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The Best Offbeat Travel Experiences
Some cynics might say that a visit to Fiji itself is an offbeat experience, but these five really are.
Getting Asked to Dance (nationwide): I've seen so many traditional Fijian meke dance shows that I now stand by the rear door, ready to beat a quick escape before those lovely young women can grab my hand and force me to make a fool of myself by joining them on stage. It's part of the tourist experience at all resorts, and it's all in good fun.
Rise of the Balolo (nationwide): Dawn after the full moon in October sees thousands of Fijians out on the reefs with buckets to snare the wiggling balolo, a coral worm that comes out to mate only then. Actually, the rear ends of the worms break off and swim to the surface, spewing eggs and sperm in a reproductive frenzy lasting only a few hours. Fijians consider the slimy balolo to be their caviar.
Sliding Through a Jungle Canopy (Pacific Harbour): Those of you who have been to Costa Rica or the Amazon may think it's an ordinary thing to do, but sliding along cables strung across a rainforest canopy in Fiji strikes me as offbeat. You can do just that with ZIP Fiji (tel. 930 0545; www.zip-fiji.com) in Pacific Harbour.
Jet-Skiing to Your Hotel (Taveuni): You can get to your Fiji hotel by taxi, ferry, boat, plane, seaplane, helicopter, even on foot, but only at Paradise Taveuni (tel./fax 888 0125; www.paradiseinfiji.com) will you have the option of riding a jet ski.
Living on a Copra Plantation (Taveuni): The first successful industry in Fiji was extracting the meat from coconuts and drying it into copra, from which the oil is extracted for cooking, cosmetics, and other products. In the 19th century, Europeans created large copra plantations, many of which are still operational. You can actually share one of them with the descendants of the original English planter at Vatuwiri Farm Resort (tel. 888 0316; www.vatuwirifiji.com).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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