Life on Robinson Crusoe Island

When you’ve chosen to “maroon” yourself on a 31-acre island for 3 days and 3 nights, how do you spend the time? We got the chance to find out when we booked a stay at Robinson Crusoe Island Resort in Fiji last October.

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Musings

I am an immigrant.

When I first left the Philippines, it was September of 2005. My grandmother had been in the US since the 70s and petitioned my mother, and us, by extension. By the time it all worked out, I was 18 years old, just about to turn 19. I remember the months leading up to our departure. Carefully…

California / Weekend Trips

Christmas in San Francisco

I used to live in the Bay Area. That’s what we called it, and we called it The City–I know, it’s typical local arrogance. The funny thing is, the SF Bay Area actually spans quite a huge space, and I lived about a half hour drive away from downtown. So I honestly didn’t know San Francisco all…

Hawaii

Maui Bamboo Forest Waterfall Hike

This is my favorite hike in the world. Of course, that’s not saying that much… after all, I’m not an avid hiker. But it’s a moderate hike with some challenging moments and huge payoffs: five waterfalls!

Japan / Travel Tips

Japan: Itineraries

I’d like to wrap up my Japan series by providing some itineraries based on my experience. There is so much to see and do, so please note that these are just suggestions. So many things can change your plans: getting on the wrong train (never happened to us in Tokyo, but happened a dismaying amount throughout Osaka and Kyoto),…

On Words and Language

Language is fascinating. It can tell you so much about a person, or a people. Speaking English gets you by at many airports, but knowing some words in your destination’s language can certainly help your travel experience.

Islander’s Life at Robinson Crusoe Resort

When you’ve chosen to “maroon” yourself on a 31-acre island for 3 days and 3 nights, how do you spend the time? Easy: make friends and hang out with the locals!

Robinson Crusoe Island Resort

After exploring Fiji’s mainland and enjoying a day trip to a private island, it was time for the most relaxing part of our Fiji trip. We had booked three nights at Robinson Crusoe Island Resort. What would this castaway experience be like?

Fiji Island Cruise

Everyone says that when you visit Fiji, what you really want to do is travel among its many islands. Unfortunately, for an archipelago, there are not a lot of easy ways to travel along Fiji’s waters, usually requiring one to travel back and forth through Nadi. Though the islands seem clustered close enough to each…

Happy new year!

It has been five weeks since my last post. Life got unexpectedly busy and something had to give… and unfortunately it was the blog. Since we last talked, here are the things I did: Edited a book, from concept to completion. It wasn’t that long, only a little over 6000 words. But this was the…

Sabeto Mud Baths and Hot Springs

One of the most unusual attractions in Fiji is a short drive away from the airport and the town of Nadi. It might seem strange to visit a hot spring in Melanesia, where the temperature is warm and balmy year-round. But with purported therapeutic properties as well as cosmetic thanks to the mud, why not visit…

Exploring Fiji’s Nadi Town

Bula to Fiji! The capital of the 330+ island archipelago is Suva, on the eastern part of the main island of Viti Levu. However, you may never even see Suva–your first encounter with Fiji will probably be Nadi Airport and Nadi town.

Gratitude

This week is a special one in the US as people celebrate Thanksgiving.

World and Time Enough

If you had it, where would you go?