On my way from San Francisco to Samoa I had to transit on Fiji. I stayed a couple of days around Nadi on the east coast of Vitu Levu Island. For me it was a tale of two worlds: On one hand it felt like a kind of Mallorca for Aussies and New Zealanders, without a Ballermann but with much more beautiful beaches. On the other hand it was easy to sail away from the crowds.  I ended up in the Mamanuca Islands and almost felt like Tom Hanks. His “Cast away” movie had been playing here… But rather than feeling like a castaway I prefer the Fijian capital Suva as the real thing. Great South Pacific vibe, funny hoolahoop nightlife and the sizable Indian diaspora cooks fantastic Indian food