand family got in the water. The mom and baby came back to us and slowly meandered around us.

© Sarah Forsblad

The family was treated to the same experience as we were. When they got out of the water, the kids were floating on air. One of them did not even like the water or swimming but was ready to jump back in.

© Sarah Forsblad

Can you imagine.. Being that age and having THAT experience. Priceless. For me, it will go down as the single most amazing experience of my life.
More to come...

Sept 5-7 at Mounu Island, Kingdom of Tonga, Vava’u Archipelago

Today was 100% relaxation with a little non motorized ocean going.

August 2004

My girlfriend, Susan, and I travel yearly for our birthdays. Last year it was New Zealand. The year before it was Tahiti. The year before that was Fiji. And the first year that we discovered that we had to make it a ritual to travel on our birthdays was in 2000. We went to France and Italy. This year I turn 50 so I choose the destination. Next year she turns 50 and she has that already planned. It’s back to Italy.

In Sept, Susan and I will venture to Tonga to stay at FaFa Island Resort and then to the Vava’u Group, on a dinky little white sand island with 4 bungalows, Mounu Island, and we will be swimming with southern hemisphere humpback whales every day. This is MY dream.. To swim with the whales. We enjoy the northern hemisphere humpbacks in Hawaii and I have been mesmerized by them for 30 years. I’ve kayaked next to them, had them swim under my kayak and gone on whale watches on all islands. THIS YEAR.. I’m getting in the water with them. After a week in Tonga we fly to Fiji where we will go to the island of Kadavu. I have many fond memories of Kadavu, my first Fiji diving, my first Fiji parrots, sunsets, Thava (the chief’s son) playing guitar and singing to the Fiji moon. The perfect white sand beach of Dive Kadavu. Kayaking around the island (we used to operate a 7 night kayak trip there), shell collecting (after the big storms!) and the delightful experiences with the remote village people. During our 4 nights in Kadavu, we will kayak, hike, snorkel, dive and go to my favorite village, Natokalau, for a Meke and Lovo (dance and feast) and let my feet remember what it is like to do the “tra la la” or as we say.. The Fiji 2 step. I hope to see Loraini, Tomasi, young Soqe and all the sweet people of this village that stole my heart in the days we kayaked there. We called them the Happy Smiley Village.. As the men wore the little flower in their ear and would whip out guitars and the mini “lali” (drum) and play/sing up a storm. On this portion of our journey, we will also stay at Tiliva on Kadavu. Located on the western shore, it is an area of pristine white sand and sunsets. We will also spend the day at Papageno Resort so we can experience their unique version of Kadavu. We will be picked up early one morning to have breakfast with them. We will hike their meandering jungle trails behind the small resort then enjoy a massage (each) before lunching and then napping in our day “bure”. At 3pm or so we’ll be taken back to Dive Kadavu.

After Kadavu we have been invited to be pampered at one of Fiji's newest luxury island resorts, The Royal Davui in Beqa. But before that.. We are set to go on Rivers Fiji on their Upper Navua Adventure. Rivers Fiji offers 3 trips, 2 of which are day tours and one multi day/multi sport. I enjoyed the Upper Navua last year and figured it was a MUST to take Susan on. It’s about 10-12 hours total with traveling time to the top of the river where you start. The scenery is spectacular with waterfalls cascading down beside you, easy 2-3 rapids to cruise through (few ever fall off the rafts!) and deep gorges with prehistoric giant palms jutting up into the tropical sky. You don’t see a sign of humanity until you get closer to the bottom. The take out is at a village that exists on the rivers edge. You get to chat with the fine village folks before the 4 wheel bus drive out of the reserve area. It is great! The closest place to stay for this trip is a funky little place called the Lagoon Resort. Situated in Pacific Harbor along one of the waterways, this clean and nicely maintained small hotel type resort is perfect for pre/post Rivers Fiji. Rumor has it that it used to be a brothel for Korean visitors and before that.. I think some Middle East country. I stayed there last year and tried to use my imagination. It worked. Pacific Harbor is a lovely VERY Green area (Green = rain in case there is any doubt). The Lagoon Resort has a nice restaurant and there is a fun local place for good food right there in the complex.

So, after a whole trip of less than 5 star accommodations (but lots of 5 star experiences) we are going to take a Plunge into Fiji at Royal Davui Island Resort. This little island sits off of the Island of Beqa. Home of Fiji’s fire dancers and where you also find Beqa Lagoon Resort and Lalati Resort. Royal Davui is on Stewart Island (just off from Pacific Harbor about an hour by boat) and has soft white sands unlike it’s Beqa neighbors. Boasting 20 Villas w/ private plunge pools.. Susan and I will lavish ourselves for 3 days ... No less than the Royal Treatment. Stay tuned for our reports and book with us early as this one will sell out quickly (ask for Pre-opening stay 7/Pay 5, Stay 9/Pay 6 specials.). For those who dive and want luxury.. This is IT. Beqa is known world over as one of THE places for diving in Fiji. Great snorkeling.

We will enjoy our transfer back to Nadi.. Book a day room and off to Chefs for dinner in Nadi town. This is one of the best restaurants in the Nadi area. Then we’ll be wisked away to our flight back to Honolulu. Once we’re home.. More fun starts. The following weekend my husband and I head out to the Sea Ranch Cottages of Hotel Hana Maui. Sept 12 commemorates my 30th year anniversary in Hawaii and one of the first places I spent lots of time camping and just fell in love with was.. Hana. So we will continue to celebrate my birthday and my 30 years in Hawaii. Later this year, in November.. Not really a birthday adventure but THE BIG TRIP... We are off to Southern Africa to have the most incredible vacation we’ve ever taken. We are celebrating our 15th anniversary and what a better way than to REALLY break out of the box and go to Africa.