South Pacific Dream - Holidays on the Caqalai Island (Fiji) | The Family Without Borders

The Family Without Borders

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What is a paradise?

Fiji: Relaxing holidays on the little Caqalai Island

Looks amazing? Like from those holidays’ folders, which annoy you, when you sit in your office or have to clean up at home? Blue sky, turquoise ocean, palm trees. So far away and so inaccessible?

Yep, the little island Cangalai, is quite on the other side of our planet, from home. The sun is shining there non stop, there are more coconuts on the trees that you can drink. There is Nemo fish under the water and the sky full of stars at night.

And you know what? It was probably the most boring 2 days we had during our time in Fiji. Of course: good to have such a calm time. Good to do the washing of dirty clothes and let them dry. Good to write down all the thoughts, which appeared in our heads during last days (in the villages for example). Good to be just in 4, give each other a proper time and attention.

But we are not exactly those plop-yourself-on-the-beach-and-do-nothing tourists, and how many times you can jump into water to swim, how many times you can jump from the palm tree, how many sand castles you can build? We are badly in love with people, interaction with them, watching the real life and having the real time in the places. Such a paradise is not a real time (for us).

You might look at those pictures and think: damn it, I wish to be there too! But it’s so far, so expensive, I will never have the money for something like this.

I believe that for travelling you need 2 things: the first one is the WILL. And the second one you can choose: it’s the MONEY or the TIME.

With the first one is easy: you buy the flight and then another one and another one and you are on Cangalai Island of Fiji. The other can be like this: you think about it, work work work, check the flights, check the flights, check the flights, collect the money for a flight and buy it in a right moment, end up in some poor Tonga without much luggage, hitch-hike on the boat to Fiji, take the cheapest ferry to the other side on the country, sleep for weeks in the tent, talk talk talk and find a fisherman, who will take you to Cangalai for a little money. Possible? Yes. Just takes time.

Not sure if it will be still a paradise for you though! Or – like for us – maybe it will surprise you not to be a paradise? Or maybe a paradise is just a state of mind? ;)


Our first book is out!

We have published our first book (for now just in Polish:) about our Central America Trip.
See, read and order here »

14 Comments

  • Justina
    Posted September 22, 2014 at 14:28 | Permalink

    Hi,
    Just a thought about your article : Maybe the paradise is the journey/process till your destination? In my opinion, paradise is not the place , it is more than that and I think you’ve already experienced it…;)

    Lovely to fallow your journey, beautiful pics, keep on going, because you are ispiring!
    Greetings from rainy Finland
    Justina

    Reply
  • Malwina
    Posted September 22, 2014 at 18:45 | Permalink

    Well…even if you have got time you still need money, anyway this comparison of time and money is exactly what Andrzej Budnik said at Wachlarz:)i think you kind of need both to travel (let’s be honest, return plane tickets for four to australia, new zealand etc. are simply unaffordable for many people). We travel quite often and i am just tired of people telling its so cheap and stuff like that. Even if you limit your expenses to minimum you still need some serious money. Thats what i think:)

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted September 22, 2014 at 19:35 | Permalink

      If last minute all inclusive for 1 week to Egypt from Poland costs 300-400 euros per person… and I know tons of Polish people (young and old), who have done things like this: from different cities and with very different social backgrounds… then is 700 euros there and back to New Zealand really unaffordable? Even if you collect it for few years?
      Yes, I know Andrzej thinks the same! It’s our old-between-travel-bloggers-but-also-travellers belief.

      Reply
      • Malwina
        Posted September 23, 2014 at 12:35 | Permalink

        Hi, maybe 700 is not that much (comparing egypt or turkey to trip to the end of the world) but x 4 = 2800 it is something. Not to mention national parks entrance fees, car hire, insurance, tickets (bus or plane) to get from place to place. I agree that traveling has never been easier then now with cheap flights, endless offers, and i also know bunch of people who fully enjoy this opportunity, but also a lot who can’t, even if they want to and have got time (and work:)

        Reply
        • Anna Alboth
          Posted September 23, 2014 at 13:48 | Permalink

          x 4 is always more, even if you just go to the Baltic Sea! ;)

          I dont know anybody, who really want to travel and dont do it. All: families, single mothers, people on wheelchairs. without legs, much money or knowledge of languages. It’s all about IF and HOW. You dont have to go to national parks, you dont have to hire a car, you dont need insurance. Its all choices. Thats what I think ;)

          Reply
          • Anna Alboth
            Posted September 23, 2014 at 13:48 | Permalink

            And thank you for the comment! I love comments ;)))

  • Malwina
    Posted September 23, 2014 at 12:53 | Permalink

    Also i know traveling by bikes, motorbikes, hitchhikes is cheap and great option but its out of the question with small kids, isn’t it?

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted September 23, 2014 at 13:40 | Permalink

      In last 3 months we hitch-hiked much more than we went by buses for example!

      And those guys are showing how to bike with very small kids: http://kajtostany.peron4.pl/2014/09/11/jak-jezdzi-sie-z-niemowlakiem-na-rowerze/

      Reply
      • Malwina
        Posted September 24, 2014 at 07:28 | Permalink

        These bikes with trailers for kids are good option when you don’t do very long distances (like traveling across Asia for example) or when you know there are decent roads (if any!) where you’re going. In this link you posted they describe their traveling with kids trailer mostly in Poland, i don’t know any people who would do really long and faraway trip this way. To sum up its much more difficult to go on a trip of your life than it may look, for many many reasons. Anyway your blog is great, especially videos and photos:)regards

        Reply
        • natka
          Posted September 25, 2014 at 18:24 | Permalink

          Well, on a trip in South America we met those guys from France, they were traveling on bikes with two children, 3 and 4 years old in kids trailers. They were going from Chile to the north, we met them in Potosi, a town in Bolivia, 4000m above the sea level, and as far as I know they were travelling to Ecuador. So, quite a long distance, and the roads in Bolivia are often not very decent. Not to mention the altitude…
          As Anna wrote: its mostly a question of will (OK, and in this case, impressive physical condition!)

          Reply
  • Malwina
    Posted September 24, 2014 at 08:56 | Permalink

    I started reading Pippi with my 4 year old daughter yesterday and she absolutely loves it, thank you for an inspiration:)

    Reply
  • Posted October 1, 2014 at 21:16 | Permalink

    Hahaha :) So funny: when I saw your article at first I was in a very good mood at home, just opened bottle of white wine, dinner was cooking on the stove, I sat with my laptop to have some quite time and I thought: isn’t this paradise? This state of mind which I have right now? I was reading your post (OK, a bit jealous about your journey, but we really came back from South America not that long time ago and we are going to Kenya in December so just a little bit jealous :))and your last sentence made me laugh: that is EXACTLY what I thought :) As if you took it from my head. Paradise is a state of mind. SO true :)

    Reply
  • kasia
    Posted November 2, 2014 at 23:41 | Permalink

    We went to Fiji in summer 2013 with our 4,5 years old son for 5 weeks. Cangalai was one of our favourite islands, we were interacting with the staff, went for a mess to Moturiki, drunk cava…

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted January 7, 2015 at 12:29 | Permalink

      Yeah, we were also interacting with the staff. They were playing a lot with the girls, that we can dive etc. But they are paid for it. You can watch them preparing the food for the guests or cava ceremony also for the guests. Not the same, for me.

      Reply

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