ISLANDS Caption Contest

by Adrienne Wilson on

Providing a caption for the illustration you see pictured here could get you and a pal an incredible trip to Fiji. To show how gung-ho they are about their 25th Birthday / Anniversary, ISLANDS magazine is looking to send the person with the most clever and creative caption to Fiji. The trip for two would be all-inclusive and lands you in the beautiful 500-acre island paradise of Turtle Islands. I won’t list all the prize details here, because I want to win, I mean because you’ll certainly want to head over to ISLANDS magazine for your chance to win. Seems like a pretty easy contest to enter, meaning little effort should be involved in getting your entry in there. Contest ends 09/30/06.

No excuses!

Enter the Tribewanted Sweepstakes

by Adrienne Wilson on

Yup – I’ve long been the type to get geeked up over a good contest, but at least I don’t keep my discoveries top secret so that no one else can enter. That would be wickedly selfish of me. Now STA Travel has this Tribewanted contest going on and I must say it’s one of the more interesting sweepstakes I’ve seen in a good while. For starters they’re giving away a membership to the eco-friendly green community located in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji. As a member of the Tribewanted you will gain a unique opportunity to participate in creating a ecological community with limited membership by debating tribal issues using an online forum to decide the development of the island. Only 5,000 memberships are being sold and only 100 people will be allowed on the island at one time. The island does not officially open until September 1, 2006.

Sound intriguing? Need more details? Head over to STA Travel, register, tell your friends and good luck!

Word for the Travel Wise (05/13/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

The best part of having friends from all over the globe is having the opportunity to pick their brains about possible vacation destinations and better yet the local slang to help keep you sounding cool in hot, sunny places like Fiji. So for today’s word I tapped into the word bank of a close friend of mine to help those of us planning a fabulous Fijian adventure this summer or even next year.

Today’s phrase is a Fijian phrase used in Fiji:

Chalo ghume. – Let’s go somewhere and have fun.

My friend actually speaks Hindi, but says this particular phrase is not proper Hindi and may not be understood in India. Since the phrase is widely understood in Fiji from what my friend tells me I thought it safe to call it Fijian. Cool? Glad you agree. Now let’s go have some fun!

Fiji Dictionary has about 850 words translating from Fijian-English and vice versa. The author of the site has a small disclaimer up top to remind those of us seeking methods to learn Fijian tongue online, that theirs may not be the most accurate and to use at your own risk. Rob Kay’s Fiji Guide has a pronunciation guide in addition to several useful words and historical background on the Fijian language including Fijian Hindi. Before clicking into the two above, check out Wiki for other interesting lingo facts.

Past Fijian words: daulomani

Keith Richards Lands on His Coconut

by Karen Walrond on

Via E!Online.com:  As if we needed further proof that
the members of the Rolling Stones are young at heart — Keith Richards has apparently been hospitalized for having too
much fun on his holiday at Fiji’s exclusive Wakaya Club.  His activity of choice?

Picking coconuts.

That’s right:  Richards fell out of a coconut tree.  To be fair, a Jet Ski has also been implicated
in his injuries, although it’s unclear whether his Jet Ski accident preceded or succeeded his coconut tree
mishap.  In any event, it appears that while picking the coconuts, he fell 16-and-a-half feet to the ground. 

That HAD to hurt.

Richards is expected to be released from hospital later this week.

A Piece of your own Island

by Neil Woodburn on

Looking to buy a slice of heaven but a little short on cash?  Well, if you’ve got just £120
(about $214) you can join 5,000 other investors to lease an island in the Pacific Ocean. 
Voro Voro is a 200-acre island that is a 90-minute plane ride from Fiji.  It is truly an isolated, deserted island
with no electricity or fresh water. 

A small group of young Brits are planning on turning the island into a communal society. The £120 will entitle investors to a full week on the
island once every year.  The first few years will be spent building accommodations and infrastructure—those
not present on the island when important decision are being made can vote and express opinions to the islanders via a
solar powered internet connection. 

Utopian societies such as this are always marvelous to consider but ultimately doomed to failure because of one
tragic flaw: they will be populated by humans.  Even though only 100 people are expected to be on the island at
any one time, that’s 99 too many for most societies to remain conflict free.  It’s a great idea, and
I’d love to see it work, but the last time a group of Brits ended up on a deserted island, Ralph and Piggy would
hardly have called it paradise.